Appo deepo Bhava - Be your own light.
Buddha's Last Words to his disciples
About Shanti Meditation School
Shanti Meditation School encourages people to uncover their inner truth, align with their energies and flourish into their authentic selves.
Finding peace within
Buddha’s first noble truth is, “Life is a suffering”. Is life a suffering for you? Or is life a celebration? It is extremely important to reflect on this question.
Most people respond to this question without looking inside, because the answer to this question (like other important spiritual questions) has already been supplied to us from outside. For many of us, life is a suffering because Buddha has said so. For others, it is a celebration because the self-help books urge us to always look at the positive side. But what is our true response to this question? Is there any suffering in our lives? The first step towards finding peace is to find the answer for ourselves, which can come only through deep reflection.
If we know our suffering — not just superficially but from deep reflection — we will immediately take the required steps to heal that suffering. For example, during severe hot weather, we immediately switch on our air conditioner, or during cold weather, we immediately put on warm clothes.
But most of us pass through life without really knowing its suffering or its celebratory nature for ourselves. When the suffering comes, we divert our mind to activities that seem to give us pleasure, and when we feel that we have had enough celebration we go back to tackling life in our best possible manner. This cycle keeps repeating over and over.
Buddha (and other realised beings) say that there is a state of consciousness that we can reach, where there is no suffering. But finding that state has become extraordinarily difficult for the modern mind. We just keep switching between the suffering and the diversions. On the spiritual path, the peace is everlasting, but this nature of peace has to be felt and known by us directly. If it doesn’t we have to look withing to find out what is wrong.
The activities of Shanti Meditation School are an effort to give a small taste of this peace to participants and to equip them with tools and techniques and provide them with a community to help them deepen this peace in their lives.
But most of us pass through life without really knowing its suffering or the celebratory nature for ourselves. When the suffering comes, we divert our mind to activities that seem to give us pleasure or peace, and when we feel that we have had enough celebration we go back to tackling life in the best possible way. And the cycle keeps repeating.
Going beyond suffering and finding peace has become extraordinarily difficult for the modern mind. We just keep switching between the suffering and the temporary diversions. On the spiritual path, the peace is everlasting, but this nature of peace is to be felt and known by us directly. If it doesn’t we have to look at what is wrong.
The activities of Shanti Meditation School are an effort to give a small taste of this peace to participants and to equip them with tools and techniques and provide them with a community to help them deepen this peace in their lives.
About Sugato
Sugato, an Eastern Philosophy and meditation teacher, was born in India, and, initially embarked on a successful corporate career in the USA as a Computer Science engineer. For over a decade, he ascended the corporate ladder in the IT industry. But then, driven by a profound inner calling, he chose to return to India and devote himself to his spiritual journey.
Immersing himself in various ashrams, Sugato spent several years studying and practising under a range of masters and spiritual traditions. His extensive training encompasses the ancient yogic sciences of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, Buddhism, Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, and Ayurveda.
Over the past twelve years, Sugato has channelled his vast knowledge into conducting transformative retreats, teacher trainings, and wisdom talks across Bali, USA, Europe, and India. These retreats are more than just educational experiences; they are designed to catalyse deep, personal transformation. They represent the culmination of his spiritual quest—a journey that began with a simple realisation and evolved into a rich, integrative system blending various spiritual practices and healing modalities.
Sugato’s work is a testament to his dedication to living and understanding the principles of presence, love, and truth. His approach is not merely theoretical but rooted in his own journey of self-discovery and embodiment. Through his teachings and meditations, Sugato helps others awaken to their authentic selves, by helping them transforming their energies toward a life of fulfilment and profound insight. His work is a continuous exploration into consciousness, aiming to support those seeking healing and deeper self-awareness
About Neha Baliyan
Neha was introduced to Yoga during her childhood while reading Gita. Since then she has been attracted towards the practice of Yoga. With a Masters in Yogic Science, a PGDM in Yoga and a Ph.D in Yoga and Science of Living, Neha lives a life dedicated to Yoga and Yoga philosophy.
Neha enjoys teaching yoga Asanas, alignment, yoga anatomy and Ayurveda, among other subjects. She always looks for the growth of her students, motivating them to expand their limits so that they can experience a healthier approach towards life.
In addition to working as Yoga instructor for various institutions, Neha has also worked with the central government of India to teach Yoga in rural villages. She has conducted yoga retreats and workshops in India, South East Asia and Europe.
About Rohil Jethmalani
Rohil Jethmalani is a passionate yoga & meditation teacher, and spiritual transformation coach with a deep commitment to guiding individuals on their spiritual journey. Co-founder of Purna Yoga Bali, he offers transformative retreats and coaching that blend the ancient wisdom of yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation with practical tools for personal growth. With years of experience in both the physical and philosophical aspects of yoga, Rohil helps students cultivate clarity, mindfulness, and inner peace. His approach is holistic, integrating mindfulness practices with actionable strategies for cultivating balance and well-being in everyday life.