YES!+ JAM

The idea of YES!+ JAM was conceived when some of my students from Vellore Institute of Technology ( Sanchit, Sakshi, Vibhor & Shubam ) met me at the asrham. We decided that lets have an event where lots of students come over to a place... They get some music, they enjoy and then join in for a YES!+ course starting in a day after that... They were finishing with their exams on 17th feb and so the tag line.... "End the exam with YES!+ jam"...

17th feb... 'Ishant' a brilliant singer from bangalore, a few people with him and me reached Vellore... The stage was set, and we were expecting about 300 people... Well, the program started with some film songs, but the crowd was still not moving... People started coming but were sitting faaaaar away... People were so stiff and sitting with this expectation to impress them ! At its peak there were about 270 - 300 people... But then they started leaving... I attempted to talk, hoping that it may stop them, but it was a mistake ! We started off a bhajan, and more people started leaving... Thats when I caught myself... I thought to myself... Why was I looking at people who are leaving! I should rather talk to people who are listening to me! So, I gave a short pep talk, and started a meditation ! By now there were about 100 people left... Then Ishant started with some bhajans ! And finally it caught on !!! People started moving & dancing to the tunes of Raaaaaa.....dheeeee.... By the end people were singing & dancing with the bajans and it was rocking! People were shouting for " We want more! "... Thats when I came back and said... more, in the next YES!+... Few volunteers came and shared their experiences about the course... Gave them a little more idea about YES!+ and called it a day!

At the end... I asked the volunteers, how many people registered for the next YES!+ ? the answer was 5 ! We had about 15 people in total who were joining the course and 1 day to go! Volunteers had worked really well for the YES!+ jam, and were tired ! Although the 'JAM' did end in high spirits ( with whoever was there till the end )... The volunteers were not in such high spirits ! Instead of coming with me for dinner most of them left for their hostel rooms... Actually only 2 volunteers (Govind & Sidharth) joined me... So, the 'JAM' band, the 2 volunteers and me had our dinner... After the dinner, the 'JAM' band left to return to bangalore... and the 2 volunteers also left for their hostels ( actually they were with me much beyond their 'in time' )... Thats when I realized, my accommodation was not arranged... The volunteers told me that I could go to the lodge where i usually stayed... So, I went there and it was 'jam packed', there was another lodge next door which was also full!

It was 11 pm when I was standing all alone on the road side. I had two bags with me, a back ache, nowhere to go, dead tired ( my day started early morning from bangalore ), a flop 'YES!+ JAM' behind me, 15 participants in the next course ! Things were obviously not happening the way I wanted, but I don't know why, I was still calm and relaxed, deep within I had this feeling "AALL IS WELL"... I was feeling so sure that Guruji was with me every moment ! To be continued....