The five-day workshop, The Silent Mind, unfolded as a profound inner journey — from the restless surface mind towards silence, wideness, higher consciousness, the psychic heart and finally, self-giving. Guided by Dr. Yogesh Mohan, the sessions became an exploration not merely of the mind, but of consciousness itself and its possibility of transformation through the Grace of the Divine Mother.
Dr. Yogesh began by emphasising that silence was the foundation of all yoga. The first movement was to turn inward, quieten the surface mind and create the inner space in which a deeper spiritual experience could unfold. The workshop was in collective yoga and collective aspiration, where the sincerity, prayers and aspiration of each participant contributed to a field in which the Divine Grace could work.
Unlike earlier programmes that had focused primarily on the psychic being, this workshop approached the mind itself as an instrument capable of transformation. The aspiration was to make the mind quiet, supple and receptive, opening it to higher mind, intuition, light and wisdom. Dr. Yogesh saw his own role as simply holding the space and creating an atmosphere in which the Mother’s Grace could act.
From Silence to Wideness
The first challenge was the surface mind — restless, analytical, judgmental and constantly occupied with thoughts. Dr. Yogesh illustrated how the mind could doubt even genuine spiritual experiences, question moments of peace and Divine Presence, and create endless chatter the moment one attempted to meditate. He explained that this restlessness was not a failure of meditation; rather, it was the first opportunity to observe the surface mind as it truly was.
Another limitation was the mind’s tendency to believe that it could understand and judge everything. Just as our physical senses could perceive only within a limited range, the mind too had limitations and could not comprehend realities belonging to higher dimensions of consciousness. Spiritual experience therefore could not always be reduced to intellectual understanding.
The aim was not to fight or forcibly silence the mind, but to shift the centre of consciousness. As consciousness moved inward and away from identification with thoughts, silence and stillness arose naturally. This movement gradually brought a sense of wideness. The narrow boundaries created by the separate “I” began to soften, along with comparison, competition, superiority, inferiority and separation. The individual consciousness could begin to experience itself as part of something larger.
From Wideness to Higher Consciousness
The journey then moved beyond silence and wideness towards higher ranges of consciousness. Dr. Yogesh drew upon Sri Aurobindo’s detailed mapping of the inner worlds, which provided seekers with a framework for understanding the different states and planes that could be encountered in spiritual experience.
The deeper emphasis remained on the living Presence and Grace of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, than on intellectual knowledge. Dr. Yogesh reminded the participants that genuine transformation did not come through personal effort alone. Aspiration, surrender and receptivity to Grace were essential.
A central principle of the workshop was the complementary movement of ascent and descent. Ascent involved moving beyond the surface mind towards higher consciousness and opening oneself to what the Divine offered. Descent involved allowing something of that higher consciousness to come back into the mind and gradually transform it.
Thus, the mind was not to be abandoned; it was to be transformed into an increasingly quiet, luminous and receptive instrument.
The practice of witnessing became an important step in this process. Participants were encouraged to recognise that they were not their thoughts. Thoughts could arise from different layers of the being, but consciousness could learn to observe them without becoming identified with them. The poise of the witness created a space between the observer and the activity of the surface mind, allowing greater freedom and inner quietude.
From Higher Consciousness to the Psychic Heart
As the journey deepened, the movement turned towards the heart and the psychic being. Participants were invited to go behind the surface consciousness and enter more deeply into the heart, in an atmosphere of trust, freedom and surrender.
Here, the “Divine Agni” — the psychic fire — became the centre of practice. Thoughts, emotions, memories, habits, resistances and other untransformed elements were not to be suppressed or analysed, but offered into the inner fire. The fire became an instrument of purification and transformation.
The meditations progressively opened the participants to the Mother’s Light and Presence. The consciousness was invited to rise beyond the physical mind and receive higher vibrations. The experience of Sri Krishna’s consciousness during one of the meditations added another dimension of beauty, peace and Divine Presence to the journey.
From the Psychic Heart Towards Self-Giving
By the final session, the journey had moved towards complete self-giving. Dr. Yogesh invited the participants to offer their entire lives to the Divine, holding nothing back and remain willing to transform every aspect of their consciousness. Ego, desire, habit and unconsciousness were recognised not as permanent limitations, but as elements that could be placed before the psychic fire and offered for transformation.
Dr. Yogesh reminded the participants that Divine Realisation could not remain a part-time aspiration. The entire life had to gradually become aligned with the Divine. Every moment offered to the Grace became a part of the work of transformation.
The five days, he explained, had been an immense outpouring of the Mother’s Love and Grace. They had opened new doors, revealed new vistas and created new pathways and bridges in consciousness. Yet the workshop was not an end. The real work had only begun.
The consciousness touched during the sessions had to be carried into everyday life. The outer life, too, needed to become increasingly aligned with the inner life. Time and space had to be created for the inner work, while the silence, receptivity had to be carried in everyday life.
The Sharings
The participants sharing’s reflected experiences of silence, luminosity, peace, powerful vibrations, inner guidance, surrender and deep gratitude. Some described a tangible sense of the Mother’s Presence; others spoke of the descent of Force, the warmth of the psychic fire and a growing ability to remain detached from the surface mind.
A recurring recognition was that transformation depended on remaining open, receptive and surrendered, allowing the Divine to work rather than relying solely on personal effort.
Together, the sharing’s reflected a deepening collective faith in the Mother’s Grace and a growing aspiration to live from a higher consciousness.
Carrying the Journey Forward
The deepest message of the five days journey was to observe the silence in everyday life. The higher consciousness touched during meditation was to be allowed to descend into the ordinary mind. The psychic fire was to be kept alive, and every aspect of life was to become an offering.
These sessions helped us not merely to have spiritual experiences, but to allow those experiences to change the way we lived — to become quieter, wider, more sincere, more receptive and increasingly aligned with the Divine.
Throughout the five-day journey, James, the host, provided a warm and steady presence, helping create the space in which the sessions could unfold smoothly. His presence supported the continuity of the programme and helped bring together the participants in a spirit of openness and collective aspiration.
For me, these five days were a deeply enriching and transformative experience. The workshop offered much more than a series of meditations or teachings; it created an opportunity to turn inward and experience, even if only in glimpses, the silence and vastness that lie beyond the surface mind.
One of the most valuable insights was the understanding that we are not our thoughts. Learning to step back from the mental chatter and take the poise of the witness brought a greater sense of inner space and calm. The practices also helped me recognise the importance of offering rather than resisting — the thoughts, emotions and habitual movements that arise can simply be placed before the inner fire and entrusted to the Divine.
My deepest aspiration — to remain open, to keep the inner fire alive, to surrender more completely with utmost trust and to allow the Grace to continue its work within me.
Feedback
“It changed my approach to meditation and when I do it. It also opened me to the places that are still in resistance to change that have been hiding in the background. The silence allowed me to truly look at the resistance and thoughts in a way I hadn’t before. It also helped me deepen my appreciation of cultivating a regular practice of silencing the mind throughout the day. This silencing is truly the only way we can begin to cultivate a deeper understanding and working of the Divine presence within. Opening up further and further to higher ranges of mind through the silence.”
“It taught me to pause and proceed.”
“Very beautiful workshop.”
“Very clear guidance on my sadhana”
