Samagra India

Samagra means ‘Wholeness First’, ‘Integrated’ and ‘Inclusive’. Samagra is both an organization and a movement, whose foundational principles are based on the concept of Naturality, or Sahajata. On the path of Naturality, the seeker learns to walk with ease and harmony, following his or her own inner nature.

This path of Naturality can be found through the integration of "Karma" Yoga (action or work), "Bhakti" Yoga (devotion and music) and "Gyan" Yoga (self-inquiry and dialogue). As these three forms of practice integrate, the seeker begins to perceive the natural sacredness of existence. Samagra as a movement promotes and fosters the seeker’s journey towards living a life of Naturality.

Samagra is also an organization, which is based in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the city of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. The northern state of Uttarakhand is a place of great beauty and spiritual significance, the source of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and home to some of the mightiest snow covered peaks of the Himalayas.

Jivasu (Pradeep Kumar) and his wife Karen worked in this part of the Himalayas for more than a decade, focusing on health and education initiatives in the villages of Uttarakhand. Their experiences during those years laid the foundation for Samagra’s current social programs in India. The mountainous environment of the Himalayan foothills poses particular challenges for those who live there. Literacy rates are significantly lower than the national standard, and poverty can be a crushing burden.

In Samagra, education and income-generating activities have been the primary focus of activity. Mrs Suchitra Aggarwal, the administrator of Samagra in India has developed several income-generating activities for marginalized women, including a popular sewing program. An after-school tutoring program for underprivileged children has attracted many young students. Now, an innovative educational initiative for these children is underway, using music and meditation to stimulate both mind and spirit.

A program for international visitors is also an integral part of Samagra’s work. Through the Student International Health Initiative (SIHI), university students have been visiting this area for the past 8 years. Using an approach of appreciative inquiry, students explore a radically different cultural milieu. In this process, they have a unique opportunity to come to know the strengths of the people in this region, and to reflect on the problems they face. This fosters a process of self-reflection, promoting greater awareness about the world and their place within it.

Uttarakhand has been a place of pilgrimage for thousands of years, a sacred site where seekers travel in search of a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. For the past two years, Jivasu has been leading small groups of pilgrims from Canada to this special place. The pilgrims have a rich experience in India – they visit sacred sites, explore the magnificent Himalayan environment, and study the work of local NGOs involved with education. They participate in two meditation retreats, one in the mountains and another in the sacred town of Rishikesh. Their pilgrimage reflects the dual aims of Samagra – to support the education and income-generating activities of the organization in Dehradun, while learning to live the path of Naturality.

Please contact us to learn more about Samagra India or to inquire about joining us on a pilgrimage to India.