Our Mission

Atmanandam is a secular, 501(c)3 non-profit and spiritually based organization that offers meditation retreats at their meditation retreat center in the Idukki District of Kerala, S. India. Meditation, breath practices, mantra chanting and other techniques taught, follow the philosophical basis of Vedanta and the 4-streams of yoga. Tools provided are simple and can be easily incorporated into a daily lifestyle practice.

“The ultimate goal of human life is to attain Atmanandam – supreme inner bliss. “

– Sri Shylesh

Founders

Sri Shylesh

“Joy comes not from becoming but from Being, not from Doing but from Undoing, not from getting but letting go!”

Shylesh came into this world with a deep sense of his purpose and message for others in this life. He is a highly evolved, self-realized being and attained his higher states of awareness at a very young age. His encounters with enlightened Masters has given him the ultimate experience of reality. He approaches life with child-like playful nature while dwelling in the higher realms of awareness. He helps transform others through his heart-centered approach and profound healing transmission if they are open to receiving this Divine Light. He is here to spread the message of Pure Unconditional Love and is an embodiment of the Higher state of Divine Mother’s consciousness interplaying with the Krishna Consciousness.

Gayathri

“Be Authentic and present to Yourself always. Know yourself to be the Do-er while Being in a state of Divinity.”

Born with a sense of high intuition, keen intellect and a profound sense of awareness of her connection to all of existence. She has traveled widely across the world in many cultures and brings a sense of practicality and pragmatism in her spiritual offerings. Her spiritual experiences and insights came to her at a very young age, which gave her a deep understanding about the temporal nature of the sensory world and reality. Gayathri is inspired by the highest Divine potential that she sees in all and trusts that each person’s life experience is a journey to higher evolution and transcendence. Through her profound understanding of the nature of human suffering, Gayathri embodies the infinite, unconditional Love and compassion of the Divine Mother’s Consciousness and provides healing and teachings to all those who come to her.

Atmanandam Mission Trust and its founders follows the timeless and ancient sacred yogic wisdom teachings and incorporate four streams of yoga-Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana Yoga & Raja yoga. The word yoga means Union with the highest state of consciousness or Divine or God.

Karma Yoga – When your Actions, thoughts, words are with an attitude of surrender and detachment without attachment to its outcome / fruits of action. Selflessness in one’s work.
Bhakti Yoga – When every aspect, action, state of your life is on the path of devotion and surrender to your Highest Self
Jnana Yoga – This Path is the one of intellect, self-enquiry and contemplation on the purpose of life, the “Who Am I”.
Raja Yoga -This path of being is through the path of meditation, communing with the Divine within, Culturing the mind to reach to the higher state of consciousness or the state of higher absorption.

The Meaning of ATMANANDAM

The word “ATMANANDAM” is our own. It’s derived from two words: “Atman” and “Anandam”.

Atma translates to the notion of the ultimate inner divine spirit. This can sometimes be thought of as the soul, supreme consciousness within, our your higher self.

Anandam refers to the idea of eternal bliss. It is an infinite stream of inner joy that is beyond the mind, body and intellect. It’s a peace that surpasses understanding and consciousness.

Combined, these words carry a powerful meaning and is our motto.

OUR LOGO

The logo represents the vision of the founders of Atmanandam Mission Trust. The words are displayed in Sanskrit. The circle represents the eternal, infinite, endless nature of Consciousness. Deep blue background represents the expansive Collective Consciousness. The symbols within the circle represent the archetypal energies of the universe that human beings are born into this unique lifetime with and are representations of our own inner Consciousness. At the bottom of the circle is a ribbon banner with our Motto in Sanskrit “Atmanandam Parama Lakshyam” which translates to “The Ultimate goal of human life is to attain Supreme Inner Bliss (Atmanandam).

One must be in an ever-present state of awareness being the observer of all events without getting entangled in these events.

Within the circle are 4 Sanskrit words representing the four states of consciousness (Avastha) or human awareness or the 4 aspects of Parabrahma.

The symbols within the circle are as follows: These symbols are Tattvas – aspects of ourselves – archetypes of our inner states of existence. When we experience ourselves as the whole collective consciousness, we lose the ego nature, the sense of “I” and instead dwell in the eternal state of “I Am.”

The gold Sun and its emanating rays represents the eternal guiding Light of the Soul (Father, Shiva) which gives rise to creation and all life as we know it. It represents our awakening, our Higher Self.. It awakens the mind and pure intelligence. The Soul/Atma is always in a state of bliss and requires no definitions, labels, attributes or experience.
The crescent Moon – reflects the light of the Sun (Soul) and depicts Manas or emotional Mind through which we experience the five sensory aspects of our life and its reality. Represents awakening of the experience of Awareness which is beyond the Mind. It is the mind that needs to experience Atmanandam by which it knows itself to be one with the Supreme Consciousness.
The 9 planetary bodies that surround the Sun and Moon-– (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the 2 shadow planets Rahu and Ketu)- represents our tendencies of human existence. These depict various aspects of our inner self through which we identify our physical existence. The tendencies are carried over from previous lifetimes, ancestral influences, and the state of our inner nature. Ones astrological chart shows us the map of our life’s karmic layout and its trajectory in this lifetime.

"The meditation was beautiful and so easy to follow with Gayathri’s direction. Also the conversation centered around ourselves and how to be in a Happy Place within ourselves by practicing the meditation every day for at least 5 minutes a day. Which inspired me to start the next day. I’m looking forward to my next visit."

Tere

June, 2018

"The facilitators Shylesh & Gayathri held space for us in a beautiful way by chanting, some breathing exercises & guided meditation for each to experience our own personal journey."

Kamesh

February, 2018