Sri N V Raghuram, who directed the program, displayed that rare ability to explain highly profound and intricate topics at in a simple and easily comprehensible level way to the audience. One of the attendees commented with awe and admiration after one session, "He paints pictures in your mind when he tells a tale to illustrate a concept". Each morning began early at 6:00 am with the invocation of several Shanti mantras, followed by a discourse by Sri Raghuram on the role of Upanishads. The meaning of Shanti Mantras was elaborated in detail in subsequent lectures over the course of the Camp. The Upanishads answer the most profound of questions that have haunted mankind since the very beginning—what is the true nature of our existence? But for us to understand the meaning of the Upanishads, the question in our mind should become an intense quest. Sri Raghuram gave examples of Ramana Maharishi and Swami Vivekananda in this regard. In subsequent sessions, Sri Raghuram also spoke about the source of happiness to an individual, how to control emotions and the true meaning of ‘love’ (as distinguished from lust).

On each morning, a 90-minute Yogabhyaasa (Yoga practice) session was conducted in the Camp by Sri. Udayakiran, a software engineer by profession and trained in Yoga at SYVASA These included "Yogic jogging", suryanamaskaara, praaNayaama, complex asanas such as sarvaangasana and many more. During the practice, the approach was to become conscious of the specific body part after doing a corresponding pose. The session after dinner on each night of the Camp also included the practice of "traaTaka" (eye exercise).

Distinguished speaker and CEO of SelfCorp, Sri Prasad Kaipa explained in an inspiringed session how the abstract concepts of Vedanta could be used in management and in our career. The Gita is an excellent management manual for aspiring leaders because of the relevance of its context, since it is set in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. His advice to leaders who wish to become effective: Maintain equanimity (stithapragnya) at all times, pay attention to one’s perspective in whatever (s)he does, always choose actions consistent with this perspective, identify the way in which one lives out these actions, understand the context in which (s)he currently operates and be persistent in each one of these endeavors.

Sage Patanjali, the great saint who gave Yoga to the world was also one of the founding fathers of Sanskrit grammar. In addition, he laid the foundation for Ayurveda. These fields are thus naturally inter-related. Noted Ayurvedic healer, Pratichi Mathur explained the essence of Ayurveda—it is about health and not just disease; indeed it is an encyclopedia of life! Ayurveda takes a holistic view of the body and does not treat a symptom or a body organ in isolation, thus preventing the development of side effects in the process of healing. Because the physical body (unlike the soul) is not eternal, Ayurveda attempts to help an individual develop his power of self-healing (through will-power). Pratichi, who was herself born with a genetic disability called ankylosing spondylitis and grew up with asthma, has used Ayurveda to not only avoid her dependence on drugs or even a wheelchair, but also lead a very active lifestyle.

USA Program Director of Samskrita Bharati sevak, Sri Vasuvaj, who has conducted more than 500 weeklong introductory courses over the last two decades gave a lively talk in Sanskrit, on the importance of Sanskrit—although over 70%most of his talk was in Sanskrit, nobody in the audience, including persons of non-Indian origin, found it difficult to follow him. His energetic speech convinced the audience that "Samskritam kaTinam naasti" (Sanskrit is not difficult).

The Camp had many other activities too. On Saturday evening, a one-hour event, "Yogic games" was heldconducted by Sri Vasuvaj and Sri Venkatesh Murthy of HSS, that was filled with group games adapted from tales of Ramayana/Mahabharat and intended to develop a subtle awareness of Indian our heritage in the process. During the evening, there were keertans and bhajans that were recited by the participants to foster devotion and to purify ones’ emotions. The Camp was filled with very community-conscious participants, who served food in groups to all and even rested in groups during late evenings. For kids, there were special programs planned that included nature walks, hand painting, asanas (postures) for kids and many more. Each session was very interactive, with tremendous enthusiasm and participation from the audience that extended into discussions and personal consultations with the speakers during inter-session breaks. The Camp participants were immersed in these activities from 6:00 am-10:00 pm every day, making it was not only a ‘Yoga In Daily Life’ Camp but also a ‘Yoga In Every Moment’ Camp!

Yoga Bharati is a 100% non-profit organization that was established in 2001 to promote Yoga and related activities in the USA. For more information, please visit http://www.yogabharati.org