DOG: an Aurovilian’s best friend

At this time of year, Aurovilians are slowly recovering from an avalanche of meetings, workshops, festivals, performances, inquisitive guests etc. Many Aurovilians took on too much, flitting like deranged butterflies from one event to the next, only to collapse in a heap during, or even on, the Birthday bonfire.

Glazed eyes, tottering gait, blurred speech, spasmodic gestures and sudden hysterical laughter are early symptoms of an Aurovilian suffering from Guest Season Burn-out Syndrome (GSBS). The symptoms are not always recognized by others, partly because they are often mistaken for a form of advanced tapasya. Typically, the sufferers are unaware of the condition. They are high on frenetic energy and want more and more of it until, one morning, they collide with the cold light of dawn.

After that, every year they vow never to make the same mistake again. And every year, just as inevitably, they get caught up once again in the infernal whirligig.

As the wise old bard put it,

All this the world well knows’

yet none knows well

To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

But now, finally, help may be on the way. As an antidote to, among others, the frequent CAT (Create Auroville Together) meetings, DOG has slouched on to the scene.

DOG is an initiative of the Don’t Overdo it Group, which is partly inspired by global ‘slow’ movements like slow food, slow living, slow change, slow fashion etc. Like these movements, it aims to slow down the pace of living so that life can be enjoyed, celebrated, rather than hurriedly traversed like a dull antechamber.

To this end, DOG has devised a series of exercises for Aurovilians suffering from or at risk of GSBS.

1) Hammock Habituation (HH). This is not a particularly difficult asana. It involves lying prone in a hammock for as long as possible. At first, GSBS sufferers can only manage a few minutes before they start twitching or accessing their cell phone. Which is why the second exercise is

2) Cell Phone Cold Turkey (CPCT). For many people, this is the equivalent to turning off life support. However, it is essential if the GSBS sufferer is to kick the habit. Begin by switching off the cell phone and ungluing its umbilical cord from your ear for a few minutes a day, then gradually work up to letting the phone grow cold for hours, or even days. In the early stages, a dummy phone can be given to sufferers to clutch and fiddle with.

3) Need To Know? (NTK). NTK is for compulsive meeting attendees. Before every meeting they are tempted to attend, they are required to ask themselves, “Do I really need to know this?” Don’t worry. The Samriddhi Seed Collection Sub-group (SSCS) will not be devastated if you do not attend their Annual General Meeting (AGM).

4) Health Mantra (HM). For those who are irresistibly drawn to attend workshops on health and healing, a simple mantra is provided. Repeat, “I am not as sick as I think I am” before considering signing up for cellular gymnastics or barometric brain massage.

Sufferers report that these simple exercises help mitigate GSBS. Encouraged by this, DOG’s next project is to devise treatment for those who compulsively use abbreviations, initials and acronyms.