Stepping Away Helped me Reconnect with People, Purpose and the Divine

By Prathap Reddy (Sabbatical from 1st June 2024 to 30th September 2024)

For over four decades, I’ve been immersed in grassroots community development — working across Dalit empowerment, women’s and children’s issues, disaster relief, and rural health. As a founding member of IRDS, the organization has been my life’s mission. But in the process, I lost touch with something just as vital: myself.

Taking a sabbatical, supported by The Cocoon Initiative, was not only a pause — it was a profound spiritual and emotional reset. It helped me reorient my priorities, rebuild connections, and return with a renewed sense of purpose.

Reconnecting with My Roots
During the sabbatical, I made a conscious effort to visit my extended family and long-lost friends. I met relatives who had migrated far away, many living in poverty and hardship. Some I hadn’t seen in decades.

I hugged them, stayed with them, and even offered some financial support from the sabbatical fund. These moments, filled with raw emotion and reunion, reminded me of where I came from — and how important it is not to forget.

One such visit was particularly emotional — reconnecting with a close friend from childhood, now struggling with alcoholism. Spending time with him, offering counsel, and visiting our old schoolmates brought back memories, joy, and a sense of healing — for both of us.

A Spiritual Awakening
Perhaps the most transformative part of my sabbatical was the time I spent in deep spiritual retreat. I stayed at the Cosmic Valley International near Khammam for two weeks, practicing silent meditation inside the Jesus Pyramid Centre, nestled between two hills.

In this silence, something shifted. I realized that true wisdom comes from stillness — a place beyond thought, beyond routine, beyond ambition. It’s where I found peace, clarity, and a sense of divine connection that had been missing in the busyness of daily life. It was not about religion — but about tuning into the universe, with humility, gratitude, and surrender.

Later, at Fatima Ashram near Vijayawada, I went deeper into this spiritual transformation. I began to understand how to overcome negative thoughts, focus on values like compassion and consistency, and turn past pain into strength. I left feeling more rooted, more present, and more aligned with who I truly want to be — both as a person and a leader.

Healing, Fasting, and Wholeness
I also learned to listen to my body. I underwent a full health check-up and was relieved to find my physical health largely intact, despite mild hereditary diabetes. I began practicing intermittent fasting — a practice not just of physical discipline, but of spiritual clarity and inner cleansing.

Meditation and fasting together became tools to restore emotional balance, reduce stress, and deepen my resilience. I came away feeling lighter — not just in body, but in spirit.

Serving in Crisis — With Compassion
Toward the end of my sabbatical, floods devastated several districts in my region. Thousands lost their homes. I couldn’t stay passive. With some of the sabbatical funds, I provided food supplies to 26 affected families — with the help of local volunteers. It was an unplanned act of service, but one that reminded me of why I entered this line of work in the first place.

Even in rest, the call to serve doesn't fade. But it can emerge from a place of inner peace, not compulsion.

Reflections and Realizations
This time away helped me reflect on several truths: 

• True service begins with inner clarity. We can’t pour from an empty cup.
• Spirituality is a daily discipline, not a label or occasional act.
• Technology is changing social work, and we must evolve — but without losing the essence of personal, grassroots connection.
• Sacrifice is part of purpose. We can't make real impact without giving up something — comfort, ego, or control.

I also realized how much more I want to do — to inspire senior NGO leaders and young social workers to prioritize their own well-being and inner growth.

Memories That Stay
The silent meditations. The joy on my relatives’ faces. The laughter with long-lost friends. The rain-soaked homes of flood survivors. The spiritual conversations at the ashram. And most of all, the peace I felt simply doing nothing — letting go, and just being.

These are memories I’ll carry with me for life.

Moving Forward
This sabbatical has not ended — it has only begun. I plan to offer similar short sabbaticals (a week or ten days) to committed grassroots staff within IRDS. If I meet genuine social workers deserving of this opportunity, I will not hesitate to recommend them to The Cocoon Initiative. And if all goes well, I hope to take another sabbatical next year — this time funded by myself.

Final Thoughts
If you’re considering a sabbatical, here’s my humble advice:

• Don’t take this lightly. Only do it if you are committed to inner growth.
• Be honest and intentional. This isn’t a holiday — it’s a sacred opportunity to listen to your soul.
• Let it change you. Use the stillness to find what truly matters and return not just refreshed — but transformed.

Gratitude
To The Cocoon Initiative — thank you. Your support was not just financial. It was spiritual. Moral. Human. It gave me the freedom to find myself again — and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Let us spread this light to others who serve in silence, so they too may find time to pause, breathe, and begin anew.
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