Date: 24-Dec to 26-Dec , 2023 Location: M S Udayamurthy School of Excellence Premises, Namakkal As a part of Phase III of the ongoing course on Integral Education (IE) spread over a period of 12 months, aimed at introducing, guiding and mentoring a group of 8 teachers of the M S Udayamurthy School of Excellence, including one representative from the management, a three-day workshop was organised at the school premises in Namakkal. This was the third workshop held in the series of phases for the topics regarding IE to be covered with the teachers of the school. The facilitators of the workshop were Shivakumar and Priti, from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. In Phase I, a general introduction was given to the theory, practices and approach of Integral Education. The participants were introduced to the founders of Integral Education and also the basic vocabulary and foundational parts of Integral Education (IE). Psychic education was introduced with several experiential activities. In Phase II, a brief preview was given to the practices of Physical Education, through awareness games and activities, and the approach was introduced with reflective experiential activities. A Project work was given at the end of the workshop which was designed to help the teachers assimilate the learnings of the workshop. In the Phase III workshop, an introduction was given to Vital Education beginning with Sense Development games as sense development is the doorway to building a robust Vital Education. Activities such as awareness games, painting in nature and writing poetry, which helped the participants become aware of their Vital nature were taken up and methods to control and the Vital nature were also taken up. Some of the important topics covered were: Presenting the project on Physical development How to prepare a Lesson plan keeping in mind the 3 principles of True Teaching Following the growth of the child – Introduction to Sense development Exploring the sense of Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste and Touch with the help of games Mantra Chanting Conclusion of Sense Development with reading of Principles from Sri Aurobindo Sense Development as a part of Vital Development Awakening to the emotions with a game and interaction Refining the Vital by connecting with nature and re-expressing through Art Learning Methods to control the Vital ad make it an opportunity for progress Conclusion – Reading on the Vital from the ‘The Science of Living’ An assignment was given to the teachers develop their own sense development and minor games taken up in the earlier phase. The last phase will conclude with curriculum planning based on Project Based Learning which is an integral part of the Mental development. In all the three workshops, the teachers were happy to experience a new awareness enveloping them and their outlook towards education got completely reawakened with the shaking out of old ideas about education and the emergence of a new understanding with the help of Integral Education. Follow-up online sessions were taken up to strengthen the practices introduced during the workshops. Many small practices such as playing co-operative games, sense awareness games and creating a psychic atmosphere in the classrooms have already been started in the school.

Date: Jul 14 - Jul 16, 2023 Location: M S Udayamurthy School of Excellence, Namakkal Course Facilitators: The facilitators of the workshop were Shivakumar and Priti, from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. As a part of Phase II of the ongoing course on Integral Education (IE) spread over a period of 12 months, aimed at introducing, guiding and mentoring a group of 8 teachers of the M S Udayamurthy School of Excellence, including one representative from the management, a three-day workshop was organised at the school premises in Namakkal. Through an earlier three-day workshop of Phase I, a general introduction was given to the theory, practices and approach of Integral Education. In the Phase II workshop, a brief preview was given of the approach to Integral Education, specifically, an introduction to Physical Education through awareness games and activities, and the approach was introduced with reflective experiential activities. A Project work was given at the end of the workshop which was designed to help the teachers assimilate the learnings of the workshop. Some of the major topics covered during the three days were: A Recap of the First Workshop by going through the favourite quotes of the participants and also revising the basics of Integral Education Project Presentations on the Good habits inculcated in the Physical Nature: To move from weakness to strength Practices for getting connected to the Inner Friend (the Psychic Being) - Introduction to the Om Mantra Chanting Becoming Conscious of our Body - Awareness activities Introduction to Physical Education The Practice of full Body-Scan Introduction to Surya Namaskar Exploring the Sources of Physical Energy. A 4-Point Programme for improving Physical Life-Style: Food - Breathing - Sleep and Rest - Conscious movements Introduction to an Integrated Physical Approach, through a Chart Minor games and understanding its relevance Obstacle games and understanding their impact Reading of the excerpt on Physical Education from ‘The Science of Living’ chapter Conclusion, with the assignment of project work on: -Building an Integral Physical programme for oneself And doing the same in the classroom, with students Conclusion: The workshop closed with a short recap of the three principles of Education and how important it is to start the practices for inching towards perfection and also the developmental stages of a child was re-visited where the Physical development is the first stage. First the gross motor and then the fine motor skills have to be developed so that the child may be able to relate to emotions and his thoughts in a coordinated way. Here if the Physical education programme is inducted in a psychic atmosphere created by the teacher-facilitators, then the body consciousness of the child can be awakened to a considerable level and the emotional and mental developments will follow suit in a harmonious manner. For this, the facilitators have to first integrate the Physical Education Programme into their personal lives. Then only integrating the programme in the classrooms is possible. Feedback from some of the participants: Yagashree, Primary class teacher:“What I liked most in the workshop is AUM Mantra chanting, which gives me a positive energy and it feels like a temple. I liked all the activities, which I now realise that ‘I can also do’.” Unmul Barakath, Primary and Secondary class teacher: “The one learning from the workshop that will stay with me for a long time is ‘Concentration and Being Conscious of the work’ before starting any work.” Govarthani Vishwananthan, Primary school teacher: “The biggest learning from the workshop for me is that I have to open up and not to hesitate for anything. This time I tried to open up.I have also understood that if we understand ourselves properly, then we will be able to understand our students properly..” Sathya, Pre-primary class teacher:"The three thing I like most in the workshop were: Bean bag activity where I experienced that physical posture should be alert and conscious. Group Balloon game where I experienced Concentration and Team Coordination. Obstacle game where I understood how many different variations can be included in one platform.I also learnt that Physical awareness includes Food, Exercise, Sleep and Conscious movements.”

Date: May 16 - May 24, 2023 Location: Sharanam Community Centre and Society House Video Glimpse of the Workshop: https://youtube.com/shorts/DJFu4xpjStQ Intensive workshops on Integral Education have been an integral part of SAFIER, educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, for the last three decades. This year, after two years of gap due to Covid-19, this most awaited program was conducted from 16th to 24th May under the title of ANTAR-GAMANAM: Workshop on Integral Education (IE). 37 sincere seekers of IE from across the country including pre-primary, primary and high school teachers, directors, administrators, principals, and also trustee members, ranging from the age of 23 to 73, participated in the workshop while a team from Bejon Desai Foundation, Nasik, came to Puducherry to take part in it as co-facilitators. This workshop was conducted at two places, the first half being conducted at Sharanam community centre and the latter half being conducted at the Society House of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. Course Facilitators: SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. Introductory address - by Shivakumar The workshop began on the 16th of May at Sharanam Community centre of Sri Aurobindo Society, which aspires to provide a conducive spiritual atmosphere to the guests and participants. Shivakumar addressed all the participants by telling them that this workshop- ‘Antar Gamanam’- is an opportunity to go within and look for a treasure which is within each one. Shivakumar read a quote by the Mother- “We are not here to do (only a little better) what others do. We are here to do what others cannot do because they do not have the idea that it can be done.” The sessions on laying the foundation of Integral Education and giving the participants an experience so that they could assimilate the essence of Integral Education were: Jointly facilitated by Shivakumar and Priti: Knowing the Founders of IE: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Source of Inspired Education, Science of Living Introduction and Journey begins, the Magic Mirror, Journey continues: Decoding oneself, Exploring & Refining the Vital. Facilitated by Shivakumar: Story of Sharanam, A Re-look at Current Education – Part II and Embarking on the Journey of Integral Education, Learning to BE with an Object, Opening Up of Our Senses, Exploring the Physical, Wonder That is Sanskrit and Reading of ‘The Science of Living’ Facilitated by Priti: Knowing oneself and Knowing others, Exploring the Space and A Re-look at Current Education – Part I, Silent Skill-based Creative Corners with the help of the facilitator team, Inner Weather, Chanting, Dialogue with Oneself and Minor Games II along with Shilpa, Reflecting on the experience of Sharanam, Sunrise Walk, How to build an Integral Classroom, Project Based Learning [PBL] in the Integral Way, Project Work Facilitated by Jasmine: Yogic Exercises, Story-telling, Awareness of the Body with the help of the facilitator Team. Fun with Cahier Pointelle - by Jasmine (with Pre-Primary & Primary level teachers) Facilitated by Kavita: A Walk in Nature (visit to Matri-Udyanam) - by Kavita Facilitated by Sushanto: A Welcome with Flowers, Visit to Maret Garden along with the help of Rathi and Sumedha. Facilitated by Sahana: Minor games I, Connecting with Oneself through Beauty Facilitated by Shilpa-di Implementing IE at Pre-Primary [KG] Level Facilitated by Uttama-di Self-Introspection with Line and Colour (with Pre-Primary & Primary level teachers) Facilitated by Dilip-bhai Enjoying Maths Facilitated by Shekhar Yoga & Yogic Living Mehfil - A Celebration at Sharanam Mehfil was the cultural offering made by all the participants, which was conducted in the indoor hall. The hall was nicely decorated with flower and candle arrangement and a beautiful environment was created. The participants got to know about their hidden potential and opened up like a flower opening petal by petal. In the end everyone held their hands standing in a circle and expressed the harmony and unity felt deep within the hearts of all, in the form of a song sung together. Flower Mandalas with Dr. Bharadwaj Every morning a group of interested participants got-together before the sessions started and everyday made beautiful Flower-mandala. This became an engaging, quiet and concentrated way to begin the day. Dr Bharadwaj shared his love for flowers and Manda-making with the participants and joined them as an encouragement. Project Presentations and Exhibit of Creative work All the four groups beautifully and creatively presented their Journey of Growth during the 8-day workshop, ‘Antargamanam’, at an Individual and Collective level by the way of songs, dances, PowerPoint-presentations and musical dramas. The presentations gave a nostalgic review of the workshop and gave an opportunity for sharing and listening to each other's progress and challenges. The exhibition of the beautiful artwork created by the participants in a meditative and quiet space was put up and it was a delight to the eye. Conclusion: Flame of Aspiration The 8-day IE workshop ‘Antargamanam’ concluded with the participants lighting a flame of aspiration within themselves towards becoming an integral facilitator and connecting better with the students and the world around them. Feedback by some of the Participants: “Immersion in Nature and facilitators is what I like the most. Nature is home, it always takes me home to myself. The centeredness and facilitators disinterestedness, self-giving, warmth and love for the work is very inspiring for me. It was like being showered with deeper wisdom while being held in a lot of love.” Shaily Shah, Volunteer teacher at Nandanam school, Auroville “Before coming over here only one most powerful word was sent to us through whatsapp - that was ‘LOVE’. Came here, saw and experienced the power of ‘LOVE’ in a true sense. The Magic Mirror session was what I liked the most because it was so confusing before coming here and now I can connect my activities to the parts of my personality. ” Indrani Basu Das, Managing Committee member, SRI AUROBINDO VIDYABHAWAN, West Bengal. “What I liked most in the workshop was the topics covered. It is an effective way to bring spirituality into teaching and daily life. Now I understand my inner friend and have more faith in myself.” Hinal dhakad, teacher at Harmony Montessori, Mumbai “A truly enriching experience, which every individual should get an opportunity in their lifetime. These kinds of workshops should not be restricted to only teachers though the topic is Integral Education.” C. Geetha, Vice-Principal, Auro Mirra International School, Bangalore “Journal writing (having a dialogue with oneself) has given me a way to vent my AHA & OHO moments. A must session. It is much required. The whole workshop was something unique and new for me. Though it looks simple, yet it took me deep down to the inner space in a subtle way. If I can help myself and my students, it will be one of the best achievements of my life.” Uma Bholerao, Principal, Meghe Group of schools, Nagpur “The workshop was something beyond my expectations. All the topics covered were really useful and helpful to us as humans and then as teachers. The observation of the facilitators was so good that they could involve everyone during the sessions. “ M. Naga Prashanthi, Academic Coordinator, Sri Prakash Synergy School, Peddapuram, Andhra Pradesh “I liked the practical approach of the workshop. Every learning experience went through practical work.” Raman Virdi, Pre-primary teacher, Auro Mirra centre Of Education, Patiala “I came here with no expectations, but I am going back with a better version of me. Each and every activity conducted can easily be replicated with the students. The food and care ws so complete and nutritious, each and every aspect was taken care of.” Shruti Sahai, teacher at SETH MR JAIPURIA school, Lucknow “What I liked most is the vocabulary used by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It is so powerful that it invokes the energy that you need to get the message and apply it. I will try to change within myself by continuously reinforcing, refreshing, learning new vocabulary, otherwise one becomes complacent and the purpose of the job is defeated.” Santosh Bhandari, Principal, The Sky School, Panchkula

Date: Apr 07 - Apr 09, 2023 Location: Society House Dr. M.S.Udayamurthy School of Excellence, established in the year of 2000, is an aspiring institute spread over 2.5 acres of land in Namakkal. Shivakumar and Priti from SAFIER—the Integral Education wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry—visited the school in August 2022 and gave a glimpse into the approach of Integral Education (IE) through awareness games and art activities. This interaction developed into a joyful collaboration – a course on IE spread over a period of 11 months, to introduce, guide and mentor a group of about 10-12 teachers of the school. The phase I of the course began with a 3-day Introductory Workshop at the premises of Sri Aurobindo Society with a group of 6 teachers from the Primary and Pre-Primary section of the school and two representatives from the Management. Course Facilitators: The Main facilitators of the workshop were Shivakumar and Priti, supported by Sahana, Rathi and Sushanto from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. On day 1, the workshop began with a game where participants introduced themselves by sharing a quality of theirs, expressing it through a movement. This playful yet deep introductory session led by Priti cheered and opened them up for the further journey. Shivakumar then shared the story of IE, starting with a thoughtful and introspective interaction about spirituality. He narrated his own journey of discovering the true meaning of spirituality and then introduced teachers to IE through the story of its founders - Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. This was followed by Priti's session on inspired teaching, where teachers were asked to recall the memory of their most favourite teacher and what qualities inspired them the most, reminding them to look within for the Source of their Inspiration. After a delicious South Indian meal by Prasadam, participants were taken through a skit by Shivakumar & team reflecting the different parts of oneself and a constant struggle between them and a beautiful potential of a true leader hidden within. Teachers deepened their understanding of different parts of their being by filling up a questionnaire reflecting upon a few everyday activities and through experiencing each part while they engaged in different activities. Priti led participants further into the inner world through a meditative body scan, visiting and quieting all the parts. Participants expressed the inner weather in a visual way through colors and experienced a deep peace within through the session. Day 2 started early in the morning with a refreshing yoga-asana session by Priti during which the participants explored postures related to nature and the animal world and experienced a new kind of energy flow in their body. The formal sessions began by introducing journaling to help participants observe the day's events, locate the sense of ‘I’ in the most inspired and challenging moments and understand which part of their personality was more dominant in these moments. Connecting with the inner friend was the main theme of the day where participants were reminded of the pure, silent, wise being in the middle of the chaos created by the physical-vital-mind trio, and IE begins when these parts get connected with the Psychic. Beauty was presented as a gateway for connecting with the inner friend. Participants enjoyed singing together a beautiful song on beauty, translated to Tamil specially for this group, and then chanting mantras with Shiva Kumar to connect with their deeper selves. They were also encouraged to connect with flowers by being like a flower, a session in which they chose and deeply connected with a flower, shared and expressed their joy through a group dance movement. Post-lunch, they played a few games with Sahana which were designed to create alertness and sustained attention, followed by an activity that involved creating something beautiful as a group, in silence while being in touch with the inner friend. They also made beautiful butterfly-origami with Rathi and were excited to do the activity with the children in their school. Evening participants were taken to the Maret Garden, where they reflected with Sushanto Da and team on how learning from nature is different from learning from a teacher inside the classroom. They engrossed themselves in the beauty and fragrance of flowers and explored connecting with flowers through their unique vibrations. The third day also began with yogic exercises aimed at increasing stability and stillness in movement. The participants had a taste of a physical routine with an awareness-based approach and vowed to practise some of the postures when they reached back home! Similarly, formal sessions began with Om chanting and an aspiration for a deeper connection with the Inner Friend. Participants were guided to journal in a deeper way, and shared their insights from the previous day. Shivakumar took the teachers for a walk through the current educational system where they had a critical look at the current educational system, reflecting on how much of their education has been really useful till date. It was an insightful session where teachers understood that it's high time that they begin to relook at education in a way that truly helped children blossom. They also explored certain coordination games which challenged them and helped them to bring awareness into the body and the possibility of a conscious body making its movements more perfect. In the afternoon they went through a quick recap of the important quotes that were explored during the workshop. As part of that they read the first few paragraphs from the chapter “Science of Living” by the Mother, starting with the importance of having an aim that is high, wide, generous and disinterested. All the inspired teachers that we have had during our education had such an aim of going beyond being a conventional teacher, and it put them in touch with their Inner Friend and made them inspirational teachers. Conclusion The participants were given assignments and the workshop came was concluded with a reflective session on the intense journey of Integral Education that they had embarked upon for the last three days and, holding the learnings and insights in their deepest Inner space, offered it to the ‘Flame of Aspiration’ burning in that deep Inner space, within each one. Highlights from Participants’ Feedback “We were strangers, we became a family through love! Let us grow in knowledge - not through words but through acts that we will practise Integral Education….” Sathya KG Teacher “I liked analysing our own experiences of the day the most because it will make me more conscious and a happy woman, happy wife, happy mother, happy teacher.” V Govarthani Primary Teacher, English & Computer Science “Connecting with Nature in Maret garden was very exciting. I haven't seen so many types of flowers before. They were very beautiful!” S Manimekalai Teacher “The Magic Mirror session I liked the most. Content clarity, execution and characterization were awesome. Detailed explanation made me understand the unknown concepts easily.” P. Jeevanandam Vice Principal “The best part of the AZHAGU song was to add our own stanza to it. I’m sure this will be a hit in the classroom where the children’s creativity will be kindled.” B. Yaagasree Teacher, Class IV & V “So helpful yoga-asanas. I felt fresh the entire day. My physical felt very light, active and energetic. It brought my attention towards each and every part of my body.” K Arthy Lakshmi School Correspondent “I understood clearly that students should not be fully pushed into the lesson plans or syllabus pattern. We have to give education that is relevant to them.” A Ummul Barakath Hindi Teacher, Class I-III

Date: Apr 02 - Apr 06, 2023 Location: Society House SAFIER, the Integral Education wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, organised a 2-day programme for 15 young students from the Salwan School, Gurugram, who came to Puducherry as a part of their educational tour, along with 2 of their teachers and 2 facilitators from the SAS Gurugram Centre including K C Sethi, its Chairman. It was a brief youth camp weaved together to introduce them to the spiritual atmosphere of the city and the spiritual potential within. On 3rd April, a warm and energetic welcome note by Pradeep Narang, Chairman of Sri Aurobindo Society, and K C Sethi set the stage for the rest of the programme. Priti guided the Students to discover their strengths as they interacted with objects of Nature, drew, coloured and wrote a short Haiku-like poem. They then introduced themselves not just by their names but with their strengths and the poem that they had written. This activity helped the students to discover a subtler part of themselves which made them open to a new experience of themselves. With the help of a magic mirror showing the different parts of oneself, the students, with the help of Shivakumar & his team, explored and understood the basic contradicting nature of their body, emotions and mind, and also a quiet Inner Friend who is capable of bringing harmony among them. The students thus opened up to a unique way of looking at themselves and “knowing” themselves. Post lunch, the group was taken to Sharanam, an eco-friendly community centre of Sri Aurobindo Society, where they heard the inspiring story of Kala amma and the birth of Sharanam. From there, they walked into the beauty of Matri Udyanam, the Mother's garden of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, exploring the significance of flowers, silence of the garden space, and then immersed themselves into the colours of tranquilising sunset through the medium of art. Being with Nature helped the students and facilitators to create beautiful art-expressions which brought the whole sunset witnessed, into a large canvas of colours on paper. On 4th April, as the devotees in Puducherry celebrated Sri Aurobindo’s arrival at Chettiyar’s House where he first resided, the children were given a glimpse into the life of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, followed by a guided visit to some of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Departments. First they visited Sri Smriti (The Mother’s Museum) and walked through a beautiful collection of articles acquired by the Mother and some used by Sri Aurobindo. Then to Senteurs, the Ashram’s Perfumery Department, and SABDA, the Ashram’s main bookshop. The group took home many unique Ashram products such as Power syrup, perfumes and also books. Afternoon, they enjoyed playing games conducted by Sahana and Shantanu and were made aware of their power of attention and concentration and how life can be a rich experience if we cultivate the state of concentration. By this time, drawn in by the experiences of the students group here, the Principal of school Smt Rashmi Malik also flew down from Gurugram and joined the group! After a Tea break, Priti facilitated the group to have a deeper look into their aim of life through an exercise of heightening and widening their aim. It was beautiful to listen to their five small things that they wrote down to practice as baby steps towards their aim of life. After a feedback session, the programme concluded with a heartwarming note by Shri Pradeep Narang and Shri Sethi-ji. The group took the blessings from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother along with cashew toffees, some short compilation booklets from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and designer bookmarks. The following day they visited the soul of Auroville, the Matrimandir, and on 6th April, they departed to Chennai airport after having visited Mahabalipuram. Highlights from the Students’ Feedback: “The skit was pure reality that we all face. Everyone knows the problem, the cause, but only a few know the solution. It was shocking how the skit and the questionnaire told us the solution to anything is me, ourselves.” Shreen Koul “Sunset at Matri-udyanam: how I found peace in the beauty of nature and the greenery, All away from electronic gadgets, watching the sunlight with our eyes without any filter.” Stuti Jain “The story of Sharanam was really heart touching, motivating and inspiring. I personally liked the way how Shiva Bhaiyya expressed the story so beautifully with all expressions filled into him. That's the main reason why we were all ears with him.” Sanvi Madan “I could actually feel the words coming out from deep within. I really liked all the haikus and poems and the idea of connecting with Nature.” “In the Aim of Life session we could actually look into ourselves and realise ‘what we are’, ‘what we wanna be’, and ‘how we wanna be”. Really beautiful lines said by the Mother in the ‘Science of Living’.” Kashvi Goyal “I liked how here the people are so generous and kind. When all the people were talking, laughing, I felt as if they were all my friends.” Amaira Roy “‘Who am I’ was quite an eye opener to a whole new perspective of everything that we do as a person.” Aastha Yadav “I am fascinated to know that we have so many parts working and living together. I look forward to discovering my inner personality…” Amisha Bansal

Date: 28-Mar-2024 Location: Pondicherry University On March 28, 2023 at the Inaugural Seminar of Sri Aurobindo Chair at Pondicherry University, Shivakumar, Director, Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER), the Integral Education wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherrry, was invited to speak on the topic "A Brief Introduction to Integral Education". A panel discussion led by Nanda Kishor, Department of Politics and International Studies, Beloo Mehra, Auro Bharati, Sri Aurobindo Society and Shivakumar, director, Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER), and moderated by Priti Umamaheshwaram, SAFIER, discussed Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts on new-world order and writings on Indian culture and integral education. Shivakumar spoke on the three foundations of Integral education, with a fourth, the Psychic – the centre of our individuality – guiding and shaping our personality. The Chair of Sri Aurobindo at Pondicherry University seeks to formulate oriented degree programmes, diplomas, certificate courses, internships, webinars and workshops to contribute in the advancement of knowledge and propagate the message of Sri Aurobindo, with an emphasis on youth. Click here To view the interaction in YouTube .

Date: 21-Jan-2023 Location: Society House, Pondicherry Shivakumar and Priti of SAFIER, the integral education initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society had a half day interaction with 30 teachers of Nursery to 10th grade level, including the vice-principal and principal, from MSFNA (Mirambika School for New Age), Bangalore as a part of their exposure-visit to Puducherry. The objective of the interaction was to initiate an understanding to the approaches of Integral Education as the aspiration of the school is to offer education more and more based in the light of Integral Education. All the participants were given the small book “On Education by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother”. The welcome address was taken up by the chairman of Sri Aurobindo Society, Pradeep Narang-ji and the Karnataka State committee chairman of Sri Aurobindo Society, Ajit Sabnis-ji. Pradeep-ji stressed on the need of Integral Education which will help lead a life filled with higher consciousness, so that one can offer the same to the children. Shivakumar took up an interactive dialogue with the teachers where he took up the process of education which is left out in the education process to a significant aspect, the preparation of a teacher, while planning the lesson and while being with the children. For this preparation, one has to start with oneself, thus the ‘Three Principles of Education’ as envisaged by Sri Aurobindo with reference to the first chapter from the book ‘On Education’, was taken up. Following up on this understanding, Priti took up an experiential activity where a topic "Celebrating Makar-Sankranti/Pongal in one’s current circumstances” was given to the teachers after dividing them into 5 groups. The purpose of this activity was to process how the three principles of education when used consciously in our daily activities, the experience of learning and living becomes more meaningful and joyous. The half-day interaction ended with a beautiful presentation from the five groups, which was bejeweled with dances, songs and stories. The teachers took back a lot of learnings , enthusiasm and a new aspiration for their journey ahead as integral educators.

Date: Dec 27 - Dec 30, 2022 Location: Society House SAFIER, the Integral Education wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, organised an exposure visit for a group of 15 teachers of ‘Neevam—The School’, Amravati, accompanied by the director of the school, Neeta Kakkad. The objective was to facilitate an understanding of the practices of Integral Education, especially as it happens at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE) and some schools of Auroville. Since Integral Education is vast and very all-encompassing, it is difficult to understand its practice in a short time! Thus the basic intention of this trip was to provide a glimpse into an environment where it is in practice, so that it can be brought into the awareness of the teachers. Day 1 Orientation An orientation of how the teachers can best immerse themselves to gain the maximum during the four days, along with the schedule, was given to the group by Priti and Shivakumar. Visit to Playground Physical education is one of the rare few things which was made compulsory by the Mother at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE). The teachers first visited the Playground of SAICE, which also houses the gymnasium, and understood the significance of Physical Education and its impact when it is practised regularly without any break. Visit to the Primary Section An interactive session was facilitated by Gayatri-di of SAICE where the arrangement of various things happening in the school was discussed. An interactive discussion emerged on how sessions are taken at Neevam and what can be gained from the approach at the SAICE. Visit to the Kindergarten Section Shilpa-di, a senior facilitator of the kindergarten section at the Ashram school helped the Neevam team to understand how the Ashram KG section functioned. She shared Ideas on class control, resolving conflicts, and the importance of creating a positive atmosphere at the school. Day 2 History of Sri Aurobindo and Mother Shivakumar and Priti introduced the teachers to Sri Aurobindo and Mother, the founders of Integral Education. Their life story was taken up in a brief manner, focussing on the history of Integral Education and through it, a brief introduction to the three principles of true education by Sri Aurobindo. Language Development Session Auroposse, an ex-student and a primary level facilitator from SAICE, took a session where she discussed the different parameters for the development of language, especially English. She shared some practices which she has been taking up in her classroom for enabling language development in 7-8 year old students: engaging students in project work, practising spelling, reading books according to the child's interest, playing games to enhance the child's vocabulary, enacting skits, etc. Session on Origami Teachers were asked to make an origami crane while following the instructions given by Abhipsa. This was a demo class of how origami can be taken with children in a quiet and efficient way. Speaking in a soft voice, taking up games to engage a child's concentration levels, etc. Some measures to facilitate class management were also discussed. Session on Obstacles Faced by IE Facilitators and Some Methods to Overcome Them During this interactive session Alok-da discussed that while facing any obstacle, although the negative side is predominant, the positive side of the situation should be considered. This is because each and every thing has both positive and negative sides. Hence, we should not be depressed while going through hard times but see its positive side and work accordingly to overcome and benefit from the situation. This discussion helped the teachers of the Neevam school to widen their outlook and look at situations in an integral way. Day 3 Visit to Auroville Teachers visited Auroville kindergarten and were guided by Claire and Meirra into the functioning of the kindergarten at Auroville as regards to the arrangement of classrooms, how the game of painting is taken up with children, different crafts created by children, etc. It was observed that in all the schools that were visited, the child to teacher ratio was very small and one-to-one interaction with children was given utmost importance. The group also visited Matrimandir, Bharat Nivas (Exhibition of Sri Aurobindo's work and some painting), Savitri Bhavan (teachers explored the book ‘Savitri’ over here, Svaram (exhibition of various musical instruments), and Auroville Bakery. All these were rich experiences that added to the immersion experience. Visit to Sports ground of SAICE Puru-da facilitated the visit to the sportsground and gave an exposure to the different collective sports that were taken up every evening of the year. The teachers were asked to observe the architecture and the facilities. It was also discussed that children were encouraged to practise all sports and not just one of their choice. Football, Volleyball, Swimming, Basketball, Hockey and Athletics are different sports provided by the school. Day 4 Awareness Through the Body The purpose of this ATB workshop facilitated by Amir and Lina was to make oneself more conscious of their physical movements and the surroundings. This was a full-day engagement filled with awareness games, reflective activities and discussions on the parts of the being. The whole group was energised and looked forward to more such engagements. Conclusion and the Way Forward The whole group gathered together to conclude the immersive experience. Shivakumar and Priti facilitated a reflective sharing of the experiences that had touched the teachers the most and this brought about a wholesome recollection of the intense four days spent in the atmosphere of Integral Education. The insights from the experience were further elaborated, discussed upon and an aspiration was lit to take the beautiful journey of Integral Education forward in the space of their lives and work in the school with the children. ***

Date: Nov 12 - Nov 15, 2022 Location: Sharanam and Society House SAFIER, the Integral Education Wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, engaged with 44 students from the ninth and 10th grades of Auro Mirra International School, Bangalore, who were visiting Puducherry from 12 to 15 November 2022 as part of an educational trip from the school. There were 5 facilitators from the school accompanying the students. The objective of the trip was to familiarise the students with the spiritual environment of Puducherry created by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and also become aware of the historical heritage of Puducherry and its nearby places in Tamil Nadu. For this the group spent a day and a night in a retreat space at Sharanam which is the Community Centre of Sri Aurobindo Society near the Ousteri Lake. The students did art activities which were of a deeply reflective nature, played awareness games and went for Nature trek by sunset to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Garden ‘Matri Udyanam’ where they sat in silence and imbibed the beauty of the environment. Rest of the two days were spent in discovering the spiritual, cultural and historical heritage of Puducherry through a silent walk to see the sunrise, visits to the Ashram main building which houses the Samadhi, ‘Sri Smriti’ which is the place where articles used by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are preserved with a lot of love, visit to the Bharati Park for activities based on flower significances and to the Puducherry Museum and churches. The group also visited Mahabalipuram and Dakshinachitra on the outskirts of Chennai for a day's outing, to orient the students to the historical and cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu. The students took back a lot of memories, learnings and a new consciousness which would help them reconnect with their inner strengths and then be the best that they can be in whatever they choose to do. Most of the students felt the calm and peace of the place and were happy to take that back with them as a beautiful gift. Some feedback from the students when asked what they are carrying back with them, what have they gained from the visit to Puducherry, and what are the changes they see in themselves after the visit:

Date: Sep 22 - Sep 24, 2022 Location: Auro University, Surat SAFIER, the educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society successfully conducted a 5 month online Integral Education Intensive course with 9 teaching faculty of Auro University (AU) in 2021. As this course happened during the surge of Covid-19 it was on a full online mode. This year a three-day Retreat Program was organized on 22-24 September 2022 by Sri Aurobindo Integral Life Center (SAILC), Auro University, Surat in collaboration with SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, for the same 9 teaching faculties who had undergone Intensive IE training in 2021. The objective was to interact with the faculty and to help them deepen the grasp of the principles of Integral Education introduced in the online sessions and also link them with the broader principles of Integral Yoga, and apply them both in their personal life and in academia. The main underlying theme was ‘Knowing oneself and controlling oneself’ to lead a harmonious and centred life. Some of the key practices that were taken up were Practices for Awareness through the body Practice for Channelising emotional energies through Self-Observation & Journaling Practices for Opening to the Psychic within Doing a project work on Understanding oneself through the Mother’s symbol Special sessions of reading of the book ‘The Mother’ by Sri Aurobindo was taken up, to understand and make a start in imbibing the Psychic discipline in one’s life. Course Facilitators: Shivakumar, Priti and Srinivas from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry Day 1 Knowing Oneself and Knowing Others An introductory session of ‘Knowing Oneself and Knowing Others’ was taken up in an innovative way by Priti. The participants discovered their innate strengths and were led to an inner journey where they were made to reflect on diverse aspects about themselves. Journeying with the Mother’s Music I The Mother’s organ music was played and the participants were asked as to what they felt after listening to the music. The participants shared their feelings. Shivakumar later on explained that music is like a movement and it arises from a specific region which is the world of music and it has the capacity to transform oneself. Thus listening to a particular type of music which has a calming effect can be a wonderful practice to enable entry into the psychic space. Integral Yoga & Vision of AU - The bigger Picture Integral Yoga makes life & all its aspects complete, Purnam. Thus an understanding of Purna Yoga which is a life enhancing yoga and not a rejection was taken up. Shivakumar explained that spirituality is that which completes life, makes it perfect. He further explained that the focus phrase here is: ‘jodna hai, todna nahi’. This can include anything and everything from man management, material management and anything which can control life’s energies. He elaborated the need to work towards the perfection of our body, emotions and thoughts by getting in touch with our deeper self. The discovery of this deeper Self, our Psychic Being, will help complete our life. The approach leading to this discovery which can complete life is Purna Yoga i.e., Integral Yoga, and in the field of education, it can be through Integral Education. On Integral Yoga – I The sessions on Integral Yoga taken up by Srinivas, were designed to help the participants develop a foundation in Integral Yoga. The focus of these sessions was three cardinal aspects of Integral Yoga: Karma Yoga: How to work with greater attunement with the Divine, while subordinating one’s ego to the larger purpose. Four Powers: Wisdom, Strength, Harmony and Perfection – Sri Aurobindo explained these four principles are involved in the micro and macro development of humanity. As we cultivate them in ourselves, we develop an “integral” personality. Psychic Being: The principle of psychic being is central to Integral Yoga. Finding our divine essence allows us to work from a robust and stable inner space that provides us unerring guidance in our life. The details of the first session is provided below: The Mother, Chapter V: Essentials of Karma Yoga This session entailed a detailed study of the 5th chapter of the book “The Mother” by Sri Aurobindo. The chapter, dealing with “The Divine Worker”, focusses on the psychological approach needed to convert work into a means of inner progress. The first steps in this process entail: leaving personal ambition out of the choice of work that comes before us, working diligently while recognizing that each individual is an instrument for the Divine and lastly, realizing that one can only do one’s best but cannot fully control the outcome of the efforts. If each individual works with these three principles at the forefront of one’s consciousness, it would lead to greater personal satisfaction and better team work. Group Project on the Mother’s Symbol In order to delve deeper into ‘Knowing oneself’, Priti introduced the aspect and importance of having symbols in our life in the light of Sri Aurobindo, and then a deeper insight in to the Mother’s symbol was taken up with reference to the central power, the four powers, the twelve qualities and its reflection in one’s life. This was later taken up as a mini group project to deepen one’s understanding of the Mother’s symbol over the next two days. Day 2 Yogic Exercise Yogic exercises were taken up over the next two early mornings by Priti to enable the participants to get prepared for the day. The practice started with the chanting of OM and Sri Aurobindo’s Gayatri mantra. Some basic yogic stretches to relieve constipation were introduced and Surya-Namaskar was taken up for enhancing energy in the body so that the body gears up as a support to the mind and emotions throughout the day and also starts awakening to its own unique capacities. Journeying with the Mother’s Music II This beautiful practice of letting the Mother’s music enter into the parts of the being and awaken to its higher possibilities and starting the long day of sessions by settling into a state of peace was taken up by Shivakumar as continued from Day 1. On Integral Yoga - II The details of the second session taken up by Srinivas covered the following: The Mother, Chapter VI: Four Powers Sri Aurobindo describes Wisdom, Strength, Harmony and Perfection as four great powers that stood out in front, during the course of evolution of humanity. In his social philosophy Sri Aurobindo explains how these aspects were critical to human development. The development of these four aspects in one’s own personality or in an organization leads to well-rounded development. In this session, each participant was asked to examine their own working style and their personality to recognize which of these four aspects is prominent and which aspect he or she would like to develop further for a more balanced personality. Awakening of the Physical Awareness The session on the awakening of Physical awareness which was led by Priti created a joyous ripple amongst the participants. The participants realised that when their body consciousness was awakened, they could do a lot! The session was challenging because one had to focus on catching and throwing the sticks in silent communication. This gave rise to a deeper feeling that one has to take care of oneself and others as well, for any activity to be done harmoniously. The participants learnt that the body has the capacity to adjust according to the environment and situations when it becomes aware and receptive. Strength and awareness of the body increases when it practices ‘stillness’, was another insight from the activity. Art of Sleep & Rest Srinivas took up a session on ‘How to sleep or take rest’. This is an art that has not been a part of any school or college curriculum but is very much required in our day-to-day life considering our busy schedule. The interrelation between the three parts of our being (body, vital, mind) was discussed in order to get the best sleep. If the three parts quieten down, only then can one sleep properly. All the participants were asked to lie down on the floor and experience the same through a guided process of relaxing the three parts. Controlling the Vital: Anger & Irritation In this session taken up by Shivakumar, an exploration was taken up to question ourselves and analyse the trigger points of anger & its milder forms: irritation and annoyance. Integral Education offers a wonderful way to control the emotional energies which pull one down. This session gave an idea as to how one can get rid of one’s anger and irritation, how to calm oneself and not to put blame on others and introspect one's own emotions and problems. It was a process of knowing oneself better and utilising the practice of becoming conscious and exercising control in order to utilise the emotional energies in the best possible and harmonious manner, which will be very helpful in the collective space. Project work The participants were given time to deepen their understanding on the Mother’s Symbol by reading some material given to them and exploring themselves along with their groups, so that they can present their understanding on the last day. Uplifting the Vital After dinner, the participants and facilitators got together for an informal sharing of poetry and songs to experience another side of the Vital which helps in the collective harmony and uplifts the atmosphere. Day 3 Yogic Exercise Yogic exercises were taken up by Priti in the early morning to further deepen the awakening of the body consciousness. Journeying with the Mother’s Music III On the final day of the retreat, Shivakumar started the sessions with the practice of listening to Mother’s music in stillness. The participants were guided to become still like a mirror by invoking stillness in all their parts, so that Mother’s music could make a profound meditative impact on them. On Integral Yoga - III The details of the third session as facilitated by Srinivas covered the following: The Psychic Being In Integral Yoga, the identification and development of the Psychic Being is considered to be the cornerstone of spiritual development. The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have repeatedly enjoined sadhaks to “interiorize” and then work, so that all interactions, emotions and thoughts would have the imprint of this deeper consciousness. Truth, Joy, Beauty, Generous Gratitude, Divine Love, Surrender are among the attributes associated with the Psychic Being. As the psychic being emerges to the front there is a spontaneous harmony that becomes possible. A meditation session on the Psychic Being was also conducted. Group Project & Presentation The project presentation by the two groups brought out outer and inner explorations, delving deep into decoding the Mother's symbol. The participants expressed how they applied the three principles of education when they were doing the project. The presentations were beautiful and gave a deep insight into the enthusiastic participation and emerging clarity of understanding in the participants. Awakening to the Light Within Shivakumar facilitated a session where the participants got so engaged in the activity that they forgot everything outside. They got totally involved with the activity with the flame, they became one with the outer flame. In this meditative process, the participants also learned to befriend one of the elements of nature - ‘Fire’ by just paying undivided loving attention to it. Writing an Aspiration and Offering As a sacred closure to the three-day workshop, all the participants gathered around a flame and concentrated on it. With the wish that all the participants move to a higher consciousness and are able to live the vision of the University, the Retreat concluded with an ardent aspiration to walk the path of Integral Education. Conclusion, The Way Forward After the three day-retreat and a very insightful time spent together, the participants were motivated to take up reading of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother as an aid to furthering their understanding of Integral education and its approach in their professional and personal life. Many of the participants expressed an aspiration to come to Puducherry for another advanced retreat to enhance the Integral yoga approach of living in their everyday life. The general preference was more for an offline interaction which everyone unanimously agreed was a more powerful medium of transference. Feedback by Participants When the participants were asked at the end of the workshop ‘What stood out for them or what they liked the most about the workshop’, this is what some of them had to say: “The sessions were very beautiful, but at the personal level I need to apply and work on my own self to understand its connection.” Juhika Bhanjadeo, School of Liberal Arts “Integral Education is the preparatory stage, I believe, which gives a sense of being guided, as a confirmation of right actions. I liked the sessions on reading Integral Yoga and explanations on them.” Avinash Engineer, School of Design “The session on knowing ourselves through the poem and art appeals to me a lot as it gives me the opportunity to explore myself.” Dr Shilpi Sharma, School of Law “The retreat gave me an opportunity to step back, helped me in bonding with colleagues and learn moredeeper about values.” Dr Priya Rajkumar, School of Liberal Arts “The special session for me was awakening to light within. Offline is preferred mode. Every 6 months we should have similar retreat programs. Sometimes away from the campus and sometimes on campus.” Sushant Bharat Singh. School of Liberal Arts ***

Date: Sep 19 - Sep 21, 2022 Location: Auro University, Surat SAFIER, the educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society had successfully conducted a 5 month online Integral Education Intensive course with 9 teaching faculty of Auro University in 2021. As this course happened during the surge of Covid it was on a full online mode. This year, with the objective to introduce, guide and mentor a group of 11 more teaching faculties of Auro University in the practical application of the principles of Integral Education, both in their personal life and in the academia, we have started the first Phase of the AU-IEI 2022 course with an offline workshop at the campus of Auro University itself. Course Facilitators: Shivakumar and Priti from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry Day 1 Introduction - The essentials of the Workshop The participants were welcomed and certain essentials were spelled out by Shivakumar before we started the journey The participants started by introducing his/her friend instead of a self-introduction. Then the self-introduction continued in a very innovative way. Vision and Relevance of Integral Education In order to delve deeper into the topic of Integral Education, the vision and relevance of Integral education was taken up so that the participants could understand it’s need in the current context. Journey from Integral Yoga to Integral Education Shivakumar gave a very brief introduction to Integral Yoga as that which enables us to lead a completer life, and one of the ways of doing it is through the path of Integral Education. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother as the founders of Integral Education were briefly introduced. The Source of Inspired Education Priti led the participants on a journey into the past where they could find glimpses of Integral Education in their favourite teachers, the teachers who inspired them the most. Inspired education needs inspired teachers. Our next question was: Where does “Inspiration” come from? Shivakumar asked the participants to reflect upon ‘Where does the Inspiration of these teachers come from? Where do we think its source is? Is the source on the outside or within? Can this Inspiration be ‘taught’ to others?”. This was taken up as a deep discussion. Connecting with the “Source Within” How do we connect with this source of Inspiration that lies hidden in the deeper parts of our being so that we can also be inspired in our everyday life and be our best? An experiential activity was taken up to help the participants connect with their Inner Source. Day 2 The Science of Living: Aim of Life The day started with travelling further on the road to discovering more about Integral Education. The integral educator, being an important aspect in the delivery of Integral Education, has to first start with himself/herself if he/she wants to develop anything in the student. Thus, if AURO University wants its students to rise high and fly wide, the facilitators will have to set a high and wide aim for themselves as the first step even before tapping on to the source of Inspiration. A reflective activity was taken up to facilitate this discovery. The Science of Living: Parts of the Being Shivakumar took the discussion further that without achieving a mastery over oneself, one cannot hope to achieve the high aim that one has set for oneself. According to Integral Education, mastering oneself is a two-step process: ‘Knowing oneself and Controlling Oneself’. This is the ‘The Science of Living’ which Mother professed which every facilitator has to adopt, in order to reach the high aim that he/she has set for themselves. A further exploration took place with the help of an experiential activity where the participants, like a scientist, became aware of the different parts within themselves Energising Awareness Activity An awareness activity was taken up. The objective of this activity was to help the participants become aware of their parts of the being. The Science of Living: Experiencing the Parts of the Being Priti continued the exploration of the parts of the being with an exercise that made everyone aware of their Physical, Emotional (Vital) and Mental consciousness through activities. Day 3 Inner Exploration of the Parts of the Being Priti started the day by continuing the inner exploration with an activity. It was a meditative experience, and the participants were then encouraged to express what they had sensed and felt, with colours as a pictorial expression. The participants shared their experiences with beautiful expressions and were very amazed that there is an inner weather too just like there is an outer weather. Exploring Physical Awareness Shivakumar led the exploration further by concentrating on the Physical aspect of the being. He took up some very simple awareness activities to lead the participants to become aware of how much they know of their body. A Recapitulation Shivakumar did a brief recap of what has been facilitated in the past two and a half days and expressed it in a very simplified form: Integral Education is the facilitation of ‘The Science of Living’ and that means ‘To know Oneself and to Control Oneself’ i.e. to become conscious of one’s body, emotions and thoughts so that one can control and master them in the light of one’s Soul/Psychic Being. Thus, when one starts this journey of ‘The Science of Living’, the shift starts from an EGO-based to a SOUL-based life. Then one can face life from the Soul’s Wisdom, Soul’s Strength, Soul’s Harmony and Soul’s Perfection. Thus, Integral Education is a SOUL-GUIDED EDUCATION. Conclusion: Flame of Aspiration As a sacred closure to the two-and-a-half-day workshop, all the participants gathered around a flame and concentrated on it. With the wish that all the participants move to a higher consciousness and are able to live the vision of the University, we concluded the Introductory workshop to Integral Education. This journey will continue online into Phase 2 of the Course. Feedback by Participants When the participants were asked at the end of the workshop ‘What stood out for them or what they liked the most about the workshop, this is what some of them had to say: “All the sessions were amazing. I particularly liked the sessions ‘Source of Inspired Education’, ‘Where does Inspiration come from?’ And ‘Connecting with the Source Within’. Though in the schedule these are 3 different sessions, they were so well interconnected that it felt like one session. These sessions made me more aware of the infinite possibilities that we all have within us.” Sushant Bharat Singh, School of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences “I was eagerly awaiting to undergo this formal training as I was asked to teach a module on the ‘Science of Living’. Knowing was good, experiencing was joyous.” Dr Nimesh Joshi, School of Business Administration and SAILC “Flower activity, where we listened and touched the flower as well as drew it. It made me more conscious of the things around me in Nature as well as people. The way both resource persons conducted the sessions.” Dr Sunita Devi, School of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences “Identifying the Parts of the Being. I was in fact upset and angry while I was exploring ‘anger’ within me. Only to realise that expressing one's emotions is good and necessary until it isn’t. A little mindfulness here and a little mindfulness there goes a long way.” Ms. Subarna Ghosh, School of Law “Understanding about Integral Education, how to connect to regular teaching and how to introspect were the three things that stood out for me.” Mr. Devashish Shedge, School of Journalism and Mass Communication “The three things that stood out for me in this workshop were: mindfulness, detachment from outside for the duration, interesting perspectives on things.” Abhijit Pariyal, School of Design

Date: Aug 29 - Aug 30, 2022 Location: Dr. M.S. Udayamurthy School, Namakkal The SAFIER team of Shivakumar and Priti visited Dr. M.S. Udayamurthy School, Namakkal, and interacted with its teachers of Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary level on Integral Education, on 29 & 30 August 2022. Shivakumar and Priti introduced the basics of Integral education through Awareness games and Art activities, after the group had a look at the current educational system and its inadequacies. Day 1 The interaction with the teachers handling Secondary Classes started with each teacher sharing the activities that were done in their classrooms. In order to have a look at the current education system, a discussion was taken up by Shivakumar to reflect upon ‘How important is what we teach, to the students?’ and ‘Why do we teach what we teach?’ A strong foundation is essential for developing all aspects of a child's personality. The beginning of the discussion marked the importance to gradually enable the freedom for students to choose their teachers, subjects, and activities and frame their timetable with a system that helps them in academics, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development. These practices eventually help students to acquire knowledge of themselves and nourish the right attitude to address real-life problems. An activity was facilitated by Priti where the participants walked at different speeds, becoming aware of their posture and also with eyes closed. The participants became aware of what happened when they walked with attention, they became alert of their posture and became more aware and in control of perfecting the simple act of walking. A home practice was given to them to practice alertness in whatever they did after going home and notice what happens within them. Day 2 In continuation of developing alertness and attention with the senior teachers, an awareness activity aiming at developing concentration was conducted by Priti. In this activity bean bags were passed between the participants and the participants had to be attentive to the receivings and passes. The participants became aware of their concentration levels and understood how important it was to develop attention and concentration which was a much-needed activity for children too but was hardly taken up in the school. The discussion with the pre-primary and primary teachers started with them sharing their classroom practices. They were then asked what would the children in the age group of 4-8 years like to do if they were given a free choice. Many of them said that the children would immerse themselves in play, and would love to be outdoors with nature and play role-play games with each other. Thus, in order to introduce Integral Education, an activity session was taken up where it was demonstrated how an Integral Education activity is taken up with the children keeping their choices in mind. The teachers were divided into three groups for collecting leaves, flowers, soil, sand, dried parts of plants, and stones from Nature. This activity was to be done in conscious silence. Keeping silent and being attentive to how they were plucking the leaves and flowers or collecting the material, the teachers came up with beautiful designs of Kolam and decorated them with the materials they had collected in a very creative way. Later the participants shared their experiences and feelings of how doing the activity in silence and being with nature was a very special experience and how they felt happy within. The participants were amazed at this beautiful breakthrough of creative expression and beauty, and also that there are so many ways one could make kolams. Sivakumar and Priti concluded the introductory workshop with an aspiration to walk on the path of Integral Education by the teachers which would promote the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development of not only the children but also the teachers.