Date: 06-Jul-2022 Location: Puducherry Central Prison Shivakumar, Director, SAFIER, interacted with the prisoners of Pondicherry Central Prison on 6th July 2022, as part of the series of interactions under the title “Spiritual Transformation in Consciousness” organised by Sri Aurobindo Society under the advisory of Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. About 40 prisoners participated in the interaction. After a visit to the facilities that were recently facilitated in the Prison viz., organic forming, an enriched library with books for the prisoners, and the support given to the children of the prisoners in their education by Sri Aurobindo Society, Shivakumar interacted with the prisoners sharing with them Sri Aurobindo’s life in prison during his freedom struggle days. He also shared with them how, in the prison, Sri Aurobindo found his inner freedom to rise above the struggles of his prison life and inspired a whole nation to re-awaken towards its freedom. This was followed by a discussion on how to harmonise the inner and outer aspects of our own life. After this, Baskar Manikam of Sri Aurobindo Society interacted with them on the methods of bringing about a change in their inner life through meditation. Several of the inmates expressed their wish to learn the art of meditation! The Prisoners Reformation Team of Sri Aurobindo Society will take up their request in due course.

Date: Jul 02 - Jul 03, 2022 Location: Society House SAFIER organised a 2-Day Exposure Camp of Integral Education to a group of seven representatives from Dr. M.S. Udayamurthy School of Excellence, Namakkal, at the premises of Sri Aurobindo Society and the Ashram, on 2nd and 3rd July. 2022. Shivakumar and Priti of SAFIER introduced the very basics of Integral education, after the group had a thorough look at the current educational system. The group visited the pre-primary, primary and secondary section of SAICE and the playground and sportsground too as an additional exposure to the implementation of Integral Education. Day 1 started with Mrs Arthy Lakshmi, the Correspondent of the school, introducing her team to the SAFIER team of Shivakumar and Priti and vice-versa. Then she and her son Krithik gave a brief PowerPoint presentation unveiling the diverse activities of the M. S. Udayamurthy School of Excellence which was the first CBSE School in the Namakkal region of Tamil Nadu established in the year 2000. Later, the group of seven people visited the Kindergarten and main school of SAICE where they got a short introduction of the implementation of integral education at the pre-primary, primary and secondary levels in the Ashram school from Amala and Gaytri didi. In the afternoon, Shivakumar gave a brief introduction to Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS) & its educational work. This was followed by an open discussion with the participants by Shivkumar and Priti as a lot of curiosity had developed in the participants minds as regards Integral Education and its implementation. The day ended with a brief overview by Priti with reference to the need of Integral Education and its true definition: ‘A Soul Guided Education’. Shivakumar Introduced the resource materials such as the book ‘On Education’ and ‘How to grow up a child’ as a must read to kick start the journey of IE. Day 2 started with a visit to the Playground in the morning and the Sports ground in the evening, where Rajkumar-da introduced the team to the approach to Physical Education in the ashram and the school and its importance. This was followed by a deeper discussion by Shivakumar where he initiated a re-look at the prevalent education system and its fallout. The interaction led to a point where what truly has to be developed in the children was initiated; and that is the faculties like concentration, emotional stability etc, which would help the children become independent learners and good students. This would be well taken in by the parent community too. The workshop wrapped up with a discussion on how to take the process of education at the MSU School forward. Mrs Arthy Lakshmi, the Correspondent of the school, was keen to make some adaptations in the school and go for intensive teacher training workshops to help the school make a step in the transition towards becoming integral education-based schools. She was also keen to start a free progress stream for which she would reflect on the subject a little more deeply. It was decided that a further plan and a course of action will be discussed in the future, as per the needs of the group. The group was extremely grateful for such a life-changing experience and exposure to Integral Education. The 2-day exposure camp was facilitated by Shivakumar and Priti of SAFIER.

Date: Jun 01 - Jun 05, 2022 Location: Sharanam Community Centre View the photo album of the workshop on Facebook. Sri Aurobindo Society, through its educational wing, has been conducting annual workshops on Integral Education for more than 32 years. This year, after a break of two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, an advanced workshop was organised titled ‘Integral Education Retreat’ from 1st June to 5th June 2022 at our Sharanam Community Centre (it is a training and administrative centre of Sri Aurobindo Society that aspires to provide a conducive spiritual atmosphere to the participants. It is situated on the outskirts of Puducherry). This workshop was attended by 24 enthusiastic participants who are practising primary-level teachers, school principals, administrators and trustees. The workshop was coordinated and facilitated by Shivakumar, Priti, Rathi and Sushanto of Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER), the educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, along with their team of facilitators. The workshop was meant to help those who already have a basic introduction to Integral Education (IE) and would like to transition into IE Practitioners. A few core practices were introduced in the span of five days to deepen the approach and experience of IE, touching upon the physical, emotional and mental parts in us and integrating them around the Psychic within. Some of the key practices that were taken up during the workshop were: Practice for Journaling, in the form of an aspiration Practices for Awareness through the body Practice for the Refinement of the Senses Practice for Channelising emotional energies through art-music-poetry Practices for Opening to the Psychic within. The workshop was divided into various types of sessions, giving the participants a variety of exposure about different aspects of Integral Education in relation to Psychic Education, and how learning could be made joyful and creative. The sessions were aimed at developing an experiential understanding first for the teachers so that, with some practice, they can make a beginning of this approach through appropriate environment and activities in their classrooms. A Summary of the Sessions: An introductory session of ‘Knowing Oneself and Knowing Others’ was taken up in an innovative way by Priti and Shivakumar. After this, both of them engaged the participants every night to practice journal writing and reflection practices. Rathi helped in the coordination of all the sessions with requirements of resource materials and was a constant support. The sessions taken by Shivakumar were ‘Journeying with Mother’s Music’, ‘Aspiring for the Psychic’ and ‘Connecting with Psychic in everyday life’. All the sessions were interconnected and facilitated in an experiential manner which helped the participants to internalise and be centred within. They also got into an aspirational mode which set the underlying tone for the entire workshop. The sessions taken by Priti were ‘Opening up the Senses’, ‘Vedic Chanting’, ‘Be like a Flower’, ‘Entering into Delight through Art’, ‘Connecting with Earth’, and ‘Initiating and Facilitating a Mini-Project’. All the sessions were facilitated with the aim to deepen the practices of channelising the emotional energies and refining the senses. Sushanto took the session based on ‘Education of the Soul’, where he and his team of volunteers – Sumedha, Rathi and Krishna – helped the participants to get familiar with the importance of Poetry as part of the education of the soul. He and his team also took the participants to Matri Udyanam (a nearby ashram garden which grows and nurtures different species of flowers) to get conversant with the spiritual significance of flowers. Shekhar and Shweta of Auro Yajna, took up Yogic exercises in the morning time to help the participants get aware of their bodily and sensorial energies. Arnab Chowdhary and Anurekha, both alumni of SAICE (Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education) were external resource persons who took sessions on understanding the role of music and dance in the ‘Education of the Soul’. Arnab’s session was called ‘Know Your Rhythm’ and Anurekha’s session was called ‘Expressing Poetry through Dance Movements’. Both the sessions helped the participants open up to the world of music and dance and its relevance in the current education system. Photo 5 and photo 6 Conclusion: Towards the end, all the participants could enter into the spirit of psychic education that at once brings participation, growth and joy for the children, and the growth of teachers as facilitators of this. Conscious practices introduced helped them to experience the joys of conscious living. The 5 days of the workshop was another step towards making all of our education into soul-guided education. Feedback by Some Participants: A feedback was taken some days after the workshop to assess if the participants have begun some practices from their learning from the workshop. Here is what some of the participants shared: “There are so many things I learnt while we were at Sharanam. Most importantly, the importance of spending time in silence – that is something that I practice daily. Plus, spending time in the garden isn't the same anymore. Talking and taking permission from the plants and flowers is what I learnt and picked up from there. Yoga asanas and mantra chanting, [I] want to make it a part of my routine. Coming there has also rekindled my love for dance and will start my classes soon.” - Garima Bhardwaj, Principal, Sri Aurobindo School of Integral Education, Chandigarh “Attending the workshop in Puducherry was entirely a different experience for me. Now I have learnt how to observe my actions with consciousness. I have started with the following practices: - Art of conscious eating - Practice of yoga asanas - Chanting of Om - Importance of silence even before starting anything I aspire to improve my physical, mental and vital parts with the passage of time.” - Taruna Ahuja, Primary Teacher at Sri Aurobindo International School, Patiala “Immense Gratitude for introducing us to the different practices which can help us to know ourselves better. A few of the practices which I intend to follow are - - To include one raw meal where I am having fruits. Conscious eating will be my focus. - To practice the Yoga asanas which we learnt from the morning yoga sessions. - Every day taking out some time for observing oneself and involving oneself in painting, drawing and journaling. I aspire to be consistent with the above practices and slowly get better with them.” - Trupti Zanjad, School Development Coordinator at Bejon Desai Foundation, Nashik “The first practice I have started after coming back from Puducherry is working on the physical practices related to food, sleep and exercise. Added lots of fruits to my diet. Setting an intention before sleeping and relaxing before going to bed is also a practice I have started. Remembering and calling for the Divine Mother is another thing I have started. I wish to start with the mantra chanting too. Also continuing with my journal writing and giving gratitude every day. Trying to be conscious in everything I am doing.” - Shilpa. M. Tibrewala, Director, Bejon Desai Foundation, Nashik “Since I have come back from Puducherry, there is one thing that I do without fail, eating in silence. Before I go to bed, I even chant the Shanti Mantra and write in my journal about the things that I feel grateful for. Reading a book on The Mother and the notes keeps me connected to all the beautiful experiences that I had in Pondicherry. Immense gratitude for helping me find myself.” - Parul Kalra, PrimaryTeacher & Class Coordinator, Seth M. R. Jaipuria School, Lucknow

Date: 24-May-2022 Location: Online The 5th edition of the annual spiritual retreat was held by Seth M. R. Jaipuria School, Lucknow, for its students of classes 6 to 9 and some of its teachers, where Shivakumar, Director, SAFIER, took sessions on the topics “How to Contact the Divine” and “Three Gateways to the Divine”. During the session on “How to Contact the Divine”, Shivakumar focussed on the following key points: Who is the Divine? The Divine exists in three capacities: The Transcendent - The one who is above all existence The Cosmic Divine - The one who Creates, Preserves & Destroys The Inner Divine - The one who is secretly inside everything The Divine created the Earth out of his own self as a progressive manifestation of Himself. Putting ourselves in touch with our Inner Divine (Psychic Being) will bring out the Perfection we are meant to live in this life. We can light the Psychic fire within to manifest our Perfection by Aspiration. We can keep engaging with the Spark Within, through our will for progress & self-purification, consciously removing the negative aspects, remaining calm in face of all circumstances, not complaining about others' behaviour & offering everything we do to the Divine. A full video recording of this session is available here. During the second session on “Three Gateways to the Divine - Three processes to get intimate with the Divine”, Shivakumar focussed on the following key points: Uniting with the aspects of the Divine can be done mainly through three gateways First is the Gateway of Divine Work (Karma yoga) involving selfless & unegoistic actions The second is the Gateway of Knowledge (Jnana yoga) involving knowing & connecting with what we wish to gain knowledge about In order to develop the power of concentration, one has to develop the power of observation Third is the Gateway of Love (Bhakti yoga) involving the experiencing and expressing of love The secret essence of everything is the Psychic presence A full video recording of this session is available here. Though the sessions were held online, what made up for it was the enthusiasm shown by the students who kept interacting during the sessions regularly. The Retreat continued with other speakers and more topics.

Date: 18-May-2022 Location: Online An introductory interaction ‘Turning Point’ on 20 March 2022 on behalf of the 6-week online intensive course in Integral Studies titled ‘Svadhyaya 4.0’ organised by the Purnam Centre for Integrality, Auroville, was held earlier where Shivakumar shared the turning point of his life when he came across the teachings of Sri Aurobindo. On 18 May 2022, Shivakumar took an online session on ‘Application of Integral Education’ for the participants of Svadhyaya 4.0 course, where he explained the beginning of Integral Education in the form of National Education, by Sri Aurobindo during his freedom struggle days. Later, the Mother gave it a practical form at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and wrote a series of articles explaining what Integral Education is about. The presentation ended with the emphasis on the practical application of IE through “Remembering and Offering” all that we do to the Psychic source within us. After this, there was also a question-answer segment where a few of the questions from the participants got answered.

Date: 01-May-2022 Location: Society House, Sri Aurobindo Society The 20 participants, which included teachers and children from Sri Aurobindo School, Gadippaly, Telengana, were led into a gradual communion with flowers on the 1st of May, 2022, at the premises of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. Priti and Rathi of SAFIER, the integral educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, interacted with them. The team guided the teachers to invoke quiet, calm, and peace in all their parts of the being and facilitated them to observe and feel a chosen flower through their senses consciously. After studying its physical beauty, they were asked to connect to a special movement in flower and then express themselves through a poem or an artwork. Through this session, one attempted to contact the deeper parts of the being, one’s inner friend, by relating oneself with the qualities of a flower. The Mother’s quote explaining what it means to become like a flower in one’s life was readout. Priti and Rathi further educated the participants about the spiritual significance of flowers as given by the Mother. The session concluded with a colourful and enthusiastic sharing of lovely drawings and poems. The participants also shared how they felt much more peaceful and were happy to learn a new and beautiful practice to become connected to their ‘Antargata Snēhituḍu’ (Inner Friend in Telegu).

Date: Apr 22 - Apr 24, 2022 Location: Nashik, Maharashtra ‘Anubhuti – Teach by being it…’ is a six months certificate course in Integral Education offered by Bejon Desai Foundation (BDF), Nashik, in collaboration with Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. This course has been launched by Bejon Desai Foundation as a tribute to Sri Aurobindo on the occasion of his 150th Birth Anniversary and to commemorate his immense contributions in the field of India’s freedom struggle, his philosophy of the Integral Yoga and more importantly for a newer approach of looking towards education in the form of Integral Education. 32 participants from 14 different schools in Nashik have been participating in this course. The sessions of the three days of Anubhuti for the third month were facilitated by Shri Shivakumar, Director, SAFIER and Ms. Priti Mandi, an IE Practitioner, SAFIER, the educational initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. Day 1: 22nd of April 2022 The day started by lighting the aspiration lamp by all the participants and thereafter the facilitators Shivakumar and Priti were introduced. An introductory game was played to develop familiarity and rediscover a quality amongst themselves which was an attribute to their name. Session 1: Introduction to the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the journey from Integral Yoga towards Integral Education. The first session began with Shivakumar asking the participants to explain the meaning of spirituality according to them. Consolidating all the answers, he further explained that spirituality is that which completes life, makes it perfect. He further explained that the focus has to be ‘Jodna hai, todna nahi’. This can include anything and everything from man management, material management and anything which can control life’s energies. He also 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. Session 2: The inspired teacher: Path of IE – Science of Living Through a guided meditation and discussion, Priti led the participants to an insight that the qualities of their favourite teachers was what enabled them to have an enriching experience in their school days and thus they were full of fond memories. The subject itself became alive because of the presence and the guidance of the teacher. The discussion ended with the participants expressing gratitude to their teachers, and looking within and finding one quality within themselves which they would like to develop to become inspiring teachers. Priti further elucidated that in order to become inspired, one needs to get connected with the Inner Genius within each one. For accessing the Inner Friend or Genius, one has to first become conscious of oneself and then master oneself. It is important to know the different parts of one’s being and understand their different movements. The BDF facilitators then performed a skit to help assimilate the understanding of the parts of one’s personality. Session 3: Experiencing parts of our personality Based on the previous session, Shivakumar explained the different parts of the being in detail through experiential activities and then gave a questionnaire to the participants to locate the ‘I’. He then took a few responses for the various questions and then further explained in detail how to identify the different parts. Session 4: Stepping back and self-observation Priti took the participants through a quick body scan and then explained to the participants how to record their observations in their diary/journal. She also asked them to make a record of the ‘Aha’ moment, where they felt very happy and the most ‘challenging’ moment of that day. Day 2: 23rd of April 2022 The day started with participants filling up the mood map which was followed by collective aspiration. Session 1: The Science of Living: Aim of Life Connecting with the previous day’s concluding session, Shivakumar explained to the participants the need to calm the three monkeys (parts of being: physical-vital-mental) and become calm from within, but at the same time, to stay dynamic on the outside, in one’s work. Even if there are unfavourable circumstances, one needs to turn a bit inwards towards our psychic being which is also referred to as the ‘Antarik Mitra’ (AM-renamed in Marathi by the participants). Things get resolved when we connect with our psychic being. Then Priti asked the participants to reflect on what is their aim in life. She asked them to write down their aim in their journal. With reference to ‘The Science of Living’ it was further explained how one’s aim for life needs to be high and wide, generous and disinterested. Knowing and choosing one’s aim helps one chart the path to a more conscious and qualitative life. Session 2: The Science of Living: Psychic Discipline Continuing with the previous session, Shivakumar elaborated that one will be able to identify one’s aim of life only when one knows oneself and is able to know the movements of the different parts of oneself and is able to control oneself. All great people like A. R. Rehman have a common speciality that they have a special connection with their psychic being. He explained that this ‘GENIUS’ is within every one of us. It is the most powerful, most humble and has unconditional and unlimited love. But there is a closed door between ourselves and this genius. To open this door between our outer personality and Inner Friend is the objective of Integral Education. Session 3: Education of the Soul An awareness game was played to make the participants aware of their different emotions of the vital and this was taken up as a discussion by Shivakumar. The need to refine our emotions and not suppress them was taken up as a discussion. Priti further talked about how it is important to train the vital to reach closer to our Inner Friend. Poetry, art and music are some of the ways to train and refine the vital, as these three are the education for the soul as quoted by Sri Aurobindo. Poetry raises the emotions, art stills the emotions whereas, music deepens the emotions. An activity was taken up to read a poignant poem written by Rabindranath Tagore on his mother. The participants listened to the poem and got connected with their own mother after listening to this poem. Later they expressed beautifully what they felt in the form of painting and poems. The activity enabled the participants to connect to their deeper Self through their emotions. Day 3: 24th of April 2022 The day started with Shivakumar telling the participants of the significance of the 24th of April. It is the day of the final arrival of the Mother at Puducherry in the year 1920. Session 1: The process of learning The session started with a discussion about whether there is any difference between the way a child learns and we learn. Shivakumar asked the participants to think of one thing (not just from academics) which they learnt and became good at and whom did they learn it from. He took a few sharings from the participants and brought to their notice that there are certain things which are learnt without anybody teaching them. Then a discussion ensued where the role of a teacher was taken up. He emphasised that the teacher has to facilitate the learning process instead of just merely giving information. The teacher cannot give anything from the outside. Every child has a unique set of possibilities within. Each person’s plan of life is different. The teacher’s role is to facilitate this possibility to emerge. The three Principles of True Teaching as described by Sri Aurobindo were taken up in the same light: Nothing can be taught. The mind (inner nature) has to be consulted in its own growth. From the near to the far. Priti then cited a case study of how the teachers at a Free Progress School in Delhi did a project with the children about trees using the three principles of True Teaching. It was further added that in order to implement the three principles of true teaching, we need to start with the Science of Living. A facilitator has to start with oneself and then only does one become capable of understanding the inner nature of the child and help the child to find what is there within himself, perfect it and use it. Session 2: Let’s do a project! Connecting with the discussion of how to do a project from the previous session, Priti discussed about how to work on a project. She gave a general theme to all the participants on working consciously on their food habits. The participants were divided into five groups and then were asked to work on this project for a minimum of 21 days and to record their observations in a tabular form and also record their detailed observations as to what happens to ‘one’s physical, vital, mental’, in their diary or journal. Compilations of quotes by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on ‘Conscious Eating & Food’ were shared so that the participants can pick up habits based on the quotes. Session 3: Awakening the body's consciousness Shivakumar played some awareness games with the participants leading them to become more conscious of their body movements. This activity helped the participants become conscious of their physical movements by turning their attention to it and they also spent the following lunch hour by consciously observing their food intake and taste in silence. This body awareness practice along with journaling would help them in their project work too. Session 4: How to nurture in children attention, concentration Priti explained how important it is to develop the power of observation. She took an activity with the participants where they were asked to observe a leaf given to them carefully and looking at the contours of the leaf, they were asked to draw the leaf on a paper using a pen. The participants enjoyed this activity and were able to draw the outline and other details of the leaf with precision. In the process, they understood how the hand imitates and the practice of imitation by the hand of the thing seen is of use in registering accurately what has been seen. Imitation by the hand ensures accuracy of observation. Conclusion Priti concluded the three-day workshop with a song – ‘Tan ho sundar, man ho sundar, Prabhu mera sab kuch ho sundar’ (Beauty is the ideal). Towards the end of the session, many of the participants shared their views of how the sessions had helped them to have a beautiful opening into the world of Integral Education and expressed their gratitude to the facilitators. The day ended with the participants lighting a flame of aspiration within themselves towards becoming an integral education facilitator and connecting better with the students. The three days from 22nd of April to 24th of April were quite intense and was a wonderful opportunity for all the Directors of BDF, BDF facilitators and all the participants of ‘Anubhuti – Teach by being it…’ Course to interact and get deeper insights about Integral Education from Shivakumar and Priti. It was a truly enriching experience for one and all. Interaction with the management representatives of the schools Evening of 23rd of April 2022: An interaction was arranged, with Shivakumar, Director, SAFIER (an educational initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry) and the management representatives of the schools whose teachers are participants of the course, and other people who wanted to know about Integral Education. Shivakumar presented his views about Integral Education and explained how this approach to education can bring out the best in every child. A few of the management representatives shared their views and also asked Shivakumar about the possible difficulties in adopting the approach of Integral Education in educational spaces. Their queries were duly taken up by Shivakumar. A suggestion which came up during this interaction was to have a forum where many more educators can participate and learn more about Integral education. Evening of 24th of April 2022: A function was arranged in the evening of 24th of April, in which the two batches of Principals, Supervisors and the teachers of different schools of Dang Seva Mandal, Nashik, who had completed the workshop on ‘Basic Introduction to Integral Education’ (A 3-day workshop and 6 one-day monthly follow-up workshops) were felicitated with a certificate. Mrs. Hemlata tai Bidkar, President, Dang Seva Mandal, Nashik, expressed her views about the association of Dang Seva Mandal and Bejon Desai Foundation. She said that the Bejon Desai Foundation has worked closely on the skill development of students and on empowering their teachers through Integral Education. She expressed her wish to continue this association further also. Manoj Tibrewala, Chairman, Bejon Desai Foundation, Nashik, also expressed his views about this association and also talked about the possibility of introducing farming to the students studying in Dang Seva Mandal schools. Many of the teachers expressed their views on how they have been benefited by getting to know and implementing the concepts of Integral Education in their classrooms and also how their students are benefited because of the skill development programs taken up by Bejon Desai Foundation. In the end, Shivakumar, Director, SAFIER, congratulated all the teachers and wished them for their future journey in taking Integral Education to their classrooms.

Date: Dec 21 - Dec 24, 2021 Location: Amravati, Maharashtra A 4-day Integral Education workshop was held for the teachers of Neevam–The School, from the 21st to 24th of December 2021. It took place at the new and upcoming premises of Neevam The School, Amravati, Maharashtra. 20 teachers, and school board members participated in the workshop which was facilitated by Shivakumar, Director of Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER) and Priti Umamahesvaram (SAFIER). SAFIER is the education vertical of the Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. The workshop revolved around introducing and deepening the understanding of the aspects of Integral education dealing with building an integral lifestyle for the facilitator. This consisted in knowing the parts of one’s personality and exploring practices to live a more controlled and harmonious life. Day 1 Icebreaker The first day began with an ‘adjective’ game which also served as the icebreaker. The facilitators and the teachers introduced themselves along with an adjective to describe themselves, while acting out the adjective. This was followed by a chain of recalling the name and acting out the adjective stated by another teacher. This helped the teachers know a bit more about each other, while creating an openness for the next few days of learning. Getting to know the Inner friend - andar kaa dost -, the Inner Genius This was followed by a skit performed by four of the senior teachers, through which the conflict between body-heart-mind was depicted and the role of the deeper part in us, the Psychic Being, was presented. The Psychic part in us, the Inner Genius, loves the mind, body and heart; and it wants the best for us. To be master of oneself, one has to quieten the mind, body and heart, and take the help of the Inner friend. Flower Expression Priti introduced to the teachers some IE practices for connecting with the Inner Genius. The importance of poetry, art and music as the mediums that help us connect with our “Inner genius” was brought out. Another practice of connecting with the Inner Friend with the help of a flower was done as an activity, with the help of flowers. It was mentioned how the Mother named around 800 flowers according to their attributes. The teachers were also asked to connect with the flower in different ways. After the activity, the teachers were asked to express their explorations through writing or drawing, and share the quality given to them by the flower. The session ended with making a badge. The teachers wrote their names and the adjectives they had chosen for themselves in the Icebreaker game and the quality that the flower gave to them, on a paper. They wore these name tags for the upcoming parents’ workshops, adding more colour and life into their interactions with the parents. Parents’ Workshop – Raising Responsible Children The parents’ meeting was on “Raising Responsible Children”. Parents were asked the question, “What are the qualities that they want their child to imbibe, in order to be successful and responsible in life?” Parents shared their views. Terms like confidence, good human being, success, etc. were shared by parents. They were then asked: “Can only excelling in academics help children in becoming successful and responsible?” If these qualities are essential, the best way to inculcate them in children is to first have it in themselves. “Do you have all these qualities that you want to see in your children?” As a beginner’s practice, they were asked to choose any quality that they don’t possess but want their child to have. Once this is in progress, the second thing is to help their children to enjoy the beauty and joy in practising these qualities. These two practised together will help the child to imbibe that quality very fast. One other point that emerged was that each child has their own beauty, similar to a flower. If we try to mould them according to our needs and expectations, they will lose their natural ability to grow from within and may not be able to make decisions in favour of this growth. Day 2 Energizer The second day began with an exercising game. Teachers had to run or move around like birds. The game served as a medium to boost energy before the session and get ready for the day! Fine-tuning Our Aim of Life After this, the teachers were asked to write the aim in their lives. Various teachers mentioned their views regarding the same. Some teachers were clear about their aim while some were not. When teachers wrote their aim, questions were asked to help them gain clarity on the same. Their personal aim was exalted to a universal level with subsequent steps. The main focus of the activity was to awaken the importance of generosity in oneself. The aim was expanded over the divisions below. Oneself Work Family Society Where “Oneself” should be the utmost important aim, which will make us aim for other higher goals. For example: We can make others happy only if we are happy. Generosity Activity A beautiful activity was done with the help of oranges, to awaken the quality of Generosity in us. After the activity, the teachers planted the seeds in the campus itself. The activity helped the teachers to understand that we should always try to spend our energies generously, for the sake of others and not just for our own growth. Only then the circle of generosity will move through the universe and help the universe become a better place to live in. When we don’t practise this, we will be cutting ourselves off from the great universal current that provides all of us with so many things! This is the key to true charity – to maintain the unbroken chain of universal generosity. Practising Self-Observation The teachers were given different situations, where they were asked to examine which part of their being would be most active. This helped them to observe different parts of themselves in action and also how to observe them. They were asked to maintain a journal for such regular self-observation. Developing Awareness of the Body A body scan Teachers were asked to close their eyes and focus on the instructions given. They performed a scan of their body. To observe intensity, colour, pain, pressure and other sensations in different parts of their body. They were then asked to express these sensations on a paper, after drawing an outline of the body. Teachers were then asked to share their experience. Sources of energy for the body Different sources of energy for the body were discussed and categorised. “What can be the right food for a person to get the maximum energy from it?” was asked. Based on the discussion, it became clear that the right food for each person varied, and was defined by: The location where the person stays The Season Time of the day Needs of the body Moods and emotional state Finally, by the nutritional content The discussion moved towards the correlation between this, and the real needs of a child. The teacher must recognize what can benefit the child the most, instead of dictating needs based on assumptions. Then, we can help children to achieve their highest potential. Teachers were asked to observe closely the food they eat and how it makes them feel, when they go home and have their food. Day 3 Energising Physical Activity Day 3 of the workshop started with warm greetings and smiles. The teachers performed physical activities to invoke sukham-sthiram in the body, followed by some yogasana stretches. Teachers were asked to do a mountain pose and then bend in the forward direction, trying to stretch as much as possible. They were then given the example of a bamboo stalk. How it stands straight, firm and yet ready to bend. Thus it was stressed upon that by doing postures related to Nature and emulating Nature, can help develop certain qualities existing in Nature such as steadiness, strength, flexibility. Vedic Chanting This was followed by mantra chanting, where the teachers learnt how the Shanti Path is chanted with Vedic intonations. A change in energy was experienced due to the vibrations from the Vedic way of chanting and the inherent power of the mantra. A few examples were shared on the impact on consciousness and body-emotions-thoughts. Vedic Chanting helps in developing the faculty of concentration and it creates a state of calm and inner peace in the person who chants and in the listener and has the power to make a change in the atmosphere too. Understanding the Interrelation of Parts of the Being A revision of the 4 different aspects of our personality viz. body (physical), emotional (vital), mind (mental), and the inner genius (psychic) and their different characteristics were discussed. The body (physical) wants comfort – to eat, sleep and enjoy. The vital (emotional) wants to express and satisfy itself. The mind (mental) wants to bring order in others, and to organize others. The inner genius (psychic or ‘andar ka dost’) is the inner self, which wants the best for all the above three, wants them to be in harmony, loves all three and is ready to help in achieving this. A discussion was initiated about the three questions that the teachers were asked to observe regarding the food practices, and their responses varied as per the situation. Teachers were asked to experiment and try making a few variations in their food habits and observe how the body responds to this. A story from Mother was discussed where the impact of things like the attitude with which we cook, conscious cooking and conscious eating, were discussed. How to sleep: The interrelation between the 3 monkey-like parts in us (body, vital, mind) was discussed in order to get the best sleep. If the 3 monkeys quiet 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 3 parts. Awakening to the ‘Hanuman’ within A story was narrated about how Hanuman had lost his memory about his powers. However, during his search to get Sita back from Lanka, the wise Jambavan helped him to regain his memory and thus he awakened his powers. In the same way, when we get closer to our inner friend we can awaken the dormant powers lying within all of us. A body awareness activity was initiated for the teachers to experience being awakened to their powers. Developing Awareness of the Body through Stick Activity All the teachers were given a stick each and were asked to choose a partner. The teachers were then told to stand about 2 metres apart from each other. The stick was centred on their hands to keep it in balance. Each member had to throw and catch sticks with proper timing and with various rhythms. After this, all the members were asked to lie down on the floor, balancing the stick on their abdomen and feel all the sensations in the body. Conscious eating: During the lunch break teachers were asked to eat their food with consciousness and feel the taste of each morsel, in silence. Developing Emotional Awareness After the lunch break, the teachers were engaged in the “Tail game” which was played sportingly by all. Different feelings and emotions like anger, jealousy, desire, possessiveness, impulses, desires that the participants felt emerging during the game were discussed. This was followed by a few words on how all the former emotions can be balanced with their opposite feelings. If emotions don’t cooperate, the mightiest of structures crumble, and also nothing can be built on this instability. The teachers were asked about the recent negative emotions they have felt. The responses were – sadness, irritation, impatience, anger. A few techniques which can help in stepping back were shared. There are a few activities which carry higher vibrations which can help refine our emotions and raise our emotions. According to Sri Aurobindo, the triple path of poetry, art and music can help raise emotions, still them and deepen them. Thus Poetry and art were taken up as a tool to help the teachers experience this. A poem by Rabindranath Tagore, “I cannot remember my mother” was read out. Many deep emotions were expressed in the poem. The teachers then meditated for a while, thinking about their own mother. Then they expressed their feelings and emotions felt, along with colours and poetry. All the members drew beautiful paintings and felt raised and refined emotions while sharing their work. Tears rolled down from several eyes during this activity. A Collective Dream The teachers were asked to come up with a dream, a collective aspiration for the Neevam–The School to flower into a happy and collaborative space where everyone including the teachers and children strive to be at their best and to work on that dream, for it to become a reality. The teachers were split into 3 groups and were asked to present a small skit representing their dream vision for Neevam–The School, as they envision Neevam after 10 years. Day 4 Skit Presentations The teacher-groups creatively presented the skits with their beautiful vision for their beloved school, full of enthusiasm and energy. Conclusion Teachers were explained the concept of how children are like a mystery box, and the teachers have to become a facilitator to help them to bring out the magic in them. How the school place should be neat, tidy and beautiful; how the inner atmosphere of school should be, such that the children realize that they have reached a different zone – a zone of learning from everything around them. Children are sharp observers and can sense the teachers’ state . The teachers’ thoughts radiate to them. So, there should be a lot of clarity in the mind of the teacher. The teacher should take a moment to centre, and stop thinking about the different things going on in their minds, so that the children don’t get affected by it. When a teacher is in the presence of children, with a mind having clarity, they can help the magic in children to emerge. True learning happens when the child is free and happy from within. Thus in order to be truly happy in the presence of children and help facilitate at their best, the teacher has to be connected with one’s Inner Friend and with its help perfect one’s mind, heart and body. This is the essence of facilitating Integral Education. Thus the workshop concluded with this beautiful message and a deeper understanding into integral education which will be furthered and facilitated by the SAFIER team in the online mode.

Date: Jul 17 - Dec 07, 2021 Location: Online During the preliminary discussions held between Integral Education administration of Auro University (AU) and the team of Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER), Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, it emerged that Integral Education (IE) can be best introduced into an educational space, not through academic set-up alone but through those who are practitioners of Integral Education. A theoretical understanding and familiarity can only be a beginning; this has to be followed up with a set of IE practices, leading to the beginning of one’s inner transformation. As the Mother, the founder of Integral Education, puts it, the first thing is “to educate oneself, to become conscious and master of oneself…”. By bringing such aspirants together, we need to create a team of individuals who can create an atmosphere of IE together, where further integration of IE into work-space, study-areas and collective life can be attempted. To this end, a five-month long intensive, online engagement project was conceived to be rolled out in three phases, involving select faculty of Auro University and facilitators from SAFIER. The core text for the entire Course is ‘Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on Education’. Course Facilitators: Shivakumar, Priti and Srinivas Mulugu from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society Participating Faculty: For a course of this nature which involves the participants to be practitioners, it was important that the participation be made voluntary. Therefore, a brief outline of the AU-IEI Course was circulated among the faculty of Auro University, and the faculty were invited to participate of their own choice. As a result, nine faculty from different departments of Auro University became the participants for this course. Design and Roll out of the course: Phase I: Preliminary Individual Interactions: Timeline: 17th July - 24th August 2021 Objective: To initiate a personal connection, to assess the participants’ previous exposure to IE, to relate the participants to existing ideas of ‘inspired education through inspired teachers’ and to create an awareness of the time commitment needed for this Course. What Emerged: Based on the interactions and observations during this Phase, it was decided to introduce IE right from its basics where more emphasis will be laid on grasping its principles & approach through several personalised practices. Phase II: Principles and Practices of Integral Education: Timeline: 1st Sept 2021 - 22nd October 2021 Objective: To initiate both an understanding of Integral Education in theory and, more importantly, an internalising of its principles through sincere and methodical daily practices. The core text for the entire Course, ‘Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on Education’, was to be introduced. What Emerged: The participants absorbed the principles and concepts of IE by gaining mental clarity about them and delving into practices given during the sessions. As the sessions proceeded, a need was felt to increase the number of sessions to move at a pace and depth suitable for this particular group, and subsequently, the number of sessions were increased for this phase. At the end, all participants unanimously expressed that for IE practices to be introduced in the classroom, first they have to internalise these principles within themselves; they cannot become IE facilitators in the classroom without first becoming IE practitioners. Phase III: In-Class Implementation of Integral Education: Timeline: 25th Oct 2021 - 7th Dec 2021 Objective: This phase was planned to take place over two parallel tracks: one track would continue to focus on the Inner Development through IE practices which began in Phase II and the second track would be to apply the learnings of IE and develop an IE-based curriculum for select subjects on an experimental basis. What Emerged For the first track, observation and concentration practices were initiated to deepen the inner development of the participants and introduce them to the power of the faculties of the mind. For the second track, three faculty, as the main leads and three streams (Human Resources, Psychology and Mathematics were the chosen streams), were chosen to focus on their respective subjects, along with the sub-group of faculty, for the in-class implementation. They were further guided with the help of reflective questions to come up with lesson plans using the IE approach, and make their classroom experience as experiential as possible. After implementing their modified lesson plans in the classroom and simultaneously working on their inner environment, the participants observed that they had emerged as more conscious facilitators and that their classrooms also turned into a participative learning environment. Conclusion: The objective of this AU-IE Intensive Course was to introduce the principles and approach of IE to a select group of faculty of Auro University, to guide them to internalise these through a series of personalised practices, and then to help them begin the process of in-class implementation in the Auro University. A beginning has taken place to establish an Integral education environment in select departments of Auro University and the commitment shown by the faculty in undertaking the practices and maintaining a regularity, in spite of several pressing personal and professional engagements over a four and half month period, was an important highlight of this course. Some Feedback by the Participants: At the end of this five-month interaction, the participating faculty of Auro University was asked to provide feedback on these sessions. In the concluding session, the group gave their feedback of the entire course through an online Feedback Form and also freely shared their experiences verbally. All participants agreed that IE practices are to be applied with oneself before taking them to the classroom, they would highly recommend this course for other colleagues and all of them were looking forward to having an advanced level physical interaction with the SAFIER facilitators from Puducherry. Here is the feedback by some of the participants: The sessions that impacted the most: The session on body mapping helped me to become more aware of bodily sensations and the importance of 'listening' to your body. The session on inner reflection as part of assessing yourself as a teacher awakened in me the importance of self-evaluation. — Dr Priya Rajkumar - School of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences The deeper understanding about physical, mental, vital and Psychic affected me the most. This understanding will help me remain calm even in extreme situations. I personally experienced calmness in various triggering situations recently. — Dr Neha Bhatnagar - School of Sciences The theme covered on "Physical Awareness" impacted me the most. Because for some time, I was feeling the need to develop/leave certain habits related to the physical being but not getting any guidance to do so. The session helped me to know from where to begin and how to proceed. — Dr Shilpi Sharma - School of Law The key learnings absorbed during the AU-IEI course Before the IE sessions, I was reading Mandukya Upanishad and Ashtavakra Gita. I could relate some aspects in common with our sessions. The key learning had been the realisation that you have to get engaged as self-awareness, personally, experientially to work towards developing a science of living for oneself. External sources just work as knowledge givers. So, in this quest for 'Know oneself' and 'Master oneself' the content has to be derived from within. Self-preparation as one would call it, and then take on the role of an IE facilitator. — Avinash Engineer - School of Design I have just started the journey. I will not claim that I have learned or I have absorbed. I will take time to understand and day to day practice in my life. But surely, I can say this course has helped me a lot to concentrate and the true meaning of the education process,That nothing can be taught. Earlier I used to define myself as a teacher - I mean I teach the students. This course taught me that ...Nothing can be taught. You can only be a facilitator. — Vishwas Deokar - School of Journalism and Mass Communication Ability to connect with others through the power of love is key to inspiration.Role of a teacher is to help students to discover their potential.Teacher cannot inspire students until teacher starts practicing values.The source of values is within you called Psychic. — Dr. Vikrant Makhija - School of business

Date: May 29 - Jul 10, 2021 Location: Online Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER), the educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, conducted 'Finding One’s Key - an online workshop for strengthening the teacher-facilitators’. This workshop had 7 weekly sessions, aimed at helping the teacher-facilitators to re-connect & strengthen themselves, and to re-orient & re-organise their life with the help of several key-practices from the world of Integral Education. There were 28 teacher-facilitators from all over India who participated with a commitment to finding their key to unlocking their potential, which is inside and not outside. Each session explored a core practice through an experiential activity, including Q & A, and everyday morning micro-practices to do between the main sessions. Session 1 Finding harmony with others, first steps: The participants understood that in order to create harmony with other people, they themselves have to be an integral personality and pay attention to the different aspects of their own personality. The participants were led to understand the power of speech and what happens when we pay attention to it, through mantra chanting which they were to continue as morning practice throughout the next two weeks. Session 2 Integrating our life & its aim: The participants realised the need of an aim to steer their life just as a COMPASS is needed to point out the right direction in any adventure. An experiential activity was undertaken for them to help them set an aim for their lives. Later ‘generosity’ was explored in the light of Integral Education, as an important key to widen oneself and inch closer towards the high and wide aim one has set for oneself. Session 3 Connecting with one’s Centre – the Inner Friend: An understanding on how Integral Education must first be applied to ourselves before we apply it to children. In order to explore and develop our outer personality - the Body, Heart and Mind -, the need to access and know the nature of a fourth part, a part that is deep within us which has the right knowledge and insights of life, was discussed. Through an intense practice of being with flowers, a key was discovered to get in touch with one’s Inner Friend. Session 4, 5 and 6 Changing one’s life-style, starting with our physical habits, Facing one’s emotions, others’ too, Getting out of the world of opinions & judgements: As we progressed deep into the adventure after having learnt to make a connection with the Inner Friend, in sessions 4, 5 and 6 we entered into mastering our outer personality of physical-vital-mental (body-emotions & feelings-thoughts). This process of “integrating” our outer personality with our Psychic Being is an important aspect of “Integral education”. Through experiential activities, we explored the Physical, Vital and Mental parts by becoming aware of these parts through the consciousness method, and learnt to develop and refine these parts by adopting the right physical habits, and with the help of poetry and concentration practices. The latter practices were explored in the morning practice sessions. Session 7 Consolidation and looking at the future: The participants enthusiastically presented in groups what they had absorbed with reference to the physical habits they had taken up in the areas of food, life energy (mainly exercise), sleep and conscious movements. Towards the end the session concluded with an insight that the key to continue with the conscious habits is to keep reuniting with the Inner Friend - the Psychic Being. Feedback from the participants when asked whether they found some keys during the workshop: “To be a part of this workshop was one of the most beautiful experiences, in these times. Though it was done virtually, I never felt that we were away from Pondicherry because ... each session … gave us the insights on finding one's key. It is the Inner Friend which I aspire to find and the key to finding it is to practice stillness of painting which I am exploring little by little. ... Also practicing conscious eating because most of the time I tend to become emotional and I eat a lot more than what my body requires (this is something which I understood as I was working on the food project.); the project will be continued even after the workshop. And I feel regular practice is the most important Key in this journey.” [Trupti Zanjad - Facilitator and School Development Coordinator, Bejon Desai Foundation, Nashik] “This was like a refresher course for me! It helped me revisit several practices from the workshop in Pondicherry and some new ones too! Chanting, observing and connecting with nature, rediscovering the Inner Friend, remaining quiet rather than reacting in an emotional situation, physical exercise.” [Maya Shah, Early childhood Montessori educator, Mumbai] “Each activity had a different impact and made me aware of my own capacity with the practice. The morning routine helped me get into the practice of spending constructive time, honouring my self-development. I have noticed that I have become more observant of things, quiet and patient, the feeling of gratitude has increased, the overall self-consciousness and the perception of others as to what they are saying and doing; I've started being less judgemental.” [Aditi Sharad, Mentor, self employed, New Delhi] “I resonated the most with 'Getting to Know Our Inner Friend' and the flower activity. Mother's quote 'Be Like a Flower' stuck to me and remains with me till this day. ...Also, knowing about the qualities of my inner friend (in simple words) brought clarity to my being.” [Ann Mathew, Teacher Trainer and Curriculum Developer, Mumbai] “Reminding myself to be conscious at each moment is something that has happened. Discovering the delight in being conscious and reminding myself to see the Divine in others while greeting them. The constant reminder of seeing the Divine in the material things. The importance of aligning the jumping monkeys (viz, our physical, vital and mental activities) and the practical ways to control these monkeys. All these are small but very invaluable keys to lead life.” [Tushar Soni, Human Resources Manager, Ujjain] “Am so glad that I was able to be a part of this workshop. This surely helped me find a few keys for myself. Surely, I also picked up a few good habits on the way. I have found the key to being able to take care of my health and conscious movement.” [Garima Bharadwaj, Principal, Sri Aurobindo School of Integral Education, Chandigarh]

Date: May 07 - Jun 21, 2021 Location: Online To watch a glimpse of the two-month training, click here. SAFIER of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, India, in collaboration with School of Peace FVG, Italy, organized an online workshop for children aged 7-13 years. The objective of the workshop was to introduce the beauty and refinement of Fine Art based on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s vision of Integral Education. Around 12 children participated in the workshop. Out of which, 11 were from Slovenia and were helped by two facilitators. One child participated from Ukraine guided by her parent. Priti as the main facilitator, along with Kavita and Rathi facilitated the sessions where the children explored the world of imagination, colour theory, understanding spaces, symmetry, patterns in nature, Origami, art style of Pointillism and Mandala art. The participants also experienced joy by exploring their emotions, thoughts and body sensations through awareness activities. Children happily shared what they drew, how it made them feel and how they would like to go towards perfection in their expressions. They understood that in order to observe anything, one has to make friendship with it and spend time with it. Throughout the sessions the children were exposed to the world of ‘Flowers’ and they learnt several ways to experience a flower. They were guided to draw inspiration and strength from flowers while they did their art work. The children from Slovenia also developed their communication skills in English language which was one of the objectives of the workshop. They concluded with a beautiful and melodious song of gratitude. Some of the art works by the children: Some feedback of the children and facilitators when asked what they liked most about the session: “I got very excited about the blooming flower activity and taught my dad to make flowers too. I learnt patience and concentration when making the colour wheel.” — (Sara, 9 years, Ukraine) “How many activities have been developed out of a single topic (the flower), helping the child to develop the capacity of seeing from different perspective and focusing on details! The skills picked up by the child are attention and observation.” — (Annalisa, parent, Ukraine) “What I liked most in the sessions were the beautiful projects. The children also learnt the attitude of not being scared to fail.” — (Nina, Facilitator, Slovenia) “I liked being in concentration and for me the reinforced skills developed were classroom management in a multilingual context with non-native speakers.” — (Diana, Facilitator, Slovenia)

Date: Dec 26 - Dec 28, 2020 Location: Sharanam, Pondicherry Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research (SAFIER), the educational wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, conducted a workshop 'Heartbeat of Creativity' on 26th, 27th and 28th December 2020, facilitated by Harvinder Kaur, Director of Auro Mirra International School. In the serene environs of SHARANAM - our community centre, a portal opened to a world of creativity in the hearts and minds of the participants. There were 25 of them that came from Lucknow, Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai, Erode, Bangalore, Auroville and Pondicherry, ready to plunge into their own depths to find the secret chest that hides the gems of creativity. Day 1 The workshop began with a discussion on ‘What is Creativity?’ to create a path that will lead to an experiential understanding of the creative space. The opening activity that ensued from the discussion of what are metaphors and how they play upon our minds, was called EXPLORING THE METAPHORS OF OUR LIVES. The participants were asked to bring an object that seemed ordinary but was important or special to them because of the memory or personal meaning attached to it. They were divided into pairs where they had to guess about the other’s object and the possible story behind it, and then share the real one. The post lunch session involved an experiment with sounds/music, movement/dance followed by writing or drawing/colouring. This involved several sound stimuli from various musical instruments, that were to lead to a corresponding movement or dance. Different kinds of sounds were used – flute, tambourine, shakers, drums etc. A recorded piece of music was also played. The participants then wrote/drew/coloured/painted and shared. Many people shared in their responses that they went back to their childhood or observed how certain sounds gave rise to certain emotions, for instance the flute sounds made many people think of dawn. The evening session was an intense session on flames and fire and one’s inner world, facilitated by Shivakumar. The session was about concentrating on the flame and trying to connect with it. It was a matter of time that the flame started responding, it stopped flickering! One could touch the fire gently and not burn one's fingers. What got burnt in the process was the fear of the fire that lay dormant in all the participants. The participants were engaged and were not disturbed by the usual flurry of thoughts. Their minds and emotions gained an inner stillness and their souls were ready to come out alive! After Dinner everyone was advised to do a spontaneous writing of 20 minutes and then go to bed. Day 2 The second day began with an interesting session on the power, essence, shape, smell, form of spices ordinarily seen in the common Indian kitchen. This was followed by the participants being transported to MATRI-KUNJ, a natural farm, on a tractor! All participants were singing old Hindi songs till they reached the destination. One could see birds, chickens, cows and trees and plants with spices hanging on them. Everyone was curious! At Matrikunj, Sri Aurobindo Society's natural organic farm, the participants were divided into groups and provided raw ingredients like rice, dal and spices. They were asked to prepare KHICHRI in a farm environment using wood fire, open vessels and very ordinary means. They were told that everyone will have to eat what they cook! It was a tedious task for all the participants but at the same time it felt very real. No one knew that the taste of simple khichdi would bring so much joy. The cooking was followed by writing their experience, before the lunch break. The post lunch session was about CREATING A STORY in small groups. The groups had to pick randomly from a pool of chits from the categories – time, place, person, spice, theme. They were asked to create stories by combining these elements and would be presenting them the following day. The post tea session was time for a beautiful and unique MEHFIL with candle lights and flowers, where each participant brought something unique – a song, poem, incident, story to share with the group, and make the evening memorable. Day 3 The entire morning was a long session on a deep, sensitization to the element of water in and around us; how it is linked to our creative depths; how to open to its power; how to learn from it. The session involved activities and processes of sensitization and accessing the deeper crevices of the mind to come to a deeper awareness. The participants shared their experience with the group and wrote for 20 minutes what poured out of their hearts. Post lunch, it was time to present the stories of their groups. The groups came up with extremely creative and humorous stories leading to the climax of the workshop. The last session was about sharing their learning/experience of the workshop, as well as about themselves. The workshop concluded with tea and expressions of gratefulness by participants for the experience. The meals provided throughout the workshop were home-cooked meals prepared by the SAMSIDDHI team (a unit of AuroService Trust) with love and care and the participants felt well looked after, comfortable and safe amidst the fears of the Pandemic. With a happy note, all the 25 participants left the footprints of their memories at Sharanam and headed towards the beginning of a new journey called A CREATIVE LIFE. What the participants felt, in their own words … "The one thing I loved most is it (the creativity workshop) was arranged not to train you by your mind and intellect only. All the factors are taken into consideration, even the most basic things such as preparation of food were also given importance, not just filling the information in your mind but trying to make you free from your old concepts, habits etc." - (Sanjeevani J. Apte, Member of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry) ‘The Heartbeat of Creativity' far surpassed my expectations; the dedication of the team was a lesson in itself as to what concentrated efforts can achieve. The facilities, room, meals were beyond expectations; the space at Sharanam lovely and calming." (Sumita Sen, Coordinator at Indian Public school, Erode) "I enjoyed every discussion, session, and interaction that this workshop made possible. The funniest three days I've ever had with strangers..." (Nitya, poet from Puducherry) "Right from the moment I entered Sharanam for the workshop, every second spent at Sharanam was an overwhelming experience. Every moment is cherished. An experience which is once in a lifetime." (Uma Mohan, Principal at Auro Mirra International school, Bangalore) "To me, the Heartbeat of Creativity workshop came as a true blessing. It brought out the best in me. It moistened/lubricated all the web of strands of my being. I felt rejuvenated and gained many new perspectives of existence around me." (Urmila Ellappan, Educator at SAICE, Puducherry) "Everything, all the sessions brought a lot of positivity. There was no pressure of any kind put upon us. The organisation of sessions was excellent. It was done in such a way that we all slowly, gradually got closer to each other. ... At all points, we were given an opportunity to express ourselves. That was great! I learnt that things can be done spontaneously and need not always be calculated and structured." (Rucha Ramteke, Copy Editor from Puducherry) "Amazing, extraordinary, phenomenal – the content, the facilitators, the management, the place, the group, the energy, the food, the cleanliness. Everything was brilliant." (Beena Parekh, Head of a Preprimary school at Mumbai)