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The horrendous attacks in Paris had sent shivers down the spine everywhere in the world. This was a direct assault not only on the European way of life but on values that are common to all liberal societies. India has also suffered greatly due to terrorism over many years. Repeated attacks have caused a certain numbness in the human psyche in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. 

When such incidents happen, we hear a lot of cosmetic condemnation and diplomatic sympathy. We need to go into the root cause of the mind-set – the source of funding and the arms supply. When an inhuman act is committed with a misplaced religious sanctity and pride, then common sense, reason and dialogue do not find place at all. Any military action only makes things worse and results in the regrouping of the ideology. We have seen this over and over again. 

If a society has to live in fear all the time, it does not speak well of the century we are in. Where have we gone wrong? Who can take action? Many such questions arise and remain unanswered. 

Are the religious leaders, at least, at this point ready to take up responsibility?
Can they risk their position and lives to speak up against such ideologies that do not respect life?
Will the government ban the arms lobby and check the funding that goes into terror groups? 
Will the world ever move towards a common goal where there is justice, where compassion and brotherhood reign as life’s central philosophy? 
Can diversity be celebrated instead of tolerated? 
Can our education system promote reason over blind faith? 
A zillion such questions float only to leave the common man more frustrated and depressed. There are some who turn a blind eye towards any such happening and switch over to entertainment channels while others are numb watching violent movies. In this world we do see many heroes amongst commoners who come along to help and bring a ray of hope, and are also committed to uplift the mood of the society. These common heroes are a boon; they are the real Spiritual Beings. The media should highlight such acts of bravery and sometimes does too! 

Educationists will have to wake up and bring an education in peace so that the coming generations are both sensible and sensitive to life. Religious leaders will have to come together to promote the common good of mankind and reform the misguided. I strongly believe this is all doable in our generation. 

Many times people who feel very passionately for a cause feel justified in adopting violent means in its pursuit. They are driven by a sense of righteousness, though misplaced, and their commitment to their cause is commendable. They are willing to resolve differences through dialogue if approached in the right way. 

We have been able to successfully bring back many extremists from a life of violence and rehabilitate them in mainstream society. In fact, many of our free tribal schools in terrorist-affected regions in India are being run by former extremists. They were hostile in the beginning, threatening our volunteers but when they saw that these efforts were benefiting their own communities, they became volunteers themselves. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the attacks. Such incidents cause anger which can lead to polarisation based on ethnicity and religion, but the real polarisation is between open and narrow-mindedness. While a narrow fanatic outlook can only lead to differences that divide us, it requires wisdom and a broad vision to go past them and arrive at values that unite us. The world needs the latter and not the former!
All children need training in moral values and life skills. As they grow older, they face new situations that call upon their judgment and test their sense of right and wrong.Ancient wisdom can give children and youth a strong moral compass grounded on rationality and inner strength. Wisdom imparted through fun and simple ways can make it more accessible to children.

Our younger ones should have access to simple mental exercises and fun games that give them relief from stress and tension.

All-encompassing education system:
Too often, we see that as soon as students graduate, they have to further qualify themselves, as employers question their employability. This is a failing of the education system.If we had skill development courses integrated with the degree level courses, it would be an ideal transformation of the education system.

Students should be taught practical and useful lessons while they are studying in their undergraduate courses. Otherwise, that period only serves the purpose of securing them a degree that does not lead to productive employment.

Tips to make the education system more effective

Institute awards for social behavior; for instance, reward those manifesting a non-violent and balanced mindset while resolving issues
Adopt a light-hearted and humorous way of teaching even when teaching deep and difficult subjects
Address the issue of drugs, presenting the gory truth so children are never tempted by it
Ensure that children get a nutritious and balanced diet emphasizing its impact on both physical health as well as their zeal to learn
Development of the right mindset:
Children need exposure to life skills that teach them to handle real-life situations. And this exposure must happen at an early age.

They must be encouraged to develop a proper conscience
They must be taught to be self-reliant.
The importance of qualities such as the ability to think judiciously, problem-solving ability, creative thinking, and decision-making skills cannot be overstated.
All this must go side-by-side with compassion and a positive thought process. This is how children will gain the confidence to face life’s challenges head-on.

Development of the 4 Qs:
We’ve all heard of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ), but there are two more – Social Quotient (SQ) and Adverse Quotient (AQ). Being socially aware is very important to build a caring and compassionate society. And being able to handle adverse situations is vital for children.Children should learn to handle failure and look at it as a temporary roadblock rather than a dead-end without any recourse.

Introduction of yoga and meditation:
Initiate healthy practices like yoga and meditation in schools. Teaching yoga from a young age helps children develop on a holistic level. Meditation teaches them to connect with themselves.In this space, they have respect and compassion for those around them. With these qualities, we can aspire for a progressive society – with gender equality, integration, and overall peace.

It is important that in the absence of physical interactions with their friends, cultural activities in the community, and general outings, families bridge the gap. They must contribute towards the all-round development of children by listening to their problems, interacting regularly with them, and sharing their own life with them. It is also important to eat meals together and stay connected with children.

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Responding to terror

Leadership is a manifestation of strong love and compassion for people. It represents a commitment to principles. In that sense, a certain degree of leadership is dormant in every individual. The challenge comes when one has to nurture it.
######

A true leader—whether political, religious or social—has many challenges to face. The capacity to express one’s commitment varies from individual to individual. It is often clogged by one’s likes and dislikes. Yet, a leader has to view everyone with the same outlook, appraise everyone with the same yardstick. He has to find discrimination as well as the much-needed wisdom to act at the right time.
######

The society he lives in and the groups he represents are not homogeneous and one cannot satisfy everybody. Yet, a leader has to carry everyone along and do justice to everybody. A leader has to withstand criticism and not react emotionally to situations. Often leaders are surrounded by sycophants who try to boost their egos for their own personal agenda. A leader does need hands and feet and has to depend on people around him. At the same time, he should not find himself in a position where he gets confined in a fortress of his close aides or becomes a captive of his admirers.
######
One of the most desired qualities of a true leader is the courage to stretch his hands toward his critics and have the patience to listen to them. A true leader takes failures with as much equanimity as he would successes that come to his doorstep. These days leaders are defensive all the time, explaining their shortcomings or justifying their wrong actions. A true leader will neither complain nor explain, and is open to learning all the time. Admitting a past mistake and creating space for others with completely diverse viewpoints can make a leader more acceptable, universal. A leader does not pass the buck.
######
A true leader balances ideology and practicality, long-term goals with short-term needs. Those who stick only to idealism cannot become leaders and those who think they are very practical and without any ideology also bite the dust.
######
A leader cannot be either generic or specific. He has to strike the balance between personal attention to people and the generic vision for the group, community or country he leads.
######
A leader should have the courage to accept his weak moments. He should understand that people are magnanimous. They would appreciate his straightforwardness and accept his shortcomings rather than him trying to hide them.
######
Some leaders are too diplomatic while others are too straightforward in their approach. While people do not trust those who are very diplomatic, they do not want anything to do with those who are very blunt and justify their rudeness in the garb of straightforwardness. People who are very straightforward and blunt in their approach often don’t find followers. It is like tuning a guitar. If the strings are stretched too tight you cannot play it, and if the strings are too loose you cannot create music either. A leader has to strike the balance between diplomacy and straightforwardness.
######
While self-righteous people create distaste in others, those who take credit for every good action are equally distanced. A leader should acknowledge others’ contributions and at the same time see that these contributions don’t get to their heads.
######
A leader can create a mob but he should know that a mob is short lived. A shortsighted leader creates a mob; a leader with wisdom creates a movement. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are examples of inspirational leaders who created movements.
######
All this may sound utopian, but in reality, if you look keenly into the lives of the most successful leaders, you will find all these qualities naturally manifest at some time or the other. You don’t have to do much to inculcate these qualities; just their awareness is good enough to make a good leader.
######
Be one. The world needs you.



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Leadership: From mob to movement

Covid-19 has revised everyone’s timetable. The changes have been especially difficult for students – from kindergarten to university. Not having physical institutions of learning to go to as part of the school year has had adverse consequences – children have had to make do with online learning, a system that has been less effective for both younger and older children. While the younger kids had to make do without individual attention during class hours, the older ones had to forego lab experiments and the risky consequences of a condensed syllabus. Some college-goers have even had to drop a year. As a result, the mental health of youth from all age groups has suffered. “Children and youth are likely to either become depressed or aggressive in such dire situations,” says Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Gurudev suggests ways to ease their lives to give them relief from peer pressure, stress, and tension that has magnified in this situation.

What the education system should include
Value-based education:
All children need training in moral values and life skills. As they grow older, they face new situations that call upon their judgment and test their sense of right and wrong.Ancient wisdom can give children and youth a strong moral compass grounded on rationality and inner strength. Wisdom imparted through fun and simple ways can make it more accessible to children.

Our younger ones should have access to simple mental exercises and fun games that give them relief from stress and tension.

All-encompassing education system:
Too often, we see that as soon as students graduate, they have to further qualify themselves, as employers question their employability. This is a failing of the education system.If we had skill development courses integrated with the degree level courses, it would be an ideal transformation of the education system.

Students should be taught practical and useful lessons while they are studying in their undergraduate courses. Otherwise, that period only serves the purpose of securing them a degree that does not lead to productive employment.

Tips to make the education system more effective

Institute awards for social behavior; for instance, reward those manifesting a non-violent and balanced mindset while resolving issues
Adopt a light-hearted and humorous way of teaching even when teaching deep and difficult subjects
Address the issue of drugs, presenting the gory truth so children are never tempted by it
Ensure that children get a nutritious and balanced diet emphasizing its impact on both physical health as well as their zeal to learn
Development of the right mindset:
Children need exposure to life skills that teach them to handle real-life situations. And this exposure must happen at an early age.

They must be encouraged to develop a proper conscience
They must be taught to be self-reliant.
The importance of qualities such as the ability to think judiciously, problem-solving ability, creative thinking, and decision-making skills cannot be overstated.
All this must go side-by-side with compassion and a positive thought process. This is how children will gain the confidence to face life’s challenges head-on.

Development of the 4 Qs:
We’ve all heard of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ), but there are two more – Social Quotient (SQ) and Adverse Quotient (AQ). Being socially aware is very important to build a caring and compassionate society. And being able to handle adverse situations is vital for children.Children should learn to handle failure and look at it as a temporary roadblock rather than a dead-end without any recourse.

Introduction of yoga and meditation:
Initiate healthy practices like yoga and meditation in schools. Teaching yoga from a young age helps children develop on a holistic level. Meditation teaches them to connect with themselves.In this space, they have respect and compassion for those around them. With these qualities, we can aspire for a progressive society – with gender equality, integration, and overall peace.

It is important that in the absence of physical interactions with their friends, cultural activities in the community, and general outings, families bridge the gap. They must contribute towards the all-round development of children by listening to their problems, interacting regularly with them, and sharing their own life with them. It is also important to eat meals together and stay connected with children.



This article is based on Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s discussions with the secretary of the CBSE Board, Anurag Tripathi, and various members of the teaching fraternity at a panel discussion on ‘Enriching Education – A Roadmap To Life Skills & Mental Wellness.’ Gurudev had a series of futuristic dialogues with thought leaders during the 2020 lockdown to discuss solutions for the challenges that lie ahead.

 

The Art of Living has age-wise programs: Online Utkarsha Yoga for 8+ to 13-year olds and Online Medha Yoga for 13+ to 18-year-olds that can help children develop holistically into responsible citizens of the country. There are also workshops for parents that give them insight into why their children behave the way they do: Know Your Child (children aged 12 years and below) and Know Your Teen (13-18-year olds).

Other educational initiatives inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

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Language can be a compelling tool for self-expression and self-exploration. It goads us to think differently; a few words can challenge us with new concepts. Etiquette, finesse in thinking, fostering a sense of belonging with a community, cultural identity… this is just the tip of the proverbial lingual iceberg. Language, it seems, can also prepare us for the future.

My explorations to understand this process began at a Sanskrit class.

It was a unique, privileged opportunity; I was over the moon. My initial excitement, however, soon melted away as my struggle with the pronunciation gained larger prominence. In a class of 20 students, it soon became apparent that I was slower as a learner with incorrect pronunciations.

I took solace in[ Dr. George Washington Carver. ](link)The famous American inventor and botanist had once said: ‘Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough.’ With practice, patience, and persistent support from my comrades, I marched ahead and conquered the horizon when I mastered a few pages.

Though this class was perhaps one of the most gratifying experiences that I’ve ever had, I did notice the glaring differences between the rest of the group and myself. They were seasoned in little Sanskrit phrases, and could fluently rattle off odes to the entire pantheon of the Gods in smooth Sanskrit while I would pipe in with a few words. What is this journey that each of us has made with the oldest surviving classical language, Sanskrit?

### Here we are
Sanskrit is perhaps one of the only classical languages that has survived in its purest form. So deep is her fame, it’s almost instinctive to personify Sanskrit as a queen. I see her resplendent in jewels, dignified, wise, and bestowed with magical powers.

“Language is connected to our consciousness. Listening, speaking, and reading Sanskrit is nourishment to the mind,” says Sanskrit enthusiast, [Dr. Manikantan Menon](link), who is also a musician and the director of ALAP ([Art of Living Academy of Performing Arts](link)). “It helps to remove stressful impressions, and soft values start coming back to you.”

Sanskrit is considered to be the mother of all languages. It’s a common belief that each language in our global time was born from Sanskrit. Unfortunately, the umbilical cord seems to have been cut off there.

Though many pundits would defend the relevance of Sanskrit in our modern times, there are others who insist the language is archaic – besides being a Herculean task to master. Many schools in India have made Sanskrit compulsory for three years at least – though the numbers opting for higher education are fewer.

“It’s not that children don’t like Sanskrit,” shares a school teacher in a government school in Dhule, Maharashtra. “They don’t always get peer support to pursue higher education.” In fact, this teacher opines that children find it easier to learn Sanskrit since many of them join their families for daily prayers.

So loud is the children’s demand for Sanskrit in a little town in Maharashtra that the school periodically invites outside teachers for guest lectures.

### Ideals for life
And then there are schools and universities outside of India that are famed for giving Sanskrit learning a much-required boost. The St. James School in the United Kingdom has been an ardent proponent of Sanskrit, having introduced the language as a subject in 1975. While students could learn Sanskrit for a few years and then decide if they would like to pursue it, the teachers there believe that Sanskrit leaves an indelible mark.

Consider this: the Sanskrit word for beggar is bhikshu – which means a venerated person – a contrast to the image that the word ‘beggar’ brings to mind. Victory in Sanskrit is jaya, while a loss is parajaya, which means the victory of the other.

Quoting Rutger Kortenhorst, a Sanskrit teacher at the John Scottus School in Dublin: “The qualities of Sanskrit will become the qualities of your child – that is the mind and heart of your child will become beautiful, precise and reliable. Sanskrit automatically teaches your child and anybody else studying it to pay FINE attention, due to its uncanny precision.”

Sanskrit enthusiasts point to the vast linguistic and cultural access that the language gives them. However, there’s more.
### When NASA gives Sanskrit a shout out
“Sanskrit and computers are a perfect fit. The precision play of Sanskrit with computer tools will awaken the capacity in human beings to utilize their innate higher mental faculty with a momentum that would inevitably transform the mind. In fact, the mere learning of Sanskrit by large numbers of people in itself represents a quantum leap in consciousness, not to mention the rich endowment it will provide in the arena of future communication.”
~ NASA, California
### How does the study of Sanskrit affect the brain?
A hallmark study by Dr. Hartzell, a Sanskrit proponent and postdoctoral researcher at Spain’s Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, showed the world a new picture. Dr. Hartzell and the team at India’s National Brain Research Center scanned the brains of 21 Sanskrit pandits and 21 control subjects.

“India’s Vedic Sanskrit pandits train for years to orally memorize and exactly recite [3,000-year-old oral texts](link) ranging from 40,000 to over 100,000 words. We wanted to find out how such intense verbal memory training affects the physical structure of their brains,” said Dr. Hartzell.

The structural MRI scanning showed:
- Numerous regions in the brains of the pandits were dramatically larger than those of controls.
- Both the cerebral hemispheres had over 10 percent more grey matter.
- Significant increase in cortical thickness.
- The right hippocampus had more grey matter than the brains of the control subjects. The hippocampus plays a vital role in short-term and long-term memory and is a center for sound, spatial and visual patterns.
- The right temporal cortex, associated with speech prosody and voice identity, was also substantially thicker.
- The increase in all these metrics corroborates with enhanced cognitive function.
It’s no surprise that children who learn Sanskrit display some marked parameters, including improvement in speech, logical thinking, and memory retention.
### Prepare for 2026 now
With artificial intelligence becoming a buzzword, it’s necessary to look at our futures differently. Jack Ma spoke about it at the World Economic Forum 2018 when he said that our teaching methods needed to change and we needed to develop soft skills.

A survey done by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society shows people expect artificial intelligence machines to be part of many companies’ board of directors by 2026.

Interestingly, emotional intelligence, which doesn’t feature in the top 10 marketable skills today, will become one of the top skills needed by all.
### List of skills required by 2020 (Source: World Economic Forum):
1. complex problem solving
2. critical thinking
3. creativity
4. people management
5. coordinating with others
6. emotional intelligence
7. judgment & decision making
8. service orientation
9. negotiation
10. cognitive flexibility

Learning Sanskrit could be one way to train our minds to sharpen their innate power. In fact, it could strengthen existing brain training exercises to help yield maximum results.  
### Start small
Dr. Manikantan believes that we’re at a unique threshold and could be witnessing the revival of Sanskrit language. “A few decades ago, it was more fashionable to learn international languages, while recently the thrust has been towards Sanskrit, again.” He believes that every child from the age of four years should learn the language, since it aids in developing the brain, the nervous system, and the mind.
He recommends:
1. Have patience: Initially, the language might seem a little difficult. However, it’ll become easier with some regular study, and practice.
2. Tune into Sanskrit radio channels or look up YouTube for Sanskrit news channels. Simply listening to the language will enable one to follow it easily.
3. Start a Sanskrit group that meets once a week. Discuss what everyone is reading, chanting, and learning.
4. Introduce a few Sanskrit words in your everyday talk at home. Getting used to the everyday conversation will make it easier.
5. [ Chant some Sanskrit shlokas every day](link). Read the original Sanskrit text, instead of the English or Hindi translations, even if it takes a little longer.
6. Pay attention to the correct pronunciations. Initially, the practice might require time, but it can be mastered easily.
7. Sanskrit is self-energizing and must regularly be practiced.

Perhaps our future selves would thank us for recognizing the legacy and richness of the ancients. Our forefathers have given us the gift of Sanskrit and we have the good fortune of being the torchbearers. Perhaps then, we’ll be truly prepared to face our future.

This article first appeared on [The Art of Living website.](link)
Written by Ms. Resha Patel (based on inputs from [Dr. Manikantan Menon](link), musician, director of Art of Living Academy of Performing Arts, and Art of Living faculty)

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How Sanskrit, a 5000 Year Old Language of God, Contributes to Brain Development and a Bright Future

Welcome to the age of AI. From bots analyzing thousands of words in a few milliseconds to predicting our needs based on facial recognition – we’re at a cusp in humanity. The current fourth industrial revolution has made technology available like never before.

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Technology is becoming 10x more powerful every 5 years. It’s time that Ethics make an equally fast comeback

Chandana Madam is proud of her students. She has seen them grow from the age of 5. Two of them – Abhishek and Swati – are her real favourites. Abhishek, when he was 5 years of age, came to school shabbily dressed with a running nose. His skin was cracked everywhere. Chandana kept sending out feelers to his parents to make sure that he was presentable when he came to school. Swati, on the other hand, was well taken care of by her parents from a young age and she was brilliant in her studies and extracurricular activities.

 

Today Abhishek is in Class 12th. He has grown tall, speaks English really well and the attitude with which he carries himself is amazing. He is also the School Captain and is popular among children.  He is like an elder brother to many younger kids. Swati is also the School Captain and is doing very well in her studies.

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It’s the last day of school and the 10th standard students have arranged a send-off for their 12th standard seniors. Earlier, Chandana Madam used to feel bad that she would miss the children thereafter.  But she is very stable now as she has seen 6 batches of 12th standards going out in her leadership. She is proud of her students and they are also equally responsive. She is very sentimental as far as her students are concerned but not so much as she was with her first batch.  She has learned to manage her emotions from then on.

 

She is thankful to her first batch of children for teaching her lessons such as ’emotions are inversely proportional to the intellect’. She had a real affection towards the first batch of students who were so emotional and promised to keep visiting her, but unfortunately got caught up in their daily routine and forgot to inquire about her, and hardly responded even when she called to invite them for important school functions. She even remembers her own college days when she was giving very less time to her parents.

 

This is what life is about. As the bird gets its feathers strong and wants to have new experiences of life, love and affection take a back seat. This is an inbuilt mechanism in all animals which nature has adopted. Emotions lag when intelligence matures. With this outgoing batch she is balanced and one can see that her intellect and emotions are running in parallel. She looks more elegant and pleasant. Her smile and her speech contain a new energy. Children even behave more realistically with her now.  No too much of emotions and at the same time love and affection flow fluently. 

 

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To Chandana Madam’s surprise, whatever she spoke that day and whatever children promised that they would do for the school after their exit, they are doing it.  She is wondering if this is a miracle! Now there is an Alumni Association formed with due efforts from former students and little effort of her own. She realizes that it is her approach to life and her balancing of emotions and intellect that has changed the perception of the children. She is now giving more quality time in listening to them and helping them resolve personal and academic issues. Attachment has now matured into devotional love. With this devotional love, children are able to relate to her better. It is true after all that love & sacrifice make a good teacher.

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Importance of Love & Sacrifice for a Teacher

As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, what are the incredible lessons that we can learn from his life ?

1. A deep connection with one’s roots: The Mahatma who eventually became a global icon was deeply connected to his religious, spiritual and national roots. Drawing inspiration and life-lessons from the Bhagvad Geeta, Sanatana Dharma, the principles of Jainism and other facets of the ancient indian ethos and way of life, the Mahatma shaped his potent movement against the mighty British empire.
2. Symbolism with a purpose: Gandhiji was well aware of the importance and weight of symbols that would draw people together to rally around a common cause which was the freedom movement at that time. Khadi, the Salt Satyagraha, the Charkha( spinning wheel) and others were not just mere symbols used as a marketing device but had a robust thought process. Spinning our own cloth, making our own salt would eventually break the economic back of the British Empire whose wealth had come to depend to a great extent on the Indian Market.
3. Authenticity and Naturalness: Mahatma Gandhi met with Heads of State and eminent dignitaries in his loin cloth and shawl no matter what the occasion he was himself and authentic. No matter what the criticism or the mockery, there was firm conviction in his own ideals.
4. The Power of Prayer: Mahatma Gandhi was a firm believer in the power of prayer, meditation and a collective intention to bring change in oneself and in society. Everyday, the Mahatma gathered thousands in prayer and chanting. It was this spiritual force that finally brought India her freedom.
5. Relevance of Ideology across geographies and different time periods: Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology eventually became relevant and was applied in different ways in so many parts of the world. By Martin Luther King, Mandela to just name a couple.
These powerful lessons can serve as a guide map for people everywhere.

Happy Gandhi Jayanti!

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Happy Gandhi Jayanti

Information is not education. Only a receptive mind, one that is open to all possibilities, is the sign of a true educator. An educator absorbs, assimilates and then creates an environment for that information and knowledge to be imparted to others. In SSA each teacher is that pillar of support that shines the beacon of care, love and awareness because they themselves are seekers of the self.

I have found that over the years, the teachers at SSA have grown from “I” to “We”, from strength to strength, one that nurtures leadership in the children and mentors them to be good human beings first. The value based education as part of Gurudev’s vision is seeping right down to the grass-roots of the school as teachers volunteer even after school for Sri Kripa, extra-curricular activities and give back to the school in their own significant ways.

There is a deep sense of belonging and loyalty to the institution; I have found that it is a bond that binds them with affection and a mission to serve. Those who have been with the school from inception have grown simply because of their consistency and dedication to their own practice of the processes and in particular, the Sudarshan Kriya which has become the corner-stone of the belief system of the SSA family here in Kolkata.

SSA’s adherence of Gurudev’s vision, mission and practices have brought the teachers together as one big family – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam  where there is a high degree of collectively conscious or ‘Chetna’ present in teachers as they embrace their roles year on year. It is true when I say that the School belongs to them and to every child that walks into school with open arms to grow, learn and celebrate life in the truest sense of the word. Life is meant to be lived with Joy and that is our mission for SSA – everyday.

What are the ways we can consciously become better educators and teachers?

Asking if you are abreast with new and progressive practices.
By encouraging participation in conferences, workshops and aligned with teacher groups and initiatives in education.
Peer- monitoring and micro-teaching sessions and also prepare ourselves to evaluate others and give objective feedback.
Reflection, especially in relation to specific and current school practices and curriculum which leads to better determine future progress and take steps to change if need be.
Be open to feedback from others- parents, other teachers, staff and children themselves.
Lastly, find time for in-house training in professional courses, technology updation, skill and enquiry based training blended with organizational skills in the holidays.
 

Visit Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata

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Teachers are the Pillars of SSA, Kolkata

Learn from Past Experiences
– Turn back and look at your own life. How many times have you felt like that? How much time have you spent worrying? Even though you worried so much, things still happened in the right manner, isn’t it?  There was no need to worry! So look back at your own experience and you will realize that it is futile to worry. Looking back at your own moments and experiences gives you strength. This is where looking back helps.
Confidence
– Second is, you should have confidence in your own ability, and in your own fortune. You should know that only the best thing will happen to you.
Valor or Courage
– If the above two things don’t work, then there is a third option. Invoke the valour in you. Tell yourself “Come what may I will face it, I will handle it. I have the power to handle it”. Know that, You are never given a problem that you cannot handle. When you invoke this energy, this challenge in you, fear vanishes. 
Physical Exercises
– Go for a walk in the morning, and then make the “Ha” and “Ho” sound. You will feel an increase in your energy levels, you will start bubbling with enthusiasm.
Sadhana(Spiritual Practices)
– Pranayama(Breathing techniques), Sudarshan Kriya and Meditation can help you overcome difficult situations in life.
Surrender & Prayer – 
know that there is a higher power that loves you dearly, and it will never let you down. This faith will pull you through any tough situation. When you feel you are at a stage where you do not feel like doing anything and you feel totally hopeless,  that’s when you pray! Pray and surrender your whole being to the divine. An intense cry to the divine will make all the difference.

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6 ways to deal with uncertainty in life

That time of the year is here when the single-minded focus is on the books and not on Facebook and Instagram. The time when the mind is focused but not relaxed because exams are around the corner. There is peer pressure, pressure from parents to perform well in exams, pressure of scoring good grades. All this thinking drifts one away from studies and leads to stress and not knowing how to handle it. Here are a few Yoga asanas and breathing exercises that will sail you through the days of exam pressure.

 

First, let’s have a look at some breathing exercises:

 

Bhastrika (The bellows breath) –

Exams are preceded by sleepless nights spent in studying, calling up friends to know how much they have studied and the VVIMP questions. Honestly, this can cause one to tire out, and keeping awake can be a herculean task. A coupe of rounds of Bhastrika can energize you completely. It keeps you awake, keeps the cerebrum active, hence enhancing your learning. Bhastrika helps the energy to keep flowing and removes harmful toxins from the body.



 

Bhramari (The humming bee sound) –

This breathing technique is the solution to the nerve wrecking experience before any exam. At such times, a relaxing pranayama comes handy. Bhramari pranayama helps in calming the nervous system, removes hypertension and stress. This makes the brain more receptive and focused. When the mind is focused and relaxed, the right answer comes to you at the right time.



 

Emotional tension gets accumulated in the body and may lead to blockage of energy.  Stretching the body can help relax the body and mind, and also enhance the flow of energy in the body.

 

 

Following are the yoga asanas that will help you focus and relax:

 

Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend) –

Stretches all the muscles of the back of the body and invigorates the spine and the nervous system. Increases the blood supply to the brain, hence results in relaxation.



 

Paschimottanasana (Sitting Forward Bend) –

Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression. Soothes headache and anxiety and reduces fatigue.



 

Halasana (The plough pose) –

Stimulates the endocrine system and strengthens the immune system – specifically, the thyroid gland, which improves metabolism and keeps you more active! The reverse flow of blood helps in new cell generation keeping the brain young and rejuvenated.



 

Matsyasana (The Fish Pose) –

Relieves tension in your neck, throat, and shoulders, improving respiration and bringing a lightness to your facial muscles! It helps in strengthening the immune system, which is a key to stay fit and strong during these strenuous times.



 

Sirshasana (The Headstand) –

Relieves stress and improves focus. Stimulates the pituitary gland, harmonizing the entire endocrine system. Helps expel toxins and also improving the flow of blood to the brain, stimulating nerve cells. It improves memory power as well!



 

Shishuasana (The Child’s Pose)–

This one is a deeply relaxing posture. Gives you deep rest and total relaxation of the back. Puts the chattering mind to rest and keeps the brain fresh, helping you to learn and to grasp more.



 

 

We hope these asanas and techniques come in handy during your exam days. While performing the asanas, coordinating movement with the breath is very important. Also holding the posture to ones capability and relaxing into the posture enhances the experience of yoga.

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8 Yoga Asanas That Will Help Students During Exams

Language can be a compelling tool for self-expression and self-exploration. It goads us to think differently; a few words can challenge us with new concepts. Etiquette, finesse in thinking, fostering a sense of belonging with a community, cultural identity… this is just the tip of the proverbial lingual iceberg. Language, it seems, can also prepare us for the future.

My explorations to understand this process began at a Sanskrit class.

It was a unique, privileged opportunity; I was over the moon. My initial excitement, however, soon melted away as my struggle with the pronunciation gained larger prominence. In a class of 20 students, it soon became apparent that I was slower as a learner with incorrect pronunciations.

I took solace in Dr. George Washington Carver. The famous American inventor and botanist had once said: ‘Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough.’ With practice, patience, and persistent support from my comrades, I marched ahead and conquered the horizon when I mastered a few pages.

Though this class was perhaps one of the most gratifying experiences that I’ve ever had, I did notice the glaring differences between the rest of the group and myself. They were seasoned in little Sanskrit phrases, and could fluently rattle off odes to the entire pantheon of the Gods in smooth Sanskrit while I would pipe in with a few words. What is this journey that each of us has made with the oldest surviving classical language, Sanskrit?

 

Here we are
Sanskrit is perhaps one of the only classical languages that has survived in its purest form. So deep is her fame, it’s almost instinctive to personify Sanskrit as a queen. I see her resplendent in jewels, dignified, wise, and bestowed with magical powers.

“Language is connected to our consciousness. Listening, speaking, and reading Sanskrit is nourishment to the mind,” says Sanskrit enthusiast, Dr. Manikantan Menon, who is also a musician and the director of ALAP (Art of Living Academy of Performing Arts). “It helps to remove stressful impressions, and soft values start coming back to you.”

Sanskrit is considered to be the mother of all languages. It’s a common belief that each language in our global time was born from Sanskrit. Unfortunately, the umbilical cord seems to have been cut off there.

Though many pundits would defend the relevance of Sanskrit in our modern times, there are others who insist the language is archaic – besides being a Herculean task to master. Many schools in India have made Sanskrit compulsory for three years at least – though the numbers opting for higher education are fewer.

“It’s not that children don’t like Sanskrit,” shares a school teacher in a government school in Dhule, Maharashtra. “They don’t always get peer support to pursue higher education.” In fact, this teacher opines that children find it easier to learn Sanskrit since many of them join their families for daily prayers.

So loud is the children’s demand for Sanskrit in a little town in Maharashtra that the school periodically invites outside teachers for guest lectures.

 

Ideals for life
And then there are schools and universities outside of India that are famed for giving Sanskrit learning a much-required boost. The St. James School in the United Kingdom has been an ardent proponent of Sanskrit, having introduced the language as a subject in 1975. While students could learn Sanskrit for a few years and then decide if they would like to pursue it, the teachers there believe that Sanskrit leaves an indelible mark.

Consider this: the Sanskrit word for beggar is bhikshu – which means a venerated person – a contrast to the image that the word ‘beggar’ brings to mind. Victory in Sanskrit is jaya, while a loss is parajaya, which means the victory of the other.

Quoting Rutger Kortenhorst, a Sanskrit teacher at the John Scottus School in Dublin: “The qualities of Sanskrit will become the qualities of your child – that is the mind and heart of your child will become beautiful, precise and reliable. Sanskrit automatically teaches your child and anybody else studying it to pay FINE attention, due to its uncanny precision.”

Sanskrit enthusiasts point to the vast linguistic and cultural access that the language gives them. However, there’s more.

 

When NASA gives Sanskrit a shout out
“Sanskrit and computers are a perfect fit. The precision play of Sanskrit with computer tools will awaken the capacity in human beings to utilize their innate higher mental faculty with a momentum that would inevitably transform the mind. In fact, the mere learning of Sanskrit by large numbers of people in itself represents a quantum leap in consciousness, not to mention the rich endowment it will provide in the arena of future communication.”
~ NASA, California

 

How does the study of Sanskrit affect the brain?
A hallmark study by Dr. Hartzell, a Sanskrit proponent and postdoctoral researcher at Spain’s Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, showed the world a new picture. Dr. Hartzell and the team at India’s National Brain Research Center scanned the brains of 21 Sanskrit pandits and 21 control subjects.

“India’s Vedic Sanskrit pandits train for years to orally memorize and exactly recite 3,000-year-old oral texts ranging from 40,000 to over 100,000 words. We wanted to find out how such intense verbal memory training affects the physical structure of their brains,” said Dr. Hartzell.

The structural MRI scanning showed:

Numerous regions in the brains of the pandits were dramatically larger than those of controls.
Both the cerebral hemispheres had over 10 percent more grey matter.
Significant increase in cortical thickness.
The right hippocampus had more grey matter than the brains of the control subjects. The hippocampus plays a vital role in short-term and long-term memory and is a center for sound, spatial and visual patterns.
The right temporal cortex, associated with speech prosody and voice identity, was also substantially thicker.
The increase in all these metrics corroborates with enhanced cognitive function.
It’s no surprise that children who learn Sanskrit display some marked parameters, including improvement in speech, logical thinking, and memory retention.

 

Prepare for 2026 now
With artificial intelligence becoming a buzzword, it’s necessary to look at our futures differently. Jack Ma spoke about it at the World Economic Forum 2018 when he said that our teaching methods needed to change and we needed to develop soft skills.

A survey done by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society shows people expect artificial intelligence machines to be part of many companies’ board of directors by 2026.

Interestingly, emotional intelligence, which doesn’t feature in the top 10 marketable skills today, will become one of the top skills needed by all.

List of skills required by 2020 (Source: World Economic Forum):
1. complex problem solving
2. critical thinking
3. creativity
4. people management
5. coordinating with others
6. emotional intelligence
7. judgment & decision making
8. service orientation
9. negotiation
10. cognitive flexibility

Learning Sanskrit could be one way to train our minds to sharpen their innate power. In fact, it could strengthen existing brain training exercises to help yield maximum results.  

Start small
Dr. Manikantan believes that we’re at a unique threshold and could be witnessing the revival of Sanskrit language. “A few decades ago, it was more fashionable to learn international languages, while recently the thrust has been towards Sanskrit, again.” He believes that every child from the age of four years should learn the language, since it aids in developing the brain, the nervous system, and the mind.

He recommends:

Have patience: Initially, the language might seem a little difficult. However, it’ll become easier with some regular study, and practice.
Tune into Sanskrit radio channels or look up YouTube for Sanskrit news channels. Simply listening to the language will enable one to follow it easily.
Start a Sanskrit group that meets once a week. Discuss what everyone is reading, chanting, and learning.
Introduce a few Sanskrit words in your everyday talk at home. Getting used to the everyday conversation will make it easier.
Chant some Sanskrit shlokas every day. Read the original Sanskrit text, instead of the English or Hindi translations, even if it takes a little longer.
Pay attention to the correct pronunciations. Initially, the practice might require time, but it can be mastered easily.
Sanskrit is self-energizing and must regularly be practiced.
Perhaps our future selves would thank us for recognizing the legacy and richness of the ancients. Our forefathers have given us the gift of Sanskrit and we have the good fortune of being the torchbearers. Perhaps then, we’ll be truly prepared to face our future.

This article first appeared on The Art of Living website.
Written by Ms. Resha Patel (based on inputs from Dr. Manikantan Menon, musician, director of Art of Living Academy of Performing Arts, and Art of Living faculty)

1. The first step to improving communication is listening. Listening is an important factor for better communication.
2. Understand where the other person is coming from – what is the sentiment behind their communication.
3. Make them aware that you’re in sync with that sentiment and understand their standpoint and then communicate what you want to communicate.
4. Don’t give your opinions when they’re not asked for. Be a little mysterious! People should want to ask you a question to get to know you. Till then, don’t open your mouth. Unnecessarily, don’t keep saying I like this and I don’t like this. My god, who asked you? If most of your conversations go like that, people will not want to communicate with you.
5. If someone wants to come and share something with you, be a good listener. While they are speaking, don’t counter them, saying, “I too had that experience,” and start your stories. They should not feel – oh my god, I wanted to share and now s/he is talking about her-/himself. 
6. Make the person with whom you want to communicate feel comfortable with you. You don’t need to make any extra effort – if you are a good listener and you are fully present in the moment, it’s done!
7. Being a little hollow and empty helps a lot! Many of you may have experienced this. When you’re a little hollow and empty, you communicate better, you have more patience, and you understand the other person better.
8. Now suppose someone goes on and on and on, and you have no time; you want to cut them off and make them listen to what you want to say – you have to do it very skillfully. With a sense of belongingness, you can say, “Hey, come on, I know about this; let’s talk about…” To change the topic, you need skill.
9. When communicating, it is important to connect on an emotional level, at the level of your heart – then communicating is easy. But if you’re connecting only through the head, then even when you say nice things, it may appear hurtful or derogatory. So, you need to be a little playful, a little skillful, and have a pinch of belongingness and a sense of caring whenever you communicate. The other person should feel the caring in your voice or your body language.
10. Avoid showing artificial care for others. Don’t try to be nice to people. Know that you have this quality (of caring and belongingness) inside you by default. Knowing that, you simply have to bring it into expression.

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Here are the 10 steps one can take to develop effective communication at work and in personal relationships :

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