Attentive always

That is what Mindfulness in Education initiative promises. Dehradun will host a four-day MIE workshop by Shantum Seth from November 15::

Ira Chauhan

You cannot transmit wisdom and insight to another person. The seed is already there. A good teacher touches the seed, allowing it to wake up, to sprout and to grow.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Shantum Seth is busy in his office in Noida. The phone buzzes. It is a call from California. One of his next batches of Buddhist pilgrims wants to ensure a paparazzi-free spiritual trip to India. Shantum doesn't say much as a calm assurance puts the Hollywood celebrity on the other end of the phone line at ease. The room overlooks a tiny terrace garden. The itinerary on the board shows he's living out of a suitcase but nothing in his countenance suggests stress.

Shantum is living proof of the magic of 'mindfulness'. He is passionately involved in the Mindfulness in Education (MIE) initiative in India. Inspired by Nobel Peace prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh, he runs the Ahimsa Trust, a voluntary organization that aims to create peace and harmony within oneself, one's family and in the society.

"To bring about a shift in the consciousness of the society, one must start helping the youngsters find peace and happiness within, before looking outwards," states Shantum.

Very soon Dehradun will be a landmark for the Ahimsa Trust as the organization is developing a Mindfulness Practice Centre. The centre will be an educational, spiritual and socio-ecological centre at a beautiful four-acre site in Rajpur village.

But its Dehradun connection goes further as the Ahimsa Trust in collaboration with The Doon School will be holding a Mindfulness in Education Workshop/retreat in Dehradun from November 15 to 18. The workshop will focus on equipping educators with very simple and doable practices to handle everyday classroom situations and introduce their students to 'mindful' ways. The workshop will include practices, techniques and exercises to reduce stress, maintain good communication, relaxation, mindful consumption, talks, group discussions and question and answer sessions and guided meditations. Teachers from schools all over India will be attending the workshop.

The best of our schools today cater to the market of a consumerist world and churn out intellectual giants but moral and emotional pygmies. They focus on analytical processes; memorizing information and deduction. It appalls one to think that our academic system ruthlessly kills the soul of the child in the guise of learning! There is hardly any space left for original thought and creativity or even involvement in what they are learning. It is just about finishing off the syllabus in the prescribed time.

The role of the teacher is fast changing in today's world where all the information a student needs is available at the click of a mouse. While the Intelligence quotient (IQ) is very important, the teacher must assist with enhancing the Emotional quotient (EQ) or social emotional learning (SEL) of the pupil. The irony of modern day teaching is that students are asked to 'pay attention' but unfortunately no one tells them how!

The practice of mindfulness teaches students how to pay attention as it creates an environment where the students benefit academically, socially and emotionally and the teachers, too, thrive professionally and personally very much like their students!

Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is increasingly being seen as an essential educational tool. Though Mindfulness in Education (MIE) is based on the tenets of Buddhist interpretations of Thich Nhat Hanh, it is a spiritual practice not to be confused with religious or Buddhist practices. Years of scientific research and practice have proved mindfulness to be a potent and enduring instrument for optimizing one's academic, creative and physical potential, enriching social and emotional interaction, and increasing understanding, compassion and self-awareness.