Teachers can be a living example

Teachers can be a living example to their students. When you live the values you teach, students naturally look up to you. Having a role model ignites the worshipful quality in them ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Happy Teacher's Day to all our incredible educators out there!  Your passion and dedication ignite a spark in young minds, shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you for making a difference every single day! 

#HappyTeachersDay #TeachersDay2024 #RespectforTeachers #TeachersDayCelebration #SSRVM #EducationMatters 

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Sri Sri’s address on Corruption

### The big C of corruption can be countered by five more Cs!

The first is the sense of ‘connectedness’. A lack of connectedness or belongingness breeds corruption in society. Often you see people looking for connections in order to avoid corruption! Corruption is much more in urban areas because there is no community sense there. A sense of belongingness among people can root out corruption.

The second C is ‘courage’. A lack of self-esteem or confidence in one’s ability, fear or insecurity in a person makes one become more corrupt. He then tries to find his security only through money. But the more money he acquires, the more afraid and fearful he becomes because the money is not earned in a right manner.

The third is an understanding of ‘cosmology’ — looking at one’s own life in the context of extended space and time. How long is your life? Only 80-100 years! Billions of years have passed since the creation. Our creation, scientists say, is 50 billion years old. Everything in this creation is recycled. The air we breathe is old, every cell and atom in our body is old, the oxygen and hydrogen is old! This will continue. Seeing life from a different perspective of space and time is what will deepen one’s vision about one’s life.

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Holistic Education - Nurturing Mind, Body, and Spirit in Students

_“The purpose of education is to build a good, strong and talented personality. Spirituality is that which builds you into a wonderful personality.” - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar_



In today's fast-paced world, education goes far beyond textbooks and classrooms. It extends into the realm of holistic education, a concept that strives to nurture not just the intellect but also the mind, body, and spirit of students. At SSRVM (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir), recognized as one of the best schools in India, we believe that holistic education is the key to fostering well-rounded individuals who are not only academically proficient but also emotionally balanced, physically healthy, and spiritually awakened.

**What Is Holistic Education?**

Holistic education is an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of various facets of human existence. It understands that students are not mere receptacles of information but intricate beings with emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Therefore, it seeks to provide a balanced and comprehensive learning experience that addresses these dimensions.

**Nurturing the Mind**

In a holistic education system, the mind is nurtured through a well-rounded curriculum that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Students are not just memorizing facts but engaging with the material, understanding its relevance, and applying it to real-life situations. SSRVM, known as one of the best CBSE schools in India, places a strong emphasis on developing a student's intellectual abilities, ensuring they are well-prepared for the challenges of the future.

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**Caring for the Body**

Physical health is a crucial aspect of a holistic education. SSRVM, among the best CBSE schools, promotes physical well-being through sports, yoga, and other physical activities. Healthy habits are instilled from a young age, encouraging students to maintain an active lifestyle and make informed choices about nutrition. A healthy body contributes to a healthy mind and overall well-being.

**Nourishing the Spirit**

At SSRVM, we understand that education should not be confined to academic knowledge alone. Nurturing the spirit is equally important. We encourage students to explore their inner selves, connect with their values, and develop a sense of purpose and responsibility. Meditation and mindfulness practices are integrated into the curriculum to promote emotional balance and inner peace.

**Impact on Students' Overall Well-Being and Development**

The impact of holistic education at SSRVM, on students' overall well-being and development is profound. Students who receive a holistic education are not only academically successful but also possess essential life skills. They have a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. They are emotionally resilient, equipped to handle stress, and exhibit empathy and compassion towards others.
Moreover, holistic education fosters a sense of social responsibility. Students are encouraged to engage in community service and contribute to the betterment of society. They become conscious global citizens who are aware of the environmental and social challenges facing the world today.

**Conclusion**

Holistic education at SSRVM is a commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals who are not limited by the boundaries of traditional education. It is about preparing students for life, helping them realize their potential, and empowering them to make a positive impact on the world. By embracing a holistic approach to education, we are creating a generation of students who are not only knowledgeable but also compassionate, mindful, and spiritually awakened—ready to face the challenges and opportunities of the future with confidence and grace.

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

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

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)

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8 Yoga Asanas That Will Help Students During Exams

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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6 ways to deal with uncertainty in life

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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Importance of Love & Sacrifice for a Teacher

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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Enriching Education: Introducing life skills & mental wellness in mainstream education

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.
       
       
**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


[Link](https://youtu.be/XYQ4Lc4G1to)


Teachers can be a living example

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Teachers can be a living example