On 13 June 2024, Shivakumar and Priti of SAFIER, the Integral Education (IE) initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, facilitated a day-long experiential workshop on the IE approach to living life, for five 17 to 20-year-old students of Seth M.R. Jaipuria School, Lucknow. The students were assisted by two facilitators and one management person. The workshop was held at the premises of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry. This one-day interaction was a part of a 5-day exposure visit planned by the school for these 5 students who were earlier part of a spiritual retreat conducted by AuroYouth (the Youth Wing of Sri Aurobindo Society).

This exposure visit is a part of a deepening exercise by the School to enhance the understanding and experience of Integral Yoga, which can become a wonderful preparation for the youth to become a master of themselves and live a harmonious life, with the Psychic Being as their guide.   The workshop aimed at furthering their understanding of the vocabulary and practice of IE with discussions and experiential activities. Participants explored various aspects of the self—the physical, vital, mental, and psychic—through engaging activities to refine their understanding and help them absorb and assimilate the learning.

The two most important quotes that were the guiding thread of the interactions throughout the day:

“To work for your perfection, the first step is to become conscious of yourself, of the different parts of your being and their respective activities. You must learn to distinguish these different parts one from another, so that you may become clearly aware of the origin of the movements that occur in you, the many impulses, reactions and conflicting wills that drive you to action. It is an assiduous study which demands much perseverance and sincerity.”
- The Mother

The day began by identifying the physical spaces in the body associated with each aspect (physical, vital and mental). Using examples & guided meditations, participants reflected on the source of emotions and thoughts, and explored inner dimensions like head space and heart space. Participants engaged with several texts and life episodes from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother while observing, writing, sketching, painting, sharing, reflecting and just being in meditative silence, with the help of flowers and the Mother’s symbol. By the end of the day, participants had gained a rich experience as they felt all their learning clearer and more real, and they could decode all their earlier experiences with more mental clarity. They also felt a shift in the usage of the IE vocabulary. The students were now motivated to integrate these practices into their daily life for greater self-awareness and inner control.