Karishma is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and wellness coach. She is a licensed Heartmath™ Resilience Trainer, Certified Breathwork Instructor, Meditation Trainer, and a practitioner of Heartfulness for over 2 decades.

Through her company, Breathe Your Vision, she offers coaching programs to optimize the transformation journey, so people can consistently perform at their peak, avoid burnout, and tap into their potential using proven resilience building tools, breathwork, and other high efficiency methods. 

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Karishma Desai

<hr><h4>KARISHMA DESAI shares her journey from plant-killer to having green friends. Through childlike wonder and simply taking a moment to hug and connect with trees, she experiences the healing energy of nature, as well as enhancing the connection to her inner nature through the heart.</h4><hr>I am embarrassed to confess that I have been a plant-killer in the past. On the odd occasion that friends would gift me a plant, I would fail to keep it alive for long. Not knowing how to care for them, they would invariably perish. Most of my friends and colleagues were intrigued by how someone who loves animals could be so naïve and ignorant about taking care of something as simple as a plant. The truth is I never took interest or paid much attention to them.A few years ago, when my little girl started school, some of the parents in our estate decided to form a walking school bus. Two rostered parent volunteers would walk a group of ten to twelve young kids to school and back each day. This was a great experience, as on the 15-minute walk to school we witnessed their beautiful innocent and playful banter. As they became more familiar, it was not uncommon for them to prefer to be only with their close friends and argue with the others. Often, they would be too loud and disturb the otherwise quiet neighborhood we walked through.One morning, I noticed a few adamant kids wanting to have it their own way, so I decided to divert their attention. I asked them to observe the surroundings, and to reflect on how to appreciate the beauty of nature. Pointing to one of the trees, I explained that they are full of life just like us, and they react to love and care. The children looked amused, so to overcome their hesitation I suggested we name the trees on the way to school. I’m not sure how I came up with this suggestion, but my daughter and her friends giggled as they named each tree and started to greet them with love.&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/greenfriends2_c437cff723.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-08T06:51:33.138Z" alt="greenfriends2"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">My eyes closed naturally as I hugged the tree. Generally, I do this when I pray or meditate or hug my loved ones. It is an instinct that connects me deeper to the core of my existence – the heart. I was intrigued that hugging the tree had the same effect on me.&nbsp;</h5>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr>Every time the kids were noisy on these walks, I would remind them to tune into the beauty of nature around us, and they would say hello to the trees. Some of the kids were uncomfortable with the idea and did not participate, but I could see it lit a spark in others. I remember one morning when a child asked me if she could touch a tree to feel it. I must have had a strong shot of coffee that morning, as I went overboard and suggested to the kids, “Forget about touching, try hugging them like this!” The giggles never stopped, and the look of my fellow parent volunteer made me feel a bit guilty about teaching the kids something a little unusual.I must admit that something changed in me after that casual hug. My eyes closed naturally as I hugged the tree. Generally, I do this when I pray or meditate or hug my loved ones. It is an instinct that connects me deeper to the core of my existence – the heart. I was intrigued that hugging the tree had the same effect on me. I realized the magnificence of these beautiful tall trees; I felt their calming essence on my heart and soul. Hesitantly, I allowed myself to explore this new experience and helplessly found my connection getting deeper and deeper. I had found my first green friend.Our dear Mother Earth has healing energies. Trees are rooted deep within her, so it is not a wonder that, when we touch them, they may pass on this energy to help us heal. Spending just a little time in their company is therapeutic for me. As a breathing coach, I have noticed how easy it is for me to breathe when I sit close to a tree. If I spend just a few mindful minutes in their presence it restores my natural breathing pattern, so I feel as fresh as a flower.Nowadays, when I sit under a tree sipping my mug of coffee, I remember to express my gratitude for its generosity to many forms of life. I observe how it never judges who comes to it – birds, insects, animals, wind, humans are all equal recipients of its magnanimity. I am inspired by how it consumes far less than it contributes. I observe how it is just a witness to the entire process of life around it. These tall trees are in touch with the Earth as much as they are peering up to the high skies. We too can touch the skies by remaining deeply connected and grounded in our inner Nature.I feel that when we approach and interact with nature with an open heart like that of a child, we can seamlessly allow ourselves to connect not just with our external nature but also with our true inner Nature. My many green friends have certainly helped me experience this magic.As for houseplants, I now have many, and all of them are thriving with the food, water sunshine, love and care that I shower on them.So what are you waiting for? Find your new green friend!&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/green_friends_img1_35a71ea866.jpg" alt="greenfriends2">&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by KARISHMA DESAI Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

Green friends

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<h4>As a young mother in Sydney, Australia, KARISHMA DESAI was diagnosed with a serious illness and went through life-saving surgery. Here she shares how this changed her attitude toward life and her appreciation of the simple daily things she previously took for granted. </h4>
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A few years ago, I had to unexpectedly undergo a serious surgery. My life changed completely during the recovery process. I realised how much I had taken everything for granted. I valued the first time I was able to get up by myself from my bed. The first time in days being able to walk up to the bathroom without support was like a blessing. I started to be grateful for even the slightest reduction in pain. I started appreciating having my loved ones around me more now. Each day and each moment towards my recovery filled my heart and soul with immense gratitude.
It is a shame that I had to lose it all to feel this gratitude in what I always had. But it surely brought a renewed appreciation for all the mundane things, events and persons in my life now. 
There is something magical about cultivating gratitude in our lives. It connected me with the present moment as each moment became a blessing for me. I stopped complaining about little things and in really low times I reminded myself of this gift of life I had. I honestly found the joy back in the littlest of things. The quality of my life is so much more refined just by cultivating this attitude. 
I find myself in this joyful, content, positive and peaceful space more than ever.
Gratitude is more than indebtedness. When you feel indebted there is a desperation to return the favour. But in gratitude you know that no matter how much you try, you cannot even out the deal. So, we do not maintain the account. In gratitude you feel positivity, contentment, peace and thankfulness and that transforms everything. With the attitude of gratitude even the smallest things in life give you joy.
And what fascinates me about this development of gratitude is that even though it starts out by being thankful to all that you have in life, it eventually leads one to being grateful to the One who gave you all.
It is therefore not a wonder for me to often read about research which concludes that people with the attitude of gratitude are happier beings in general.
Below are some of the things that helped me cultivate the attitude of gratitude:
<img alt="prayer" width="200" height="200" class="has-img-center lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/prayer_img_1_35173c5f58.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:55:49.321Z">Bedtime conversation with yourself, also known as prayer, 
expressing your heartfelt gratitude to the Source of your life.
<img alt="diary" width="200" height="200" class="has-img-center lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/diary_img_0c656ce8ff.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:55:49.332Z">Maintain a diary or gratitude journal and fill it up 
with all the positive things in your life that you are grateful for.
<img alt="hug" width="200" height="200" class="has-img-center lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hug_img_64c7975134.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:55:49.315Z">Give a hug to your dear ones or simply tell them 
how lucky you are to have them in your life.
<img alt="service" width="200" height="200" class="has-img-center lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/service_img_ea6f5fd8ae.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:55:49.295Z">Offer your service to the ones who need it 
without any expectation in return.
<img alt="meditation" width="200" height="200" class="has-img-center lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/meditation_img_e48987eda1.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:55:49.331Z">Meditation and other such calming practices help 
in connecting us deeply with the present moment 
and deepen our understanding of gratitude.
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So, cultivate gratitude and see how your life unfolds.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by KARISHMA DESAI 
Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;"></h4>

Gratitude

<h4 id="h-karishma-desai-writes-about-her-grandmother-and-what-we-can-learn-from-the-elder-generations">
 KARISHMA
 DESAI
 writes about her grandmother, and what we can learn from the elder
 generations.
</h4>

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 When I count my blessings, I count my grandma twice. I am so lucky to
 have her around. Shantaben Dave is in her late 90s and resides happily
 with her loving family in Kolkata, India. Her spirits are indomitable.



 When I was a child, and even now, when I meet my grandma I rush to
 express my love with my hugs, kisses, and cuddles. She looks at me in
 utter despair, thinking, “Why is such a display of love necessary?” She
 comes from a generation when love was not expressed in that way. I never
 understood this as a child. It was only later in life, when I started
 the Heartfulness practice, that I learned to appreciate the phrase,
 “That which is sacred need not be made profane.” To my grandma, her
 children and her dear ones are sacred, and her entire life is an
 expression of her love for us.



 Despite never having attended school, she was our first teacher. She was
 not educated; it was her sheer eagerness to read spiritual texts that
 made her teach herself to read. She made sure that all her children
 completed their education, so they did not have to face the challenges
 she had faced in life.



 She taught us important life learnings through folk tales, delivered in
 a very local dialect, which added to the whole experience. Even now,
 when my children and I visit her, we gather around her feet and
 attentively listen to her stories, which have simple lessons. Her
 devotional songs and stories of love for God kindled an inner search in
 me, which eventually led me to pursue the Heartfulness way at the age of
 18. Her engaging folk tales always aroused feelings of love,
 appreciation, devotion, joy, service, care, compassion, honesty,
 courage, etc., all of which helped me greatly to shape my adult life.



 Her teachings are not restricted to storytelling, but also exist in her
 resilient actions. She is a role model and displays all the qualities I
 aspire to have. Despite having lost several of her loved ones –
 including her spouse, children, and a grandchild – we have never seen
 her morose. Even in her late nineties, she tackles challenges easily and
 encourages everyone to keep moving on with a smile and be grateful for
 what they still have.


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<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 To my grandma, her
 children and her dear ones are sacred,
 and her entire life is an expression of her love for
 us.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Her memory is very sharp. She can still sing songs without reading their
 lyrics. She can recall the events from when my mother was born (my mom
 is 75!).&nbsp; Her life possessions can be packed in a small handbag,
 and yet she is most generous in showering us with gifts when we visit
 her.


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<img alt="beauty-of-elders2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/beauty_of_elders2_6db2068ae1.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:54:42.650Z" />


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 I can never forget a moving conversation I had with her a few years
 back. We were concerned about a relative who was diagnosed with dementia
 and could not even remember her name. I expressed my concern to my
 grandma: “What will happen if you develop dementia and forget us
 all?” At this open expression of concern, my grandma instantly and
 lovingly reassured me that I need not be worried. She explained to me
 that since this relative had no one to talk to, she forgot who she was,
 “whereas I,” she proudly explained, “can never forget myself because you
 all remind me of who I am.” She was happy to share that everyone around
 her loves her. Even her many grandchildren around the globe call her
 often and connect with her. “How can I ever forget myself when I have so
 many loved ones reminding me of who I am.”



 Her simple reassurance brought tears to my eyes as I thought about all
 those grandparents who do not have such deep connections as this.



 I live oceans apart from my dear grandma, but I hold her tight in my
 heart. I send her love and continue to feel close to her. Most
 importantly, I call her every now and then to remind her of what she
 means to me.


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<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 We have all learned so
 much from their generation of wisdom,
 love, courage, and generosity. It is now the time, more
 than ever, to shower them with love and care, and never
 let them forget themselves.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 I request the readers to join me in a positive intention for the happy,
 healthy, and joyful life of all the loving and selfless grandparents and
 elders of the world who have shaped our lives for the better. We have
 all learned so much from their generation of wisdom, love, courage, and
 generosity. It is now the time, more than ever, to shower them with love
 and care, and never let them forget themselves.


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<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by PRAMITI RAMCHANDRA</h4>

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The beauty of elders

<h4>KARISHMA DESAI introduces the principle of entrainment, and the synchronicity between all things found in nature. She highlights the role of the heart as the entrainer par excellence, and the way to sync the rest of our body with the heart to discover the ultimate entrainment.</h4><hr>The Spirit and the Heart are one. It is the heart that is at one with God, not the mind. To discover one’s own heart is to discover God. —Dr. David R. Hawkins<hr>I have always been fascinated by the principle of entrainment – the natural state of resonance between two oscillating frequencies. You may remember from school the physics experiment of the two tuning forks: when one vibrating fork is brought next to the other, their frequencies sync naturally. In physics, this synchronicity between objects toward the higher oscillating frequency is known as Entrainment.A few years ago, I was introduced to the Brighter Minds cognitive course for children. As I facilitated these sessions, I witnessed the magic of sound entrainment in the enhancement of children’s cognitive abilities. After being exposed to entrainment music, the children could effortlessly tap into their intuitive abilities and accurately identify the color of a ball in front of them while blindfolded. I was able to witness the cognitive enhancement of these children utilizing the sound entrainment technique. This experience increased my fascination to observe more examples of synchronicity around me.When we are thinking of buying a certain brand of car, we spot that brand everywhere we go. As soon as we get interested in something, it seems to pop out of nowhere. Maybe it was always there, but we start noticing it more clearly now due to our interest in it. I started discovering entrainment both in my outer and inner worlds.I was in awe of the beautiful synchronicity in nature. A flock of birds flying together in one direction. When one bird changes direction, the others naturally follow, as if there is an automatic synchronicity in their actions. A school of fish swims collectively in the same rhythmic pattern as if it’s automated. I started noticing that, in nature, all things tend to remain in sync or harmony with each other. I started seeing entrainment as a natural state of balance or harmony culminating in complete osmosis.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Entrainment2_dc84848669.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:19:35.317Z" alt="Entrainment2"><hr>As a breathing coach, I learned to utilize breath entrainment for relaxation and healing. We can use our breath to entrain the body into a balanced and calmer state. This slowing down of our breath is followed by relaxation of the body and mind, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Using this breath-entrainment technique at bedtime is particularly beneficial for insomnia and related issues.I became more aware of how my body is in sync with the rhythms of the day and night. I am fresh as a flower as the sun rises, while I feel the need to relax more and preserve my energies as the sun sets. I vividly observe how my body’s circadian rhythms or biological clock is entrained with the solar and lunar cycles.According to physics, entrainment enables energy efficiency – it saves a lot of energy. Imagine how our universe would function if things worked against each other and there was no sync? There would be complete chaos in our world. And we all know the havoc that is created in our bodies if our organs are not in harmony with each other.According to the Heart Math Institute, the heart is the strongest biological oscillator in the human system, and the rest of the body’s systems are pulled into entrainment with the heart’s rhythm.I started noticing how tuning into my heart was a natural way to bring my whole system into a state of harmony. This resonance reduced the conflicting messages from my mind as I started trusting the voice of my heart. I experienced enhanced joy, peace, and love in my entire being. I became more deeply tuned with the present moment and moved from chaos to calm.This can easily be achieved when we meditate upon the source of light in our hearts as prescribed in Heartfulness. When we begin to practice meditation with this method, and entrain ourselves to the higher frequency of the heart, it feels like tuning into a pool of Infinity. I wonder if the yogic Transmission utilized in Heartfulness Meditation gives us access to the “Ultimate entrainment” – that in which the heart is in complete osmosis with the source of the Infinite, the Divine. I am eager to discover this possibility. What are we waiting for?End of the end is Infinity. —Babuji<hr>

Entrainment

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">KARISHMA DESAI shares her unique perspective on the integration of HeartMath and Heartfulness practices and research, and how this collaboration leads us to a bright future.</h4>In a world where stress has become an all-too-common companion, finding effective ways to navigate its challenges is essential. Dr. Rollin McCraty, Director of Research at the HeartMath® Institute, offers a compelling reminder: “Stress is a form of hurried aging.”No one wants to age rapidly, yet many of us, particularly in high-pressured corporate environments, grapple with stress. As a coach, my mission is to explore and offer evidence-based methods to alleviate stress and build resilience. This passion led me to become a HeartMath Certified Trainer.&nbsp;HeartMath practices guide us toward coherence, a harmonious state in which the heart, brain, and body operate in perfect sync, fostering mental clarity, emotional equilibrium, and elevated overall performance. Utilizing biofeedback devices, coherence can be measured, and regular practice results in an enhanced capacity for resilience.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">HeartMath practices guide us toward coherence, a harmonious state in which the heart, brain, and body operate in perfect sync, fostering mental clarity, emotional equilibrium, and elevated overall performance.</h4><hr><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_hearts_wisdom2_2de8f38b2f.jpg"></figure><h3 style="text-align:justify;">Transforming emotional landscapes for health and happiness</h3>This inspired me to perceive my body as an energy system that expands and replenishes its energy reserves to maintain optimal functioning. I soon realized that these reserves are intimately linked to how I manage my emotions. We have all experienced the ebb and flow of energy as it rises with uplifting emotions and depletes with draining ones.To understand my emotional landscape, I noted down the emotions that depleted my energy reserves. As I delved into my journal, I discovered numerous negative emotions constantly playing in the background, from fears of job loss, health concerns, and missed promotions to daily frustrations like traffic jams, mounting household chores, and minor setbacks at work. These unwarranted fears and stressors were depleting my energy reserves, while uplifting emotions such as joy, gratitude, and contentment were far fewer in comparison. No wonder I often felt drained before the day was even over, weighed down by these invisible energy leaks.Take a moment to reflect on your emotional landscape:&nbsp;How do your personal negative thoughts and worries affect your energy levels?&nbsp;Can you identify instances where uplifting emotions like a shared laugh with a loved one, an accomplishment at work, or a quiet moment of appreciation have boosted your vitality?&nbsp;By recognizing the impact of both draining and uplifting emotions, you can take the first step toward cultivating a more balanced and energy-efficient state. Through HeartMath practices, I discovered how to preserve my energy and reduce the drain from costly emotions. As a trainer, it is my privilege to share these powerful techniques with others seeking to master the art of energy conservation and wisely manage their emotional investments.<h3 style="text-align:justify;">Emotional landscapes and heart rhythms</h3>During his <a href="https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/the-science-of-heart-coherence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recent address</a> at the Integrative Health and Well-being Summit in December 2022, organized by the Heartfulness Institute, Dr. Rollin McCraty explained the profound influence our emotional landscape has on our heart rhythms. Positive emotions like care and appreciation generate more coherent patterns, while negative emotions like anger and frustration yield incoherent ones. This revelation underscores the importance of consciously cultivating positive emotions.I can attest to the transformative power of intentional positivity. A few years ago, I navigated a challenging health crisis, and made the conscious choice to surround myself with an atmosphere of gratitude and appreciation. This positive outlook not only expedited my healing journey but also laid the foundation for a purposeful and harmonious life that continues to unfold.<h3 style="text-align:justify;">The heart’s magnetic influence</h3>Dr. McCraty then went on to say how each heartbeat produces a magnetic field that can be measured as far as three feet outside the body. Our thoughts and emotions are broadcast by this magnetic field. It’s like our magnetic fields communicate with each other before we even start conversing with someone verbally.Can you recall a time when you felt an inexplicable sense of warmth and comfort in the presence of a friend or family member, even before speaking to them?&nbsp;Conversely, have you ever experienced unease around someone without an apparent reason?As we strive for personal coherence, we can positively influence the energy fields of others. I’ve observed how my meditation practice creates a calming atmosphere at home, possibly due to the magnetic field I generate. If we can affect our immediate environments in this way, can we extend our influence beyond our homes? The answer is a resounding yes. Each of us plays a crucial role in shaping the world around us.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_hearts_wisdom3_12ad1c91ff.jpg"></figure>HeartMath research shows that when we achieve a coherent state, we become more attuned to one another and the Earth’s magnetic field. This interconnectivity underscores the view that we are all deeply linked, revealing the profound extent of our harmonization with the planet and each other. In pursuit of this goal, the HeartMath Institute invites heart-centered practitioners to join their complimentary Global Coherence App, fostering a worldwide movement to promote individual and planetary well-being by radiating love and compassion across the globe. Together, we can bring a shift in global consciousness, ushering in an era of increased peace and harmony.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_hearts_wisdom4_1d15334e81.jpg"></figure><h3 style="text-align:justify;">Science as the language of mysticism: unveiling the energetic heart</h3>As a practitioner of Heartfulness for over two decades, and a trainer, I have been captivated by the enigmatic nature of our hearts. When we speak of the heart in this context, we refer not only to the physical organ, but also to the deeper abstract energetic heart that serves as the seat of human wisdom.I have often sought scientific explanations, to both validate the personal and intimate experiences of the energetic heart, and also to bridge the gap for skeptics who better comprehend the language of science. I wanted to find a scientific framework that could reinforce my unwavering faith in the heart’s extraordinary wisdom, while also extending the understanding and benefits to those needing scientific backing. My heart was overjoyed when I first encountered Dr. McCraty’s statement in the book, Science of the Heart, “There is compelling evidence to suggest the physical heart is coupled to a field of information not bound by the classical limits of time and space.” This evidence originates from a rigorous experimental study that demonstrated the heart’s ability to receive and process information about future events before they occurs. It supports the notion of the heart’s connection to a higher field or matrix, transcending the boundaries of time and space. This revelation bridges the gap between science and spirituality, inspiring us to delve deeper into the heart's boundless wisdom and potential for transformation.This energetic inner heart establishes a connection to my higher self and forms the very essence of my Heartfulness meditation practice.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It supports the notion of the heart’s connection to a higher field or matrix, transcending the boundaries of time and space.</h4><hr><h3 style="text-align:justify;">Together for change: combining efforts for global peace</h3>As we journey together in Heartfulness, we strive to reach the tipping point of a positive shift in the evolution of global consciousness, mirroring the vision of the HeartMath® Global Coherence App. With open hearts, these complementary practices are coming together for both personal and planetary well-being.&nbsp;The importance of collaboration and harnessing the power of our collective efforts for the greater good is the need of the hour. By coming together in our Universal Prayer for the restoration of peace and faith in humanity, we can magnify our positive intentions, creating a world of connection, compassion, and love that will endure for generations to come.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_hearts_wisdom5_45be1e0521.jpg"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Embrace the ripple effect and the profound impact of heart-focused practices, contributing to a connected, compassionate global community.</h4><hr><h3 style="text-align:justify;">Nurturing inner and outer connections: heartful practices</h3><ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Embrace heart-centered practices: Begin each day with heart-focused breathing and Heartfulness Meditation.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Pursue complementary techniques: Combine practices for a harmonious mind, body, and heart connection.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Master emotional self-regulation: Engage in intelligent energy management to achieve emotional balance.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Cultivate positivity and coherence: Activate positive emotions and sustain a meditative state to reach coherence.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Unite for a higher purpose: Collaborate with others to promote world peace and harmony, transcending individual goals.&nbsp;</li></ul>Embrace the ripple effect and the profound impact of heart-focused practices, contributing to a connected, compassionate global community. Together, we build a better future for generations to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;HeartMath is a registered trademark of Quantum Intech Inc. (dba HeartMath Inc.) For a list of HeartMath-owned trademarks go to www.heartmath.com/trademarks.

The heart’s wisdom

Karishma has an educational background in Medicine and Law. She has worked as a doctor in the Australian public hospital system, and taught medical students at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. Her expertise in parenting integrates her experience as a medical professional and a parent.

Karishma-Stretton.jpg

Karishma Stretton

<h4
 id="h-dr-karishma-stretton-is-a-doctor-and-medical-educator-who-has-focused-her-attention-on-parenting-here-she-speaks-with-elizabeth-denley-about-her-new-book-and-the-timeless-wisdom-that-will-help-us-to-raise-happy-and-well-adjusted-children"
 >
 DR. KARISHMA STRETTON
 is a doctor and medical educator who has focused her attention on
 parenting. Here she speaks with
 ELIZABETH DENLEY
 about her
 <a
 href="https://www.drkarishmastretton.com.au/the-7-eternal-truths"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener"
 >new book</a
 >, and the timeless wisdom that will help us to raise happy and
 well-adjusted children.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: Hi, Karishma, welcome to Heartfulness Magazine.
 

 
 KS: Hello,
 Elizabeth. It’s lovely to be talking with you. Thanks for your time.
 

 
 Q: We’re here to talk about your book,
 Parenting Homo Sapiens: The Seven Eternal Truths for Raising Happy
 Humans. A great title and a hot topic, so first tell us about yourself, and
 why you’re interested in this.
 

 
 KS: I’m a
 wife and mother of two daughters, and we live in Sydney, Australia.
 After graduating with a medical degree, I worked at Nepean Hospital, and
 then moved to education at the University of Notre Dame, where I taught
 medical students. Right now, I spend most of my time with my children,
 and am very involved with their education.
 

 
 Q: Tell us about your book, Karishma.
 

 
 KS: The
 inspiration came after the birth of my eldest daughter. I was a young
 working mother. There was so much information available on parenting,
 and I was determined to distill the essence of it all.
 

 
 At that time I worked long hours as a doctor at Nepean Hospital, with
 very few holidays. The environment required me to suppress the fact that
 I was also a mother, and commit my full attention to the job. I’m sure
 many women relate to a high-pressured work environment. Denying my role
 as a mother at work was very confronting. It made me question what I was
 doing, and what effect this would have on my children, my husband, my
 family, and myself.
 

 

 <h4>
 Common Threads to Effective Parenting Methods
 </h4>

 
 I began to read, and was not convinced that there needed to be so many,
 sometimes contradictory, ways of raising children. I wanted to find the
 common threads that bound all types of effective parenting.
 

 
 As I read, the common themes emerged, and I wrote this book so that
 those parents who don’t have time to read all the literature could have
 a reference on their parenting journey. I was mainly interested in what
 enables us to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted human beings. If
 children have those qualities, then happiness and enjoyment will result
 later in life.
 

 
 Finally, I felt so much gratitude to the authors and mothers who had
 written blog pieces on parenting, and produced parenting and birthing
 videos, because that information was pivotal for me on my journey. I
 hope that my learning will also resonate with parents. I want to pay
 forward the amazing and inspirational help I received.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 We may not be here to see the impact of our parenting,
 but when we raise well-adjusted, kind, loving,
 intelligent, compassionate human beings, we bring
 meaningful, long-lasting change to this world.
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="700"
 height="554"
 alt="7-eternal-truths2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/7_eternal_truths2_700x554_63b5ef61de.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T14:05:41.350Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <h4>
 Developing Confidence as a Parent
 </h4>

 
 Q: Why isn’t good parenting an innate function? Why do we need to
 learn?
 

 
 KS: It
 seems like a simple question, but it really is the crux of the matter.
 J.W. Whitehead said, “Children are the living messages we send to a time
 we will not see. ”We may not be here to see the impact of our parenting,
 but when we raise well-adjusted, kind, loving, intelligent,
 compassionate human beings, we bring meaningful, long-lasting change to
 this world.
 

 
 The fact is, our children are going to take over the reins and steer
 humanity in the not-so-distant future. I read recently that our greatest
 contribution to the universe may not be something we do, but someone we
 raise. It was this epiphany that highlighted to me the importance of
 parenting.
 

 
 Q: You also say that this is not new, and it’s universal. You talk
 about the 7 eternal truths for raising happy humans, not separate
 truths for raising them in Sydney or Colombo. What are these eternal
 truths?
 

 
 KS: I use
 the term “eternal truths” to describe principles that have been tried
 and tested over time and have remained true. They are independent of
 rapid societal changes. Even though we are powering ahead
 technologically and socially, biologically we are the same as we were
 hundreds of thousands of years ago. If we can determine what these
 eternal truths are, we can fulfill them despite the rapid pace at which
 our society is traveling. What do our babies need biologically, and what
 do we need as parents?
 

 
 A baby Homo sapiens today is genetically programmed with the same
 expectations as a baby born 300,000 years ago. The same is true for
 women undergoing the transformation from woman to mother.
 

 
 After reading and processing decades worth of parenting knowledge, I
 began to discover some magnificent golden threads. Consistently and
 confidently applying these threads creates a bedrock for a satisfying
 and fulfilling parenting experience of raising our children with
 confidence.
 

 
 Speaking from experience, it’s the confidence that a lot of us lack. We
 often feel we are not parenting correctly, or that we are depriving our
 children of what they need to develop thoroughly. The good news is that
 if we apply these eternal truths, then we’ll give our children exactly
 what they need, so they are assured of a fulfilling childhood.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="700"
 height="554"
 alt="7-eternal-truths3"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/7_eternal_truths3_700x554_f6fecdd09f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T14:06:19.915Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 I use the term “eternal truths” to describe principles that
 have been tried and tested over time and have remained
 true. They are independent of rapid societal
 changes.
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <h4>
 The 7 Eternal Truths
 </h4>

 
 You must be wondering what these eternal truths are. I’ll give you three
 examples. You’ll find the others in my book.
 

 
 Truth 1: Human babies and children have fundamental
 biological expectations.
 

 
 Truth 2: What we inscribe in the child’s mind will echo
 throughout their lifetime.
 

 
 Truth 3: Parents are epigenetic engineers – engineering
 the future.
 

 They’re the main concepts we will cover here.

 <h4>
 Biological Expectations
 </h4>

 
 Q: Talk to us about the fundamental biological expectations. What are
 they? How important are they, especially during the early years?
 

 
 KS:
 Biological expectations are the biological needs we are genetically
 designed to experience during childhood. The environment into which a
 baby was born 300,000 years ago may differ from the environment into
 which a baby is born today, but the biological expectations remain the
 same, just as our DNA is the same. These biological expectations provide
 a framework for children to grow, thrive, and meet their innate
 potential. They go beyond the survival needs of clean water, nutrition,
 shelter, basic human connection, etc.
 

 
 What are these biological expectations? We can look at them within the
 context of Jean Liedloff’s The Continuum Concept, a book that
 many parents will know. She speaks about the most fundamental
 expectations being:
 

 <ol>
 <li>The baby is placed on the mother after birth, skin-to-skin.</li>
 <li>
 Carrying the baby is extremely important, particularly in the first
 year of life. The mother is often most involved with this.
 </li>
 <li>
 The baby’s needs are responded to. This sounds basic, but it is not
 necessarily what happens. It is genetically programmed in the baby.
 </li>
 <li>
 The baby sleeps in close proximity to the mother, ideally in a safe
 co-sleeping environment. There is a lot of information now on how to
 co-sleep safely with children.
 </li>
 <li>
 The baby is breastfed or bottle-fed on demand, as a biological
 expectation.
 </li>
 </ol>

 
 These expectations are vital for the development of physically and
 psychologically sound children. If we fulfill these biological
 expectations, happiness will naturally become a normal condition of
 their existence. The more research I do, the more I feel that this is a
 basic truth.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="379"
 height="569"
 alt="7-eternal-truths5"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/7_eternal_truths5_6833af97bc.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T14:06:54.875Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <h4>
 Bonding and Attachment
 </h4>

 
 Q: You also talk about bonding and attachment: when biological
 expectations are fulfilled, it automatically leads to bonding and
 attachment, which determines the way we form relationships as children
 and as adults. Can you talk about how that attachment develops?
 

 
 KS:
 Attachment is the formation of a connection dependent on the closeness
 of two human beings. We’re well aware that attachment is vital for the
 survival of baby mammals and birds, but it is most important for baby
 humans, because they are the most helpless of any babies on the planet.
 For human babies, no attachment means no life. It is as simple as that.
 

 
 It creates the sensory and emotional environment that shapes the way we
 experience relationships lifelong. Breaking this bond at the beginning
 of a baby’s life can be devastating, and it may set up potential cycles
 of sub optimal relationships. Human babies are genetically programmed to
 seek out attachment. You may be aware of the rooting reflex, where after
 birth the baby instantly seeks out the nipple of the mother. Also,
 babies align their breathing and heart rate to that of the parent
 they’re sleeping next to. These behaviors enhance attachment between
 parent and child.
 

 
 There are a few key points that are vital for understanding attachment.
 First, you cannot over-attach with your child. Attachment does not
 create a child who is more needy or insecure; the opposite is true. The
 child who has attached well when they’re young will display independence
 and maturity when they’re older.
 

 
 In the book, Hold On to Your Kids, Gordon Neufeld and Gabor
 Maté state that dependence and attachment foster independence and
 genuine separation later in life, contrary to what many parents believe
 and practice. In fact, in society today, there almost seems to be a
 pathological desire to make children mature beyond their years, as
 though this is another form of achievement. But in doing that the
 opposite is achieved. So, the time spent in attaching with your children
 when they are young will result in healthy independence when they’re
 older.
 

 
 Second, you need to be present to attach to your child. This seems
 obvious, but a lot of children spend a high percentage of the working
 day away from their parents. This is in no way judging parents whose
 financial or social situation requires them both to work, but attachment
 does require physical presence.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 decoding="async"
 width="700"
 height="554"
 alt="7-eternal-truths4"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/7_eternal_truths4_700x554_09631c6a8d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T14:08:17.121Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 If you’re not with your children, it is vital to ask: “Who is forming
 attachments with my children?” Children are hardwired to attach, and
 they will attach to those in their closest vicinity. How well do I know
 their values, beliefs, and mindsets? Am I comfortable with that person
 being a major influence in my child’s life during this extremely
 sensitive period of their development?
 

 
 We cannot ignore the realities that many families face, and that’s why
 it’s vital that we provide support to parents to spend time with their
 children. When we see a lack of attachment between parents and children
 there is a loss of social structure and a breakdown of culture.
 Attachment is a hugely important subject when it comes to raising our
 children.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 To be continued.

7 eternal truths for raising happy humans

<h4
id="h-dr-karishma-stretton-is-a-doctor-and-medical-educator-who-has-focused-her-attention-on-parenting-in-part-2-of-her-interview-with-elizabeth-denley-she-speaks-about-the-psychological-development-of-children-and-the-role-of-epigenetics-and-love"
>
DR. KARISHMA STRETTON
 is a doctor and medical educator who has focused her attention on
 parenting. In part 2 of her interview with
 ELIZABETH DENLEY, she speaks about the psychological development of children, and the
 role of epigenetics and love.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


Q: Can you talk about the psychological development of a child? It’s
 not just at the physical, but also at the more subtle levels of
 consciousness and subconscious levels that we connect with our
 children. Are we calm and loving, stressed and anxious, or are we
 struggling?



You’ve read Bruce Lipton’s work on how the subconscious mind is far more
important in determining our behavior and responses to the world than
the conscious mind, which is a thin film between the subconscious and
the superconscious. What can we do as parents apart from bonding and
meeting biological expectations? How do we move into healthy
psychological development?



KS: It’s beautiful the way you’re describing it, Elizabeth. The conscious
and the subconscious mind and the different ways it comes out in the way
we behave. Our physiology and psychology, even. The brain of the baby
undergoes such rapid development in the first seven years of life. This
period in a child’s development is of enormous potential, but also
requires great care as it represents a time of almost super-charged
hardwiring of the brain. Those who have primary contact with the child
in these early years are effectively engineering the mind of the child.



In the early years, the human brain undergoes a phenomenal rapid
download. It is not only a download of skill sets, like how to
physically survive in this world, but also a program of beliefs – how to
fit into society, where to fit into the scheme of things. In order to
understand how this rapid programming takes place, it is best to think
of the mind as the duality of the conscious and subconscious mind. The
conscious mind is rational, and through it we exercise free will. The
subconscious mind dwells below the level of consciousness, and together
with the unconscious mind, is largely responsible for our beliefs,
habits, and behaviors.



We really need to ask ourselves how our subconscious and unconscious
minds are programmed, because what goes in there when we are young
affects all aspects of life: our beliefs, our limitations, our
physiology, and our health.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
<figure>
 <img
 alt="parenting2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/parenting2_8e6135c00e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:28:40.209Z"
 />
</figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


If we look at the various stages of a child’s development, different
brainwave activity predominates at different stages:



From birth to 2: delta waves. From 2 to 6: theta waves. From 6
to 12: alpha waves. From 12onward: beta waves.



From birth to 2 years, with delta waves predominating, there is a state
of deep relaxation. From two to six years, theta waves predominate,
which can be described as a state of lighter sleep or just waking up.
Hypnotherapists aim to get people into the delta or theta wave states
because of their increased suggestibility. Children do not have a
developed conscious mind, an analytical mind, to filter out all the
input. We could say that children from birth until the age of six are
almost in a hypnotic state, where there’s a real hardwiring in their
brains of the suggestions and behaviors of those around them as truths.



I first discovered this information on parenting when I was reading
Bruce Lipton’s The Biology of Belief. We are effectively
programming the minds of our children. Even though this can be quite
frightening, it’s a wonderful empowering opportunity to program a
positive mindset into our children. I enjoyed being with my children at
bedtime, which I saw as a door into their subconscious minds as they
drifted off to sleep. I enjoyed expressing statements of love for them,
and statements that would empower them with words of positivity, such as
“you’re strong,” “you’re healthy,” “you’re beautiful,” “I’m so grateful
to have you in my life,” “you have incredible qualities that you can
give to this world,” “I’m so proud of who you are.” It’s an opportunity
to create beautiful minds as these words are absorbed into their
subconscious as truths. For me, that’s how I put it into practice with
my own children.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />


In the early years, the human brain undergoes a
 phenomenal rapid download. It is not only a download of
 skill sets, like how to physically survive in this world, but
 also a program of beliefs – how to fit into society, where
 to fit into the scheme of things.


<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


Q: Can you talk about how suggestibility and the use of positive
 affirmations can also affect us at the epigenetic level? For example,
 Bruce Lipton’s study shows that stress affects the growth of the fetus
 during pregnancy. Can you speak about epigenetics, and how our role as
 parents affects children?



KS: Epigenetics is a relatively new area of science that has helped us
understand the delicate relationship between environmental influences
and our genetic expression. In the past, genetic determinism was the
predominant approach – the belief that our genetics are fixed from
birth, but epigenetics has changed that understanding.



There’s a really good analogy: If DNA is your unique song, the epigenome
is the audio engineer who changes the way the song is played –the
volume, the quality, the adding or removing of certain instruments. In
the same way, our genetics can be altered by our epigenome.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />


Love needs to be abundant, unconditional, and never withdrawn.
 When we combine those with being present for our children,
 and surrounding ourselves with a community of supportive
 individuals, we have the vital ingredients for a rewarding
 parenting style.


<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


Our epigenetic markers are a set of instructions that sit on top of our
DNA histones. Epigenetic markers are chemical tags that signal or
influence whether or not the gene should compress or unravel to allow
the cell to read the instructions on the DNA. Epigenetic instruction
dictates which genes are switched on and off, so it is the link between
our environmental influence and our health, personality, and even
behavior.



You mentioned Lipton’s example of stress on the fetus, and this is a
perfect example of epigenetics in the context of children. Stress is
such an important case to discuss because it is pervasive in today’s
society, and stress is translated into hormonal and chemical signals.
Everyone’s probably familiar with adrenaline. In the case of a pregnant
woman, stress hormones and chemicals flood her bloodstream, then go
through the placenta into the fetus. It is now well known that women who
experience stress during pregnancy are at greater risk of pre-term
birth. Their babies are at a much greater risk of smaller birth weight,
asthma, allergies, infectious diseases, etc. Also, through epigenetics,
prenatal stress can actually be one of the most powerful influences on
mental health in later life.



And epigenetics can actually work through generations. Ancestral changes
can be passed through to the fetus, and also cause changes further down
the line. We just cannot deny the incredible influence we have over our
children’s genetic expression. Even though it’s daunting and terrifying,
we can actually use this information to maximize our children’s
potential.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
<figure>
 <img
 alt="parenting3"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/parenting3_700x466_f6cdfe46de.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:29:10.118Z"
 />
</figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


Q: Karishma, how can we do that with kindness to mothers? So much is
 put on mothers. How do we allow women to own this in a very healthy,
 non-judgmental way? We are very good at saying, “Here’s the science.
 Now, unless you do this, this, this, and this, you’re a bad
 mother.”



KS:
I know that feeling too well; the guilt that so many mothers carry
because of the science. We are told lists of things we must do to be
able to tick the boxes and have children who are meeting their
potential.



We need to look at the way our society is at the moment. We’re entering
a period where many people are questioning the status quo. We’ve been
faced with phenomenal challenges that we have not had to deal with
before. Parents are already stressed. Just add to that the complexities
and responsibilities of raising children.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
One thing we can be certain about is that we have the ability
 to create positive change. We can improve this world
 through the creation of well-adjusted, loving, empathetic
 humans.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


One thing we can be certain about is that we have the ability to create
positive change. We can improve this world through the creation of
well-adjusted, loving, empathetic humans. If I look back and reflect on
all the aspects of parenting that contribute to the creation of happy
humans, there’s one common thread and it’s love. The language of love is
the key ingredient. Most other aspects of positive parenting naturally
unfold as a result of love. Love needs to be abundant, unconditional,
and never withdrawn. When we combine those with being present for our
children, and surrounding ourselves with a community of supportive
individuals, we have the vital ingredients for a rewarding parenting
style.&nbsp;



Q: That’s beautiful! Thank you.

Epigenetics and love in parenting

Karuna is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer at Nature’s Fynd. She is an accomplished brand builder and Emmy award winner with 25 years of success transforming the world’s most iconic brands.

karuna-rawal.webp

Karuna Rawal

Nature’s humble superfood

Kasha is a Gen Z filmmaker, photographer, writer, social entrepreneur, and advocate for climate justice, peace, and gender equality. She founded The Global Sunrise Project and her first documentary, The Sunrise Storyteller, was screened at over 60 film festivals and has won over 29 awards.

Kasha-Slavner.jpg

Kasha Sequoia Slavner

<h4>KASHA SEQUOIA SLAVNER discusses her journey as a filmmaker and activist, her new documentary, 1.5 Degrees of Peace, highlighting the interconnectedness between peace, and climate justice, and the value of the intergenerational connect. She is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN in the GLOW webinar series.</h4><hr>Q:&nbsp;&nbsp; Hi Kasha, thanks for joining us today.KS:&nbsp; Thank you so much. It’s an honor to be here.Q: You’re a Gen Z filmmaker, photographer, writer, and social entrepreneur, who is a passionate advocate for climate justice, peace, and gender equality. You founded The Global Sunrise Project at 15. You are a frequent UN Youth Delegate, have won the Diana Award and the Kim Phúc Award for Youth Peace leadership, and are one of the voices of SDG16+. You are also the 2021 Global Youth Climate Network Ambassador. Your first feature documentary, The Sunrise Storyteller, was screened at over 60 film festivals and has won over 29 awards.How did you come to do all of these amazing things?KS: I have been a social justice advocate since I was little, working in my local community. I grew up with a single mom who was highly passionate about gender equality, feminist issues, and the environment, so I absorbed a lot of her consciousness and care for the world. When I was 14, we joined an organization called The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace that had been working in the disarmament movement since the 1960s. We participated in a delegation to a United Nations conference on gender equality called The Commission on the Status of Women. That was my first trip outside Canada, my first time meeting people from all around the world, and my first time hearing stories from people at the grassroots level about their own communities.Growing up, I had heard about other countries through a lens of sensationalism and stereotypes. I had seen the poverty, the war, the things that are highly polarized, but I hadn’t seen or heard the stories of triumph over adversity, of people doing great things despite the little resources they had. So, when I heard those stories for the first time, I was inspired to do something, to make a difference.I thought about what I had to offer as a 14-year-old. I didn’t really know who I was, but I knew I wanted to inspire other people to make a difference in their communities. I decided to use my passion for visual storytelling. I was a hobby photographer at the time, with no professional experience, but I wanted to travel and share stories, so that other people could feel empowered to take action in their communities.That’s how The Sunrise Storyteller came to be. I was going to travel, take photos, and write a blog, but it soon developed into a film project, even though I had no prior experience of film-making. I thought, “I need to help these stories come to life, give people a platform to share their stories.” I took a year out of school to pursue this.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/1_5_degrees_peace2_700x466_bce6ab127d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:37:23.995Z" alt="1-5-degrees-peace2"><hr><h4>Art as an enabler</h4>Q: Kasha, tell us how art can be an enabler for social change and social impact.KS: Art is a very special tool. People become statistics when we talk about them only from a fact-based perspective. Connecting with people’s experiences, and how they are impacted by issues, is a really profound way to move them into action and connect them with our shared humanity.For example, climate change is a highly emotional issue. It impacts us at the level of survival. You can show those feelings. You can empower people with knowledge but also move them with stories. Whichever artform you use, whether it is music, visual art, mixed media, photography, or anything else, it has a power to really impact people.It also helps us reframe our narratives. What narratives do you want to tell about the world? What narratives do you want to create going forward? What vision do you have? Art can show the reality of the world, and it can also help you dream up a new world.<h4>Intergenerational partnerships</h4>Q: You use the phrase, “intergenerational partnerships.” There are GEN Zs, Millennials, and GEN Ys. There is wisdom to be harnessed from the older generations, and dynamism to be harnessed from the younger generations. How can we harness the power of the intergenerational connect?KS: Intergenerational partnerships are very special for me because I grew up as an only child in the company of my mom and her circles of social justice advocates. I was always listening to the conversations of my elders. Intergenerational partnerships are key to creating effective social justice movements, because we have shared responsibility to be caretakers of the Earth, its people, and all living beings.In the past couple of years, youth activists have really taken to the forefront, so we hear others saying, “Okay, we are leaving it to you, we trust you with this.” While it’s a nice sentiment, it’s almost disempowering because it feels like, “This is the world we have inherited, and we are responsible for it.” Young people are not in positions of power in corporations or governments. We have taken on the responsibility of starting our own organizations, but we do need the privilege that elders have to uplift our messages, to hear our voices, and to train us to come to decision-making tables informed and ready to advocate for our needs.Many times, you’ll see that we are invited for the purpose of advocacy and we are given a youth voice, but we are not allowed to say what we really feel, or we are not prepared to negotiate, or we don’t have the knowledge to write policies, so we are brought in, then excluded.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/1_5_degrees_peace3_700x466_40f49db405.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:38:20.289Z" alt="1-5-degrees-peace3"><hr><hr><h4>Intergenerational partnerships are key to creating effective social justice movements,&nbsp; because we have shared responsibility&nbsp; to be caretakers of the Earth,&nbsp; its people, and all living beings.</h4><hr><hr>Tokenism happens. Youth are brought to the table so that everyone has a clear conscience, they have done a good thing, but it is unconscionable that it stops there. We have to turn the inspiration and resilience we see from youth activism and bring about concrete action. That requires the help of intergenerational partnerships. We have a limited time for action, we need effective action, and we don’t have time to be spinning our wheels.<h4>Intersectionality</h4>Q: What do you think about the intersectionality between climate, peace, and the other SDGs? How do you see them all working together?KS: No issue is separate from the others. Everything is interconnected. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It’s clear to me that climate justice affects peace. When people don’t have their basic needs met, there are violent reactions, there is hoarding, there is competition for resources, and interpersonal conflict. There is also the issue of nuclear disarmament. The whole process of creating and storing nuclear weapons destroys environments, often where indigenous communities live, where the mining happens. We are also seeing more refugees due to climate change, so again interpersonal conflicts. These are really critical intersection points that affect women and girls disproportionately.When you start looking at the intersectionality of two issues, you see how they link to all the others – those listed as SDGs and those not listed as SDGs.<h4>Activism</h4>Q: I can feel the passion and activism in your voice. What does the word “activism” mean to you? Activism has an element of dynamism – I don’t want to use the word violence. How can you be proactive and dynamic, and see the fruition of your aspirations, without using violence?&nbsp;KS: The way we use language is indicative of our culture and a reflection of society. Sometimes we use violent language to describe everyday things, but activism is not one of those things. To me, activism is caring in action. It has “act” in it, and that means standing up for justice, standing up for the liberation of all people. If we don’t, we perpetuate violence against others.To me, activism is proactive. It’s not always campaigning and lobbying, it’s not always taking a leadership role. Sometimes it’s participating in a movement. Sometimes it’s expressing care for the world through art, through workshops, or working with youth directly. It’s so clear in my heart that it is caring for other people, and taking on our collective responsibility to care for the planet.<hr><hr><h4>Activism is proactive. It’s not&nbsp; always campaigning and lobbying,&nbsp; it’s not always taking&nbsp; a leadership role. Sometimes it’s participating in a movement.</h4><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/1_5_degrees_peace4_77e19ff03d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:39:04.015Z" alt="1.5-degrees-peace4"><hr><h4>1.5 Degrees of Peace</h4>Q: Kasha, tell us about of your latest movie, 1.5 Degrees of Peace.KS: Through 1.5 Degrees of Peace, I hope to make the connection between peace and climate justice very clear, highlighting those on the ground in the forefront of both movements.&nbsp;We need to bring those two movements together to bring effective action. Both issues are staring us down from the future, but they are also happening now. Sometimes, we may not see the effects, but people in other places see the effects. We need to confront the challenges and find creative solutions for action, for positive change. I hope to do justice to the scale of the issues and also show opportunities for action. That is my goal for 1.5 Degrees of Peace.Q: What do you think of the role of heart-based meditation in fulfilling the SDGs, predominantly peace? And can peaceful individuals help to achieve the SDGs?KS: It’s very important to cultivate a peaceful harmonious humanity. To cultivate peace, we need an element of peace within. We need harmony within ourselves. I meditate and do physical practices that help me to be more mindful. I try my best, I am not perfect, but I continue to work at it. I think it’s critical for a peaceful world.<hr><hr><h4>We have a shared responsibility&nbsp; to care for the planet,&nbsp; and also to care for ourselves&nbsp; in the process.</h4><hr><hr>Q: Kasha, are there any closing thoughts you would like to share with us?KS: Please remember that you have the potential to make a positive impact in the world. Also, reflect on what issues you care about most. Your contribution is necessary. We have a shared responsibility to care for the planet, and also to care for ourselves in the process. I invite you to reflect on that.PR: Thank you so much, Kasha.<hr>To watch the full interview, go to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQGIwhl4PwY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQGIwhl4PwY</a>.

1.5 degrees of peace

Kashish is currently a full-time graduate student pursuing a Master's in Development Practice from Emory University, Atlanta, USA. Born in India, she spent her childhood in the UAE, Russia, Denmark, and India. She has a B.A. from the University of Delhi, a diploma in Bharatanatyam dance, and has volunteered with GRAVIS, Robinhood Army, Sarvahitey, and Girlz, FTW. Kashish is also a certified Heartfulness instructor. She volunteers as an editor for the Heartfulness Magazine and manages her own personal blog. In her free time, Kashish enjoys reading, journaling, watching Korean dramas, and tackling her never ending To-Do List!

Kashish-kalwani.jpg

Kashish Kalwani

<h4>KASHISH KALWANI breaks her goals into smaller chunks and finds more in doing less. She suggests how this can help us all accomplish goals without pushing ourselves to the point of burn out.</h4><hr>As common thinking-problem types go, I’m type 1,“all-or-nothing” thinking. Everyday I juggle many roles. I am a wife, a full-time graduate student, I work a part-time job, and am a meditation instructor, a volunteer for a non-profit organization, as well as adjusting to a new continent and culture! And I love to talk about this. I feel productive. I feel I have the hang of life. At 23, I also feel pretty burnt out and overwhelmed.Despite having so much on my plate, and recently winning a super-cool college competition, I felt bummed after a conversation with my classmate. My friend had figured out her summer internships for the semester. She had three interviews lined up and was applying for more. And here I was, struggling to complete my assignment, which was due yesterday. Imposter syndrome is real. I want it all: perfect grades, lots of courses, internships, a thriving social life, a good sleep schedule, home-cooked meals, spending time with my husband, and self-care!The more I do, the less satisfied I feel.Is there is a point of saturation for satisfaction? After winning a competition and relishing the win for two days, I am now constantly worried about the internationals next month. I’m not kind enough to myself because nothing I do makes me satisfied. And this feeling only increases. With so much to learn in this world, so much art and media, skills, and knowledge, I WANT IT ALL.I am blessed to have a wonderful support system of family and friends. One of my friends compared me to an elastic band: “It’s okay to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone [which clearly, I am good at]; but be careful not to stretch yourself to the point of snapping or you will never come back to your original shape.”I then spent moments ruminating over this lovely visual example. “What is my original state? What is the bigger picture?” I found my answer in The Lord of the Rings.For years I have wanted to read the formidable series by J.R.R. Tolkien. As a full-time graduate student, it is hard to find time to read for pleasure,however, not this year! I did not want to give up, so I chose a different strategy. Instead of pushing myself through another intimidating goal, I went for a bite-sized goal. As a Gen-Z, we love bite-sized content. We push out creativity in smaller and tinier time frames. And it’s enough for our brain to take in.It was set. 5 pages a day. No more, no less.There are some 1300 pages in The Lord of the Rings series, including The Hobbit. If I read 5 pages a day, I should complete the series in 260 days. That’s this year!And wow, did I feel more relaxed. I might just be able to finish the series this year!It was a eureka moment for me – as a person with an“all or nothing” approach, I am either too scared to begin a project because I want it to be perfect, or I don’t do it at all.And that’s not cool either way. I end up losing so much by not beginning and being burnt out in striving for perfection.I end up not giving space and grace to myself to keep doing better each day, and I miss out on the joy of being a beginner in something where every mistake is a learning point.<img alt="">With these small goals, I am actively taking steps to incorporate “less” and get “more.” Here are a few more ways.<ol><li>One internship application a day. I break it down to even smaller tasks everyday like:<ul><li>Work on the resume</li><li>Reach out to a professor for a recommendation</li><li>Write a general statement of purpose essay</li><li>Apply to one internship</li><li>Apply to another …</li><li>Take a break</li></ul></li><li>Five-minutes of movement is better than no movement at all. Even better, 1 Surya Namaskar a day.</li><li>Five minutes of meditation a day. I’m showing up!</li><li>One line a day in my journal. Forget the morning pages! Begin slow. Want to make it even smaller?One word a day. How do you feel? Write it in one word.</li><li>One meal with my husband. Let it be a space for love. A ritual.</li><li>Huge paperwork to file? File 2 papers a day. (Unless it’s tax – sadly, those things can’t wait.)</li><li>Read 5 pages a day. One chapter a week. I’m finally carving time for the books I enjoy. It’s my most cherished evening ritual.</li></ol>One day at a time? How about one hour at a time? This moment in time.I haven’t reached the page yet where Gandalf shares his wisdom, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”I am getting there, 5 pages a day. More and more of less and less.<hr>

Are you satisfied with your goals and dreams?

Eco-anxiety

<h4>The last year has seen many of us grieving the loss of loved ones and looking for
 strength amidst tragedy. Here are a few stories from readers of Heartfulness Magazine about their
 experiences.</h4>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="color:#b8942f">Resilience in the Time of Covid
</h2>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center has-black-color">FIONA NEARY</h4>



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This past year has been riddled with new and difficult experiences for everyone on the planet. Some days have seemed
 very dark, and it can be hard to find the strength to push through. I have been fortunate to live with my parents
 while safely continuing my education online. I believe resilience lies in hope for the brighter days ahead. I have
 found a few things that have helped me to feel grounded and sanguine amidst this global pandemic.



My mom and I often walk our dog together and we love to talk about possibilities for the future, no matter how
 unlikely they may seem. I think dreaming and imagining the best-case-scenario for our lives is very important, because
 it is easy to get caught up in current circumstances or relive past failures. These conversations helped me to stay in
 a growth mindset, along with my meditation practice. During these walks, we notice the mosses, the strange mushrooms
 on logs, trillium flowers in the spring … all these reminders that life has a way of moving forward despite a long
 winter. Last month, the new growth in our flowerbeds froze completely, and I worried that the bleeding hearts would
 not blossom. But the next day, they thawed! Now we have beautiful pink heart-shaped flowers.



By observing nature, whether hiking or painting a landscape, I have always felt more at ease and resilient, with
 infinite wonders to contemplate.



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<hr>


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<h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="color:#f26529">What Is in the Air?</h2>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">KASHISH KALWANI</h4>



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 <figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="445" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
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 </figure>
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I keep hearing it everywhere. The virus is in the air now. The sickness is in the air.



It’s a risky affair. The air is limitless. It cannot be contained. What do I do then?



I lost a friend, then my grandmother, and then a teacher. How do you speak to someone who has lost a loved one? How
 do I allow myself to feel grief ? How do I feel comfortable with the idea that my biggest contribution is to get
 vaccinated and stay at home?



What is my intention of being resilient and staying grateful in a time like this? Does intention precede action?
 Should I plunge into the action of being resilient and practice gratitude, and let the intention speak for itself ?




I acted.



<ol>
 <li>I picked up paintbrushes again. They had gathered a fine layer of dust by years of lying around packed in a
 cupboard. I am no artist, but I painted 25 postcards. I rearranged sensational words of newspaper articles to form
 meaningful phrases.</li>
 <li>My family and I have an unspoken agreement to watch a movie together. It’s quality time where we’re all in it
 together.</li>
 <li>I’m capturing everything in short videos. Life has slowed down, yet the days seem to blur into the same routine
 and uncertainty. I capture the mother bird feeding her chicks, the drops of rain falling from the roof, my father
 brewing masala chai for my mother – the casual magic of the day. Suddenly, every moment seems magical and filled
 with stories, if you allow your imagination to go wild.</li>
 <li>Meditation has become an anchor, which seems the only non-negotiable thing from my earlier routine. It existed
 before, exists now, and will exist in the future. I am grateful for this anchor in a rough ocean filled with waves
 of emotions.</li>
 <li>Finally, I write love letters to myself. I wish to give myself the same empathy, time, space, and love as I give
 to others.</li>
</ol>



From sickness in the air, I wish to anchor the idea of “love is in the air.” Resilience and gratitude follow.


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 <figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="445" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
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 </figure>
</div>



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<hr>


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<h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="color:#323a97">People You Take for Granted</h2>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">SHANTHI VENKAT</h4>



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Like many South Asian immigrants living in the United States, my parents lived in India with my brother. I visited
 them in January 2020, right before the pandemic hit. In January 2021, both my parents got Covid. My mom passed away
 within a couple of days. My dad suffered with Covid complications and passed away in April.



Parents are the reason for our existence in this world. Almost all of us feel that our parents will live forever
 until the day comes when they are no longer with us. I don’t think I will ever have closure, as I did not see them
 physically when they passed on.



There will always be a void when I think of my parents’ home, which is now empty.



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<hr>


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<h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="color:#88b45f">The Pure Joy of Existence</h2>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">SIMMI VALECHA</h4>



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 <figure><img decoding="async" width="415" height="580" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
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 </figure>
</div>


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Life is beautiful. Its beauty is coded in the ancient wisdom of Sat-Chit-Ananda. The shift from misery to
 happiness is not about achieving or gaining something. It’s simply about being awakened to our own truth. All our
 lives we identify with our titles and our bodies – big and small, beautiful and ugly, old and young – and we feel a
 distinction in ourselves from others. We feel either superior or inferior to others, we categorize ourselves into
 different classes, colors, nations, belief systems, ideologies … the list is endless. It’s only when the ego dissolves
 that we experience unity with our higher Self and bliss prevails. Once we’re awakened to our own light the shift
 happens. We realize that we are pure consciousness experiencing only a part of our eternal existence in this physical
 dimension.



Today’s pandemic has delivered this message to us too profoundly. The need of the hour is to rebuild the connection
 with our own Self and our environment, too. Do you remember the last time the full moon in the sky amazed you, or a
 beautiful wildflower caught your attention? It’s not only an invisible virus that is powerful; the tiny joys of our
 lives conceal within them an unfathomable potential to awaken our healing.



We receive what we seek authentically and radiate vibrantly. Let’s seek and receive blessings today. And that will
 happen once we cherish what we already have. Our surroundings, the house we live in, the work we do, our own healthy
 physical bodies, and our relationships. Let’s appreciate these and count our blessings today. When we listen to our
 inner whispers we discover that so much within is healed.



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<hr>


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<h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="color:#f26529">The Beauty of Impermanence</h2>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">SARALA UPADHYA</h4>



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 <figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="445" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
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 </figure>
</div>


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See how the last yellow leaf fell and was swirled away? And the tiny root that
 peeped out of the hard nut!



See the white expanse of freshly fallen snow? And the hope of spring just a little
 below the slush!



See that tiny little movement even in a mountain? And a tiny little stillness in the
 flowing river!



That is the real beauty. That is the beauty of Nature.



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<hr>




<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by KASHISH KALWANI</h4>




<hr>



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Stories of loss and resilience

Katara is an entrepreneur, a leader in both non- and for-profit organizations, a sought-after coach, author, and podcast host dedicated to cultivating spaces where Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) belong. She is committed to amplifying the richness of BIWOC and their stories, while also providing emotional well-being resources for them through her App, Exhale.

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Katara McCarty

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<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 KATARA MCCARTY&nbsp;is the source and inspiration for EXHALE, a well-being App for Black,
 Indigenous, and Women of Color. In December 2020, she was interviewed by
 MAMATA VENKAT about her life long journey
 creating resources for some of the most marginalized people in society, and
 her approach to spirituality.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Q: I want to make sure I’m pronouncing your name correctly. It’s
 [kuh-TAH-ruh]?
 


 KM: Yes! How do I pronounce your name?


 Q: [MUH-muh-thuh]


 KM:&nbsp;I remember the first days of
 school, when they would come across my name. I would know that I was next
 because the teachers would pause, look at the list, and dodge it. You can
 probably totally relate. I remember being little and having to teach my
 teachers how to say my name. My whole life.


 Q: That has been me my whole life. Inevitably someone follows up with, “Can
 I give you a nickname?” And I always say, “No! Learn how to say my name.
 It’s not that difficult.”


 This has been a very interesting year, a very difficult year for the Black
 community. How are you doing?


 KM:&nbsp;With the pandemic, there was so
 much uncertainty in the beginning, and being quarantined I lost over half my
 clientele. I’m a public speaker and all events were halted. I also coach
 companies and organizations. In a couple of the companies, I was the first
 thing to be cut, because they were trying to stop the internal bleeding. I
 felt a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, and then what was happening with COVID
 in the Black community was really, really stressful.


 Q: I know a lot about the last eight or nine months, but over the last few
 years what has really influenced you now in your career? I would love to
 hear about the origins.


 KM:&nbsp;I spent a lot of my adult life
 partnering with my husband. We launched a non-profit organization in our small
 town here in Indiana – after-school programs for some of the most marginalized
 under-represented, under-served kids in our community. We also built a school
 in Zambia, Africa. That work, which I did for eighteen years, was about
 showing up for those who were on the margins of society. Then, I became a
 certified coach and started my coaching practice and public speaking. While I
 was getting certified, I was the Director of Culture for one of the largest
 Verizon Wireless retailers in the nation. After being there for a few years, I
 then started my own practice. So first it was nonprofit, then the corporate
 world, and then I started my own practice coaching individuals.


 In 2019, people started approaching me to speak on diversity and inclusion,
 and my message was, “We can’t have true diversity and equity unless we really
 focus on inclusion.” What does that look like? I have challenged folks not to
 only check a box with the number of Black and Brown people of color working
 for them, not to only invite them to the table, but to give them a seat and
 give them an opportunity to speak and listen to them.


 When I looked at my roster, I remember sharing with my husband and my girls,
 “I feel like I’ve drifted away from my core values.” While I was still
 delivering a message for people on the margins, I was no longer working with
 them. I wasn’t in the neighborhood anymore. I wasn’t with the families
 anymore. And while I was building my practice, it wasn’t really aligning with
 my values.


 So I began sitting with myself and asking: “Wait! How did you get here? This
 is not where you want to be. You need to pivot some things.” I started
 thinking of ways to offer my services and my coaching to Black people, Brown
 people, and then COVID hit and we were quarantined, so I lost all my previous
 clients anyway. I thought, “Okay. I think the universe has done it in a funky
 way, not that it was ordained. All my clients are pretty much gone. So what
 now?” This was an opportunity for me to truly pivot.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 
 alt="exhale2"
 class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/exhale2_1_a2e3bc8744.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T07:31:44.472Z"
 />

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<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 When we learn to be centered, 
 it removes stress from the body, 
 so we won’t get as sick physically. 
 There’s a whole science to it.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 To manage my stress, I was reaching for Apps, but it felt like a disconnect. I
 asked myself, “How can I show up in my community? I have time now. My
 clientele has been washed away and I have a clean slate. I’m available! I have
 resources that can help. What can I do?”


 I remember being invited to a Zoom call with a lot of community leaders –
 political leaders, civic leaders, social justice leaders, and artists from the
 rap community. I asked myself, “Katara, what can you do?” over the next few
 days. Then one day I went to meditate without an App in my basement, focusing
 on my breath, and the idea came, “Katara, what if you use the tools and
 resources that you give your clients – advocating for them to prioritize
 emotional well-being – and put them in an App that is easily accessible and
 specific to Women of Color, some of these most marginalized folks in our
 community?” And that includes folks who are gender nonconforming, non-binary,
 LGBTQIA+. What if you create something that will help them manage their
 stress, their anxiety, their trauma, from regular life, and also those
 stresses compounded by systemic racism? So the idea for the App came. I knew
 immediately that I wanted to name it “EXHALE,” because I feel like that’s been
 our cry for 400 years. Because of racism, we can’t breathe.


 My experience is that when we learn to connect back to our breath, we can
 remove stress from our bodies, we can remove anxiety from our bodies. We can’t
 control out there, what’s going to happen when we walk out the front door, but
 we can control our breath. When we learn to be centered, it removes stress
 from the body, so we won’t get as sick physically. There’s a whole science to
 it. I wanted to give my community a resource to exhale and breathe, to find
 our breath, because there’s power in our breath.


 Q: Obviously, wellness is important to you, and that’s what you want to
 give back to your community. It makes me curious to know: What was your
 first experience with meditation? How has it helped you in everyday life,
 and also in dealing with the immensity of everything that’s going on right
 now? What has driven you to help people understand how beneficial meditation
 is in bringing a sense of solace and inner peace?


 KM:&nbsp;It really started in my early
 twenties. I’m 48 now. I was pregnant when I was 19 and had my daughter when I
 was 20. When they put her in my arms, everything, everybody disappeared in
 that moment except for her and me. I was so young, and I remember really
 having a spiritual moment. It was an awakening for me. In that moment I knew I
 had to shift my life. It was a moment where I thought, “Oh man, I’ve got this
 baby. I mean, she’s a newborn, I’m holding her.” You know when they open their
 eyes and they’re cute and you’re just like, “Oh my God, this is a real being!”
 And I remember stroking her nose and her forehead and her little fingers, and
 thinking, “Oh, wow. Somebody is depending on me,” not just for food and
 shelter, but depending on me to be a solid individual, having a sense of who I
 am, being grounded and centered. I didn’t have the language then. I have it
 now. I just remember thinking, “It’s time to make some shifts.”


 My path was the Church. I didn’t grow up in the Church. We went at Christmas
 and Easter, but we weren’t consistent churchgoers. I would say my first real
 encounter with meditation came in the form of what Christians called prayer. I
 remember taking it home with me and sitting in solitude and silence. While the
 Church teaches you to talk a lot, make requests and pray for people, my prayer
 life didn’t always look like that. I made it my own. It was an internal
 journey: Why am I doing the things I do? Why do I think that way? Why am I
 having those thoughts about myself? It was really about being with myself from
 a place of curiosity, a place of wonder, and a place of shifting, adjusting
 and guiding my life in the direction I wanted, and that was empowering for me.
 I would say that’s how it started, and I was very consistent throughout my 20s
 and 30s.


 Since then, in my 40s, I’ve had a deconstruction of faith and it’s morphed and
 evolved and changed into what it is now, although it’s really not that
 different from what I was doing in my early 20s when I started. It’s a way to
 ground and center myself. It’s always been a way for me to journey back home
 to the truest most authentic me. Back then, it was about connecting myself
 with the higher being. Now it’s about, “I am one with all that is.” It helps
 to center and guide and ground me in every present moment, whatever that looks
 like.


 I make a point to meditate every morning. Then, throughout the day if
 something crazy happens, or something unexpected, and I feel anxious, I have a
 resource: I can pause and do breath work, or I can close my eyes and focus on
 my breath. It’s not about focusing on other things, other people, or a higher
 being. It’s about focusing on my breath, and how that centers me. It has
 become a daily practice for me.

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<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Now it’s about, “I am one with all that is.” 
 
 It helps to center and guide and ground me 
 in every present moment, 
 whatever that looks like.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Q: I love that you’ve put it all into an App. There are a dozen and one
 resources that already exist, but I love the focus of EXHALE. Would you
 share some responses you’ve received from the people using it, and the
 direction you’d like to see it go?


 KM:&nbsp;One lady said, “This App has
 changed my life.” She was sexually assaulted earlier this year and was really
 traumatized, and with the pandemic as well she was super anxious. She said, “I
 cannot tell you how much I needed this, but I didn’t know I needed it.” I’ve
 heard that more than anything else. She said, “I look forward to the
 notifications. I feel like you made it just for me!” I am so glad she feels
 that way, because that was my intent. She passed it along to her therapist who
 loves it and has now shared it with a hundred of her clients.


 We keep getting messages like, “I had all of this stuff going on, and I didn’t
 know that I could manage it through breath work and meditation.” With the
 meditation, I talk about the parasympathetic nervous system, so one response
 is, “I really love the science behind this. I love knowing that something is
 actually impacting my body in a positive way.”


 Every time I hear something like that it’s a breath of fresh air, because my
 intent was to truly help people. We want to do Version 2, where we build a
 community for Women of Color to engage with each other, not just with the
 resources in the App. There’s so much value in community.


 I started my own tech company called Katecha, which I’m really excited about.
 I’d love to launch an App for Black and Brown children and students. To build
 community for them is also important. I’m really excited to see what 2021 has
 to offer.


 Q: The practices that you’ve been implementing, for yourself and for
 others, are a great way to remember that life is always going to throw us
 challenges, so we can’t expect, no matter how much we plan. If we’re
 grounded in ourselves and in our breath, if we’re grounded in the energy
 that is our birthright – our mind, body, and soul – then we have everything
 we need within us. Amidst all the chaos in the world, the simplicity that
 you just described is a beautiful concept – to know that we are truly given
 everything that we need in order to feel safe within ourselves.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Now it’s about, “I am one with all that is.” 
 
 It helps to center and guide and ground me 
 in every present moment, 
 whatever that looks like.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 KM:&nbsp;Absolutely. It’s a journey home
 to ourselves. Because the world and the way we’re conditioned pulls us out of
 our bodies, so we become disembodied, disconnecting from our soul,
 disconnecting from our emotions, disconnecting from our physical bodies. Black
 women, in particular, have been conditioned to pull away from ourselves, and
 these resources are our journey back home – being in our bodies, being with
 our emotions, being with ourselves, trusting ourselves. I’ve been on this
 journey for many, many years, and I feel more at home than I’ve ever felt in
 my life. It’s my hope that EXHALE is a resource for that journey. As long as
 we are centered here, we’re good. It’s about journeying back home, for sure.

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 Q: That is the fundamental concept of the Heartfulness practices – finding
 our way back to the naturalness that is us. That is one of the goals of
 meditating on the heart. It’s always so beautiful to connect with other
 people who have the same ideals. It’s a lovely reminder that we think we are
 so different and yet we are so similar.


 KM:&nbsp;That is absolutely true.


 Q: Katara, I’m so glad you could speak freely about everything you’ve been
 going through, and the ways you want to keep going. Thank you for educating
 me today and helping me see how much we have in common. I want to use that
 commonality to keep going forward. Thank you.


 KM:&nbsp;Thank you. That is great.


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<h4 style="text-align: center">Interviewed by MAMATA VENKAT</h4>

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Exhale

Kate is a British model, actress, and musician, who has been Miss Great Britain Photogenic, Miss England Intercontinental, and the Face of Aintree 2004. Kate is also a humanitarian and works for various charity projects. Her TEDx talk about her life journey has turned into a viral Internet sensation.

Kate.jpg

Kate Elizabeth Hallam

<h4>KATE ELIZABETH HALLAM is a British model, actress, and musician, who has been Miss Great Britain Photogenic, Miss England Intercontinental, and the Face of Aintree 2004. Kate is also a humanitarian and works for various charity projects. Her TEDx talk about her life journey has turned into a viral Internet sensation. HereKate shares with us what inspires her passion to help people.</h4><hr>I was born and raised in a beautiful town called Buxton, Derbyshire, with farmland and beautiful green fields. My brothers and I had a very humble upbringing, and our childhood was fun. We would create our own magic, make tree dens, and run through the fields. When I was 14, my brother Chris was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. He needed a bone marrow transplant, and I was a match for him. So we underwent the transplant, and Professor Huen helped us through the process. He is an amazing man who helped cure Chris of cancer.It was a crazy time, because I was only 14 and scared for my brother, who was 27. But with things like that, especially with your loved ones, you just get on with it and do what you can. Luckily, he was cured. Since then, he’s gone on to have a happy family life and a beautiful daughter.My brother’s recovery inspired me to raise money for cancer charities, and I became an ambassador for the <a href="https://www.anthonynolan.org/">Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust</a>. We raise awareness for Leukemia sufferers who needed donors. At the time when I donated, a bone marrow transplant was a complicated operation. They had to drill into the sternum and hips to take the bone marrow. Nowadays, donating good bone marrow is just a blood test away. I get people to join the bone marrow donor registries to give Leukemia sufferers a better chance of survival. That work gives me a lot of joy because it is a personal subject.<h4>Travel to India</h4>I have always been a traveler and love exploring new places. I was in Dubai when I was asked to shoot a Kannada movie in Bangalore, and jumped at the chance because I had never been to India, and I had heard beautiful things. I instantly fell in love with India and it carries a very big space in my heart to this day. I met my husband there – a lot of you will know him, Lucky Ali. I had the most wonderful experiences traveling in India and I can’t wait to go back.<h4>Dealing with Stress</h4>While pursuing our dreams, we all have days where we feel too stressed or overstimulated by external things and situations. Eventually, we realize we’re wanting to rush to get to that point of happiness and success, so we try to do everything. By the end of the day, we’re puzzled and tired. The key is to learn to slow down, and that comes with age.We can still achieve while going at a slower pace, realizing the blessings of each day: taking moments to breathe; remembering to be present in each moment. I have been focusing on that for the last five to six years and it works wonderfully. There are still stressful days, we all have them, but we learn to manage those days and not be reactive. If something’s meant for you, you are going to get there anyway.<h4>Success and Joy</h4>Success is an interesting journey. A lot of things in life can make us feel less, e.g. getting turned down for a job, and we take them to heart, but the key to success is to keep going. There’s a famous saying that “Sometimes you give up when you are just about to break through,” throwing away whatever you have been working on, however long it’s taken you. It’s good to keep going, to keep positive, to be joyful, to breathe, and not always be stressed by getting overstimulated.People tend to look at other people’s lives and think, “Oh my God! It’s not fair. Why isn’t my life like that?” Instead, just enjoy your life. It is magnificent, and it’s you who is going to make it better.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/in_pursuit_of_happiness2_700x466_2298065b03.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T10:02:38.878Z" alt=""><hr>It’s important for me to know that I am giving back to people. It could be raising awareness for Leukemia sufferers, or simply putting a smile on someone’s face. You never know what other people are going through, and a simple smile can give so much to somebody. I try to work everyday in a state of giving rather than taking. It’s much better to give, and to give joy and happiness to other people.I think fitness is the key to joy. Your body is your temple. Take a little time out each day for your body – whether you are meditating or going to the gym. It’s that workout that brings you joy and good vibes. My three boys keep me very busy, but I still go to the gym.<hr><hr><h4>Your body is your temple. Take a little time out&nbsp; each day for your body – whether you are meditating&nbsp; or going to the gym. It’s that workout that brings you&nbsp; joy and good vibes.</h4><hr><hr>I take time out and there is no excuse for not doing that. Everybody’s got time to do something for themselves: whether it’s mental meditation or physical exercise. Exercising can help release endorphins, which keep us positive and lets us strive for success.Managing RelationshipsI have been married twice and my second marriage is to David. He is a well-known music producer, we have 2 boys together, and I have Dani from my ex-husband Lucky Ali. Life is good. Everybody is happy. Everybody is peaceful and we all get on well.I think that is the key – when you have children, it’s important to make relationships work. After what I went through with my brother, when you overcome adversity at a young age, you realize that life is short and transient. It puts things into perspective. I realized that you have to treasure everything.Not everything is going to work out for you in life, but it doesn’t mean you have to destroy it, or argue about it. You can walk away from things that are not meant for you, or that may have run their course. You can end a relationship and continue with a friendship. That’s what I have with Lucky, and it’s been especially important for Dani, our 10-year-oldson. If you work on the relationship, in the long run it works better for everybody.Just keep things positive and breathe. Take a breath before you react to things. I hope everybody out there manages that.Managing Kids, Hobbies, and Personal CareI get up early – that is the key. It is challenging with three boys. I love getting into nature and I take time to go into the woods. Trees calm me down from the energy of the day. Taking little hikes helps me survive the day, and the busy-ness with the boys, as I don’t have any help. We make it work as a family, we are a team, and it’s good to remember that. I take time out for my boys, and for my hobbies, while I nurture my career.I also take time out for myself. Meditating and going to the gym set me up for the whole day: fitness and a positive mind. When it gets tough, just remember that our parents did it for us, and we are doing it for our children; it’s the way it happens. Look at the joy we get from our children. We do a lot of running around for them, but they are going to grow up into love itself.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/in_pursuit_of_happiness3_700x466_31ee1f53dc.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T10:04:09.016Z" alt=""><hr>

In pursuit of happiness

When Kathleen received her first commission for a mural painting from The Public Art Workshop of Chicago, it was the beginning of a lifelong career in art. Her series of Reunion Island paintings were exhibited over a nine-month period in the main hall of the Museum of Mankind in Paris. In December 2023, she showcased her paintings in an exhibition entitled “Indian Women: Grace and Resilience” in the Town Hall of the 16th Arrondissement in Paris, France.&nbsp;

kathleen.jpg

Kathleen Scarboro

<h3 style="text-align:center;">An Art Essay by the Joliet Mural Artists</h3><h4>KATHLEEN SCARBORO is one of a school of artists who have developed the ‘Joliet style’ of mural painting in Joliet, Illinois, near Chicago. Here she shares their story, and the importance of public art in bringing a sense of cultural identity and community through environmental enhancement.</h4>Even a brief look at art history illustrates the vital link between artists and the societies they represent. We understand diverse civilizations by studying and enjoying the great works of art and architecture they created. It is a relatively recent phenomenon, primarily in western countries, that so many contemporary artists find themselves outside society, unable to assume their role as voices for the beliefs and aspirations of the populations to which they belong.<hr>All human beings, rich or poor, need aspirations to give meaning to their lives. The role of art is to take these aspirations from a latent impulse and translate them into physical form to be shared and used as a source of continued inspiration for all.<hr>Art has never appeared less necessary, and the artist has never been so alienated from society, but this unnatural situation is beginning to change. Starting in the 1960s, community-based public artists worked in cities to reunite artists and communities.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/joliet2_bbd27497a8.jpeg?updated_at=2023-04-06T12:15:20.966Z" alt="joliet2">For the Friends of Community Public Art (FCPA), in Joliet, Illinois, a not-for-profit association, the goal is to revive public art by renewing and revitalizing links among local artists, civic and political figures, and the people of the city. Local authorities support the association, as they see the need to invest in public art as a way to express the ideals of the community and enrich its environment.FCPA is dedicated to reflecting the entire community of Joliet, including its economic, ethnic and racial diversity. The organization’s founders and members believe art is the ideal vehicle to transform society from within. Without this projection by society into the future, humanity could remain stuck in material struggle, never going beyond the most basic physical level of existence.Martin Luther King’s simple and unforgettable statement, “I have a dream,” embodies this concept. Humanity advances by dreaming itself forward, and art is one of the most efficient vectors of this phenomenon. The existence of art and its support by the population are symbols of the vitality of the inner impetus toward fulfillment within a society. All human beings, rich or poor, need aspirations to give meaning to their lives. The role of art is to take these aspirations from a latent impulse and translate them into physical form to be shared and used as a source of continued inspiration for all.The unflagging efforts of FCPA to raise the level of cultural awareness in Joliet have been fruitful. Great progress has been made between artists and the public. This new partnership has allowed the association’s artists to learn and apply basic principles needed to promote the appreciation and material support of the visual arts. People have to identify with the artwork for a sense of belonging to develop. This sense of belonging and identification is vital. The aspirations of the public – its most productive and positive aspects – must be represented so that the desire for ownership can emerge.Another essential element in the nurturing of public art is the quality of conception and execution. Through FCPA, mural participants received a conceptual and technical education that guaranteed the quality of content and expertise of execution. What was created can be considered a school of painting, the result of constant communication among a number of artists, all striving to collaborate at the highest possible level.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/joliet3_bf0e358fba.jpeg?updated_at=2023-04-06T12:16:08.578Z" alt="joliet3">The ‘Joliet style’ is as recognizable and definable as other schools of painting in the history of art, where artists grouped by an affinity of ideas influence each other. In Joliet, the shared workspace has not only been the interior of a studio, but also the city itself. The artists have had the exciting experience of sharing their discoveries and efforts with the community in a very immediate fashion. The public has been both spectator and actor in a contemporary art movement while it was happening.Joliet was ripe for a new vision of itself. Most people thought Joliet was not a very interesting place. Because of a lack of knowledge about its history, the city’s image had suffered, so it was more a place where one ends up rather than a place one would choose to live. We as artists began researching the city’s history, and discovered an endless number of dramatic and exciting stories concerning its past. These stories served as raw material for the elaborate works of public art. The community’s cultural identity started appearing on the exterior walls of the urban environment. The stories the city had to tell were exclusively its own.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/joliet4_103f392612.jpeg?updated_at=2023-04-06T12:16:59.712Z" alt="joliet4">The development of public art in Joliet has spurred a profound transformation in the local mentality; one that is rapidly evolving. The opportunity for people to contemplate their history and heritage in a lively, colorful visual form has been educational. People are often surprised that their personal histories can serve as subject matter for a work of art and that people like themselves who are willing to get involved in the daily life of their communities can leave their mark on history. They realize they can make a difference if they see themselves as capable of making positive changes. And they start to understand that our urban environment is our collective work, reflecting what we are and how we see ourselves.<hr>Mural paintings, sculptures and mosaics have an overall effect&nbsp;that alters our existence in a positive way, just as everyone who puts a flowerpot on a windowsill makes a small, yet appreciable, gesture toward making our daily lives more poetic.<hr>Mural paintings, sculptures and mosaics have an overall effect that alters our existence in a positive way, just as everyone who puts a flowerpot on a windowsill makes a small, yet appreciable, gesture toward making our daily lives more poetic. As attention to the environment awakens, and we see not only our homes but also our neighborhoods and cities as belonging to us, then a great transformation can take place. As the city is ‘dressed up’, we start seeing ourselves differently, too. The exterior environment reveals how we feel about ourselves. If we make efforts to enhance our urban surroundings, we give form to our desire for inner refinement. As we reflect our environments back to the community, it creates and reinforces a sense of pride and dignity of belonging to a special, unique place.If FCPA has been given space and material support to create lasting works of public art in Joliet, we can assume that other cities will recognize a need for similar programs. All it takes is a few enlightened and devoted minds to put the wheels in motion. It is our hope that Joliet’s example will inspire other cities to awaken their innate need for environmental enhancement and education through the revelation of cultural identity.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/joliet5_bd06a9d12c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T12:17:36.997Z" alt="joliet5"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by KATHLEEN SCARBORO Art by THE JOLIET MURAL ARTISTS</h4><hr>

Cultural identity

<h4>KATHLEEN SCARBORO tells her own personal story about being the best grandma
 she can be.</h4>
Becoming a grandmother revolutionized my existence. It was a chance to be the loving
 parent I wish I had been when my son was young. When my son was little, I knew I wasn’t as mentally available
 for him as I should have been. I lacked patience and was worried about too many other things like money,
 constantly looking for work – all the pressures of daily life. I was an anxious, guilt-ridden young mother.
Coming to a spiritual path and slowly divesting myself of my mental burdens made
 life become more and more palatable. Gradually life seemed to be less of a battle. I came to realize that I had
 made things unnecessarily complicated for myself. I was on a slow but sure path towards inner balance.
It took about 20 years of spiritual practice to completely change my mental attitude
 and feel grateful for the joy each day could bring.
So when Alice came along in 2012, I was given the opportunity to be the best grandma
 I could. Even during the first week of her existence I was the one who could get her to sleep. She was one of
 those babies who would fiercely fight to stay awake, so I would empty my mind and walk and dance with her until
 she slid into sleep.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">If we devote ourselves&nbsp;to the
 children, 
 the world will move&nbsp;in the right direction.
</h5>
<hr>
For Alice, I know my presence is totally reassuring. Even when she was only one and
 her parents left her alone with me for a couple of weeks, we had a great time. She did not cry once.
Why are meditators reassuring? I think it is because they have made peace with
 death. We can only reassure others if we are at peace with ourselves and feel safe. And we can only really feel
 safe if we are not afraid of leaving this world at any moment. We also feel safe and confident because we have
 taken responsibility for our lives and believe things happen to us for good reasons and for our benefit. So we
 don’t think that we are in danger and our children profit from our attitude. We show them that they can be bold
 because life is not threatening.
Alice will have to face many difficulties, as all of us do, but I think the
 unconditional love and solidarity of her parents and grandparents will give her the confidence to always feel
 like she can cope with whatever life brings her way. She knows we all think the world of her and feel blessed to
 be her family. All we want from her is for her to be totally herself.
Wouldn’t it be a different world if all children who came here were surrounded with
 helpful, caring, devoted, happy adults? Diogenes said, “The foundation of every state is the education of its
 youth.” If we devote ourselves to the children, the world will move in the right direction.
<h5 style="text-align: justify;"></h5>
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Art and article by KATHLEEN SCARBORO</h4>
<hr>

A safe future for our children

<hr><h4>KATHLEEN SCARBORO has a career in public art. Here she describes the motivation behind her painting and how she has developed her themes and techniques over the years.</h4><hr>Why would an American artist from Chicago, residing in Paris, choose India as a theme for her paintings? A lifelong interest in other cultures than my own eventually led me to this choice.In the mid 1970s, many American artists were tired of being isolated in their studios. They wanted a role that would allow them to participate in the lives of their local communities. The Public Art Workshop of Chicago was a group of urban artists who painted murals in cooperation with the local inhabitants, so when I received my first commission for a mural painting I contacted them for mentoring. This was the beginning of a lifelong career in public art. With each succeeding commission, I synthesized the preoccupations of a particular group (ethnic, professional, etc.) into a work of art that was placed in a specific public site. So I spent a lot of time observing and listening to others and putting their ideas into visual form. I realized that artists can have a useful and meaningful role of sharing aspects of a designated culture with others.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_2_66a3fa6288.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-03T08:20:16.665Z" alt="KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_2">Life is But a Dream<hr>In France and in Reunion Island I continued painting murals. Eventually I felt a need to paint about village life on the island back in my studio in Paris. A series of these paintings were exhibited over a nine-month period in the main hall of the Museum of Mankind in Paris at the Place Trocadero.My interest in meditation and consciousness studies, as well as art history and general culture, motivated me to go to India in the mid ’90s. For a person who loves to paint people, India offers an infinite source of inspiration. Traveling around the country, the colors, the textiles, the elegance of the women in their saris, the temples, the landscapes and citiscapes all stimulated the painter in me, proposing a multitude of exciting visual possibilities. I decided to make India the theme of my paintings and continue to paint India exclusively today.<hr>&nbsp;<hr>For a person who loves to paint people, India offers an infinite source of inspiration.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;My composition was strongly influenced by the Mexican and American mural movement. In these schools of painting, e.g. Diego Rivera and Thomas Hart Benton, many different images are combined, creating a collage effect. By combining imagery – a landscape, a figure, a close-up of an object – all can co-exist and collectively tell a story. A narrative of this type would be closer to poetry than prose if we search for a literary analogy. In other words, the viewer has some leeway to make up his own tale from the elements presented. The difficulty with this type of composition is to create a coherent image from components that do not visually co-exist in the real world. The eye should be able to travel around the canvas smoothly, and not be shocked or halted by the transition from one segment to the next.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_3_bbd6aa3013.jpg" alt="KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_3">Introspection<hr>Aesthetics really matter to me, and beauty is a goal. In each painting I am preoccupied by color harmony, fluidity of composition and execution, as well as technically good drawing. Everything and its opposite can be found in this world; I have chosen to concentrate on a positive vision.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_5_7320d1bcda.jpg" alt="KATHLEEN-SCARBOR5">Blessing&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;I adopt subject matter that reminds us we are fortunate to be human. My goal is to bring people an instant of respite from our difficult world. I believe it was the American author John Barth who said that we could judge our own behavior by asking ourselves whether we were adding to or subtracting from the general misery. Every day, every moment, we are bombarded by negative and frightening information concerning our society and environment. I try to create compositions that encourage hope and reveal the innate elegance of humanity. Hopefully I am bringing some solace and joy to those who take the time to look at my paintings.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_4_1_e20f82dccb.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T04:31:26.784Z" alt="KATHLEEN_SCARBOR_4">Learning Hearts<hr>I trained at Southern Illinois University in the US, then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. During my years in art school at Southern Illinois University, I found a teacher, Mr Patrick Betaudier, who had mastered Renaissance oil painting technique and taught me his painting methods. I didn’t realize until much later in life just how rare excellent teachers are and am very grateful to have benefited from his guidance.<hr>&nbsp;<hr>I try to create compositions that encourage hope and reveal the innate elegance of humanity. Hopefully I am bringing some solace and joy to those who take the time to look at my paintings.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;My works are classical oil paintings; I work with oil glazes, using thin layers of color over an underpainting. The underpainting is sketched in, then the forms of the picture are enhanced with white. Between each glaze, a layer of white is brushed over a darker tone (scumbling), and when it is dry a glaze is applied to reinforce the color. For strong color, many layers of glaze and scumbled white are required. To assure longevity, I also use a glue emulsion, which I make myself. I am generous with the number of glazes, keeping in mind that oil paint becomes transparent with age. Paintings of this type take weeks and months to complete; in a normal year I can make four paintings.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_innate_elegance_of_humanity_768x333_3b11021e9c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-03T08:18:57.737Z" alt="The_innate_elegance_of_humanity">A Glimmer of Hope<hr>Currently I am working on a book entitled Painting India: Women and Color with Catherine Servan-Schreiber and Deva Villeroy. We are combining reproductions of my paintings with quotes derived from the works of talented Indian writers of the past and present on the themes developed in the paintings.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;www.kathleenscarboro.fr<hr>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Art Essay by KATHLEEN SCARBORO</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

The innate elegance of humanity

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">KATHLEEN SCARBORO shares her journey as an artist, explaining why she has chosen the subjects that are so dear to her heart. In December 2023, she opened an exhibition entitled “Indian Women: Grace and Resilience” in the Town Hall of the 16th Arrondisement of Paris, France, to celebrate that journey, and we showcase some of those paintings here.</h4>&nbsp;When I met Chariji in 1988, I had no idea that India would be important in my life, or that for thirty years I would devote myself exclusively to painting this subject.&nbsp;For meditators, life unfolds and reveals its main themes over time. As I look back over my trajectory, it seems that there was an inner logic that had its own momentum and all I had to do was follow along and do the work. I remember my painting teacher, Patrick Betaudier, used to say that when a painting is ripe to come into existence, it paints itself. I often feel that way.Before starting meditation, I was already a professional painter. I had a good technique and I had the desire to produce art, but my true message, what exactly I wanted to paint, was not clear to me. So much art had been created, in so many directions, by so many artists, and I wasn’t sure of my place in the general scheme of things. One day, as I was working on murals on Réunion Island, it suddenly seemed obvious what I wanted to paint, why, and for whom. I am certain this realization was the result of the meditation I had begun practicing. Meditation gives us the clarity to know ourselves, which leads to an understanding of how to use our abilities to share with others.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india3_b4dfcf1fa8.webp" alt="painting-india3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_painting_india3_b4dfcf1fa8.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_painting_india3_b4dfcf1fa8.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india3_b4dfcf1fa8.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;What inspires me are the lives of people of modest condition, in tune with nature, and the beauty and harmony of the natural world. I generally paint women and children; their universe is more accessible to me, and I share the love of drapery, textiles, and vivid color with the women of India. The beauty that inspires me is not that of movie stars or the perfection of youth. I seek a quieter beauty that is unaware of itself and not dependent on passing modes.Nature is an important element in my work. I love gardening and the delicate designs and&nbsp;the fleeting&nbsp;elegance of&nbsp;flowers. I enjoy interweaving natural elements and landscapes with portraits of people in various postures and activities.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:60.29%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india4_79d1eeb8b7.webp" alt="painting-india4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_painting_india4_79d1eeb8b7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_painting_india4_79d1eeb8b7.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india4_79d1eeb8b7.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Indian women are often mothers and combine a practical sense of daily reality, work, caring for others, and a graceful, natural elegance. They are the pillars of our world. I try to evoke this in my paintings, and this is why my latest exhibition in Paris has the title, “Indian Women: Grace and Resilience.”<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I generally paint women and children; their universe is more accessible to me, and I share the love of drapery, textiles, and vivid color with the women of India.&nbsp;</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.08%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india5_d5d7ddf2bb.webp" alt="painting-india5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_painting_india5_d5d7ddf2bb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_painting_india5_d5d7ddf2bb.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india5_d5d7ddf2bb.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;My approach to painting was greatly influenced by classical art. I make my medium and emulsion myself, and my technique is a modernized version of the techniques of the Flemish and Italian Renaissance. Paintings take months to do using this method, and intense color is created by layers and layers of transparent oil glazes.I became a professional artist in 1981.&nbsp;Throughout a career in public art, I always dealt with a commission system. In other words, customers would request a work of art and I would find a way to express their ideas and ideals.&nbsp;This kept me very close to a general audience who generally knew nothing about the art found in galleries or museums.&nbsp;Thanks to this link with an&nbsp;audience, working with cities, schools, and other public entities, I came to understand that the basic role of a work of art is communication. To be successful, the work has to please the client and myself on the conceptual and aesthetic levels. This was the hardest part of public art.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.26%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india7_eb397d9152.webp" alt="painting-india7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_painting_india7_eb397d9152.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_painting_india7_eb397d9152.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india7_eb397d9152.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Strangely, public art prepared me as an easel painter; I sensed that my mural and sculpture experience taught me to concentrate on grand themes and pulled me to a situation where I was no longer interested in my own personal trajectory, but with our shared story. This is the opposite of what we&nbsp;learned&nbsp;to do in art school where we were encouraged to explore our own personal psyche and idiosyncrasies.&nbsp;Thanks to this public art orientation, my eyes were directed toward the outside, toward other people and their ways of life, rather than looking inside. I was first given many opportunities to explore a culture different from mine in Réunion, where I visited villages, spoke with people, photographed their animals and their environment. For ten years, I worked on this theme.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:71.51%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india6_f78b4d6dd6.webp" alt="painting-india6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_painting_india6_f78b4d6dd6.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_painting_india6_f78b4d6dd6.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india6_f78b4d6dd6.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Then I turned my eyes toward India. Going from Réunion to India, the light, the iconography, the style of dress, the architecture were all different; the range of colors too. As a result, my painting style changed completely. India has provided a marvelous opportunity to explore intense, highly saturated color as well as the power, compositional opportunities, and opulence of drapery (thanks to the women in their saris). The Indian pantheon of gods and goddesses,&nbsp;the non-temporal landscapes and temples, and the Indian people&nbsp;provide an unending inspiration for my paintings.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.57%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india8_c54dd887bd.webp" alt="painting-india8.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_painting_india8_c54dd887bd.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_painting_india8_c54dd887bd.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painting_india8_c54dd887bd.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Artwork by KATHLEEN SCARBORO</h4><hr>

Thoughts about painting india

Kids Section

Kiffer is Assistant Professor in Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. He is also affiliated with The Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics, and Society; The Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health; and the GenWell Project.

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Kiffer George Card

<h4>Could public health guidelines help stop loneliness?&nbsp;KIFFER GEORGE CARD shares both research and his perspective on how we can address the pandemic of loneliness. He advocates coming together in a whole-of-society response, which means addressing the very problem he is seeking to solve.&nbsp;</h4>United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/loneliness-surgeon-general-epidemic-covid/">loneliness an epidemic</a>&nbsp;and issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">public health advisory</a>&nbsp;on the healing effects of social connection and community.&nbsp;The report warned of the considerable adverse effects of loneliness and social isolation – comparing it to <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2013.301261">other leading risk factors</a>&nbsp;for premature death such as smoking, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol.<h4>Loneliness and social isolation can be harmful</h4>In my work as a social and behavioral epidemiologist, I have studied how social and community connectedness shapes health outcomes,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1939-7">ranging from HIV</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2018.1439186">substance use</a>.&nbsp;For example, my colleagues and I have previously shown that social isolation is associated with a&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03000-2">48 percent increase</a>&nbsp;in odds for premature death, and that lonely people have&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213566">71 percent higher odds</a>&nbsp;of reporting fair or poor health.&nbsp;Other researchers have also documented the havoc that loneliness wreaks on individuals, showing that lonely and isolated people have&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaa029">poorer immune function</a>, experience&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.189">higher levels of inflammation</a>, and are at greater risk for&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308790">heart disease</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncponc1134">cancer</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4948-6">and diabetes</a>.&nbsp;While everybody’s vulnerability to loneliness and social isolation differs, we all need social connection. Perhaps just as importantly,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-secret-to-happiness-heres-some-advice-from-the-longest-running-study-on-happiness-2017100512543#:%7E:text=The%20Harvard%20Study%20has%20found%20a%20strong%20association,isolation%20is%20a%20mood%20buster%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Dr.%20Waldinger.">Harvard research</a>&nbsp;from the longest-running cohort study ever conducted suggests that warm social relationships are the most important predictor of happiness across the life course.&nbsp;In other words, people who are disconnected lead sicker, sadder, and shorter lives.&nbsp;<h4>Public health guidelines</h4>In response to this epidemic of loneliness, my team at&nbsp;<a href="https://casch.org/guidelines">the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health&nbsp;</a>has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/university-researchers-are-helping-to-create-a-canadian-guide-for-social-connection/">engaged experts from across Canada</a>&nbsp;and globally to develop the world’s first public health guidelines for social connection.&nbsp;Similar to the&nbsp;<a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/">nutrition</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.participaction.com/">exercise</a>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health">alcohol use</a>&nbsp;guidelines promoted by many national governments, social connection guidelines have the potential to improve our health and happiness by helping us all prioritize social connections in our daily lives.&nbsp;They can also raise awareness among healthcare providers and policymakers to ensure these experts are taking actions consistent with the latest evidence highlighting the importance of social health.<h4>Promising guidelines for better social health</h4>Regardless of levels of introversion or extroversion, insufficient social connection is associated with poorer well-being. While everybody’s vulnerability to loneliness and social isolation differs, we all need social connection. Yet, people generally&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.02.007">underestimate the benefits of connecting</a>&nbsp;with others and overestimate the costs, which include the emotional labor and mental energy needed to manage relationships and your self-presentation.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000048">Regardless of levels</a>&nbsp;of introversion or extroversion, insufficient social connection is associated with poorer well-being.&nbsp;This is because social connection is a biological imperative. We evolved in&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/dunbars-number-why-my-theory-that-humans-can-only-maintain-150-friendships-has-withstood-30-years-of-scrutiny-160676">close-knit communities</a>. For ancient humans, social exclusion was a death sentence. Loneliness is our body’s way of&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2013.837379">keeping us connected</a>, but sometimes&nbsp;<a href="https://casch.org/theory">we get trapped</a>&nbsp;by it.&nbsp;Public health guidelines can help raise awareness of the importance of social connection and provide us with a road map for better social health. But what should these guidelines look like?&nbsp;This is exactly what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/from-social-distancing-to-social-connection-the-genwell-project-s-nationwide-survey-reinforces-the-importance-of-human-connection-as-canada-transitions-to-post-pandemic-recovery-822887144.html">my team has set out to understand</a>&nbsp;as part of a multi-phased, mixed-method study funded by and conducted in partnership with the Canadian government.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized image-style-align-center" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/7tips_social_connection2_68d5da4a3a.jpg"></figure>So far, we have identified a few promising approaches that each of us can act on right now:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Make sure to have&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60283c2e174c122f8ebe0f39/t/645a88655583045704102e40/1683654757592/CSCG_Evidence+Brief_Number+of+Friends.pdf">three to five close friendships</a>&nbsp;to call on when you’re in need.&nbsp; Research has shown that individuals who have at least three to five close friends experience the lowest levels of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and a range of other adverse health outcomes. Having too many friends can sacrifice quality for quantity. Having too few can leave you alone in a time of need.</li><li>Get&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60283c2e174c122f8ebe0f39/t/640e0384b9ce9e602bf93c77/1678640005938/CSCG_Evidence+Brief_Social+Time.pdf">one to three hours of social interaction per day</a>.&nbsp; That’s between 7 and 21 hours of social time per week – far more than the average of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm">34 minutes of socializing most of us get each day</a>. This value aligns with the approximate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robin-Dunbar/publication/235356868_Theory_of_mind_and_the_evolution_of_language/links/53dfc58b0cf2a768e49bddbd/Theory-of-mind-and-the-evolution-of-language.pdf">24 hours per week</a>&nbsp;that tribal and pastoral societies have historically enjoyed. While this may seem like a daunting jump in social hours for some, social interactions can include a wide variety of activities: chit chat with your barista, a phone call to a friend, conversation over dinner.</li><li><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60283c2e174c122f8ebe0f39/t/640e03a10c9c9c5dbec35801/1678640034544/CSCG_Evidence+Brief_Network+Composition.pdf">Prioritize spending time with those closest to you</a>.&nbsp; We’ve found that individuals need to socialize with both “strong” and “weak” ties, but that the balance of your social energy should be spent on close friends and family with whom you have warm relationships. This is because close relationships fulfil our most important&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00901">relational needs</a>: to feel loved, acknowledged and validated. Building these&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0265407518761225">strong ties takes time</a>.</li><li>Diversity in your social network is important too.&nbsp; <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214529799">So-called “weak ties” – those you don’t have a close relationship with – also matter</a>. In fact, studies have shown that&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa009">talking to neighbors</a>&nbsp;can build a sense of community;&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15555240.2018.1436444">making friends at work</a>&nbsp;can reduce job stress; and even&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104356">talking to strangers</a> can create a sense of safety and provide a meaningful source of connection. Different relationships provide different types of support.&nbsp;</li><li>Recognize the risks of&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60283c2e174c122f8ebe0f39/t/63e67385a6ab9322c8125ea6/1676047237951/CSCG_Evidence+Brief_Living+alone.pdf">living alone</a>.&nbsp; People who live alone are at increased risk of loneliness and&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101677">studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that living alone,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuv024">particularly for men</a>, is hazardous to your health. That means that if you live alone, prioritizing social relationships may be especially important to you.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60283c2e174c122f8ebe0f39/t/6410a513a2173037c04a2141/1678812436160/CSCG_Evidence+Brief_Old+Friends.pdf">Reach out to old friends</a>&nbsp;and don’t be afraid to&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60283c2e174c122f8ebe0f39/t/640e03cb6924ff0526a018e9/1678640075343/CSCG_Evidence+Brief_New+Connections.pdf">make new ones</a>.&nbsp; Keeping and maintaining relationships can be hard – especially in today’s fast-paced world. Renewing old friendships can be an easy way to keep your social calendar full, but keeping a healthy level of engagement with new people will make sure your friendship well doesn’t run dry.</li><li>Don’t forget the importance of solitude.&nbsp; Just as time with others is important, it’s also important to have time alone. It is perfectly good, and even healthy, to spend time alone. We call this “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118427378">solitude</a>.” In fact, for some, time with others may even&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00661-3">exacerbate feelings of loneliness</a>. Time alone provides an opportunity to restore your social reserves and meet your own personal needs.</li></ol>Following these and other strategies can improve your health and well-being. However, addressing loneliness, like many of the big problems we face today, will require a whole-of-society response. Public health guidelines for social connection can provide the foundation for such an approach.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/7tips_social_connection3_6c8c0ad1cd.jpg"></figure>This article is reprinted with permission from the author and The Conversation under Creative Commons license from&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/could-public-health-guidelines-help-stop-loneliness-7-tips-that-show-how-crucial-social-connection-is-to-well-being-205358">https://theconversation.com/could-public-health-guidelines-help-stop-loneliness-7-tips-that-show-how-crucial-social-connection-is-to-well-being-205358</a>.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4><hr>&nbsp;

7 tips that show how crucial social connection is to well-being

Kiran is an Indian designer, educationist, education reformer, and social entrepreneur. She founded the award-winning Riverside School in Ahmedabad, along with aProCh to make our cities more child friendly, and Design for Change which is in more than 60 countries. Her most recent venture is the Riverside Learning Center which offers training program to empower schools worldwide using the codified processes from Riverside. Kiran, Riverside and Design for Change have won accolades and awards, including The Earth Prize, the Rockefeller Innovation Award, The Lego Remagine Award, The Lexus Prize, and the Light of Freedom Award.

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Kiran Bir Sethi

<h4>KIRAN BIR SETHI is changing the experience of childhood in Indian cities through her education curriculum and initiatives to build healthy relationships between students and their communities. Here she is interviewed by KASHISH KALWANI.</h4><hr>Q: I’d like to begin by asking, “What book are you currently reading?” and “What book would you recommend children read?”KBS: Well, the book I have at my bedside is The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living by Eknath Easwaran. It’s something I keep dipping into. Just open any page and you’ll find some wisdom for that day.What would I recommend to children? Again, it depends on which age group. Forget what I recommend – I definitely recommend that they read! I think the worlds that open, the way they can visualize and imagine, and the way they will develop empathy are outstanding.I was always with books. My sister was also an avid reader and we had a fantastic library at home. The worlds that opened up sitting at home in a little corner were literally astounding. I could travel the world! And the way I was able to develop the ability to visualize is unparalleled. Of course, now we have cinema and videos, and while it is great, it is a very passive way to look at the world. With a book, we put the effort into imagining; it’s not just handed to us. It’s not like a pretty picture, or an art gallery. While reading, we put in the paints, the colors, and the spaces. It really activates our neurons. That’s the science behind it.It’s wonderful if children read, or are read to, when they are very young, as part of a family’s traditions.Q: Piggybacking off your mention of the Bhagavad Gita, who has been your biggest teacher and how did they impact your life?KBS: When we are ready to learn, we learn from anybody. We learn from a butterfly, from Gandhiji, from a child, and from Nature. Everything can influence us. When we open up every morning and say, “I’m ready to learn,” we never know where those lessons will come from.Having said that, there are certain places we keep going back to in order to get a dose of inspiration. For me, it started with my own family, who introduced me to the world, and how to engage with the world with empathy, kindness, integrity, and excellence.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education2_86a585ad0b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:43:39.971Z" alt=""><hr>Then, my biggest personal learning happened at the National Institute of Design (NID) as a designer. I would attribute my alma mater with figuring out, “Okay, so this is what learning really feels like.”My husband, Geet Sethi, who is a nine-times World Billiards Champion, has taught me a lot about obsession and excellence, and how to stay grounded and understand failure and victory in such a deeply personal way.Then, my children. My son introduced me to what it is to be a mother and what my purpose was. He made my passion find a purpose. My daughter is an incredible source of insight for me because she is a type 1 diabetic, and the way she lives her life is a constant source of learning for me. No matter what you are given, you can make it a gift and then anything is possible.In terms of outer inspiration, Gandhi has been a massive influence in terms of stamina. Through it all he still had a sense of humor and compassion, and there was absolutely no animosity toward anyone. That’s a fabulous lesson to learn.And then there is Nature. Whenever I have a bit of downtime, I sit outside. I am very lucky to have birds, trees and butterflies around in my ecosystem. It’s a beautiful source of renewal to see how the Earth always gives back, no matter what.Q: That’s so true! We are in very uncertain times with Covid, and education spaces have shut down completely. Children are feeling uncertain without the safe space of school and friendships – the experience of a school life. What do you believe are the next steps for education? Is there some learning to be had from all of this?KBS: Absolutely! I think Covid has unmasked the entire dysfunctional system of the world. We were always struggling. I don’t think anybody felt the education system was fantastic. There was always the sense that something was off. We kept delaying the urgency to look at it because, “Oh, maybe it happened in Africa, then in Asia, then in India.” We justified it by saying, “That’s your problem, not my problem.”Suddenly it became everyone’s problem at the same time, with the same urgency, with the same inequity! Nobody could shy away from the fact that we were all in it together. Suddenly, everybody started waking up, as if this was a surprise. But it wasn’t. It was always dysfunctional.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education3_4cd5d58ac7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:44:59.263Z" alt=""><hr><hr>Understanding ourselves and each other&nbsp; takes time, space, dedication and intentionality.&nbsp; If we have learnt anything from this,&nbsp; it’s that the heart, ethics, elevation, reflection, kindness&nbsp; and compassion will become the core curriculum.&nbsp; Everything else will flow from that.<hr><hr>Therefore, there were those people who said, “Boss, this isn’t working,” who showed other possibilities. There were pockets, which I won’t call “alternative,” but the other options. There were other ways to look at education. They had been seen as, “That’s a good experiment, but you know we can’t do it at scale.”Covid has shown us that if we don’t start with the heart, we’re not going anywhere. We have to move forward with heart. It’s the only place that is universal, perpetual, and will stand the test of time. If we don’t, and we only study the heart as co-curriculum, just for fun, we will lose the plot again. I think that’s why everybody has got worked up.Understanding ourselves and each other takes time, space, dedication and intentionality. If we have learnt anything from this, it’s that the heart, ethics, elevation, reflection, kindness and compassion will become the core curriculum. Everything else will flow from that.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education4_7e80502c82.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:46:25.163Z" alt=""><hr>Q: I really love the fact that you use the heart as the guiding factor in going forward.KBS: To fuel us!Q: Yes. Even when we look at the World Health Organization’s reports about suicide and mental health issues, we see an increase for students below the age of fifteen. Girls as young as thirteen are dying by suicide. How do we address the root cause of this?KBS: Well, there are no simple answers. There is a spiderweb of issues. Equity is not just about access, it’s also about intention.For example, when Covid hit, there were a lot of calls for vaccines and everybody kept saying, “No, no, it’ll take at least three years for a vaccine to come up,” because that is what we were used to. Look what happened! In less than eight months, when we got our acts together and worked together, what happened? The point is, when economics was factored in, suddenly the world decided, “We have to do something!”The pandemic of education has been there forever. Nobody has ever thought that collectively we have to work, because it was always somebody else’s problem. When we do come together, we will do dramatic, exceptional, outstanding things. We have never thought that education requires it. There has never been a collective will – for girls, for unreserved communities, for access, for training, for leadership – it’s all of that. A systemic change is needed, but if governments keep cutting education budgets, it gives an understanding of their priorities.Education is by far the greatest national emergency and the greatest national opportunity. If we tackle it, then a nation’s entire citizenship goes up. You suddenly have informed, educated people giving back to the nation. Right now we don’t. So, there is no easy answer to, “Why are they dying by suicide? What can we do?” This is a much bigger spiderweb of issues.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education5_e13c0f5185.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:50:01.641Z"><hr>Q: Let’s go back to the very beginning, your childhood. Tell us about your personal journey.KBS: My journey is quite a collection of happenstances along the way. There was no real plan. I think that’s been my general flow. I don’t have five-year plans. I was very lucky to have an incredible upbringing. I didn’t know that gender mattered. I think that’s the greatest thing my parents gave me. I’m the youngest of three. I have a brother and an older sister, both exceptionally talented people, and none of us were brought up to think that we were a girl or a boy, and any of us needed something more. It was important not to have those rules in my head. If you’re not brought up to believe the rules, anything is possible. That’s the beauty.When I went to NID, my view opened up so much more. My passion was ignited about the user-centered idea, with the user in mind. I had no plans to start a school. When I was in school, I thought I’d become a doctor.When I became a mum, my passion found its purpose in figuring out, “This can’t be true! Children can’t be so incidental to the whole program!” There is a system that rewards them for being quiet and compliant. That offered me the opportunity to say, “There must be a better way.”When I took my son out of school, it was not like, “I’m changing the education system.” It was just my child, my son’s life. I think that finally resulted in the Riverside School being what it is.Q: Could you share with us your initiatives, “Design for Change” and “aProCh”?KBS: aProCh started when a couple of my students from Grade 7 visited me and asked about my childhood. I told them about playing Gilli Danda and Dabba Ice-spice on the streets where I grew up, and they said, “We cannot go out in the streets, it’s too unsafe.” That prompted us to go to the city and say, “How can a city become friendly for children?” and aProCh started.Design for Change happened in 2009 when we asked, “At Riverside, how do we take it further?” My friend was planning a really interesting idea called “Joy of Giving.” We were talking about a festival of giving in India, so I said, “What about children?” It was a series of opportunities and I was able to respond with design. I thought it would happen only in India, and then TED happened and it went global. A series of pathways opened up: “Okay, what is required? Let me see if I can respond.”<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education6_9ff7e04274.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:51:11.273Z" alt=""><hr>Q: I love the enthusiasm you are sharing with this. You’ve mentioned your parents and children. I have read about your children and the fantastic work they’re doing. Taking inspiration from both, what do you feel is important for nurturing and raising children?KBS: Well, it’s not rocket science. I think it is to be a mother and not a smotherer. We don’t smother children, we mother them, and our role is very clear. Our role is to be on that journey with them as an ally, not as somebody who is forcing them to walk on a particular path.I love what Kahlil Gibran says in his poem ‘On Children’ in The Prophet: They really aren’t ours. They are here to go to the world, and I have learned that it’s an interesting, passionate detachment. We can be passionate about the journey with our children, but can we still stay detached? It is a tough task for a parent, but that’s what I have learned.<hr><hr>I love what Kahlil Gibran says in his poem&nbsp; ‘On Children’ in The Prophet:&nbsp; They really aren’t ours.&nbsp; They are here to go to the world,&nbsp; and I have learned that&nbsp; it’s an interesting, passionate detachment.<hr><hr>My son and my daughter have taught me these lessons. While they’re there and we can reach out, we will find those directions ourselves. And we would love if they come with us on that. I’d rather be that parent who goes on those journeys than one who says, “No. Don’t do that.”It’s really about learning who we are, not about who they are. I think parenting gave me the understanding that, “I thought I was this kind of person, but I’m so neurotic and sometimes I’m so painful!” It awakens stuff in us that we didn’t know existed and that awakening is why they’re children. It is not that we can teach them anything. I think we learn a lot.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education7_3a4943b366.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:52:45.721Z" alt=""><hr>Q: When you talked about attachment, it reminds me of the example of a flower blooming. If you truly love the flower, you’ll let it be rather than getting attached and needing to pluck it.KBS: Again, none of it is rocket science. You can read a lot about it, but while you might intellectually know it all, putting it into practice is the hard part. I had to grow into becoming detached. It’s easier said than done. One thing I have definitely learned, which has served me well, is to listen and tell stories. Also, always have joy in the house. I think these are far greater ingredients to serve the heart than anything else.Joyfully greet your children. Let their faces light up when they see you, because they’re picking up cues even unbeknownst to you.What you teach is less important than what they’re observing. They’re learning what you’re not teaching them. They’re learning from your body language. They’re learning from the way you interact with each other. They’re learning from the way you talk to your friends. What you say is less important than what you do.Children might not always listen to us, but they will always mimic us. Are we worth mimicking? What do we want them to mimic? They pick up ideas of ethics very early. They pick up all of it. They will pick up the way we talk to a waiter in a restaurant, or the way we talk about saving the Earth. So, all the messages we convey through our actions, our behavior, will determine what we stand for.I tell parents, “The way you greet each other and give each other respect will determine the way your children will respect their own partners when they grow up. Take that very seriously.” I remember so many stories my father used to tell us at the dinner table. Nowadays there are no dinner table conversations. Everybody is on their phone, or an iPad is front of a child.Q: That is unfortunate. I wonder how we can channel technology to help bring us closer, which it indeed has in these times. Even so, I personally have very mixed opinions of social media.KBS: I am of the generation that didn’t grow up with all of this. I am a reluctant convert!<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education8_68354ad72f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:54:38.124Z"><hr><hr>I have learned that we don’t have tomorrow,&nbsp; we only have today.&nbsp; Find a moment to be kind, to reach out,&nbsp; to love a little bit more and more shamelessly.&nbsp; Be abundant to Nature today, not tomorrow.<hr><hr>Q: The answer might be obvious, but I would still love to know what you feel is better, a degree or experience?KBS: I don’t think it’s either/or. I think if you really make the most of your education, then get a degree and supplement it with experience, as that is a great marriage of the two. Had I not gone to NID and pursued the rigor of the program, I would have been a lesser-skilled practitioner. Of course, the degree alone doesn’t make it work. I had to then go into the world and build a portfolio of work, and that experience was also invaluable. Wherever both are possible, that’s the best.Currently, there is a disregard for degrees. Degrees matter when they are quality education. But if we understand the rigor and value of disciplinary thinking, and supplement it with experience, it’s a great marriage.There is value in putting your head down and writing pieces and getting feedback, even if you’re prodigiously talented. I would not discount the rigor of a disciplinary mind.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/building_community_education9_78bdf42501.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T03:55:47.688Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Finally, is there any last message that you’d like to share with us?KBS: I have learned that we don’t have tomorrow, we only have today. Find a moment to be kind, to reach out, to love a little bit more and more shamelessly. Be abundant to Nature today, not tomorrow.<hr><hr><h4>Interviewed by KASHISH KALWANI.</h4><hr>

Building community through education

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Kishore Debnath

<hr><h4>KISHORE DEBNATH explores how science, art, and spirituality all take us beyond the physical world into subtler realms where we must understand and describe phenomena through abstraction.</h4><hr>In a world that often demands clear-cut answers and tangible results, the concepts of spirituality and abstraction may seem elusive and intangible. Yet, these ideas offer a profound understanding of the true nature of reality.As we delve deeper into the subtleties of life, we begin to perceive reality more accurately, even if expressing these insights proves challenging. Abstraction, while seemingly vague, provides a more accurate representation of physical phenomena than concrete objects alone.<h4>Spirituality: The Subtle Path to Perceiving Reality</h4>Spirituality is a journey towards the subtle aspects of existence, transcending the physical, and delving into the essence of life. As we progress on the spiritual journey, we develop a heightened awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, often leading to experiences that defy conventional explanations.Discussing spiritual experiences can be challenging because they often extend beyond the limits of language. Words cannot adequately capture the essence of these profound experiences, as they are deeply personal and unique to each individual. To overcome this limitation, spiritual practitioners may rely on metaphor, allegory, and symbolism to convey their insights. In doing so, they embrace abstraction as a means to communicate the ineffable nature of reality.<hr><hr><h4>Spirituality is a journey towards the subtle aspects of existence,&nbsp; transcending the physical, and delving into the essence of life.</h4><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality_abstraction2_bbed90288a.jpg" alt="" sizes="(max-width: 491px) 100vw, 491px"><hr><h4>Abstraction: A Path to Greater Accuracy</h4>The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.—Edsger W. Dijkstra, Dutch Computer Scientist, Turing Award WinnerAt first glance, abstraction may appear vague or ambiguous. However, it is an essential tool for accurately representing complex and multifaceted phenomena. Through abstraction, we can generalize and simplify concepts, enabling us to grasp the underlying patterns and structures that govern the physical world.In both science and art, abstraction allows us to understand phenomena that may be too intricate or vast for direct observation. For example, theoretical physicists use abstract mathematical models to describe the behavior of subatomic particles, while artists employ abstraction to evoke emotions or convey ideas that transcend the literal representation of objects.<hr><hr><h4>By transcending the limits of the physical world, we can develop&nbsp; a greater sense of interconnectedness, compassion, and empathy – qualities&nbsp; that are essential for spiritual growth.</h4><hr><hr><h4>The Interplay of Spirituality and Abstraction</h4>The relationship between spirituality and abstraction is one of mutual reinforcement. As we delve deeper into spirituality, we develop a greater appreciation for the abstract nature of reality. This understanding, in turn, enables us to perceive the world more accurately and holistically.Similarly, abstraction fosters spiritual growth by challenging our reliance on concrete objects, and encouraging us to explore the more subtle aspects of existence. By transcending the limits of the physical world, we can develop a greater sense of interconnectedness, compassion, and empathy – qualities that are essential for spiritual growth.While spirituality and abstraction may seem elusive, they offer a profound understanding of the true nature of reality. By embracing the subtle aspects of existence, we perceive the world more accurately and develop a deeper connection with ourselves and others. The interplay between spirituality and abstraction challenges our reliance on concrete objects, encouraging us to explore the intangible and ineffable aspects of life. As we continue to develop our spiritual and abstract understanding, we can foster a more compassionate and interconnected world.The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.—Helen Keller.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4><hr><hr>

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