Executive Chef Vijay was born in India, graduated from the National Business Management College in Sydney, Australia, then cooked in Thailand, New York, and now Dallas, TX. His samosas and chutneys topped celebrity Bobby Flay’s show, Beat Bobby Flay, and he has appeared on the Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen.

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Vijay Sahu

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<h4>VIJAY SADHU is a perfectionist. Whether he is standing in the kitchen of one of
 his many successful restaurants in the United States, competing with Bobby Flay, or simply sitting in meditation,
 Chef Vijay determinedly puts his heart into everything he does. The result? Great food that is filled with love,
 hardearned and well-deserved success, and a daily effort to show up as his best possible self. Sitting at a table at
 Fausto’s, Kanha Shanti Vanam’s Italian Restaurant, he shares more about his passion for cooking and his journey of
 becoming a chef with MAMATA VENKAT, how finding a Guru and diving into
 spirituality changed his attitude in the kitchen, and how all of his experiences have shaped his most important
 role: being a parent.</h4>
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Q: Chef, how did you discover your passion for being in the kitchen?
VS: My experience was very different. I was more
 into dancing when I was growing up, and I was part of a band that my friends used to have. I moved out of home when
 I was 15, and from that age I never depended on anyone. I was a dropout because of the band. We were performing a
 show in a hotel in Hyderabad, and the venue was right next to the kitchen. I was smelling the aroma and air of
 beautiful food, and I said, “Oh my gosh, this is so incredible!”
My eldest brother was a chef. My parents were worried about me. They were like, “What is
 this guy? He doesn’t want to go to school. He doesn’t want to go to college.” I was very careless. I didn’t really
 worry too much. 
 I said, “Take it as it comes.” 
 I started liking cooking, food, and serving people. There was no grandmother inspiration or mother inspiration. I’m
 a self-made person. I started working as an apprentice for some of the big hotel chains. Then, I had the opportunity
 to go to the U.S. at the age of 18 and ended up in Manhattan. There I started working for some of the best
 restaurants, peeling onions, and doing behind-the-scenes work. It was all old-school style.
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Q: What does the journey look like for someone who is trying to be a world-famous
 chef?
VS: Back in the day, not every chef went to
 college. I didn’t go to college to begin with. After working in New York, I made some money, and then I thought
 about going to college. I moved to India for six months, worked for one of the top hotel chains, and wanted to be at
 the management level, but people would say, “No, you don’t have a degree, so you can’t be a manager”. I thought that
 was discrimination, but while having tea with a cousin of mine, looking at a newspaper, I saw something about study
 abroad in Australia. So I packed my bags and moved to Australia. There I finished my hotel management degree right
 off the bat. I worked for a good restaurant there, and then I moved back to the U.S. again. That’s when I really
 started.
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<h5 style="text-align: center;">Whatever I did, I put my heart into it. 
 That’s number one. I don’t compromise at all.</h5>


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Q: What kind of attitude did you have in order to create success for yourself?

VS: From day one, I wanted to be a perfectionist in
 everything that I did. I don’t waste my time. If I do something, I’ll do it perfectly, otherwise I’ll say, “I don’t
 think this is for me” or “I’m not ready for this.” I don’t experiment with things, except recipes. That’s how I
 started working for some great chefs.
I had an opportunity to open my own restaurant in Milwaukee when I was a young guy,
 probably 29 or 30. It was called Saffron Bistro, with a lot of European influence, and it was rated one of the best
 restaurants in the world by Bon Appetit Magazine. My restaurant was a small hole in the wall, no bar, just tables
 and the food, some wines.
From there, it just kept growing, growing, growing. I appeared on television with other
 chefs, I was on the cover of a lot of magazines in New York and Milwaukee, and then I moved to India again. I came
 with my family here and opened a restaurant in Hyderabad. But the mentality didn’t suit me, so I packed my bags and
 moved back to the U.S. again. I opened a beautiful restaurant in Dallas called Northwest Frontier Cuisine. I
 prepared a lot of kebabs and barbequed food. My restaurant was once again rated one of the top restaurants in
 Dallas. I was the first Indian person to do that.
There I was blessed to work under one of the best chefs in the world, Steven Pyles, the
 father of Southwestern cuisine, who invented Tex-Mex. He pulled me out and said, “Hey, why don’t you work with me?”
 I worked for him, and then opened a restaurant called Sutra, with a Portuguese-Spanish influence and an Indian
 touch. It did phenomenally well. Whatever I did, I put my heart into it. That’s number one. I don’t compromise at
 all.
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Q: I imagine that you apply that mentality of perfectionism to your meditation
 practice. What drew you to spirituality and, specifically, to Heartfulness?
VS: In 1998, my brother said, “Hey, why don’t you
 try Heartfulness?” 
 I said, “What is that?” 
 From my childhood, I was never into idol worship. I used to go to the temple with my parents, but I wasn’t really
 into it, although I believe there is a God. I started Heartfulness, and met the Guide, Chariji, in 1998 in Austin,
 did for a month, but I didn’t continue. I was back to my usual stuff. People do service, and cooking for people is
 my kind of service.
Two and a half years ago, I met my wife, who was into Heartfulness, and the first thing
 I told her was, “Don’t try to get me into Heartfulness.” One day, Daaji started coming in front of me in subtle
 form. There was a Heartfulness trainer in Dallas and I went to him and said, “I want to have a meditation session.”
 So I never stopped. I know we all miss parts of the practice here and there, but as I mentioned to you earlier, if I
 like something, I do it.
The first book I ever read was Designing Destiny from cover to cover. I’d never
 finished a book before. It changed my perception about lifestyle and everything. I used to eat meat, breakfast,
 lunch and dinner, but after finishing Designing Destiny I stopped eating meat right away. I used to smoke
 and I just said no and stopped right away. It’s not just respect for the guru; I love him. I’ve started to really
 miss him from the bottom of my heart. I used to only listen to hip-hop and jazz, Cuban jazz. That’s what pumped me
 up in the kitchen or in my car. After finishing that book, now I listen to Babuji’s talks. It changed me so much, my
 way of thinking.
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Q: Do you think that the love for this practice and the connection with your guide has
 positively impacted the way that your food turns out?
VS: I always cooked with love from the beginning. I
 used to call it focus. My mentors taught me that it was all about consistency, quality, using proper ingredients,
 and then putting love, putting your heart and cooking. That’s always been there. It wasn’t because of Heartfulness,
 but Heartfulness added a layer to it.
When I came to Kanha two and a half years ago, I visited Daaji. He looked at me, shook
 my hand, and that was it. Later, my brother came, so I went with my brother to Daaji’s apartment. While leaving, at
 the entrance, I started crying. It just happened. And I didn’t know why I was crying. It was like a child missing
 his mom.
My desire was always to cook for Daaji, and during this visit I started cooking for him
 from the first day. Until today, I’ve been cooking for him. That connection between him and I – I don’t ask for
 anything. I don’t want to ask for anything because I don’t need to. I took a break for two days and went to Vizag
 with my wife. I literally started crying in the cab, saying, “Honey, let’s go back. I miss him.” I don’t expect
 anything from him.
When I open my eyes, I think of him. That has improved my cooking a lot. My flavors have
 changed. The way I cook vegetables is different. The way I use spices. The way I create dishes is natural,
 spontaneous, and it just comes automatically now. When I cook for him, I don’t have to plan, it just comes. My love
 toward food has gone up tremendously. It has improved so much.

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<h5 style="text-align: center;">The way I create dishes is natural, spontaneous, 
 and it just comes automatically now. 
 My love toward food has gone up tremendously. 
 It has improved so much.</h5>


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Q: How do you think your attitude in the kitchen has changed?
VS: There was a tremendous change after practicing
 Heartfulness. Three years ago, when I worked for the W Hotel, I was very tough and very straightforward, I would
 never compromise, and I would yell at my staff. At the end of the day, we all have emotions, so we need to balance
 them. People would sabotage me because I was tough. Ego was there. I was in competition, I was in the newspapers, in
 magazines, and it was a big deal. People would come from the East Coast to try my food. I always wanted more. My
 dream was to get a James Beard Award.
My ego started melting because of this practice. In general, I don’t like to show off,
 and I’m mellow, easy, I need my space. I took Daaji’s advice on how to change, how to look at things in a positive
 way. I had problems with everybody. I looked at the right way, but I didn’t compromise. I wouldn’t let things go.
 Now, every day, I park at my same spot, and before I go inside to work, I pray. I have seen the change, how people
 started approaching me in a positive way. They started approaching me in the kitchen, and that is a big plus.
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Q: Your path during your teens and twenties was unconventional. It was not a
 stereotypical, linear path. I imagine that your parents had moments of deep stress, concern and worry. How has
 your experience impacted the way you parent? What advice would you give to people who are in their teens and
 early twenties who want to follow their passions?
VS: I don’t tell my kids what to do, and what not
 to do. All I tell them is to focus, and put a lot of your love in whatever you do. Don’t give up. Stick to your
 passions. Don’t jump from here to there. Don’t be fickle. Think always that there is a God that is helping you, that
 is always there for you. I don’t see what they study. I don’t go through their homework. I don’t do any of that. I
 am teaching them to be independent, but I’m there for them all the time. With my experiences of what I did in the
 past – smoking and drinking and relationships – I do tell them to be careful.
Every human being makes mistakes. Just don’t repeat the mistakes. I tell my daughter,
 who is sixteen, “If you get a ticket, you will have to pay for it, not just money, but you will have to pay the
 consequences. Do you really want to go through that, or do you just want to be careful?” 
 My son is nineteen: “I know what you do. I’m not asking, but cut it off, don’t do it.” Why? This is the reason. I
 don’t just tell them,“Don’t do it,” I give my own examples as a father and friend to show them why it’s important to
 be careful.

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<h5 style="text-align: center;">I don’t tell my kids what to do, 
 and what not to do. 
 All I tell them is to focus, 
 and put a lot of your love 
 in whatever you do.
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We are missing that relatability between parent and child. Most parents are very
 controlling and they want their children to be doctors and engineers because they are doctors and engineers. But it
 doesn’t make any sense at all. If you want to be a painter, be a painter. If you want to be a magician, be the best
 magician out there. That’s what I tell my children. Be who you are.
We work for money, but that is wrong. Work with compassion, work with love. If you’re
 really interested, do what you want to do. In any field, there is no limit. If you want to be a carpenter, you can
 be the best carpenter. If you want to be a teacher, you can be the best teacher. If you want to be a chef, you can
 be the best chef. That’s how I look at things.
Q: What is the one lesson that has resonated in every moment of your life?
VS: I say, “Be in love, just focus, and think that
 your Beloved is doing everything.” You are just an instrument. Be a perfectionist. Whatever you do, do it perfectly.

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<h5 style="text-align: center;">Work with compassion, work with love. 
 If you’re really interested, 
 do what you want to do. 
 In any field, there is no limit.
</h5>


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

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The heartful chef

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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color">
 Chef VIJAY SAHU has cooked his way from India to Australia, and across
 Thailand, New York, and now Dallas, TX.&nbsp;Here he shares his thoughts on
 preparing a very special meal from the heart, and how important it is to
 fill the food with love.
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<h2 class="text-left">
 What is heartful
 cooking?
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 In my view, it is to cook food with love, compassion and gratitude; to cook
 food in remembrance with a balanced mind; and to eat food in a prayerful
 mood.


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 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking3_042b4d7426.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:12:21.954Z" />
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Here are 10 tips for heartful cooking:

1. Food needs to be simple, fresh, healthy, and tasty.&nbsp;


 2. Cook with a focused mind by centering yourself, and cook food with love
 from your heart.


3. Never cook in a rush.&nbsp;

4. Follow the techniques to create a well-balanced meal.

5. Maintain hygiene in the kitchen and cook in a cleanly manner.

6. Select quality organic ingredients where possible.&nbsp;

7. Serve food with a loving attitude.

8. Eat in a prayerful mood with gratitude.

9. Cook perfectly – not well or great but perfectly.

10. Never waste food because food is prasad from God.

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 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking2_9e559f1548.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:45:48.919Z" />
 <figcaption>Pickled beets, poached tomatoes, star fruit, micro nasturtiums</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

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<h4 class="text-center">
 Cook with a focused
 mind by centering yourself, and cook food with love from your heart.
</h4>

<hr />


 Before my visit to Kanha Shanti Vanam earlier this year, I had a strong will
 to cook a Sufi meal for around 300 of the participants of the 150th
 birth anniversary of Lalaji. Sufi cuisine is a combination of Turkish,
 Lebanese, and Persian flavors. I didn’t know how and where I could find
 people to help me with the cooking as well as serving, so I prayed and
 received help from one of the well-known culinary institutes in Hyderabad. I
 didn’t know any of these students, and had never cooked with them. Nor had
 they heard of Sufi cuisine and they were totally new to this world. But I
 had strong faith in my Master, which helped me during the event.


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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 600px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking4_eb69b8d62b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:52:13.765Z" />
 <figcaption>
 Karinyarik, mujadra, garlic sauce, zaatar oil, gulab
 </figcaption>
</div>

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 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 600px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking5_0abb73458f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:37.368Z" />
 <figcaption>Falafel</figcaption>
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 With my will and faith in him, I built my confidence in cooking. During the
 entire evening my focus was only on cooking – how to get authentic flavors
 and presentation to make everyone happy. Without my Master’s help and
 support, I don’t think the event would have been successful. I am 100%
 convinced that it could happen only because of faith and confidence in
 him.&nbsp;


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 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 492px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking6_7fce6f2b84.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:54:40.207Z" />
 <figcaption>
 Arugula salad, labneh, sour beet jam, sweet mustard drizzle
 </figcaption>
</div>
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 I have started applying this new technique both in my spiritual and culinary
 journey. Daaji gave me one piece of advice, which I will remember forever,
 and that is “Listen to your Heart while cooking.” This is really helping me
 a lot.


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 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 492px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking7_8cdee4176d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:55:49.331Z" />
 <figcaption>Aush reshteh soup</figcaption>
</div>

10 tips for heartful cooking

Passionate about saving rare trees, Dr. Juturu combines science and conservation to protect endangered species at the Heartfulness Tree Conservation Center. His work bridges research and restoration, ensuring these trees thrive for future generation.

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Vijaya Naresh Juturu

<h4>B. RATHINASABAPATHY and VIJAYA NARESH JUTURU share how the Heartfulness Institute is preserving a tree steeped in legend and ecological significance.</h4>Among India’s sacred trees, few carry a story as tender as the Krishna Buttercup Tree. Its leaves, folded like tiny cups, are believed to have once held butter lovingly taken by young Lord Krishna. A tree with a legend etched in its leaves, it continues to inspire devotion, ecological respect, and conservation efforts to this day.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Legend Written in Leaves</h4>The Krishna Buttercup Tree (Ficus krishnae) is a unique species of fig, celebrated for its spiritually evocative leaf structure. Each leaf forms a natural cup or pouch—a feature deeply intertwined with Hindu mythology. According to popular lore, young Lord Krishna once stole butter and, to avoid being caught, hid it in a curled leaf. This legend gave rise to the tree’s name and its affectionate moniker: the buttercup tree. This story has kept the tree sacred for centuries, and its curled leaf is regarded as a divine signature—a living relic of Lord Krishna’s playful devotion.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Tree Struggling to Survive</h4>Unlike many other fig species, Ficus krishnae faces unique biological constraints that make natural regeneration extremely difficult. Studies have shown that only about 10% of seedlings grown from its seeds remain true to type, while nearly 90% revert to the common Ficus benghalensis. This means that even when seeds germinate, the chances of preserving the unique identity of Ficus krishnae are very low.Additionally, the species relies on specialized pollinators, whose decline further disrupts its reproductive cycle. These compounded biological constraints place the tree at high risk of vanishing from its natural landscapes.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Conservation at Heartfulness Tree Conservation Center</h4>To safeguard this culturally and ecologically significant species, the Heartfulness Institute, through the Heartfulness Tree Conservation Center, has undertaken extensive research on clonal propagation techniques. Propagation methods such as stem cuttings, air-layering, and tissue culture were systematically attempted to overcome the limitations of natural seed-based reproduction. Among these, tissue culture emerged as the most effective and reliable approach. Years of dedicated experimentation have enabled the development of robust protocols that ensure not only high survival and multiplication rates but also the preservation of the true genetic identity of Ficus krishnae in every sapling produced. As a result, hundreds of healthy saplings have been successfully raised at the center, a significant proportion of which are being distributed across diverse regions under our ex situ conservation programs. These efforts represent a critical step toward ensuring the long-term survival and restoration of this rare and culturally revered species. Beyond conserving a single rare tree, this work embodies the harmony between science and spirituality—protecting biodiversity while honoring cultural heritage.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/krishna_buttercup_tree2_6c27c4965e.webp" alt="krishna-buttercup-tree2.webp"><figcaption>Krishna Fig leaf—front and back, revealing its divine scoop, said to cradle Lord Krishna’s butter.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Why This Tree Matters</h4>Conserving Ficus krishnae is not just about protecting one species. It represents a broader message about the delicate balance between nature and culture, science and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/creativity-and-spirituality" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a>. Every threatened species lost is a thread removed from the intricate web of biodiversity, weakening ecosystems and diminishing cultural heritage.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Beyond conserving a single rare tree, this work embodies the harmony between science and spirituality—protecting biodiversity while honoring cultural heritage.</h4><hr><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/krishna_buttercup_tree3_cb1f8a1b08.webp" alt="krishna-buttercup-tree3.webp"><figcaption>Krishna Fig—Planted in devotion (2021) nurtured by time, now a sacred shelter of grace (2025).</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;At Heartfulness Institute, we believe conservation is both a scientific responsibility and a spiritual duty. Through our work with Ficus krishnae, we aim to set an example of how modern propagation techniques, combined with cultural wisdom, can address the challenges of conserving rare and threatened species.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Tree Worthy of Worship and Wisdom</h4>Krishna Buttercup Tree reminds us that every leaf can tell a story—in this case, a divine tale with ecological urgency. It connects the ancient with the future, myth with science, and devotion with action. May the curled leaf of Ficus krishnae inspire us to protect not only our sacred stories, but also the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/think-ecosystem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ecosystems</a> that hold them.The Krishna Buttercup Tree is more than a botanical rarity. It is a living link between myth and ecology, faith and responsibility. More than a tree, it is a story. A place where devotion meets conservation, and every leaf whispers a timeless bond between nature and faith.&nbsp;

The Krishna Buttercup Tree

After spending 38 years working in the upstream oil &amp; gas industry, Vijayakumar Kidambi pivoted into sustainability work, with involvement in Forests by Heartfulness activities. Vijay has been a Heartfulness practitioner for more than 35 years and a trainer for 18 years.

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Vijayakumar Kidambi

<h4>How Forests by Heartfulness is helping campuses across Andhra Pradesh become living classrooms for sustainability.</h4><h4>BY VIJAYAKUMAR KIDAMBI</h4>On World Environment Day 2026, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu planted a sapling at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, marking the launch of a partnership between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Forests by Heartfulness. The initiative aims to transform 1,047 welfare residential schools and junior colleges into carbon-neutral, biodiversity-rich campuses, while offering students the opportunity to experience sustainability as part of daily school life.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Carbon_Neutral1_8ebb66ec7f.webp" alt="See how Forests by Heartfulness is creating carbon-neutral campuses with solar, water and forests."></figure>&nbsp;Central to the greening of these campuses is a high-density afforestation model intended to establish thriving, layered ecosystems more quickly, transforming bare or underused land into biodiverse spaces with measurably cooler microclimates.Established through a signed memorandum of understanding with the Social Welfare Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, in May 2026, the project advances both the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Heartfulness toward their shared goal of a greener, more sustainable home for humanity. The project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action, India’s commitment to reach net zero by 2070, and Andhra Pradesh’s Swarnandhra vision of net-zero emissions by 2047. The Forests by Heartfulness team developed the project’s end-to-end framework—covering energy, water, waste, green cover, and sustainability.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/carbon_neutral_infographic_d8df7a6b4f.jpg" alt="carbon-neutral-infographic.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;The commitment to net-zero campuses spans 1,047 institutions across 28 districts of Andhra Pradesh in the first phase and will reach more than 300,000 students across the state’s welfare residential system. Together, these institutions generate an estimated 47,500 metric tons of Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide equivalent emissions each year. The project’s six planned interventions have a projected offset potential of roughly 48,000 metric tons annually and include:<ul><li>Rooftop solar power</li><li>Rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling&nbsp;</li><li>Solid-waste management and circular-economy practices&nbsp;</li><li>Energy monitoring and more efficient lighting and fans&nbsp;</li><li>High-density mini-forests, medicinal tree gardens, and kitchen gardens&nbsp;</li><li>Training and community engagement</li></ul>The project also preserves the decades-old trees already on campus, whose carbon-absorbing work has largely gone unnoticed.Data and progress are tracked using AI to derive insights automatically from drone survey data.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Carbon_Neutral2_831843be62.webp" alt="Carbon-Neutral2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Alongside its environmental goals, the project has an educational purpose. Students will encounter solar energy, water conservation, waste reduction, and biodiversity in daily campus life. The campus itself can therefore become a place where environmental responsibility is practiced as well as taught.Daaji, the global guide of Heartfulness, teaches that care for the environment follows naturally from care for oneself: as the heart expands, care extends from the self to all creation.Students are central to the project’s long-term value. Through experiential learning, participation, and institutional support, the campuses can become active centers of environmental awareness and climate action.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Carbon_Neutral3_8eb4e4668c.webp" alt="Carbon-Neutral3.webp">&nbsp;By taking part in these initiatives while in school, students can develop habits of environmental stewardship that extend into their communities and future work. Lower emissions and richer biodiversity will change campuses; the experience of helping create those changes may stay with students long after graduation.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;FROM FORESTS BY HEARTFULNESSForests by Heartfulness nurtures and protects native, endemic, and endangered plant species through expert-guided nurseries, plantation drives, long-term monitoring, and community participation.<a href="https://heartfulness.org/forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heartfulness.org/forests</a>

Carbon-neutral campuses, lifelong lessons

Viji Balasubramanian is a counsellor and professional coach who lives in the U.S.A. &nbsp;With a background in biomedical clinical research and academia, she later became a psychologist and professional coach, empowering people from all walks of life to maximise their potential and shape their well-being and success. She coordinates the Heartfulness CARE for Cancer Program, and is a Heartfulness trainer and practitioner.

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Viji Balasubramanian

<h4 style="text-align: justify;">VIJI BALASUBRAMANIAN takes us, along with her family, on a journey of discovery and
 bonding in a tiger reserve in Kerala India.</h4>
<hr />
<img class="img-float-right has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/magnificent_mother_nature_img_1_dbe918cb43.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-29T11:06:17.407Z"
 alt="mother-nature-tiger" width="400" style="width: 400px !important;" />The plan was to take a trip with our
 extended family during the school holidays. We remembered a talk given by Ms Srilekha Venkateswar from The Wild Walk
 (www.thewildwalk.com) at our school’s annual day function. She said that today’s parents think they are bonding with
 their children in front of the TV or in the shopping mall, but that’s not bonding. Real bonding is when we are
 together in Nature, one with our natures, one with each other – our humble selves with magnificent Mother Nature. So,
 off we went, young, old, all in tow, to the Parambikulam Forest Tiger Preserve in Kerala, southern India.
Those four days were filled with so much serenity. I found myself going down on my knees
 to my children’s height while we chatted and it seemed so much more connected. We drank tea from the hut of an 80-year
 old man who was not a tribal native, but had come there as a young man to help build the dams. He had so many stories.
 His self-sufficiency and ability to walk effortlessly through the slopes of the forest were amazing. We slept in tents
 that were so simple yet very modern and convenient. Peacocks climbed on the roofs of the tents and all night long they
 kept ‘talking’ to each other.
<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center;">All zipped up in a tent … 
 Excited to be in the jungle … 
 Alligators basking in the sun … 
 Peacocks by the dozen, dancing 
 in their colours … 
 Elephants in plenty caring for 
 one baby calf … 
 Spotted and Samba deers with 
 their beautiful eyes … 
 The majestic Indian Gaur … 
 I think I almost saw the flower 
 fairies … maybe in my heart. 
 Magical, 
 magical, 
 magical.</h5>
<hr />
The morning walk by the river was gorgeous. “Look mom, elephant poop. Wow it is huge!”
 My daughter had her binoculars and was able to see the Malabar kingfisher and the hornbills. So many peacocks graced
 our morning walks with their pretty dances.
The astonishing thing was that these safari rides, boat rides and walks filled us inside
 out in a strange way. We would come back for food and respite and everybody would be silent. Just as I thought, “Maybe
 they are getting bored,” somebody would pipe up, “Did you see that Malabar squirrel and the way it was moving from
 branch to branch?” or “Did you see the Langoor black monkey that was hanging upside down?” And there would be a glow
 on everyone’s faces again.
Treasures ...
 Memories …
<img class="my-4 w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/magnificent_mother_nature_img_2_a4d6a0ff84.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-29T11:13:43.932Z"
 alt="mother-nature" />I did not know how my five-year-old would fare. Taking him along was a good lesson for me as a
parent. Never  underestimate them – their love for nature, their curiosity, and their enthusiasm for the wild.

On the second day he commented, “If we are going to journey through the forest to see the ‘same’ animals again I am not
coming. I’m going to stay in the tent with thatta and patti and speak with the peacocks.” Come time to explore again,
however, he was the first one to roll out, and after a five-hour safari he put his head to rest sleepily on me. But
every time the bus slowed down to let a deer or bison pass, he would wake up to look and tell me if it was a Samba deer
or a spotted deer. The child behind so excitedly remarked, “Bison! Look! Bison!” My son sleepily said, “No amma, that’s
a Gaur. Bisons don’t live in India.’ Wow! I wish all learning was this practical, straight into the head and heart. Some
day.
<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by VIJI BALASUBRAMANIAN</h4>
<hr />

Magnificent Mother Nature

In today’s technological era, Vikram is dedicated to keeping the tradition of storytelling alive. Calling it “an art form as old as human existence itself,” this former software engineer uses storytelling as a bridge between the young and the old. Vikram is the mind behind Around the Story Tree, a conservation initiative through storytelling, and the main contact for the marketing and publicity of Tahatto, a Bangalore-based theater group. He is a frequent TEDx speaker.

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Vikram Sridhar

<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/storyteller2_a42e0971d4.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:04:29.191Z"><h3 style="text-align:center;">… THERE WAS A STORYTELLER</h3><h4>VIKRAM SRIDHAR is a modern day storyteller from Bangalore, India. Here he shares with MEGHANA ANAND some insights about the art of storytelling and how it is an enabler of the wisdom bridge.</h4>Q: Hi Vikram. Tell us how you came to be a storyteller.VS: Storytelling connects three broad areas of my interest – theater, conservation and social work – though my academic qualification is in engineering and management. Theater for me meant acting, production, backstage, and ticketing; basically producing a play. I used to work with wildlife organizations in the rescue space in Bangalore, rescuing kites, monkeys and snakes. I also used to work with children, senior citizens and others in the social sector.Storytelling first happened once when someone asked me, as a theater person, to come and tell a story. But when I looked at the story world a little more deeply, I understood that actually every folktale has flora and fauna deeply embedded in it. And if you extrapolate that into Indian mythology also, every deity has an animal or a bird and a tree or a plant. That means conservation is not outside, it’s already there in our households and folklore, and these stories are what we today call folktales.Conservation is not only about flora and fauna. It can be about our languages, the textiles we wear, and even our emotions. For example, how do you express anger? How do you use it? That is conserving your own emotions. The Bhagavad Gita says, “Ahankaram balam darpam kamam krodham,” meaning, “Arrogance, strength, pride, lust and anger.” These are all part of our emotional palette. Every story has these emotions. Either as a listener or as a teller we are going through these emotions. That’s what makes us human beings.What I love from a theater perspective is that it is not about performing on stage, where I need to learn lines by-heart. Storytelling is more candid and more open. Second, I can see the audience’s reactions and change or adapt, by listening to their voices. And third, now I had a tool for social work, and in today’s times you definitely need a tool to make a change. That’s what happened.I realized that I love being in spaces with children, telling them stories. Who doesn’t like to laugh? So from the Spastic Society to an old-age home to an orphanage, even in hospitals sometimes, story is a medium that I use. It is not only about going to different spaces; even speaking to another human being itself is social work. In today’s times, when people need a lot more of a human voice, just listening itself is therapeutic.Q: Absolutely. So what kind of stories do you narrate? From where do you get your inspiration and what is the source of your stories?VS:&nbsp;In today’s world, a huge chunk of what we call folktales, which connect us from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Gujarat to Arunachal, are found only in the children’s section of bookstores. That is my source. A lot of revival has happened in poetry today, but these folktales that have come down to us through generations, are today to be found in books in the children’s section mostly. Of course I give credit to the writers who have documented them. But this is an oral tradition of our country, and when it is no longer orally transmitted, there is no longer life in it.So my source is just these pure simple tales – The Panchatantra, The Jataka, and even The Stories of King Vikramaditya. If you go deeper into the Vikramaditya stories, there is so much more from an adult’s emotional perspective. Today who knows these stories? They are profound, and told in a simple language which can be understood. For a child it may be just a joke, but for an adult it’s such a strong thing.So my source is digging the folktales of our country itself. Every state has thousands and thousands of folktales, and that’s where I start my collection. The word ‘folklore’ means ‘wisdom of people’, so it could be anything from Tenali Raman to Birbal, Rabindranath Tagore to Bharatiyar. It could be stories from the history of known people and unknown people, stories about the origin of food and so on.So one source is definitely folktales, and the other is listening and digging deeper, questioning. When I question, I discover that everything has a story.Q: Who are your audiences? How do they respond to your sessions?VS:&nbsp;My assumption is that human beings like to listen to stories. We assume that children are the ones who love stories, whereas I feel that anybody who is emotional will love stories. And I think everyone is emotional.It’s also a journey for me. Even if I don’t achieve a certain emotional response today, it may happen tomorrow. I am not a storyteller; I am trying to be a storyteller. I may be a storyteller tomorrow and then I will connect more with someone.Each person responds based on their baggage – on their mindset, how their day passed, and so on. For children there is absolutely no yesterday, today or tomorrow, and that’s the ideal state that we all try to reach. As adults, we are constrained by the traffic, what we are going to make or eat for dinner, and in that, how we express our emotions. So, depending on the day people react to the stories differently.Q: Storytelling for children is popular, but what triggered you to reach out to adults through this medium?VS:&nbsp;One trigger was definitely discovering a deeper meaning to the stories we generally tell, like The Hare and the Tortoise. It’s a story we tell children about life, but if you look at it deeper, are we a mammal like the hare or a reptile like the tortoise? Are we running life like the hare or are we walking life like a tortoise?The original story is in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-tale-of-tales" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aesop’s Fables</a>; Aesop was a somewhat romanticized character who is depicted as a Greek slave who was freed because of his cleverness, and ended up becoming an advisor to kings and city states. From the little bit of travel that I have done, I have come across the phrase “Haraka haraka haina baraka”, which is a proverb in Swahili that means “Haste makes waste” (Literally it means “Hurry, hurry, no blessing”). In Hindi, it’s dhire dhire (slowly, slowly); in Tamil, arakka parakka (hurry-burry).<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/storyteller3_ac6a5b8a1f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:06:02.968Z">And in Sevagram, where Gandhi lived, there’s a huge placard which says “Mad Rush,” and he talks about how the world will keep running. He quotes Aristotle, Socrates, Vivekananda, Buddha, and says that every generation will have people running, running, running. There will only be a few who run slow. And when these runners look back in life, it will be an empty road. Now if you look at The Hare and the Tortoise story from this perspective, it’s symbolic of this fact of life. And that for me was a trigger.The second trigger was when I went to the Sabarmati Ashram about two or three years back. I was at their bookstore, and there were these three monkeys that Gandhi is famous for. A grandparent was showing the three monkeys to the grandchild, asking, “You know what these three are?” And the grandchild said, “Speak no evil; hear no evil; see no evil.” I wondered, “Is the child seeing evil, hearing evil or speaking evil? Shouldn’t we be instead asking ourselves? That means the stories we are trying to tell our children are actually meant for ourselves.”That for me was a big trigger. Maybe that is why adults tell stories! It was not for the children but for the sake of themselves. We are telling stories to ourselves and the children are merely spectators. We are bombarding the spectators today and expecting children to know everything, whereas us adults have lost the charm of relating to something wonderful.Q: How far does this tradition of storytelling go back?VS:&nbsp;&nbsp;I think it is from the time we had to do time-pass. Somebody told me a beautiful thing, “Life is between birth and death, and in between we are time-passing.” And if you look at our basic needs, and you take them away, aren’t we doing just storytelling in between? For example, apart from hunting and gathering, our ancestors did storytelling. You can see it in cave paintings and cave architecture.If you look at storytelling as plain art, it has a start, an end, and in between there’s a curve of adventure, and we either go to a new state or we come back to the earlier state, transformed. That is a simple way to look at a story.Q: Storytelling is an age-old tradition: it’s a pity we see it dying today. How do we keep it alive for the future generations?VS:&nbsp;I think as long as human beings are there in this world, there will be arts. The mediums for these traditional arts will definitely adapt and go on. Unfortunately the word ‘storytelling’ is skewed, because today everyone is a storyteller. A moviemaker is a storyteller, a photographer is a storyteller. I don’t have a word for myself; I sometimes wonder what I should call myself. I am just a storyteller. The media have changed. There is now a movie maker and a storywriter.What storytelling means etymologically is ‘something told by a human being orally’. So as far as human beings are there, and as far as there’s a need to listen to the human voice, storytelling will exist. The media of course will change based on distance and time.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">Storytelling is an educational tool. It is a performance.&nbsp;It is connecting. When you do any art form – not only storytelling – you express&nbsp;and touch others with your emotions.</h5><hr>Q: How is storytelling therapeutic?VS:&nbsp;Storytelling is an educational tool. It is a performance. It is connecting. When you do any art form – not only storytelling – you express and touch others with your emotions.Why do you feel so relaxed when you listen to a song? You may not have even seen the person in your life, but their singing immediately triggers something within you. It is because the human voice is a deeper connector than a visual. So when you throw it on the mike, you are touching the audience in some way – it’s a comfort. And comfort is a therapy in itself.If I go deeper, when I am performing the story live in front of an audience, it has something to do with Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound, which is the bhava, the voice from within. This voice from within is why we do a satsangh or sing together. And as much as there is silence-soundsilence, there is sound-silence-sound. Nada comes from different parts of our body.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/storyteller4_0994a1377f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:07:12.267Z">The Indian system of Nada is from our nabhi, the navel. When you listen to someone’s voice, you are receiving that voice, that energy, and cleansing your own self with it. Your voice takes a form with your riyaz, your practice, your energy. That is why when you speak to people, you find some energies are positive and some are negative.And because storytelling itself is an oral tradition, I believe Nada Yoga is a sublime part of it. It means that the sound which comes from me has to be with the right mindset, with positivity, with the right lifestyle. My own riyaz has to be solid, because when it is expressed through the voice, there are at least 20 pairs of ears listening. The voice is flowing into their body and doing something to the listener.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">“Once upon a time” for me is simply going into your own self, away from everything else.&nbsp;It’s detoxing in a different way, because in that one hour,&nbsp;how many people are actually thinking of something else?&nbsp;It’s just my space, my spiritual space.</h5><hr>Q: You have practically covered almost all parts of India with your storytelling performances. Do you have any plans of taking your stories abroad?VS:&nbsp;I want to cover the country more, because I think this country itself is so large. I traveled abroad in my professional life when I was working with an IT giant, but as far as storytelling is concerned, this country itself is enough. If in the process I have to go outside, it’s okay, but the number of children in India itself is humongous.I can be myself here. When I was in Srinagar in Kashmir, it was amazing to see the children there laugh aloud. I find joy in that. There is enough work to be done here as a storyteller, I feel, and I am happy with that. I think it’s an ocean.I’ve started to also look at the lullabies of our land. Lullabies are such important oral traditions, which don’t have words. In a recent session I tried this lullaby that I’d learnt for the first time, and the children said, “Can you sing it again? We want to lie on your lap and sleep.” And they slept! One child was lying on my lap while I was singing. It was really beautiful.Q: Is there any single underlying message that you carry through your stories?VS:&nbsp;If at all anything, I would like my stories to inspire children to just love being in this world, instead of saying, “Why am I born into this world?” Children should be allowed to celebrate life. Everything is a celebration. Today is a celebration; this moment is a celebration.And for the adults my message is that no one is perfect. That’s something I have accepted a long time back. I find the perfect in the imperfect. Who has not been guilty? We are human beings, and the idea of presenting ourselves into this world is maybe just to understand this and come back. Imperfection is something very beautiful.Q: That’s very motivating. What does the art of storytelling mean to you personally?VS:&nbsp;It’s my mode to fulfill my spiritual, emotional and financial needs. Some people do three different things in life to satisfy these three needs, and I used to do that once upon a time. But today my spiritual, emotional and financial – everything is storytelling. I don’t bring in anything and I don’t take back anything. I am there for today and in that sense I am not cluttering the world.Q: That brings us to the last question: As a storyteller, what does “Once upon a time” mean to you?VS: “Once upon a time” for me is simply going into your own self, away from everything else. It’s detoxing in a different way, because in that one hour, how many people are actually thinking of something else? It’s just my space, my spiritual space. I go completely gaga, and I don’t know what’s happening on any side. When I say or hear “Once upon a time”, it’s a different form of meditation in that space. And when so many people come together in that space, it’s a journey that can happen only once in a lifetime.Q: Thank you so much Vikram, and I wish you all the very best.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Interviewed by MEGHANA ANAND</h4><hr>

Once upon a time ...

Vince Lombardi 

Catching Excellence

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Vinoba Bhave

Nothing is so powerful as love and thought

Violeta Chamorro

Reconciliation

Virginia is a multi lingual intercultural relations consultant, health, wellness and neuro language coach, with over 25 years experience. Virginia helps professionals cultivate language skills and adapt to new environments and lifestyles. Virginia explores the role of neuroscience in learning, evolving value systems, and the significance of inner alignment for outer change.

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Virginia Cutchin

<h4>VIRGINIA CUTCHIN is a multilingual intercultural consultant and neurolanguage® coach who helps professionals cultivate language skills and adapt to new environments and lifestyles. Here, JAYATI DESAI of the Heartfulness Institute interviews Virginia about the role of neuroscience in bridging intercultural differences and learning new languages.</h4><hr>Q: Welcome Virginia. Despite the globalization of the workforce, there are still differences in the attitudes and ways we work around the world. I am curious to understand how neurolanguage coaching helps us to collaborate more effectively.VC: Sure. First, let me thank you for this chat.Neurolanguage coaching was developed and registered by a wonderful woman named Rachel Paling, who established a worldwide network of neurolanguage coaches. It is a method of language acquisition and learning that places heavy emphasis on neuroscience – how brains like to learn.All brains are basically the same, but with subtle differences that play out in how we interpret challenges – what happens when we feel anxious or threatened. This happens when we learn something, like learning to drive or learning a new language, especially when the pressure to learn is great.Neurolanguage coaching is a process of co-creation with the learner, considering every learner as a unique case and discovering how best they learn. We present information to them accordingly and keep them as engaged as possible from the very beginning. An absolute beginner who doesn’t know anything about the language can speak and remember in a short amount of time, just by knowing how the brain accesses different blocks of information.<hr><hr><h4>Neurolanguage coaching is a process of&nbsp; co-creation with the learner,&nbsp; considering every learner as a unique case and&nbsp; discovering how best they learn.</h4><hr><hr>Q: Our understanding is that children absorb information and learn new languages faster than adults. Does this method specifically cater to children or adults?VC: It’s for both. My clients include 7-year-old children and 60-year-old adults. We do take into consideration that children learn faster, so our approach is tailored to their energy level, their brainwave patterns, the development of the physical brain, and the physical capacity to learn the language. It’s fascinating, because it allows us to engage at such a personal level that it builds closeness and trust very quickly, and that’s lasting.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_culture3_700x466_823e75f57d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:44:02.687Z" alt=""><hr>Q: So, is this method faster than traditional methods?&nbsp;VC: Yes, there is evidence that those who use neurolanguage coaching learn the language faster. Neurolanguage coaching focuses on mechanical skills, such as grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, and also mastery skills, such as subject matter and target audience? What do you need to learn about? If you’re using it for business, you don’t need to know how to ride a bicycle, you need to know how to negotiate.Neurolanguage coaching is tailor-made to the specific needs of the learner. It’s dynamic, so the learner stays engaged throughout the coaching, as they help identify what is to be learned. It is meaningful and relevant for the learner.I lived in Italy as a teenager, and I’ve forgotten most of my Italian, so I’m going to re-learn it using this method. There are language families across the world, and we are constantly building bridges from your native language to the target language that you want to learn. And even though it could be wildly different, say English and Chinese, there are connections to be made, and the brain loves connections and patterns, and to be as efficient as possible. When we can build those bridges – we call it scaffolding –starting from a good foundation, connections between languages are made quickly.Q: Scaffolding and building bridges between languages was the crux of the cultural counseling you provided me. But there is still a blind spot when we move from one part of the world to another, and work with people who have a different primary language and a different understanding of the language spoken.In your role as a cultural awareness counselor, how do you enable people to make that link between different cultures?VC: That’s a great question. We know that when people feel anxious or incompetent, when they don’t know what their role is, or where to buy socks in a new country, the learning part of the brain shuts down. Not completely, but we have less access to it, because at that point the brain wants to survive and protect us. Whether it’s protecting us physically, emotionally, or protecting our self-esteem, it is one of the components of culture shock or transition stress. The harder we try to learn in fight-or-flight mode, the less effective we are.My background in intercultural training informs my activities as a language coach, and vice versa, because we learn best when we are calm and centered. Different brains accomplish calm in different ways, but physiology is physiology. When we practice techniques to keep the brain calm, it’s fascinating how much we can learn.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_culture2_700x466_2407ae9dce.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:44:45.346Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Are there any specific hacks we can apply? When we onboard new staff into their roles, I see them panic or become nervous when they’re being presented with a lot of new information. What are some techniques we can apply to calm down?VC: You can’t be anxious and relaxed at the same time. Many years ago, I was in the dentist’s chair. I was already anticipating the drill in my mouth and I was getting anxious. So, I focused on relaxing my hands on my lap and I laser focused on feeling relaxed. I did some deep breathing because oxygen in the blood is key to relaxation. If the mitochondria in your cells don’t have oxygen, you don’t have energy. I’m in the dentist’s chair and I’m actively practicing relaxation, and all of a sudden the procedure was done.It’s not that we must use consciousness that way, but just two minutes of relaxation and deep breathing can change your brainwave patterns. It’s a paradigm shift. I do it when I’m practicing coaching or training, or whenever someone is anxious. It’s such a simple technique that’s 100% effective.Q: I can totally relate because Heartfulness Relaxation is recommended when you feel anxious or need to center yourself.VC: It’s often passed off as trivial, but it’s truly effective. Everyone can try it out intentionally.To be continued.<hr><hr><h4>Interview by JAYATI DESAI</h4><hr>

Language and Culture

<h4>VIRGINIA CUTCHIN is a multilingual, intercultural relations consultant, a health and wellness coach, and a neurolanguage® coach. In part 2 of her interview with JAYATI DESAI, Virginia talks about how values evolve.</h4><hr>Q: You have spoken about acquired versus core values, and how they are likely to shift when we move from one place to another. We are taught a set of values by our family and immediate surroundings when we are young, and as we maneuver though different stages of life those core values may evolve. How can we differentiate between the two, and develop a better understanding of ourselves and our values?VC: Great question. When I encounter difficulty and confusion in identifying an underlying value, I ask myself, “What is it that you can’t not do?”What is it that you can’t help but do every day? How is it that you must show up in the world, because not doing that creates such discomfort. This is different from your comfort zone. A core value is something you can’t not do, whether it’s an activity or a way of thinking. Sometimes, it has to do with your DNA, and what’s passed on.If it is not something you have to do, then it’s probably an acquired value. Acquired values come early in life. We learn them from parents, siblings, teachers, friends, the neighborhood, guests, and television. We evaluate everything that comes into our world, and sense it as a possible acquired value. Because we are constantly bombarded with external influences, we owe it to ourselves to manage the incoming assault of influences and to take time to really untie the knot of what is a core value and what is an acquired value.When people move to different countries, or when they acquire a new language and the idiosyncrasies of that new language, sometimes confusion, disappointment, or anger can come from the clash of their core values versus incoming influences.I’ve rejected some of my acquired values because they conflicted with my core values. Some acquired values served me well, helped me serve others – so I keep those. I’ve lived in other countries and I’ve been able to evaluate a lot. You can’t choose your core values, though. You can modify them, but you can’t reject them, because they are so essential to your being. Personal reflection is essential to keep your values in check.Q: I’m curious – based on the number of people you’ve coached over the years across the world, do you see any patterns in the way values are evolving or shifting in the last few years?VC: Yes, absolutely. In the past couple of years, as the world has been impacted by the pandemic, I see a couple of things happening. Those who benefited from the pre-Covid materialist world want to hang on to it and rebuild it into what it was before. For others, there’s more willingness to explore core values, consciousness, and to question our willingness to adhere to the old ways. There are those who say, “Wait a second. This doesn’t feel right, look right, or serve me anymore.”We are willing to be more discerning. We are willing to assert what works and doesn’t work for us anymore. According to me, this comes from a long history of self-reflection and growth. It boils down to alignment with the inner Self.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Evolving_social_values2_700x466_03e6e6b017.jpg" alt="">Q: In an earlier conversation, you mentioned our relationship with nature, and aligning our core values to the internal and external environment. Can you elaborate on that?VC: It’s been liberating for me to go small. A huge revelation for me has been the recognition that when we are in the present we aren’t thinking about anything else. I am aware of my feet as I walk, the breeze and the sunlight on my face, and the feeling of my dogs’ leads in my hand as I take them for a walk. I became aware of the fact that I have enormous power to affect my immediate environment with my energy level. We are exchanging energy with the environment all the time, and I want that energy to be positive, because that’s what I want from the universe.I start every day by breathing in the goodness of the universe. The universe is governing without any judgment. I breathe out what I’m willing to do on my part. It could be showing gratitude, or it could be acknowledging fear and embracing the protection of the universe and my well-wishers.&nbsp; I’m willing to go very small and realize that I can only affect my little world that fits inside a hula hoop. That’s all I can influence. If we all uplifted our world with good energy, the world would be uplifted.Everything we see in nature has the whole universe inside of it. One of my favorite quotes is “Even the smallest flame has all the qualities of fire.” Whether it’s a little child or the trees, the entire universe is inside them. It’s right there, it’s limitless, it’s accessible, and it’s limited by our willingness to tap into it. If I’m in alignment with myself and the natural world, eventually it translates into better alignment with society at large, with the people around me.<hr><h4>Everything we see in nature has the whole universe inside of it.</h4><hr>Sometimes people don’t want change, don’t like realignment; but I am under no obligation to perpetuate that which does not work for me anymore – if it doesn’t allow me to show up as my best self in the world then I can reject it. That’s my obligation. I’m a part of many different communities, as we all are. My strongest, most meaningful community is with those people who are showing up, trying to be their best selves so they can help others be their best selves. There is so much ego-less ness in that, it’s absolutely intoxicating. Everyday, I wake up with this energy, this determination and gratitude to show up in the world and do what life expects and asks of me that day.To be continued.

Evolving social values

<h4>VIRGINIA CUTCHIN is a multilingual intercultural relations consultant, a health and wellness coach, and a neurolanguage® coach. In part 3 of her interview with JAYATI DESAI, Virginia talks about building trust-based relationships and building community through communication.</h4><hr>Q: How can we make conscious changes in the ways and means we communicate, in order to develop authentic connections?VC: It comes down to core values and acquired values, and making adjustments. We need not negotiate on core values, but we can be flexible with acquired values, regardless of how strong they are.I love what you said about communicating versus connecting. Language is much more than words. Take a look at the communicative heritage between humans and other animals. They communicate well – they exchange a few words, but it’s mostly tone of voice and how they approach, whether it’s welcoming or menacing. We have this enormous communicative power and a large part of it is nonverbal. Our presence speaks for itself.Because of the world we live in, we often lose touch with our core values. We get on the treadmill, and we run to try to keep up. I have done that, too, in the past, but I know that I am a product of my choices. Habits are choices that are repeated. If I want to be a different product, I change my choices. I change my habits. Right now I am a product of that effort,and there is a lot of “been there, done that” in my past. Not all of it is pleasant. So I am changing the choices I make today. I focus on the end goal and on the systems in my life that support that goal. If I fail, it’s not because I’m a horrible person, it’s because the systems don’t support that goal effectively. I have learned this from James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. It’s helpful to focus on the systems that support my progress.Q: A lot of our readers are young professionals, constantly working to evolve in all aspects of life. Do you have any suggestions on how to overcome stereotypes, and how to cultivate empathy, alignment, and connection when building authentic relationships?VC: The first thing is to develop a sense of curiosity about others and yourself.The second thing is the suspension of judgment, which is one of the most effective skills anyone can develop, including young professionals.What do I mean by that? When we witness a situation or have an experience with another person, so often we jump to an evaluation, largely to protect ourselves so that we know how to respond. We are constantly evaluating because our brain is constantly scanning the environment for threatening situations. Some of that is physiological and we can’t completely escape it, but we can override it by developing a healthy sense of curiosity to find out why it is happening. We can use that curiosity and test the boundaries of our own vulnerability. We are a lot stronger than we think we are. The brain is going to protect us regardless. So while trusting that it will continue to do what it does best, we can test the boundaries of our own vulnerability.The third this is developing self-confidence, which comes from knowing what your core values are, knowing what your boundaries are, and knowing that sometimes your boundaries can be flexible and sometimes they can’t, and that’s okay.It helps to know that people from different cultures behave, respond, react, and initiate differently, so developing curiosity without judgment is really important. At the same time, if we are going to live in the world we have to adapt to certain things like credentials, education, etc. We don’t need to reject those things, we just have to choose the life we want to live. When we suspend judgment, we don’t have to criticize, we just have to discern.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Building_Community_Through_Communication1_1_700x303_b5dd2fd8fc.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:28:57.773Z" alt="Building-Community-Through-Communication1-1"><hr>Q: Any final messages for our readers?VC: Don’t be afraid to participate. We’re all involved in a lot of meetings and networking events, and we are sometimes tempted to say, “I’m not going to say anything. I’m just here to learn.” That’s great, but what if everyone did that? We’d all be sitting around looking at each other. An affirmation I set for myself many years ago is, “Today I choose to participate in the abundance of life.” If it resonates, you’re welcome to take it.Today, make a conscious choice to participate in the abundance of life that is there. Whether we stay home, unable to go out, we are connected through the energy of the universe. When we recognize that, we welcome it into our lives. Participate means to show up. Be an active participant in your own life. You don’t get to judge the value of what you contribute – you just have to put it out there with a positive intention.Q: That was incredibly inspiring, Virginia! Thank you so much for sharing that.VC: Thank you, it’s been an absolute delight.

Building community through communication

Virginia Woolf was an English writer. She is considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.

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Virginia Woolf

Creative power

The Creative Power

Vivan is the Managing Director of Yesha Electricals, is a trained pilot and was the President of the Gujarat Flying Institute for 15 years, and is currently chairman of an industry association in Gorwa Vadodara. He has been a Heartfulness trainer since 2015.

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Vivan Patel

<h4>VIVAN PATEL decided it was time to build cognitive reserve in his brain by doing a few simple tasks. The results speak for themselves: he became much more aware instead of functioning on autopilot.</h4><hr>In order to build and retain cognitive reserve, our brain needs fresh challenges almost on a daily basis to keep our neural pathways open and maintain a healthy central nervous system. I decided to take up this challenge by practicing a few simple exercises I learned in the Brighter Minds Restart program for adults.One of the things I took up first was to take a different route to work and try to take only left turns to get to the office and … well, it’s not always possible! I was able to make it eventually but I had to get quite creative and think of different options while I was driving. I was fully aware rather than operating like we normally do from the subconscious mind and following our habitual patterns.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Jump_Start_Your_Brain2_187006091a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:15:37.620Z" alt="jump-start-your-brain"><hr><hr><h4>In order to build and retain cognitive reserve, our brain needs&nbsp; fresh challenges almost on a daily basis to keep our neural pathways open&nbsp; and maintain a healthy central nervous system.</h4><hr><hr>The other thing I tried was cycling to work, which is actually quite amazing because I was able to observe things minutely as well as engage all the senses. For instance, cycling behind a fruit vendor’s cart I could actually smell the bananas. Curiously, depending on how ripe the bananas were, I could perceive different smells on different days – I began to understand the different stages of ripening and whether they were ready to eat simply by cycling in their wake!The olfactory experience is really something you cannot ignore when you’re on a bike. I would pass by some popup shops and street vendors, each selling a different snack with its telltale aromas. I learned about other people’s eating habits on a working day and, more interestingly, how the different vendors engage with their clientele. I missed all this from the car with the windows rolled up and the AC on. I became more observant of the faces of these vendors as I passed by, noting their expressions. When you do this for a few days, they start smiling at you because they see you every day, and you form a connection by this gesture of acknowledgment!You see, and you can hear the birds, especially early in the morning, something that you miss out on completely while driving. I observed that some birds had a preference for certain trees – some trees were teeming with them and others not as popular. Maybe it was the berries or fruit that attracted them.At the same time, I began to appreciate the difficulties that cyclists face. One of the biggest disturbances I found was the constant honking of vehicles. In a car you are insulated from even your own honking, because cars nowadays are so well sound insulated. It’s actually very irritating for other people out there, cyclists and pedestrians. Another appalling discovery was how some people don’t take cyclists into consideration, and instead tend to “nudge” them aside and not give way. It actually felt somewhat disconcerting to be riding a bicycle in peak hour in the hurtling traffic.The other activity I took up while cycling was alternating finger exercises with my hands on the handlebar. I could only do this when the road was empty, as I didn’t want to risk running into something, ha ha! I rediscovered my neighborhood by noticing different signs, even the little ones stuck on trees by vendors, for example someone selling coconuts or an advertisement for after-school tuition.Another challenging thing I did is to use my less dominant hand to do the daily tasks. I used my left hand to brush my teeth, shave, and eat my food. I would walk backward whenever I had the opportunity, especially when going up stairs. I would wake up to a different alarm tone, and this would surprise me awake rather than make me groan. Something fun we tried as a family is eating a meal in silence, using only visual clues. Another was trying to use the mobile phone upside down – this was frustrating and hilarious at the same time.All this made me more mindful, aware of every activity. I didn’t operate on autopilot in a habitual manner. Instead, thought went into every moment. Just this recalibration stimulated my neural pathways!<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Jump start your brain

Vivek is an education specialist whose experience spans fields including mathematics, engineering, and organizational development. Vivek advises researchers on experimental design for quantitative and qualitative methods. He is conducting research on how meditative practices shape work experience.

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Vivek Shekhar

<h4>At a Heartfulness meditation retreat, safe spaces, nature, and community fostered a depth of belonging that shifted how young participants saw themselves and their purpose—a finding with implications for youth mental health.</h4><h4>BY DR HESTER O’CONNOR AND VIVEK SHEKHAR</h4>In recent years, loneliness has been described as an epidemic, affecting people of all ages. The U.S. Surgeon General warned in 2023 that social isolation poses health risks comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The World Health Organization followed suit, declaring loneliness a global public health concern. The crisis is particularly acute for young people: despite digital hyperconnection, many feel more isolated than ever.Against this backdrop, a study published in OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine in 2026 offers a possible antidote.1 Heartfulness researchers Vivek Shekhar and Hester O’Connor explored the experiences of Indian youth during a retreat at Kanha Shanti Vanam meditation center in Hyderabad. What the participants reported was not just relaxation or stress relief, but something deeper—a sense of belonging, transformation, and peace that was life-changing.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Retreat in the Heart of India</h4>Kanha Shanti Vanam blends <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/steady-work-of-evolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual practice</a> with environmental stewardship through organic farming, tree planting, and conservation projects. In 2024, the center hosted “Youth Unite,” a three-day retreat for 128 students. The study focused on in-depth interviews with ten young adults (18–27) visiting Kanha for the first time.The setting itself played a crucial role. Participants spoke of Kanha as a “mother”—a safe, nurturing environment where they could let their guard down. The natural beauty, the rhythm of meditation, and the absence of judgment created what psychologists might call a “container,” a space where people feel secure enough to explore themselves.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Power of Belonging</h4>One of the most striking findings was the sense of belonging participants experienced. In a society where academic pressure, family expectations, and stigma around mental health often isolate young people, Kanha offered something rare: community. Several described feeling as if they had found a family. Others spoke of falling in love with the place itself, as though the land and the people together offered a loving embrace.This echoes what developmental psychologists have long theorized: people thrive when they feel securely attached. Just as infants need a caregiver’s presence to explore the world, young adults need spaces where they feel accepted to take risks, dream, and grow. At Kanha, belonging extended beyond human relationships to include nature itself. Participants described trees, gardens, and the atmosphere as part of their community. One participant summed her experience as follows:“All that I need in my life is only love. And in Kanha, I felt love in every inch of that. What I am feeling. I’m actually speechless. What I am feeling about Kanha can’t be expressed in words. It is another kind of love, which I hadn’t experienced before. That you belong to Kanha… My heart is beating, my veins are pumping. My mind is working. So, in every inch of my body, I felt that. And secondly, I felt my soul.” —Hamaza, study participant.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Transformation and Purpose</h4>Beyond belonging, the retreat sparked transformation. Participants reported new clarity about their goals. One young man decided to shift from medicine to agriculture after failing the MBBS entrance exam, calling himself a “doctor of plants.” Another resolved to tackle global hunger through farming, saying, “A single grain of rice has importance.” These are not trivial changes—they represent a reorientation of life purpose.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spaces_help_grow2_d8b548eb2b.webp" alt="spaces-help-grow2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Such transformations highlight the potential of contemplative practices to do more than soothe stress. They can catalyze meaning-making, helping individuals reframe their identities and aspirations. In a world where many young people feel adrift, this sense of agency is invaluable.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Why Safe Spaces Matter</h4>The study’s findings resonate with broader psychological theories. Donald Winnicott spoke of the “holding environment,” Wilfred Bion of “containment,” and John Bowlby of the “secure base.” All point to the same truth: people need safe spaces to grow. For Indian youth, who face intense competition and limited mental health resources, retreats like Kanha may provide a crucial buffer.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Caveats and Future Directions</h4>The study has limitations. With a self-selecting sample of ten, the findings cannot be generalized. The interviews took place immediately after the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/retreat-reflection" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">retreat</a>, raising the possibility of “afterglow” effects—temporary euphoria that may fade. Long-term studies are needed to see whether the sense of belonging and transformation persists months or years later.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">In an age of digital distraction and social fragmentation, spaces like Kanha Shanti Vanam demonstrate how belonging can be cultivated—not through algorithms or likes, but through meditation, community, and connection to nature.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Glimpse of What’s Possible</h4>At its heart, the study reminds us of something simple yet profound: humans need spaces where they can belong to thrive. In an age of digital distraction and social fragmentation, spaces like Kanha Shanti Vanam demonstrate how belonging can be cultivated—not through algorithms or likes, but through meditation, community, and connection to nature.For the young people who attended the retreat, it was “magic.” That magic, rooted in belonging and connection, may be the foundation our lonely world needs to move toward healing and growth.<hr>FROM HEARTFULNESS RESEARCHHeartfulness Research studies the effects of meditation from both neuroscientific and qualitative perspectives.<a href="https://heartfulnessinstitute.org/research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heartfulnessinstitute.org/research/</a>&nbsp;<hr>1 Shekhar V, O Connor H. Transformational Spaces: An Interpretative Phenomenological Inquiry into the Lived Experience of Young People Visiting Kanha Shanti Vanam Meditation Center, Telangana, India. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2026; 11(1) 007; doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2601007.

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