Roy T. Bennett

What you can create

Ruben Montagnoli

<h4>In La Thuile, Italy, the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup was held from 29 February to 1 March 2020. Here, SYLVIE BERTI ROSSI and RUBEN MONTAGNOLI share their experience as Heartfulness trainers at the event.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ski_world_300x179_1_54ccc78e64.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:05:49.639Z">In the heart of the Alps, a few minutes from Mont Blanc’s shining glaciers, the Heartfulness team gathered for three days of snow and joy in La Thuile, a town in the Aosta Valley of northern Italy. We were supporting the athletes, teams, and the general public at the Alpine Ski World Cup, as an official partner, in what turned out to be a special time in the history of international ski events.We provided special support for the ski teams in their hotels, offering the experience of Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation practices. We were also able to present Heartfulness activities and values through various press conferences and presentations, social activities, and interactions with the public.Some of the athletes had been practicing Heartfulness for some time. One of them, Frederica Brignone, the winner of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2020, shared her positive experience in an interview published in the newspaper La Stampa on 12 March. She said that thanks to this meditation she had reached a state of grace that made her more conscious.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ski_world3_8909bcf1f7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:06:54.698Z"> The shadow of COVID-19 virus threatened to impact the World Cup event one week beforehand, so the organizing committee, along with the regional authorities and the International Ski Federation, opted for a safety protocol imposing a reduction in the number of people in and around the event.Despite these restrictions, 66 athletes from 24 countries gathered late on Friday afternoon to compete on the most technically challenging ski slope of the circuit of the women’s World Cup. Neither the virus nor fifty centimeters of new snowfall could stop the competition on Saturday morning, when the Austrian rookie Nina Ortlieb won all the races, taking the lead from the local champion, Federica Brignone of Italy. Later, Corinne Suter of Switzerland went on to win the Crystal Globe in the downhill category.Meanwhile, around 30 volunteers offered Heartfulness practices in the local hotels for both tourists and fans. In the stadium, the Heartfulness Lounge was situated at the finishing line of the course, and VIPs from the corporate world were able to experience what Heartfulness can offer individuals and organizations. Despite the difficult conditions, the adaptability, flexibility, and calm approach of our volunteers exemplified our social media tag for the event, #howwedocalm.Our volunteer <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-preconditions-for-love" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trainers</a> were able to teach Heartfulness practices to athletes, journalists, coaches, physiotherapists, staff, and teams, as well as to members of the organizing committee, thousands of fans, skiers and tourists, and the Heartfulness Corporate Team shared a daily meditation program with VIP guests, including partners and sponsors, helping them to deepen their experience.As an official partner of the event, we also presented the newly released Italian version of The Heartfulness Way (published by Mondadori) to the media and guests gathered in the Montana Lodge Hotel.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ski_world6_8553ad7a29.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:08:07.393Z">Alain Desvigne, President of the Heartfulness Institute, France, spoke about the link between sport and meditation: “Although at first view, meditation and sport don’t seem directly connected, as meditation is about ‘not doing’ and sport is about perfect action, today the link between meditation and sport is well established. Sporting teams and athletes are turning increasingly to meditation and Yoga to help improve their performance. Indeed they need to increase their focus and emotional balance amidst the pressures of highly competitive environments. Meditation also helps them to integrate all aspects of their busy, often stressful lives, supporting them before, during, and after the race.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ski_world4_74d0c86686.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:09:57.285Z">“Athletes have to prepare their minds in order to reach their peak performance. Heartfulness meditative practices are easy to learn, and help people develop an effortlessly focused mind. In fact, the goal of meditation is to create a permanent meditative state, whatever the circumstances.“That brings us to the second step, the race. Meditation is basically a technique which helps to create a state where the mind is focused without effort. You are 100% present in the here and now. If you watched the women who were racing today closely on the screen, the level of presence they had when they were racing is exactly that meditative state. When you race down a slope at 130 km/hour, you don’t have time to analyze. It is the inner stillness with full focus that allows you to grasp the situation.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ski_world5_831a31737f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:11:57.849Z">“And the third step, after the race, we call the recovery period. The body is exhausted. And this is where we find another benefit of meditation: It gives you the ability to reconnect, to recover, to refresh, revitalize and rejuvenate yourself, so as to regain inner strength.“Heartfulness offers meditation on the heart; and there is a direct link between the inner condition of the heart and our state of mind. As we say, ‘When the heart is at peace, the mind is at rest.’ Heartfulness allows the mind and the heart to be in tune and work together.“Why are we here, in this context of sport? It’s not only to help athletes reach their peak performance. In fact, the core values of sport are very close to the values of Heartfulness. If you look back at the original spirit of the Olympic Games, it was about creating a peaceful world, a better world, a harmonious world. It was about bringing everyone together. That’s where sport and Heartfulness meet.”<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by SYLVIE BERTI ROSSI and RUBEN MONTAGNOLI</h4><hr>

The Audi FIS alpine ski world cup

Ruby is a Heartfulness trainer, tutor, mentor, and sometimes writer. She has an M.Ed. in Education and Psychology from the University of Cambridge, and has worked in community and mental health. She is passionate about volunteering, service, meditation, languages, and finding beauty in the world around her.

Ruby-Carmen.jpg

Ruby Carmen

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<h4>
 All around the world, we are in lockdown in a bid to slow down the spread
 of the COVID-19 virus. And we are coming to terms with this collective
 experience. Here, RUBY CARMEN shares
 some insights, inspirations and suggestions for coping well in this
 extraordinary time.
</h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 Tips for coping
</h3>
<h4>DEVELOP STRUCTURE AND ROUTINE</h4>

 In lockdown, many of us have been given the gift of time. In a recent
 article published in the
 <a
 style="color: #b56d6d"
 href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >New York Times</a
 >, astronaut Scott Kelly offers some excellent advice on putting structure
 and routine into your day, including fixing a time to get up and go to bed.
 Having structure is helpful for well-being and can offer a sense of purpose
 for both adults and children. There is an element of security and safety in
 routine. Where possible, create some boundaries of work space and home
 space, and allow yourself and your children time off.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/one_Human_family2_d5818d772f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:15:52.707Z"
 alt="one_Human_family2_d5818d772f"
 />
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>JOY AND PLAY</h4>

 Allow time for joy and play. This feature of the human condition has
 manifested in the exponential growth of online kindness groups springing up
 like flowers, and the outpouring of multiform and multimedia creative
 outlets and ways of expression – online singing and music making, art
 classes, ukulele playing classes, and meditation sessions across the globe.
 New possibilities continue to arise, as human beings endeavor to express
 themselves and connect with each other.
 

<h4>
 COMMUNICATE AND CONNECT 
</h4>

 Share stories. This is an opportunity to connect deeply with our loved
 ones. If we are not with them, video calls are indeed a gift. In the absence
 of technology, children can write letters, and send drawings to their
 grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts. Limit talking about the lockdown
 and the virus. In particular, avoid talking about it in worried, anxious
 ways in the presence of young children, who in turn will model anxious adult
 behavior.
 

<h4>
 ACCEPT AND ACKNOWLEDGE 
</h4>

 Work towards accepting how you truly feel. On the days you feel sad, angry
 or frustrated, sit with those feelings for a little while. Give yourself a
 hug. And when you are ready, let go. Diary writing or journaling is another
 option, in particular on the difficult days where you feel you have had
 enough. Both our physical and mental well-being need to be prioritized,
 especially under our current circumstances.
 

<h4>BE INSPIRED</h4>

 Look for inspiration in each day. Take time to observe the exceptional
 courage, bravery and self-sacrifice of others: Nurses, doctors, paramedics,
 those who deliver food, serve in stores, pharmacists, and those who continue
 to keep communal spaces clean. The heart fills up with gratitude that cannot
 be truly expressed in words. The Italian children who drew pictures of
 rainbows with the caption “Everything will be alright,” the opera singers on
 balconies who are so touching and truly inspirational. Imagine all these
 acts of human kindness that we have witnessed, and those that are hidden. We
 are sharing a collective experience of hope for our human family, realizing
 the innate goodness of the human heart.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <img
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/one_Human_family3_f502e9b140.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:17:31.644Z"
 alt="one_Human_family3_f502e9b140"
 />
</h4>
<h4><hr class="vertical-space1" /></h4>
<h4>COMMUNITY</h4>

 Plug into your local and global communities. There are neighborhood
 WhatsApp groups, online coffee meetings, parent support groups etc. The list
 is endless. Forums exist to help and support the needy in our communities.
 Depending on our skills we can offer practical support to others. One
 example, provided by the Heartfulness community, of which I am a part, gives
 me a unique sense of unity and oneness. Daily and weekly, we are sitting in
 our homes meditating together virtually.It is wondrous to witness the human
 ability to adapt and find creative solutions, thriving under difficult and
 restricted circumstances. To instill a sense of meaning, we can look to
 create more structure in our daily lives, allowing time for joyful, playful
 activities. We may also recognize the importance of communication and our
 ability to connect in whatever forms are available to us. Perhaps, above all
 else, we can exercise greater acceptance of how we feel from day to day, and
 allow ourselves time to process it. This could be through diary writing, the
 experience of silence, or the practice of meditation. Find inspiration in
 each day and reach out to local and global communities. We are one human
 family living in extraordinary times.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
OTHER RESOURCES: 

 <a
 href="https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/coronavirus/helping-parents-and-kids-stay-cool-and-collected-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/coronavirus/helping-parents-and-kids-stay-cool-and-collected-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/</a
 > 
 Guided visualisations and relaxation for children at
 <a
 href="https://www.heartfulness.uk/primaryschools/"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >https://www.heartfulness.uk/primaryschools/</a
 > 
 <a
 href="http://www.heartfulness.org"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >www.heartfulness.org</a
 >
 and
 <a
 href="http://www.heartfulness.org"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >www.heartfulnessinstitute.org</a
 > 
 <a
 href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/</a
 > 
 <a
 href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html</a
 >

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
&nbsp;

<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">
 Article by RUBY CARMEN 
 Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL 
 
</h4>

<hr />

One human family

<h4>&nbsp;</h4><h2>How communication changes lives</h2><hr>“Compassion is not a relationship between&nbsp; the healer and the wounded.&nbsp; It’s a relationship between equals.&nbsp; Only when we know our own darkness well&nbsp; can we be present with the darkness of others.&nbsp; Compassion becomes real when&nbsp; we recognize our shared humanity.”—Pema Chödrön<hr>Compassion – just one word – seems so relevant in this moment, in particular in the grieving, loss-filled times we are living in.It is not always easy to define or capture the true meaning of the word, but we can certainly feel it, and sometimes its absence. One more literal definition of compassion is “to suffer together,” and although not an exact translation, in Hindi and Urdu we have the word hamdardi – our (shared) pain.Researchers in the field of positive psychology and emotions describe compassion as the feeling that comes when faced with the suffering of another, accompanied by the need to relieve that suffering.So, how can we relieve the suffering of others, especially when everything seems too much? People often talk of compassion fatigue, but we also know that we can clearly be compassionate and empathic, mirror neurons being considered the cornerstone of human empathy (V.S. Ramachandran et al, 2007). How then? We can listen with our hearts, and listen with our whole being, our whole undivided attention and presence.<hr><hr><h5>Empathic listening can allow the speaker&nbsp; to release and let go of so much,&nbsp; easing their emotional burdens&nbsp; and feel “met,” cherished, human. In doing so,&nbsp; we remember our beautiful&nbsp; and sometimes bruised humanity&nbsp; in all its colors of joy and sorrow. Our oneness.</h5><hr><hr>And what is this “presence”? When we are there completely for that other person, friend, family member, lover, sister, brother, or even a stranger. No judgment; instead, non-judgment. No covering over the awkward silences with our words; instead, embracing the silence and holding that space for others, honoring that and allowing whatever needs to be said, even unsaid. Offering our pure, unconditional attention, where we hear and feel the feelings behind the words, if possible with love, without any underlying intention.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/our_shared_humanity2_fd1e5a0dab.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T12:47:44.602Z" alt=""><hr>In that moment of compassion and empathic listening, the listener can even forget themselves completely. It is an experience akin to the dissolution of the ego, of “no self.” Empathic listening can allow the speaker to release and let go of so much, easing their emotional burdens and feel “met,” cherished, human. In doing so, we remember our beautiful and sometimes bruised humanity in all its colors of joy and sorrow. Our oneness.<hr>

Our shared humanity

<h4>RUBY CARMEN explores the often repressed emotion of grief, and shares some ways we can accept it, value the meaning behind it, and integrate it into our being as an expression of love.</h4>“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot.&nbsp; All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat,&nbsp; and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”—Jamie AndersonGrief, it seems, is often unsaid, unexpressed, and avoided at all costs, until we are overwhelmed and it looms large and can no longer be denied.&nbsp; Since the pandemic, grief has been an undercurrent, and at times the feeling is palpable. It seems that there is little space for it to be expressed, never mind honored.&nbsp;Grief is understood as a natural human response to loss, and in particular to loved ones. It covers so many situations, not only death or separation; it can be the loss of a dream or a friendship; it can be a divorce, a miscarriage, unemployment, or even retirement.1 Needless to say, the pain of the loss can be overpowering, bringing us to our knees, both literally and metaphorically.&nbsp;From a personal viewpoint, I am able to name a number of life situations that have triggered grief in me that can be felt in the heart and in a way demand to be processed rather than pushed aside until a more convenient moment.&nbsp;Grief can take the form of a cycle, that is to say denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance. Not necessarily in a set order, one after the next; it can move in circles, leap frogging over one element, even a mix of one or more of these elements. These stages were conceptualized by the Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her book On Death and Dying (1991). She is considered a pioneer in the West for end-of-life care and near-death studies.&nbsp;What has become apparent to me personally, and also while witnessing friends and dear ones come to terms with loss, is the impact of religion, spirituality, culture, and societal norms on the form in which grief is permissible. What comes to me is that we could do better. Are our coping mechanisms enough?&nbsp;Oftentimes, grief is hidden, buried deep in our hearts. It can be like an old wound that remains inside, nameless, formless, and then something in the present touches on it and we are reminded that it is still there, sitting silently, waiting.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Oftentimes, grief is hidden, buried deep in our hearts. It can be like an old wound that remains inside, nameless, formless,&nbsp; and then something in the present touches on it&nbsp; and we are reminded that it is still there, sitting silently, waiting.</h4><hr><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/talking_with_grief2_8f75e8b095.jpg"></figure>One approach that came into my field of consciousness was to “talk” to the grief and, in doing so, recognize that it exists rather than pretending it is not there, that it has been dealt with, processed in whatever way we might explain it away to ourselves. In order to “survive,” our emotions, especially big, heavy ones, get stored away under the category of “I will come back to this later,” or “I can’t deal with this right now, I have a job to do,” and other such rationalizations. In the busy modern world, it seems there is no time or appropriate space to deal with grief or loss.&nbsp;Talking to grief goes like this:&nbsp;Me: Oh, it’s you?&nbsp; I thought you had gone.&nbsp; Grief: No, I am still here, I never left you.&nbsp; Me: It hurts and I keep thinking that you might go away, and leave me in peace.&nbsp; Grief: Well, it doesn’t seem to work that way, you know. I am part of you, not separate. In fact, you are holding onto me, not the other way round.&nbsp; Me: (Laughing) You don’t say. So tell me, grief, what do I do? How can I get through this grief that reappears especially when I least expect it.&nbsp; Grief: Get through?&nbsp; Me: Yes.&nbsp; Grief: You know about acceptance?&nbsp; Me: Yes. Sometimes this acceptance business is hard to actually do. It can happen at a mental or intellectual level, and then all of a sudden, it is so overwhelming and difficult. It needs to be at the level of the heart.&nbsp; Grief: Your heart, yes, and also self-compassion. To grieve is a natural thing. It tells you that you are human and capable of loving, of love.&nbsp; Me: So, accepting that I feel grief and that it hurts bad, not to mention giving myself some compassion, can help, right?&nbsp; Grief: That’s right. It can help release the pain of the loss, and it can dissolve in your tears and in the sharing of your grieving pains.&nbsp;This is the conversation thus far. Grief need not be an enemy or “avoided like the plague,” as the English expression goes. Instead, at an individual and collective level, we can embrace it and ask how we can allow ourselves to feel grief and grow from it rather than be overwhelmed by it. And we can consider reaching out to empathic elders, dear ones, therapists, counsellors, and support groups wherever there is a safe space to give voice to grief.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Grief need not be an enemy or “avoided like the plague,” as the English expression goes. Instead, at an individual and collective level, we can embrace it and ask how we can allow ourselves to feel grief and grow from it rather than be overwhelmed by it.</h4><hr><a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm">1 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm</a>&nbsp;

Talking with my grief

<h3 style="text-align:center;">The Listening Heart King Solomon’s Gift and Judgment</h3><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/listening_heart2_57f670c555.webp" alt="listening-heart2.webp"></figure><h4>RUBY CARMEN retells the biblical story of King Solomon, who asked God for a listening heart and became known for his exceptional wisdom.</h4>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/listening_heart3_a921e2f8e4.webp" alt="listening-heart3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Many centuries ago, in the ancient kingdom of the Israelites, there lived King Solomon, the beloved son of King David and Queen Bathsheba. When Solomon was born, Nathan the prophet blessed him with the special name “Jedidiah,” meaning “Beloved of the Lord.” As King David’s life drew to a close, he called his son to him. Holding Solomon’s hands, he spoke softly and with urgency, “Listen to me, my son! My time to leave this world has come. Be strong, be brave, be courageous, and be devoted to the Lord completely. Remember to walk with the Lord every moment of your life, with all your heart and all your soul. The Lord will lead you and your people to peace and prosperity.”After King David’s death, Solomon became King. King Solomon and his royal advisors went to offer prayers in the city of Gibeon. In prayer, being both humble and sincere of heart, Solomon sought divine guidance as to how he could best rule his people and the land. That night, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to him, “My child, ask me for whatever your heart desires.” In the presence of the Divine, Solomon was deeply moved and felt <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/women-spirituality" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritually</a> uplifted. He knew that the Divine had appeared before him for a greater, higher purpose and responded to the Lord with special attention.In an attitude of humility, Solomon spoke, “O Lord, I am blessed to receive your love and generosity. Your divine grace was showered on my Father until his last moments, and now you have chosen me to sit on the throne and rule over your people. How may I fulfill this task when I am nothing but an inexperienced and immature child? How can I meet the needs of my people and solve their problems?” King Solomon recognized that only the Lord has the ability to realize the needs of every soul.Humbly, Solomon voiced his heart’s desire to the Divine: “O Lord, give me a listening heart so that I may follow your path, so that I may serve you and humanity. May I have the ability to hear the real voice, which is found in the depths of the heart—the real voice, that small still voice that tries to make itself heard but often cannot because of the noise and clutter of the mind.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/listening_heart4_354b9a946d.webp" alt="listening-heart4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;On hearing Solomon’s words, the Lord was pleased. “You could have asked me for riches, for more land, for fame and glory, for a long life, for victory over your enemies, but you did not. You asked me for a listening heart. With great joy, I grant you this wish: a listening heart, a heart that seeks wisdom and knowledge that may know right from wrong.” The Lord continued, “You have asked for a listening heart, not for yourself but so that you can serve me and do my work. Solomon, you will be the wisest among men! Never before was there a human being as wise as you, and never will there be anyone to compare to you. The people will remember you for years to come.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/listening_heart5_49b2327d10.webp" alt="listening-heart5.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">“O Lord, give me a listening heart so that I may follow your path,&nbsp; so that I may serve you and humanity.&nbsp; May I have the ability to hear the real voice,&nbsp; which is found in the depths of the heart— the real voice, that small still voice that tries to make itself heard&nbsp; but often cannot because of the noise and clutter of the mind.” &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;The divine gift soon revealed its power. One day in the royal court, the King was approached by two mothers seeking justice. Each held a baby in her arms—one alive, the other dead. The first woman addressed the King, “Your Majesty! May I speak? We live in the same house. We were alone when I gave birth to my child.” With tears pouring down her face, she continued, “Three days after my baby was born, at midnight, this woman (pointing at the other) gave birth to her child. When I awoke the next morning, she told me that my baby had died in his sleep and that her baby was healthy.” She went on, “Seeing the baby in my bed had died, I was brokenhearted. Then I looked closely at the face of the baby and realized it was not mine! The child she is holding in her arms is mine. She must have taken my baby from me in my sleep, and now I have this dead child.”King Solomon looked closely at the other woman with piercing, questioning eyes. The second woman spoke, denying what the first woman had said and claiming that the opposite was true. She declared that the first woman was, in fact, a liar, that she was simply trying to take her baby from her. There stood in the royal court two mothers, both in tears, each calling the other a liar. With no witnesses and no evidence, how could the King determine who the real mother was? It seemed to be an impossible task.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/listening_heart6_0d141e7aea.webp" alt="listening-heart6.webp"></figure>&nbsp;The King called on his guard for a sword, announcing to all in the royal court, “There is only one child and two mothers. How can I give a child to one mother and then deny the other?” Summoning his guard, in a sad and solemn voice, he gave the order, “Cut the living boy in half now, and give one half to the first woman and the other to the second!” Almost immediately, as the guard took the baby boy to carry out the order, the first woman cried out, “Please, please, stop! Do not kill this child! I confess! The child is not mine, please let him live and be with his natural mother!”The other woman stood unmoved as if she were made of stone and said, “Your Majesty, your judgment is correct. Cut the child in two, if I cannot have the child, then she cannot have the child either!”The wise King stood up from his throne and swiftly made his way towards the guard holding the baby. Solomon roared, “Put the sword down now! By Divine Grace, I have heard the voice of the true mother!” In the royal court, there was a stunned silence at the King’s announcement. King Solomon spoke surely, “No mother would ever agree to have her child killed and cut in two. A mother’s love is a selfless love. The first woman was willing to give up her child so that he could live. She is the real mother!” The King declared. Let the child be given back to her!” The first woman, the real mother, was joyfully reunited with her baby. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/listening_heart7_f71d863565.webp" alt="listening-heart7.webp"></figure>

The Listening Heart

<h4>RUBY CARMEN explores Zen as a path of meditation, breath awareness, and “empty cup” openness, inviting us to meet the mind in a new way.</h4>The word “Zen” has entered the vernacular; it has seeped into everyday life without a full understanding of what “Zen” is.In everyday speech, “Zen” has come to mean a feeling of peace and relaxation, even a state of “coolness” and a “laid-back” approach to life.Zen is a form of sitting meditation and derives from the Chinese word Chán. While Zen can be understood as a form of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-lovers-journey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buddhism</a>, it places a strong emphasis on meditation and on perfection, meaning the perfection of the person, of one’s own self.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Gateless Gate</h4>Zen is defined as a way of life rather than an ideology, and this is true of many spiritual paths and systems. It has no fixed doctrines or dogmas and little emphasis on written teaching, which has given it a strong appeal for many who feel disenchanted with organized religion.To practice Zen, it helps to understand its three-step process: the body, the breath, and the mind. The method is sometimes described with the Zen term practice-realization, emphasizing the need for practice rather than reliance on words and letters—what we would call theory or philosophy.Regarding the body element, the practitioner needs to adjust the body for meditation, which means maintaining a proper diet, engaging in physical exercise, and avoiding habits that would negatively impact the body-mind connection. In Zen, the optimal meditation posture is the lotus or half-lotus position.Concerning the breath element, there is an exercise of counting one’s breaths. The purpose of this breathing exercise is to refresh the body and mind, infusing the mind-body with energy and releasing toxins and negative energy. During this process, the mind may wander—this is often what happens to all of us who begin a meditation practice. Current concerns, fears, worries, and memories may arise during this process, and this is accepted as a feature of a wandering mind. We could ask if there is any other kind of mind! Different methods and paths offer the meditator a focus, an anchor, an object upon which to rest the mind.In Zen, it is suggested that counting the breaths helps us train the unconscious mind and supports the training, or taming, of emotions. Many paths and traditions have emphasized the relationship between the breath and a person’s emotional state. For example, we can compare our breathing when we are in a peaceful state to when we are furiously angry!&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The purpose of this breathing exercise is to refresh the body and mind, infusing the mind-body with energy and releasing toxins and negative energy.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Mind and no-mind</h4>Now, we come to the mind element. What to say of the mind? How can we use the mind to adjust the mind? A Zen practitioner prepares their mind for meditation, consciously moving into that meditative state or condition. Again, how? There is a conscious disengagement with the daily concerns of life. The posture and the breathing, this counting of the breaths helps with this, as there is only the breath. Meditation trains us to come face to face with ourselves. In doing so, it trains us to be “with” our own self. It creates a form of psychological stillness, even isolation, to offer an inner environment for this self-study or introspection. Through meditation, we have a window of opportunity to enter the world of the inner psyche. Again, in meditation, we are invited to learn the art of becoming an observer of the canvas of the mind with all the colors, including ideas, desires, and prejudices, that may appear on the surface of the mind. We learn to observe them, without becoming involved in them or over-identifying with them. As consciousness levels change, the ego's power diminishes; in essence, it becomes weaker.In Zen, through years of practice and meditation, a practitioner can reach a state of “no-mind,” transcending the duality of the mind. In other meditative traditions, it is also referred to as “nothingness” or “zero,” or, in Heartfulness, as the “Center.” Some explanation of the “no-mind state might be needed here. What it means is that the mind is no longer fixed or preoccupied with any particular thought or emotion; instead, the mind is open to everything. In fact, there is a Zen expression, “mind without mind,” which means just that: the mind is open to everything and free of mind-attachment.&nbsp;In modern-day <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-heart-is-where-we-experience-connection" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mindfulness practices</a>, which have drawn on Zen and other Buddhist practices, there is the teaching of non-identification, “I am not my thoughts,” “thoughts are just thoughts”—they are not “me.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/all_zen_now2_44d354a498.webp" alt="all-zen-now2.webp"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">In meditation, we are invited to learn&nbsp; the art of becoming an observer—the canvas of the mind&nbsp; with all the colors, including ideas, desires, and prejudices, may appear on the surface of the mind.&nbsp; We learn to observe them,&nbsp; without becoming involved in them&nbsp; or over-identifying with them.&nbsp; As the level of consciousness changes,&nbsp; the ego's power diminishes;&nbsp; in essence, it becomes weaker.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Empty Cup</h4>In these words, an attempt to touch on the essence of Zen, from what has been written before, it is very clear that Zen, or any other spiritual practice for that matter, needs to be experienced first-hand. In Zen, to know or understand reality, that is one’s own nature and the nature of the physical world, one must experience it and even transcend it.There is a famous story of the Empty Cup, and it goes like this:One day, a student came to visit the Zen master seeking advice. He asked. “I have come to ask you to teach me about Zen.”After a short time, it became clear that the student was full of his own opinions and knowledge. Repeatedly, he would interrupt the master with his own stories and did not listen to what the Zen master had to say. The master calmly suggested that they have some tea.So, the master poured the tea into his cup. The cup was full, yet he kept pouring until the tea overflowed onto the table, onto the floor, and everywhere. The student cried out, “Stop! The cup is full. Can’t you see?”“Exactly,” the Zen master replied with a smile. “You are like this cup—so full of ideas that nothing more will fit in…. Come back to me with an empty cup!”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/all_zen_now3_60ddd09a0a.webp" alt="all-zen-now3.webp"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">..the Zen master replied with a smile.&nbsp; “You are like this cup—so full of ideas&nbsp; that nothing more will fit in….&nbsp; Come back to me with an empty cup!” &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;

All Zen Now

<h4>RUBY CARMEN weaves an ancient Irish tale of Dagda and the magical harp, whose music heals, transforms, and protects the Tuatha de Danaan.</h4>Let me tell you a story, a story of a magical harp and of a people from ancient Ireland, far, far away in the West. Going back to a time that is almost forgotten, and only just remembered.&nbsp;The guardian of this magical harp was known as Dagda,1 a chieftain, some say, and a god-like figure of immense power and goodness. He was god-like with both immense power and goodness, in equal measure. His magical gifts included a pot known as the cauldron of abundance!The harp was so beautiful, crafted from sacred oak and covered in jewels and gold. Yet it was the harp’s celestial music that held its real power. The harp's magic was this: it could heal the warriors' sorrows after their many battles. On listening to the sacred notes of the harp, the warriors would forget their woes and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/where-attention-goes-energy-flows" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suffering</a>.When Dagda played the strings of the harp, he could bring the seasons into order, and its music readied the warriors for battle.At this time in Ancient Ireland, there were many battles fought. During one such battle, the harp was left unguarded, and the enemies of Dagda stole the harp away—such a precious gift, a great treasure of the Tuatha de Danaan.2&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tuatha_2_02825ad870.webp" alt="tuatha-2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;The enemies of Dagda sped away with the harp through the thick, dense, green forest and found an empty, abandoned banquet hall. The folk began to celebrate their victory; they had the magic harp now, perhaps Dagda would be less powerful without his harp, without this magic. After some merry-making, the heavy doors of the hall burst open, and a keen stillness covered the entire hall. &nbsp;Dagda had come for the harp.He uttered the words, in a booming voice like the western winds on a winter’s morning: “Come to me, my dear harp, come to me.”The magic harp obeyed and flew from the center of the banquet hall into the immense and impatient hands of Dagda.&nbsp;Dagda played a few chords on the harp, soft and solemn. Every note reverberated in the hall, covering each and every person there, men, women, and children. The music it created sounded akin to a wail, no, it was a wall of tears! The sound was so sad and pierced their hearts to such an extent that the women and children began to sob, choking back tears so overcome with emotion, with woe. The menfolk, witnessing their loved ones so distraught, also grew heavy with sorrow.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tuatha_3_94446ca327.webp" alt="tuatha-3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;The clever Dagda had another string to his bow—or rather his harp! He played a note that, instead of sadness, stirred up uncontrollable laughter in all the men who were his enemies. They were unable to resist the laughter, and they laughed and laughed until they could no longer stand up, let alone raise their weapons against Dagda.&nbsp;The weeping women looked on at their menfolk in disbelief, and before they could open their mouths to speak, to admonish them, Dagda’s harp played one more note, one more chord so soothing like a mother’s lullaby. It was the sweetest, softest sound imaginable, radiating joy and beauty. &nbsp;The effect was that everyone present fell into a deep sleep. It was the music of sleep itself. The children crawled into their mothers’ laps, and all slept so soundly, and with this, Dagda left the hall with his magical Harp.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tuatha_4_fc767baca0.webp" alt="tuatha-4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;It was indeed the magical Harp that saved the Tuatha de Danaan and Ancient Ireland from their enemies. And still today, the harp is a symbol of modern Ireland, a symbol of cultural identity and pride. &nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">REFERENCES:</h4>1 The Dagda is a powerful, fatherly Celtic god in Irish <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-tree-of-life-and-fertility" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mythology</a>, chief of the Tuatha Dé Danann, known as the “Good God,” and associated with abundance, fertility, strength, magic, wisdom, and Druidry.2 Translation from Irish: “folk of the goddess Danu,” also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé (“tribe of the gods” or “divine tribe”), are a supernatural people in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI-generated images</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Tuatha de Danaan

<h3 style="text-align:center;">FINNEGAS AND FIONN: The Salmon of Knowledge</h3><h4>In this retelling of an ancient Irish legend, RUBY CARMEN explores the mysterious ways knowledge finds its rightful keeper.</h4>A long, long time ago in Ireland or Éire in Irish, there was an old sage—a poet and a druid—by the name of Finnegas.1 It was believed that he was one of the wisest men in all of Ireland. Later in his life, he had come to the River Boyne, where he lived alone in a small house that he had built.&nbsp;You may be wondering why Finnegas was living by the riverbank. Well, he was in search of the magical salmon, known as the “salmon of knowledge.” Unfortunately, although a learned man, Finnegas was not a particularly skilled fisherman. Still, he patiently waited and waited to find this magical salmon, for he longed to have all the knowledge of the world, even of the other worlds.Now, Finnegas had an apprentice named Fionn, who was a young warrior. Let me tell you about what I know of Fionn MacCumhail. He was fondly called Deimne in his boyhood and had been raised in secret to protect him from a rival clan who had been in a longstanding feud with his family. To learn from the wise old sage, Fionn was sent to live with Finnegas.Fionn would help around the house, and all the while listen to the stories of all Finnegas’s adventures and experiences. With a curious mind and an open heart, Fionn listened and asked probing, insightful questions of the wise sage.One day in the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/decorative-leaves" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">springtime</a>, while sitting by the riverbank, Finnegas spotted a beautiful salmon, gleaming like silver, and he knew in his heart that this was the magical salmon of knowledge! He struggled as the salmon slipped in and out of the net and in and out of his calloused and aged hands. The old sage looked upwards to the skies above, with a silent prayer on his lips, for if this indeed was the salmon of knowledge, he was so close to obtaining it.Now, it is said that one could not look directly at the salmon, for to do so would cause the person to fall asleep instantly, so Finnegas had to wear a blindfold made from the hem of his cloak. The struggle with the salmon went on for what felt like eternity, and then finally, he had the salmon in his hands, and Finnegas knew what he must do to gain the magic knowledge from the fish.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finnegas_fionn_2_f5ef2dbd0e.webp" alt="finnegas-fionn-2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;With Fionn’s help, as by this time Finnegas was exhausted, they lit a fire by the side of the mighty river to cook the magical salmon. Both the old sage and the apprentice sat side by side in anticipation, waiting somewhat impatiently.Before closing his eyes for a short nap, Finnegas asked Fionn to take care of the salmon and advised him not to taste the fish and to wake him once it was cooked. “Listen, my dear lad, whatever you do, don’t taste the salmon,” he said kindly and firmly. With a smile, Fionn nodded in agreement.Fionn sat by the fire, watching over the salmon, when suddenly he noticed that the skin of the fish had begun to split. So without hesitation, he took his knife and placed it on the fish, and by mistake, Fionn burned his thumb. Taking an intake of breath, Fionn put his thumb in his mouth to ease the burn.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finnegas_fionn_3_a44a9294b4.webp" alt="finnegas-fionn-3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Can you guess what happened now?The old sage Finnegas softly opened his eyes and looked directly at Fionn. And he knew. Standing in front of him was Fionn, his blue-green eyes shining like a thousand suns, his face radiating like the full moon. Fionn, not Finnegas, had acquired the world’s knowledge, this great wisdom. It was as clear as the river to the old sage.Yet, he asked the young warrior, “Lad, did you taste the salmon of knowledge?” And Fionn replied sincerely, “Sir, I did not.” Then Fionn paused and answered thoughtfully, “I did burn my thumb when I pressed my knife against it,” and realization dawned on Fionn that he had accidentally obtained the world’s knowledge from this magical salmon.The old sage smiled. In spite of his own longing to acquire this <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/deeper-path-to-consciousness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deep knowledge</a> and wisdom, he found that Fionn, his apprentice, was indeed worthy of it. It is said that throughout his life, Fionn would draw on the world’s knowledge by biting on his thumb.&nbsp;Fionn went on to become one of the greatest heroes, a great warrior, and the leader of the Fianna in ancient Ireland.2&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finnegas_fionn_4_433770fecd.webp" alt="finnegas-fionn-4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">References:</h4>1 A Druid is a member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. Druids acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest known records of the Druids come from the 3rd century BCE. Their name may have come from a Celtic word meaning “knower of the oak tree.”2 The Fianna were a warrior band of ancient Ireland.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI-generated images</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Finnegas and Fionn

<h4>RUBY CARMEN retells the Irish legend of a boy whose courage, remorse, and an unbreakable oath transformed him into one of Celtic mythology's greatest heroes.</h4>A very long time ago, in ancient Ireland, in the time of many fine warriors and gods and goddesses, there lived a young lad by the name of Setanta.1 But history—nay, legend—now remembers him by another name: Cu Cullen.2Let me tell you now, this lad has an interesting backstory. It is said that he was the son of the sun god Lugh and a mortal woman. From early boyhood, he was recognized as having immense strength and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-tale-of-tales" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supernatural powers</a>. He was considered handsome of face and intelligent too.This lad, Setanta, was the nephew of the king of Ulster, Conor mac Nessa.3 And like many young lads, he loved to play sports, in particular, the ancient sport of hurling.4Setanta longed to join the warriors, in particular the Red Branch Knights of Ulster, and there was a school, or training camp, for this purpose. His parents were not too keen on him becoming a warrior, it seemed, and tried to persuade him not to go to this school.To further complicate matters, there was a prophecy by a druid that the young Setanta overheard—and it was this: if a person took up arms on a particular day, he or she would have eternal glory and fame, but that person’s life would be short-lived. Setanta, in his enthusiasm and high spirits, willingly accepted this and embraced this druid’s prophecy, becoming Cu Cullen of legend.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/setanta_cu_cullen2_9d17137f85.webp" alt="setanta-cu-cullen2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;King Conor mac Nessa was impressed by Setanta’s skill in fighting and hurling and gave permission for him to train as a warrior with the Red Branch Knights. Some time passed, and Setanta grew stronger and became skilled in strategy. He even went to Scotland to receive training from a famous warrior woman, the fearless Scathach!5&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/setanta_cu_cullen3_a5c741d67e.webp" alt="setanta-cu-cullen3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;One evening, Setanta’s uncle, the king, invited him to the castle for a feast given for the grand Chieftain Cullen. After a long day of hurling and training, Setanta arrived at the castle at dusk. The shadows of the trees and valleys danced on the landscape, and the golden evening light glinted playfully on his cloak. He could hear the birds’ call and caught sight of a crow in the nearby bush. In his hand, he held his hurley tightly. It was only then that he came face to face with a fierce and exceptionally tall guard dog, an Irish wolfhound no less. The wolfhound bared his fangs, growling and ready to attack, for the creature was trained to defend and protect the Chieftain Cullen from harm and intruders. Instantly and in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/become-the-best-version-of-yourself" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">self-defense</a>, Setanta hit the wolfhound using his hurley and sliotar, fatally wounding the animal.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/setanta_cu_cullen4_b8d1906025.webp" alt="setanta-cu-cullen4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;On hearing all this commotion, King Conor and the Chieftain Cullen left their feasting and came outside only to discover Setanta standing there. When the chieftain saw what had happened to his dear wolfhound, he was full of sorrow. His face crumpled, he asked in disbelief, “What have you done, lad?” By contrast, the king was quietly pleased to see his nephew safe and well, unharmed by the wolfhound.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/setanta_cu_cullen5_44f6c3c4e0.webp" alt="setanta-cu-cullen5.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“Forgive me, sir, the hound attacked as I arrived to feast with you, and the king…” His voice trailed off, unable to complete his sentence as words would not suffice. Remorsefully, Setanta kneeled down in front of Chieftain Cullen. In that moment, he knew what he must do. There and then, he made an oath, a true promise to the chieftain:“I, Setanta, swear to take the place of your hound, to protect you and your property until you have no more need of me.”And he made good on his word, sleeping at the door of Chieftain Cullen’s home, sleeping lightly, with only one eye open, circling the perimeter of the property all through the night. He would remain there until a wolfhound pup became fully grown to replace him! It was from then on that the young lad, Setanta, became Cu Cullen, meaning “Hound of Cullen.” And the rest, they say, is legend!<hr>1 Setanta is the anglicized form of Sétanta, the birth name of Cu Cullen.2 Cu Cullen is the anglicized form of Cú Chulainn, meaning “Hound of Culann” in Irish.3 Conor mac Nessa is the anglicized form of Conchobar mac Nessa, a legendary king of Ulster.4 Hurling is a 3,000-year-old Irish field sport, often described as the world’s fastest game. It is played with a wooden stick called a hurley and a small ball called a sliotar.5 Scathach is the anglicized form of Scáthach, a legendary warrior woman of Scotland whose name means “shadow.” She is associated with guiding fallen warriors to the Celtic underworld. &nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI-generated images</h4><hr> &nbsp;

How Setanta Became Cu Cullen

<h4>RUBY CARMEN tells the story of Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire and healing, a tale of compassion and strength that carries ancient wisdom for modern life.</h4>Way back in time, in Ireland, there was a Goddess, Brigid—her name means “exalted one.” She is the Celtic Goddess of Fire, <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/energy-healing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">healing</a>, and poetry, and even of pure love. Do you remember the story of Dagda with his magical harp?1 Brigid is the daughter of Dagda of the Tuatha de Danann.2There are only a few left to remember her—perhaps you are one of them. Some remember her in dreams, some see her in the gleaming rivers, and some see her in sparks of light, especially in springtime.&nbsp;It is said that Brigid was born of fire at sunrise. Indeed, when she was born, there was a flame coming out from her head, reaching up to the heavens. The storytellers, or Seanchaithe, say that her hair was like those flames, red and golden, shining like the first light at dawn. And her gray-green eyes were as deep and soulful as the holy wells, where people of modern times go to remember her and pray for healing of both the body and the heart.3Not long after her birth, a Druid gifted Brigid a cloak, not just an ordinary cloak.4 It was a beautiful blue cloak dyed from wildflowers and was, in fact, magical. But wait, now, I will tell you more about this cloak later.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/brigid3_d652ebf453.webp" alt="brigid3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Brigid quietly grew into a strong, kind, and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-power-of-belief-positive-thinking" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">powerful woman</a>. She treated every single living thing—plants, flowers, trees, animals, people—with much care and respect, with tender compassion. Her healing abilities developed until she was well-renowned throughout the island of Ireland. Do you remember the healing power of Dagda’s harp that eased the suffering of the warriors after battle? Well, let me tell you—Brigid’s honey-sweet voice had the effect of healing. Whenever she spoke to any creature, be it a bird, a deer, a child, or a warrior, they felt it in their being, soothing away any pain and hurt.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/brigid4_545bdbad77.webp" alt="brigid4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;For all this, Brigid did not see herself as divine or as a goddess. She was just gloriously and unapologetically herself. Those who had the eyes to see her could see the Divinity shining out of her heart and, importantly, in the very breath of her actions.Over the years, Brigid had witnessed much suffering in the land, caused by the many battles and conflicts, and decided that she wanted to create a sanctuary—a place of refuge for the weak, the widows, and the orphans. She sent a message to the King requesting a meeting. This king had won many battles and, in doing so, gained more land. He, however, was unable to see her Goddess qualities.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/brigid5_609ba255a1.webp" alt="brigid5.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Full of respect and taking permission to speak, Brigid asked, “Respected King, ruler of these lands, may you see it in your heart to give me a piece of land under your charge?” She paused with poise. “So that I may build a sanctuary, a place of peace. We have many women and children affected by the warring here.” She waited patiently for his answer, for it was unclear if the King would be willing to consider, never mind accept, her request.The King smiled cleverly. “Well, I have fought hard against my enemies to win these lands.” Brigid nodded knowingly. “Yes, it is true that you have, dear King.” On seeing how serious and determined she was, he confidently continued in a booming voice, “I will grant you only the land that your cloak covers!”“Is it so, dear King?” It was Brigid’s turn to smile gently, for her beautiful blue cloak grew and grew, covering over an acre of the land! Meanwhile, the King’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “How is this possible?” he spluttered, his regal composure gone, replaced by reluctant awe.On realizing Brigid’s divine power and loving compassion, the King was true to his word, granting her all the land that her magical cloak had covered. And on that land, she built a sanctuary of healing for the wounded, the widows, and the children. It became a beacon of light and a place of peace.The legacy of Brigid lives on in Ireland today.5&nbsp;<hr><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>See “Tuatha de Danann,” Heartfulness Magazine, February 2026.</li><li>The Tuatha de Danann (“People of the Goddess Danu”) are a supernatural, divine people in Irish mythology.</li><li>There are over 3,000 holy wells in Ireland, thought to be far more than in any other country in the world. For more information, see Holy Wells of Ireland, published by the Heritage Council.</li><li>&nbsp;Druids were a class of individuals in ancient Celtic cultures known for their great wisdom and knowledge of traditions.</li><li>The Goddess Brigid’s legacy lives on in modern Ireland in the form of Saint Brigid, recognized as a national saint of Ireland. A public holiday was granted in her honor, taking place on February 1 as the first day of spring. For more information, see Ireland.ie’s page on St. Brigid’s Day. &nbsp;</li></ol><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI-generated images</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Brigid: Goddess of the Gaels

rumi.webp

Rumi

What is your myth?

What you love

Do things from your soul

Connection

From your soul

Trust that

The waters of purity

The Beloved is All 

The Myth You Make

An award-winning industrial designer and innovator who founded Publicolor, a long-term youth development program, to educate disadvantaged youth and prepare them for jobs: publicolor.org.

Ruth.jpg

Ruth Lande Shuman

<h4 style="text-align:center;">AN ART ESSAY &amp; INTERVIEW</h4>Volunteers are the lifeblood of Publicolor. In 2000 we won one of our country’s highest honors, the President’s Service Award, from President Clinton for our work with volunteers in the community.Every year over 1000 volunteers join us as painters on Saturdays in under-resourced schools and community sites. We transform these sites through warm color and thoughtful design. Publicolor paints dignity, respect, inspiration and safety in low-income neighborhoods.Corporations love to send their employees to paint alongside our students as they see this as a great team-building opportunity. It’s also a special way for corporate employees to participate in their company’s philanthropy. Publicolor students consistently mention Saturdays as their favorite part of Publicolor, citing getting to meet new people as most special. They cherish learning about new job options and what it takes to succeed. Publicolor’s volunteers are treasured role models!<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor2_a4d5c84881.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:44:56.128Z" alt="publicolor2"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor3_0f88c82378.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:45:48.000Z" alt="publicolor3">Academic tutors also join us as volunteer leaders of our weekly career exposure workshops, and as mentors for our high school seniors and college freshmen. With the help of our volunteer painters, Publicolor has transformed about 500 sites. With the help of our tutors, 85% of Publicolor students enter college not needing remediation versus 19% of their school peers. Thanks to our mentors, 98% have stayed in college after their freshman year versus 66% at the City University of New York. Since most of Publicolor students are the first in their family to go to college, the encouragement and guidance they receive from our volunteers is invaluable.For all these reasons, Publicolor treasures our volunteers. We couldn’t do what we do without them!<h3 style="text-align:center;">Interview with Ruth Lande Shuman, founder of Publicolor</h3>Q: Please share with us the mission of Publicolor.RLS: The mission of Publicolor is to creatively engage high risk, low-income students in their education and prepare them to be productive in the workplace.Q: How did the organization form?RLS:&nbsp;I was very concerned back in the late ’80s about the rising dropout rate. All I could think of was the horrible impact that would be on the future of our economy. In another life I had helped develop the Big Apple Circus and was a founding board member. I got to see a lot of schools that had our arts and education program, and many of them were in east Harlem. All of them looked and felt like prisons.I thought to myself: It’s no wonder that kids are dropping out; it’s no wonder that parents aren’t showing up for parent teacher conferences; I wouldn’t go to such a hostile environment. And it’s no wonder teachers are burning out. That was the lightbulb moment!<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor4_d26c9bb1c0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:46:24.411Z" alt="publicolor4">At the same time I had just finished a masters in industrial design at Pratt with a specialty in the psychological effects of color. Color has a huge effect on our attitudes and behaviour. So I thought about putting a paintbrush in the hands of disaffected students – the ones who are at high risk of dropping out. I wanted to teach them the marketable skill of commercial painting, and teach them strong and transferable work habits. And along the way, they would develop a sense of pride and ownership of their school, and start attending school more regularly. Also, if they spend any time with me, they’ll get to understand the importance of education and how that’s going to be their path out of poverty.So I mentioned the idea to the woman who ran the circus’ arts and education program. She also ran an educational complex in East Harlem, and she said to me, “Come on in. I want you to paint my whole school.” It was a city square block school of five storeys. The project was a huge success. Estee Lauder had wanted to do something in that school and the principal suggested that they meet with me. They loved the idea and they volunteered. We did a lot of prepping with the kids during the week and on weekends. We primed all the hallways, all the stairwells, and then drew thousands of linesm because I had a rather complicated design. Literally, within one day, from Estee Lauder, my friends, the teachers and the principal, we had 350 volunteers and we painted all the public spaces of the school.&nbsp;It was rather extraordinary.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor5_6302b79294.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:47:00.971Z" alt="publicolor5">&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;Then the school’s Chancellor came by and pulled me aside and said, “This is a catalyst for change. I want you in my schools. I’ll send out an RFP for a school beautification program.” So I filled out the application with the Department of Education and we won the contract. I took a little time off to set us up as a non profit organization, and then we were!Then I met with the Deputy Chancellor for Operations who asked me which school did I want, and I told him I wanted his lowest performing school. In the contract I was very specific that I wanted their lowest performing schools. That’s how it got started.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor6_dbcb775d4d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:47:39.957Z" alt="publicolor6">Q: That’s a beautiful story. What were some of the reactions after these drastic changes to the schools?RLS:&nbsp;There was one father who said that it was as if Santa Claus had come and left this gift. It was just so gorgeous. He said something about Santa and his elves, because when he arrived on Monday to drop his son, he couldn’t believe what he saw. The whole school was completely transformed. The kids love it.I have learned – and at first it hurt my feelings – that change is very difficult for many people. For some, their initial reaction was not fantastic. But what I have understood is to give them two weeks to adjust, and almost everybody ends up loving the change. And there are always going to be a few who don’t like yellow, or don’t like the blue that I chose for the doors. In the end, if we’ve used any color that the kids and the principal don’t particularly like, then we change it.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor7_78af02b117.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:48:27.019Z" alt="publicolor7">Q: Is there a student who stood out as being especially enabled by the transformation or the mentoring program?RLS:&nbsp;Oh, that’s hard, as there are so many. One comes to mind. One of my students is a girl called Cecile, whose mother was very, very sick when she joined our continuum program. She claims it was because of us that she stayed in school and didn’t drop out, and she really didn’t want to drop out. She went on to college and said that she would have dropped out again after her first year because her mother was so sick. But we gave her a lot of support and explained why college was so important for her and how it would make her mother proud. Her mother passed away after her sophomore year, and she had a mentor who encouraged her to stay in school. She went to one of the top culinary schools in the country and she now has a job working in food services for Google. She also works for us on Saturdays as a site staff member.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/publicolor8_74de447413.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:49:06.856Z" alt="publicolor8">There’s just one more thing: I remember once we replicated in Pittsburgh and there was a guy at Carnegie who did a study on volunteerism and wrote a piece about Publicolor. What he and I uncovered is just how much better an employee feels about their company after they’ve participated in a volunteer program. They take great pride in the fact that their company is volunteering to help X, Y or Z. What we’ve noticed apart from the pride factor is also the magnificent team building opportunity. We have a lot of feedback about that from volunteers.Q: Thank you so much for your time.RLS:&nbsp;Thank you, my pleasure.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Art Essay by PUBLICOLOR Interview by EMMA IVATURI</h4><hr>

The lifeblood of Publicolor

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Ryunosuke Satoro

Drop in the ocean

Dr. Sabbu Kishore (DCH, MD Internal Medicine) is a Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and Director of Kanha Medical and Research Centre. He is also a certified Heartfulness trainer, supporting wellbeing through clinical care, lifestyle medicine, and meditation-based practice.

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Sabbu Kishore

<h4>DR. SABBU KISHORE outlines the widespread yet often overlooked impact of vitamin B12 deficiency on neurological health, cardiovascular risk, and overall well-being.</h4>Vitamin B12 deficiency is quietly becoming one of the most widespread nutritional deficiencies worldwide, particularly in India. Despite being essential for brain function, nerve health, blood formation, and heart protection, it often goes unnoticed until significant damage has already occurred. Many people live for years with low vitamin B12 levels without realizing that their fatigue, memory problems, or tingling sensations have a nutritional cause.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">How Widespread Is the Problem?</h4>Nearly one in three to one in two Indian adults have low or borderline B12 levels. The problem is not limited to the elderly; young professionals, students, and adolescents are now affected as well. Modern diets, stress, digestive problems, and long-term medications drive this trend.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Who Is Most at Risk?</h4>B12 is found in animal-based foods. Vegetarians and vegans are especially at risk. Older adults, people with diabetes on metformin or acid-suppressing drugs, those with gut disorders, alcohol use, pregnancy, or chronic stress, also have a higher risk.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Why Vitamin B12 Is So Vital</h4>Vitamin B12 is crucial for the production of red blood cells and for the protection of nerves through the myelin sheath. It supports brain health, memory, mood, and energy. A vital function is controlling homocysteine, which can damage blood vessels if too high.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/vitb12_2_b739c3d655.webp" alt="vitb12-2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Homocysteine: The Hidden Link to Stroke</h4>When vitamin B12 levels are low, homocysteine accumulates in the blood. Elevated homocysteine damages the inner lining of blood vessels, increases clot formation, and accelerates hardening of the arteries. This significantly raises the risk of stroke and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-hidden-impact-of-vitamin-b12-deficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heart disease</a>, sometimes even in young individuals who do not have traditional risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or smoking.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Neurological Symptoms: Often the First Warning Sign</h4>Neurological symptoms can appear before anemia. These may include tingling, numbness, burning, balance issues, fatigue, poor memory, mood changes, <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/vighnas" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">depression</a>, and sleep problems. If untreated, permanent nerve and cognitive damage may result. &nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Vitamin B12 is crucial for making red blood cells and protecting nerves through the myelin sheath.&nbsp; It supports brain health, memory, mood, and energy. A vital function is controlling homocysteine, which can damage blood vessels if too high.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/vitb12_3_88ef759846.webp" alt="vitb12-3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Why B12 Deficiency Is Frequently Missed</h4>A normal hemoglobin level does not rule out a vitamin B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency can occur even with normal blood counts. Symptoms are often dismissed as stress, aging, or lifestyle, allowing the deficiency to worsen unnoticed.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Right Way to Check Vitamin B12 Status</h4>A simple blood test detects low B12 levels, but the results need careful interpretation. Symptoms may appear even at low-normal values. Measuring serum homocysteine is helpful, as elevated levels indicate functional deficiency and increased vascular risk. MMA testing can help confirm cellular B12 deficiency, particularly with borderline results.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Correcting the Deficiency</h4>Treatment depends on the severity of the deficiency and the presence of symptoms. Mild to moderate deficiency can often be corrected with high-dose oral or sublingual vitamin B12 supplementation, preferably in the form of methyl cobalamin. In individuals with severe deficiency or neurological symptoms, vitamin B12 injections are recommended initially, followed by long-term maintenance therapy. Correction of associated folate and vitamin B6 deficiencies is also important to normalize homocysteine levels.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Prevention Is Better Than Cure</h4>Regular screening is key to prevention. Elderly, vegetarians, people with diabetes, and those on long-term medication need periodic B12 and homocysteine tests. Awareness helps, but supplements are often essential.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Take-Home Message</h4>Vitamin B12 deficiency is common, silent, and serious, affecting energy, brain, nerves, and blood vessels. Elevated homocysteine connects it to stroke and heart disease. Early detection and treatment can reverse symptoms and prevent harm. Paying attention to B12 now protects future health.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Vitamin B12 deficiency is common, silent, and serious,&nbsp; affecting energy, brain, nerves, and blood vessels.&nbsp; Elevated homocysteine connects it to stroke and heart disease.&nbsp; Early detection and treatment can reverse symptoms&nbsp; and prevent harm. Paying attention to B12 now protects future health.</h4><hr>&nbsp;References: 1. Green R, et al. Vitamin B12 deficiency. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017. 2. Comprehensive review on prevalence, clinical features, and diagnosis of B12 deficiency. 3. Hamza Ali et al. The Neurological Sequelae of Vitamin B12 Deficiency: A Systematic Review and RCT. PubMed. 2025. Focuses on neurological outcomes and treatment effects in B12 deficiency.&nbsp; 4. Mahalle N, et al. Vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia as correlates of cardiovascular risk factors (Indian CAD patients). J Cardiol. 2013. 5. Shows high prevalence of B12 deficiency and elevated homocysteine in cardiovascular disease.&nbsp; 6. Metabolic vitamin B12 deficiency: a missed opportunity to prevent dementia and stroke (Narrative Review). PubMed. 2015. Discusses metabolic B12 deficiency, stroke risk, and the importance of functional markers (MMA, homocysteine).&nbsp; 7. Role of vitamin B12 deficiency in ischemic stroke risk and outcome (Review). PubMed. 2020. Reviews evidence linking B12 deficiency to ischemic stroke and mechanisms, including homocysteine elevation. 8. Serum Vitamin B12 Levels as a Risk Factor and Prognostic Marker in Acute Ischemic Stroke (Case-control, India). PubMed. 2025. 9. Demonstrates lower B12 and higher homocysteine in stroke patients with worse outcomes.&nbsp; 10. Homocysteine, B vitamins, and cardiovascular disease: a Mendelian randomization study. BMC Med. 2021. Genetic evidence linking homocysteine levels to stroke risk, highlighting the role of B vitamins.&nbsp; 11. Neurological disorders in vitamin B12 deficiency (Review). PubMed. Details the spectrum of neurologic manifestations, including peripheral neuropathy, myelopathy, and cognitive issues.&nbsp; 12. Association between neuropathy and B-vitamins: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. PubMed. 2021. Meta-analytic evidence linking low B12 (and elevated homocysteine/MMA) with peripheral neuropathy.&nbsp; 13. Vitamin B12 Deficiency-Induced Neuropathy and Cognitive and Motor Impairment in the Elderly: Case Reports. PubMed. 2025. Case evidence highlighting diagnostic challenges and the utility of homocysteine/MMA testing even with “normal” serum B12.

The Hidden Impact of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

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Saint Francis of Assisi

Become prayer

Sairam is Co-founder and Director of Research at UrbanKisaan, dedicated to environmentally safe and sustainable agricultural technologies. He has published over 30 articles in international journals, and received multiple awards. He was listed in the top 10 leaders in the Agriculture Industry for the year 2021.

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Sairam Reddy Palicherla

<h4>SAIRAM REDDY PALICHERLA is one of the founders of UrbanKisaan, creating a sustainable and safe future using hydroponics. They are creating local micro farms, with a low carbon-footprint, and igniting agri-entrepreneurs to bring positive change for humanity and the planet. Here he speaks with LEAH RICH about the work UrbanKisaan is doing, and Kanha Shanti Vanam as a model for feeding a whole community.</h4><hr>Q: Good morning Dr. Sairam. Thank you for taking the time to speak about hydroponics with us. Let’s jump right in. To start, what got you interested in hydroponics?SR: The interest here at Kanha was led by Daaji. He wanted to explore various non-conventional and sustainable ways of growing food. He has been doing this for the last twenty years, in his backyard in the US. This has been his passion – exploring alternative ways of growing food.Prior to seventy years ago, food was nutritious and safe, but the quantity was not enough to feed the people of the world. There was a desperate need to increase the productivity, so fertilizers, pesticides and hybrid crops were introduced. This is also when the needs of the trader came into the picture – transportability, storability, shelf life, and packing in boxes became the focus. This happened at the expense of the nutrient content of the food and the needs of the consumer.In the last seventy years, there’s been a complete shift in food growing. Now we satisfy our hunger but not our nutritional needs. That is where the challenges come. It’s time to shift back to local food production – I call it micro farming.Q: So how does hydroponics fit in? I thought the nutrients in our produce come through the soil, but in hydroponics there is no soil. Can you explain?SR: Our understanding of the source of a plant’s nutrition is also limited. When testing the nutrition content of crops grown in soil and the same crops grown hydroponically, is there any difference?When we measure vitamins, minerals, macro nutrients, protein, carbohydrate and fat, research shows that plants can take up these nutrients equally well from soil and the liquid formula used in hydroponics. A large body of research shows that there is no difference.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Hydroponics2_db9786ceb2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:14:09.630Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>Q: How do you ensure the required nutrients are in the hydroponic formula?SR: There are three groups of minerals that a plant uses to meet its basic needs: macro minerals, micro minerals and major minerals. These are all present in the hydroponic formula. The rest happens inside the plant. Vitamins are manufactured inside the plant. Plants also require light and sufficient carbon dioxide to grow.Q: So, what about meeting the need for light for plants grown hydroponically?SR: There are two systems of hydroponics. One uses natural sunlight, for example, a hydroponic tower on a balcony, or a green house. The other type is for growing crops indoors, using artificial light. Typically, LED lights are used. They are low power consuming light sources and the beauty of LED is you can define the spectrum of light that they emit.Plants require different spectra of light for different purposes. For example, photosynthetic activity requires red light. Hormonal activity requires blue and yellow. We can measure how much light a plant needs for a particular spectrum and provide it using LED lights.<hr><hr><h4>Now we satisfy our hunger but not our nutritional needs.&nbsp; That is where the challenges come.&nbsp; It’s time to shift back to local food production&nbsp; – I call it micro farming.</h4><hr><hr>Q: Coming to the individual level, why do you feel is it important for households to grow food hydroponically?SR: Six or seven years ago, I came across a news article that was published by an agriculture university, showing the levels of pesticides and heavy metals in the food we consume. They went around the city of Hyderabad and collected samples of vegetables from organic stores, supermarkets, roadside shops, and farmer’s markets. They analyzed the samples in their laboratory,and to my surprise and agony, all the vegetables were heavily contaminated with heavy metals. 45% of the produce from organic stores was contaminated with pesticides, and 100% was contaminated with heavy metals.This is because the areas where food was grown were near polluting industries. And the surrounding soil and water body in every city, whether it be a reservoir or a canal is being contaminated by the toxic effluents. This contaminated soil and water is being used to produce the crops we are consuming. So even if produce is grown using an organic methodology, without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, the soil and water used to grow them is polluted. It’s impossible to avoid heavy metals like arsenic and lead.This is where I see a huge need for home growers. And hydroponics is one method we can all use. I call our home growers micro farmers.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Hydroponics3_9221eb8abb.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:16:04.875Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>Q: What are the advantages of hydroponics? Can you offer some tips and guidelines for people who are reading this and interested in starting a small hydroponics system at home?SR: It requires very little water, and you can automate it. If you go away on vacation, your crops can be watered while you are away. It doesn’t need much space. You can easily grow the leafy greens required for your household. All you need is a roof top or balcony that receives three to four hours of direct sunlight per day. You need four by five feet of space. If outdoor space is not possible, you can use an indoor kit with LED lights.Now, expanding this to the community level, at Kanha we have enough hydroponically grown produce to meet the demands of the community.Q: Are you aware of other communities setting up similar operations?SR: This is a growing field. People are overcoming their doubts about hydroponically grown vegetables, as they learn about it and taste the produce. In Singapore, for example, where they have very little land to grow vegetables, they use rooftops to grow their vegetables hydroponically. We call them rooftop farms.Q: This seems like a replicable model in urban areas worldwide.SR: Yes, definitely. It is being well accepted worldwide.On the commercial side, our first farm at Urban Kisaan was a rooftop farm in the heart of the city of Hyderabad. This is where we demonstrated that it can be part of smart city planning.At Kanha, we have built six rooftop greenhouses. Different systems are being used to grow different types of food. We’re growing many types of leafy greens, tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, and hot peppers. We can grow anything we wish.The cost of the setup is an investment, but I’m sure in the near future governments will offer incentives and subsidies.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Hydroponics4_13fbb14f24.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:17:24.975Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>Q: What about universities and corporations?SR: University hostels are asking for vertical farms to be installed. And corporates are asking them for their employee restaurants. Generally, they prepare fresh food, such as salads.Supermarkets are also interested. The indoor kits are being installed in the supermarkets so that consumers harvest directly from there.In terms of environmental impact, these initiatives are doing two very important things:<ol><li>They are cutting off the logistics component of food production. This reduces the carbon emissions as there is no transportation involved.</li><li>There is no wastage either. In typical farming operations, up to 40% of the food grown is wasted before it reaches the consumer.</li></ol>Hydroponics is reducing both carbon emissions and wastage.Earlier we had backyard farming. That is becoming more difficult these days as we don’t have much time to devote to it, and there is a lack of space in our urban areas. If you have the space and the time, there is nothing like it. But if you don’t, you can try hydroponics as a micro farming option.It’s time to promote micro farming,to decentralize farming. Micro farming cuts down wastage, and allows you to grow safe, nutritious food even in urban high-rise environments.Q: Dr. Sairam, thank you so much for this eye-opening conversation.<hr><hr><h4>Photographs courtesy of URBAN KISAAN</h4><hr>

Hydroponics

Saki F. Santorelli, EdD, MA, is an educator, author and clinician. He retired as Executive Director of the UMass Medical School Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society. A professor of medicine, he was the very first intern at Dr Jon Kabat Zinn's Stress Reduction Clinic, from where Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) originated. His entire career has been dedicated to the integration of mindfulness into public health and well-being, propelled by his recognition of and trust in the innate goodness of human beings.

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Saki Santorelli

<h4>SAKI SANTORELLI is interviewed by AMIR IMANI as part of a webinar series about mindfulness, love,
 compassion and the way of the heart.</h4>
Q: Today we are very delighted to have my dear friend, mentor and
 teacher, Dr. Saki Santorelli, with us. Saki was the Executive Director of The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine,
 Health and Society at the University of Massachusetts, USA, for 17 years. I have been a witness to his deep
 contribution to bringing mindfulness to the public and the profession, globally.
Saki has been one of the main pulls for me into the mindfulness
 practice, through his loving presence and brotherly support from afar. He will be speaking to us on love, compassion
 and the heart in this way.
Thank you Saki, and welcome to this session with us.
SS: Thank you so much, Amir and Samaneh. It’s
 lovely to be with all of you.
Today I would like to begin by offering you the deepest sense of gratitude and
 appreciation for the work that you are doing in your part of the world, wherever you are. So how about if we begin
 by, each of us in our own way, setting an intention for what we hope for in this next hour together?
You know there are often surface reasons, then there are deeper reasons, and then there
 are deeper than that reasons. For example, you might feel at a professional level, which is a good thing. But if you
 drop down a little further into your heart: What’s really brought you to this, to give yourself over to this for an
 hour of your life, when you could be doing so many other things? And it’s that deeper seed that I’m suggesting you
 attend to.
People come for a whole range of reasons, but then there is some deeper reason for being
 there as well. For example – we never did a formal study about this – all of the 37 years that I was at the Center
 for Mindfulness, we saw people with cancer and heart disease and a huge range of medical and psychological issues.
 And while they came certainly for some relief from the psychological or physical suffering associated with those
 conditions, the single-most frequently stated goal was peace of mind.
So they knew something deep inside themselves, even in the midst of whatever they were
 suffering with, physically or psychologically, that was quite different than the symptoms that they were
 experiencing. So it’s that deeper reason that I am asking, or suggesting, that you invoke or intend and attend to as
 we continue.
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Even right in this moment I feel that we are dear, dear companions, that we are joined
 together by a certain commitment, a certain dedication, and a certain view of human beings: in some very real way,
 the view that human beings are actually filled with a certain kind of genius. They are capable far more than they
 might imagine or certainly far more than most cultures would suggest is possible. It’s as if there’s a treasure that
 they are, that they have forgotten. You know what I mean? You know that in yourself how easy it is to forget?
So you could say that in a very real way the true and real work of any of us, as
 teachers of mindfulness-based programs, is to remember. And that remembering is deeper than the intervention. In
 fact I don’t even like to call MBSR an intervention; we avoided calling it an intervention from the beginning. And
 we avoided calling it a therapy as well. Rather we said it’s an approach or a path. I don’t know what the word is in
 Farsi, but I think in Arabic it is tareeq; it’s a way.
That doesn’t mean all of the competencies that have been described as central to MBSR or
 MBCT teacher development are not important. They are important. I’d read the paper by my dear colleagues, Rebecca
 Crane and Mark Williams, when it came out years ago, about the competencies, and I asked myself, “Are these
 competencies all an aspect of MBSR?” My answer was yes. Then I asked myself another question, “Will these
 competencies be enough to walk into the classroom and teach?” My answer was no.
That doesn’t make them unimportant. It’s just that the central competency in my view, in
 my experience, is the cultivation of the human heart. And that has everything to do with the quality of embodiment.
 And every one of us will embody it in a different way. And it expresses itself probably universally as a kind of
 sympathetic nature, a kind of tenderness and softness – not passivity, but softness – and a kind of mercy.
So maybe for a moment you can just be attentive to that part of yourself. It’s right
 here. You might say it actually shows up as a kind of assertive kindness, warmth and friendliness towards oneself
 and one’s experience. In a very real way we’re asking the people that we work with to come to our courses or
 classes, to cultivate the same quality towards themselves and their experience.
In that, of course, on one hand we’re talking about the quality of tenderness or
 softness of the heart. On the other hand, you probably know well that that the heart is fierce, it can take
 everything, and it can keep giving. I’m not talking about something romantic, but it takes just that kind of an
 organ, if you will, of sensitivity and sensibility, to actually help people meet and in some way be relieved from
 their own suffering and their own pain.
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So if we look a little more deeply into mindfulness itself, there are two dimensions to
 it. On one hand there is what’s often called the instrumental dimension. It has to do with the development of skills
 and competencies, in a sense of effort and improvement over time. Maybe in our modern vernacular we’d say that has
 to do with acquisitional learning. For example, if I have to learn Farsi, I’d learn from the very beginning. I’d
 have to go very slowly, and I would probably feel like a failure or that I’m not getting it. If learn to play the
 piano, I go slowly. I learn the notes then the scales before I can play any music.
<img decoding="async" alt="" width="223" height="289"
 class="lazyload img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/insight_heart4_bac96813d3.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T08:12:07.486Z">It’s
 the same with learning to practice mindfulness. It is a practice
 in the sense that it has its own progression, and over time people often report changes. And if you’re a mindfulness
 practitioner, you discover that there are changes that take place over time. And it’s the same with the various
 competencies that have been identified in the development of MBSR teachers: over time people get more skillful at
 those competencies.
Then there is this other dimension of mindfulness practice that is non-instrumental.
 There’s nothing to get. There’s nothing to improve upon. There’s nothing to gain. It’s already complete. And you can
 see that instrumental is nested in the non-instrumental. For example, how could you love another human being if love
 wasn’t already a part of you? How could you appreciate beauty if beauty wasn’t innate? How could you appreciate the
 light of the sun if light wasn’t an innate part of you as a human being? This is what Rumi was talking about,
 several hundred years ago, when he talked about two kinds of intelligence: one acquired, one already complete.
So what’s it like to walk into the classroom knowing that you’re sitting in front of 10
 or 15 geniuses, who are already complete but they don’t know it? You can’t tell them that, you can’t give them a
 lecture about that. You can’t tell them, “Just believe me, because I know.” Our job is to embody that in some way,
 and then help them over time, simply assist them to become familiar with the depth that’s already a part of them.

That’s why I have written – and I continue to know more than simply believe – that the
 central risk in MBSR or MBCT is that we’ll become blinded to the non-instrumental and the instrumental will take
 over.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">The central competency in my view, in my experience, 
 is the cultivation of the human heart.</h5>
<hr>
So maybe we’ll take a moment and just sit with this question: How is it inside me to
 hear this, to feel it in some way? Not because I’ve said it, but how is it for you?
This really means that our job is to be students. To listen. To serve. To see if we can
 meet every situation, or many situations, in a way that they provide us with a certain kind of learning, a certain
 kind of insight and understanding. We become kind of intoxicated, so we’re a little drunk. You could say in some
 real way that mindfulness, in its most universal form, expresses itself in a deep and powerful way in remembering
 that we’re actually sober. That our senses serve us. That our mind serves us.
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And then, more centrally, the cultivation and the development of the human heart happen.
 It becomes the central characteristic of mindfulness, because it has everything to do with a slow disillusioning of
 this thing we call ‘myself’. So we move from that position of inhabiting and strengthening the self to recognizing
 that all human beings suffer, all human beings have the capacity to be free and liberated.
So thank you for letting your beauty shine out into the world. We know that there’s a
 lot of uncertainty in the world, a lot of darkness, and a lot of fear. And there’s no value in pretending otherwise.
 But in the middle of all of that, there is the capacity for us to shine forth, to feel this indelible bond between
 us, to touch deeply and know the deep, deep resources that we have within, and that the world has changed through
 very small numbers of people doing very radical things. By radical I mean fundamental. This is fundamental: the
 reality of what mindfulness is in the life of human beings is fundamental.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;"> 
 There is the capacity for us to shine forth, to feel this 
 indelible bond between us, to touch deeply and know 
 the deep, deep resources that we have
 within.</h5>
<hr>
I would like to end with a few lines of Hafiz, as he’s dear to me. The soil of Iran has
 given the world a universal voice through this human being. At the end of one of his poems he says the following
 lines:
Be strong, Hafiz! 
 Work here inside time, 
 where we fail, catch hold 
 again, and climb.

So that’s what we’re all doing here: working inside time, failing, catching hold again,
 and climbing. And I thank you for climbing. We’ll reach out and help one another.
Q: Thank you, Saki, for showing us how to climb, just by sitting still
 and feeling.
To be continued&nbsp;
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interview by AMIR IMANI</h4>
<hr>

Insight of the heart – part 1

<h4>We continue SAKI SANTORELLI’s interview with AMIR IMANI as part of a webinar series about
 mindfulness, love, compassion and the way of the heart.</h4>
Q: As a student, Saki, what I learnt from
 you is not to be afraid. This is what you taught me in my training – not to be afraid of not knowing and to rest
 in just being. And what you call heart and love, you get the power through that. You get the courage to “not
 know” through loving. I am always amazed to see how science is showing that this is healing. And the clients are
 amazed how they are transformed by just being.
Now, how do the complexities of the mind
 affect your work as a teacher? Say you have a mild depression, for example. Do you need to reach a stage of full
 recovery? Or does this mild depression dissolve through your practice and through your teaching practice?

SS: Well, I would say it depends. If the depression or anxiety is very, very
 strong in the life of the teacher, it could make working with other people more difficult. On the other hand, we all
 have bouts of depression or sadness or anxiety or uncertainty or insecurity. So it seems to me it’s not a question
 that you shouldn’t teach if you feel some depression, but how will you work with that anxiety or depression or
 uncertainty in a way that is real and genuine, and the fact that it’s known to you.
If you develop a relationship with that situation or that condition within yourself, it’s often the way you develop
 what are called the insights of the heart. In some real way your struggles and your sufferings actually have the
 potential to open you and open the people with whom you work with to bring new ways. So it can be a great service to
 you and your teaching, because it makes you so much more sensitive to others, and your work with yourself in those
 situations and conditions will inform you about how to work with other people.
So you don’t have to be completely cured. If that were the case, we wouldn’t do
 anything. We’re all lame!
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">In some real way your struggles and your sufferings 
 actually have the potential to open you 
 and open the people with whom you work 
 to bring new ways.</h5>
<hr>
Q: Would it help to say, “Keep some pain!
 It may help you in your teaching”?
SS: [Laughing] I wouldn’t say, “Keep it.” I would
 say, “If you’ve got it, you’d better work with it.”
Q: You give an example in your book,
 Healing Thyself, of the wounded healer from Greek mythology, Chiron, who is better able to connect with
 his patients because of his suffering.
SS: Yes, exactly. Those wounds actually help us
 meet other human beings. It is exactly what I was saying before: your sympathy is aroused, your tenderness is
 aroused. Your understanding of the other is informed and aroused.
Q: I remember my early days, Saki, in the
 teacher training, in the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. It is a requirement of the teacher
 training program to be a patient first. I found myself listening to these 35 so-called patients, talking their
 hearts out about their pain, their anguish, and I was feeling nothing. I was baffled: Why am I not feeling the
 pain that they are talking about?
Then I spoke to the teacher of our group
 about this. She hinted that it would come when I opened up to myself. So, starting with my own wound first, and
 then opening to the other – it looks like that for me.
SS: Yes, in a very real way we’ve been taught,
 especially as health care professionals, to separate ourselves from the people we work with, because the view is
 that then we’ll serve them better. My experience is quite the opposite. If I am able to discover some semblance of
 what they’re experiencing within myself, I can serve them far better.
I may not have the same content: somebody may have cancer and I may not have cancer, but
 have I suffered from something else? Yes. I may not be addicted to a substance, but do I experience addiction? Yes.
 And what is that like? What does it do to my body, my mind, and my psyche? What do I know about that in myself? What
 does awareness tell me, show me?
And I then can go to that source and maybe at least be in the “not knowing,” as you
 described it, Amir. I may have some sense of, “Where can I put my first foothold? Where can I put my first
 handhold?” This is exactly what Hafiz is saying in that poem. I don’t have to know the second or third or fourth
 step. I simply have to be present and take the risk of taking the first step. The development of our relationship
 will guide the second step.
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 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/insight_heart2_2_1_b13fdab417.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:04:23.704Z">

Q: When there are stressful sensitivities
 of life, if mindfulness practices create more sensitivity, should we reduce the length and number of the
 practice sessions? How do we find balance in terms a healthy dosage of practice?
SS: Well, these are all important questions. I
 think in some ways it’s true that mindfulness practice can make us more sensitized, and in some way it is parallel
 to what is happening in the class, in the course for people. For example, sometimes in the early weeks people say,
 “I’m feeling worse than when I started. I thought this was supposed to make me feel better, but I feel worse.”
They’re speaking about the fact that through the development of their attention and
 awareness they are becoming more sensitized to their situation, both externally and internally. And that is a lot to
 comfort in oneself. And they often express frustration because they are more aware of what’s going on, but they
 don’t yet have the capacity to do anything about it. That seems to me to be a normal part of the learning process.
 What begins to happen is turbulence. And their awareness is perturbing their system. It is because there’s the way I
 was, and then there is what I perceive now; and that differential creates a kind of friction or discomfort.
The skill of the teacher becomes really important in that moment, in terms of how do we
 titrate the right dose? Just to keep that, but not too much. Too much is overwhelming; too little, transformation is
 not possible. They’re involved in a kind of alchemy, in the sense that there is a phase of dissolution before
 reintegration.
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 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/insight_heart2_4_1_8d9501b901.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:05:45.509Z">

So as a teacher and a practitioner of mindfulness, as you said, we’re all involved in
 the same process of how to ascertain the right dose to have some sense of balance. I think that involves getting to
 know oneself better and better. And also, if it’s possible to work with a teacher, it’s helpful as well because the
 teacher can help with that dosage.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">So as a teacher and a practitioner of mindfulness, 
 we’re all involved in the same process of how to ascertain 
 the right dose to have some sense of balance. 
 I think that involves getting to know oneself better and better.</h5>
<hr>
You have to be careful not to push yourself so hard that you’re doing yourself harm, and
 at the same time you have to really look deeper into your practice and see if it is being motivated by love and
 kindness. And if there is any sense that you’re pushing too hard, you have to back off.
Often we instrumentalize practice so much, because we want to gain something. And while
 it takes effort to practice, there is a kind of skillful effort, which has a degree of resting in the way things are
 versus pushing too hard against them. And if that’s the case, which is not unusual, then you need to ask yourself
 some really good questions like: Who is pushing so hard? Who wants to breakthrough and to what? And what is
 motivating? They are not necessarily comfortable questions, but they are fruitful. They help us to be with life and
 ourselves as we are and as life is.
So maybe we can make this the last question, Amir.
Q: I think this will be a good one for us.
 We have been keeping the best for last. What is falling in love?
SS: Okay, the best for last!
Well, that question has been asked by human beings since human beings were on the Earth.
 And it’s portrayed in a very particular way in our cultures. Usually it is portrayed as romantic and intoxicating,
 and it’s usually about what we want. It has its beauty and its value and its function, and it’s quite wonderful. It
 doesn’t last though. At least that particular expression of it doesn’t last. And not unusually we go looking for it
 somewhere else; it’s a kind of addiction.
I think, for me, love has a lot of pain in it. In some real way, to be able to even come
 closer to saying “I’m in love” means that we’re actually putting someone else in front of us. Our care for them
 becomes more powerful than our care for ourselves. And in some very real way it portrays a kind of death. And that
 death is not just metaphoric, because it always involves a diminishment of the usual idea of the self. The pleasure
 and the pain of the other become more important than the pain and pleasure of the self.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">In some very real way we know we are in love, 
 because in some way we’re becoming bigger in 
 what appears to be our diminishment. So it means 
 that we start to give rather than look to receive. </h5>
<hr>
And that means in some very real way our ego is being slowly dissolved. The kind of
 separation between the self and the other is being eroded. So in some very real way we know we are in love, because
 in some way we’re becoming bigger in what appears to be our diminishment. So it means that we start to give rather
 than look to receive.
It seems a fitting way to end.
Q: And it’s also a beautiful way to begin,
 Saki. The sheer fact of touching our wounds, ourselves, for the first time – however it may be, not pleasant,
 it’s painful even – but the touch, the connection, for the first time is like falling in love for us. And that
 moment we are bigger than before.
SS: Yes, because we begin to discover how big we
 already are. The world is always squeezing us down, and of course awareness is fathomless and boundless, and
 touching that boundlessness is … Love simply arises and is known.
Q: How about rephrasing it to “rising in
 love?”
SS: Yes, I was going to say that!
Q: Thank you so much for raising the
 awareness of this small group. And all this started 20 years ago with a simple act of kindness from your side,
 and it’s amazing that we never forget kindness, especially when it’s not asked for, it’s just given to us. Thank
 you.
SS: Thank you so much. May we continue to travel in
 this caravan together.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interview by AMIR IMANI</h4>
<hr>

Insight of the heart – part 2

Samuel is an experienced medical researcher, triathlete, and surfer. As a neuroscientist, he researches genetic and rare diseases at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Australia. He uses the Heartfulness practices to balance his life and maintain a healthy and peaceful mind.

Samuel-Eiszele.jpg

Samuel Eiszele

<h4>SAMUEL EISZELE explores the depths of happiness,
 reminding us that happiness and suffering coexist, and that true happiness is about intentions, integrity and
 innateness.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h2 class="text-center">EMBRACING DIFFERENCE</h2>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
I love the question, “What does happiness mean?” Because, in my opinion, unconditional happiness is the purpose of
 human life, so understanding and evaluating what brings happiness will help us fulfill an enlightened life.
Happiness is very rich, rewarding, and complex. It is not diametrically opposed to grief or suffering, but rather
 something that I can experience when I know that I am being held in the integrity of my family, my community, what I
 stand for, and what I am rooted in.
<hr class="vertical-space1">

 <img decoding="async" width="627" height="800" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/discover_your_true_nature2_7b2f9547be.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T11:15:44.573Z">

<hr class="vertical-space1">
Happiness is about harmony and solidarity. It is knowing that when I arrive in a new environment, even if it is
 inherently challenging, I am arriving with a set of intentions: The intention to embody gratitude, loving-kindness,
 forgiveness and an active interest in others. And when I know that I carry this energy in my heart, my mind, and my
 inner being, then every moment becomes like a sacred offering, an opportunity to really open up to and unfurl to
 greater levels of interconnectedness and understanding. It truly is exceptional how interdependent we all are and
 have to be in this world.
Expanding upon the notion that happiness is the very nature of our being, I believe that other aspects of our inner
 being, like passion, are innately connected to happiness. Passion is defined as an intense driving conviction. It is
 a powerful feeling of enthusiasm toward something or someone, and it brings us the opportunity for new adventures
 and experiences. 
<hr class="vertical-space1">

 <img decoding="async" width="627" height="800" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/discover_your_true_nature3_d127888585.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T11:26:06.503Z">

<hr class="vertical-space1">
For example, I have developed a deep-rooted passion to understand the human body. Most people typically see the body
 as a collection of different parts, like arms, legs, torso, and the head. From this viewpoint, it may be difficult
 to imagine that the human body consists of over 70 trillion cells, all working in perfect harmony within our organs
 and the different organ systems to help us perform under even the most extreme conditions. My passion for the
 medical field has forced me to step out of my comfort zone by moving cities, challenging myself in academic
 research, and assisting in projects that could impact the lives of many. I believe that finding and pursuing our
 deep-rooted passions will help us live a full and happy life. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was an extremely
 passionate person who told us, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,
 keep looking, don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
When we look outside our innermost feelings and emotions to find happiness, we lose control of our true nature. We
 are habituated to believe that happiness is found outside and through material means – a different partner, a new
 job, more money. We burden ourselves with so many pursuits, and it is difficult to avoid at times – at least I find
 this to be true for myself. When I was younger, I associated happiness with winning, an incredibly joyous feeling of
 coming first in a swimming race or achieving a high grade; however, the feeling was only transient. I have come to
 realize that there is a distinction between the happiness we gain from external factors, and the happiness within
 our being. When our attention is no longer exclusively directed toward material means of happiness, we can more
 deeply experience what’s innate – our very being.
<hr class="vertical-space1">

 <img decoding="async" width="627" height="488" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/discover_your_true_nature4_adb87c3cae.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T11:26:57.701Z">

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h4 class="text-center"
 id="h-by-remaining-open-relaxed-centered-and-able-to-let-go-of-distractions-we-give-ourselves-the-opportunity-to-find-unconditional-happiness">
 By remaining open, relaxed, centered, and able to let go of
 distractions, we give ourselves the opportunity to find unconditional happiness.</h4>
<hr>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
I think it’s safe to say that nobody wants their happiness to be conditional upon the behavior of other people or the
 different circumstances we find ourselves in. However, this is sometimes difficult to achieve, especially when there
 are a multitude of factors that affect our emotions and beliefs, such as the current pandemic. Releasing these
 distractions and turning toward the present moment can allow us to rest in our own being – enhancing our experience
 of happiness, not diminished by circumstances. I am relatively new to contemplative practices, however, I believe
 that they strengthen our capability to tune into our center and enrich our consciousness. By remaining open,
 relaxed, centered, and able to let go of distractions, we give ourselves the opportunity to find unconditional
 happiness.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h4 class="text-center">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>
<hr>

Discover your true nature

Sangeeta Prasad, MA, ATR-BC, maintains a private art therapy practice in Virginia and serves as vice president of the Prasad Family Foundation. She served on the American Art Therapy Association Board of Directors from 2016 to 2018 and has authored Creative Expressions: Say it with Art and Using Art Therapy with Diverse Populations.

sangeeta-prasad.webp

Sangeeta Prasad

<h3 style="text-align:center;">An Art Therapist’s Perspective</h3><h4>VANESSA PATEL speaks with art therapist SANGEETA&nbsp;PRASAD about how creative expression becomes a language for what’s difficult to express—from children working through trauma to adults navigating pain, change, and the complexities of mental health—and why making art is a fundamental human need.</h4>Q: What brought you to art therapy?SP: I grew up in Chennai, India, where my mother ran a wonderful kindergarten school. The arts were always highly encouraged there, and I was always surrounded by children, education, and the arts. At college, in addition to my fine arts degree, I also completed one year of visual communication, and I realized I wanted to do something more—something that involved people and art.To escape the humid heat of Chennai, I would frequently visit the beautiful, air-conditioned American Library [now the American Center]. And there I came across a book by Edith Kramer, a pioneer in art therapy who worked with children with special needs. I started reading it and I knew: this is what I wanted to learn more about.I went on to study fine arts and then art therapy at George Washington University in 1985. My intention was to return to India and establish a special education school, as there was nothing like it at the time. I began by setting up a resource room at Bambino, my mother’s school, where we worked with children with autism, developmental delays, hyperactivity, and ADHD. At that time, these conditions were not well understood.Q: How did you identify these children without the diagnostic tools we have today?SP: It was more from observing behaviors—when a child didn’t want to come into school, or they were very anxious. My mother knew how to handle them. I implemented art therapy techniques I’d learned working with what they called at that time “emotionally disturbed children”—children with emotional issues, trauma, and some children on the spectrum. Having that background in abnormal psychology helped me understand how to work with them better.We hired a teacher to work with the children using different methods from those in the regular classrooms, while also integrating them into the regular classrooms. I did art therapy and worked alongside the families.After getting married, I returned to the U.S. to settle. The teacher who started with me at Bambino went on to establish a special education school in Chennai and continues to work with children with special needs.Q: What’s the difference between a regular art class and an art therapy session?SP: That’s an excellent question. In an art class, you’re very product-oriented and skill-oriented—you need to learn how to mix watercolors, perspective drawing, and your intention is really the product. In art therapy, the intention is the process. It’s okay for a child to scribble; in fact, we encourage that to help creative thinking.Art can be used in many different ways—as a diagnostic tool, depending on what the person expresses, or for honing fine motor and gross motor skills. Our training helps us understand emotional expressions. Each one of us chooses different colors and different ways of expressing ourselves visually through art.So, it’s really about understanding a person without them having to provide the words?SP: It’s a combination. Sometimes, it could be only the artwork—a person might come in and take something, expressing themselves without having the words to say it. And sometimes it’s a combination of the two.Q: For somebody who’s undergone trauma, how long does it typically take to connect with them using art therapy?SP: It depends. I have clients who have come to me for more than five years. In hospitals, we have short-term and long-term clients; it’s different in schools—it really depends on the setting. We also work in oncology units, utilizing art to manage pain.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">In art therapy,&nbsp; the intention is the process.</h4><hr>&nbsp;When she drew it and saw it, we then talked in metaphor about what would help this fish. This allowed her to put the problem outside of herself and step back to see it. We discussed what causes these wounds and whether there was anything she could do to make the fish stronger.Q: That’s really beautiful. You’re providing a safe space where there’s a lot of trust involved. Maybe that’s one reason clients keep coming back—it’s a place where they can really be themselves or discover who they really are.SP: Right, absolutely. Sometimes they’ll stop coming, feel better, and then, after some time, if they need support again, they come back. That’s not a bad thing, because they need the support. They know what helps them. It’s a safe place for them to talk about these things.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_journeys2_9527b966c5.webp" alt="healing-journeys2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Q: What techniques do you use?SP: It depends on the person. With the client I just mentioned, I used visualization as a means of understanding her pain. With one client who is an adult but functioning like an eight-year-old, I focus on fine motor and gross motor skills. We’ve started a weaving project to improve left-hand-right-hand coordination. Sometimes I’ll do an art activity where she has to draw how she’s feeling about something that happened during the week, because she can be very impulsive and doesn’t know how to handle change.We employ various techniques tailored to the client’s specific needs. Art is so versatile. We offer a diverse range of materials, including pencils, paints, clay, found objects, and natural elements. I utilize many of the materials we find and collect in nature in the art room. Recycled materials, things that people consider trash—we’re always collecting them.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">She said, &nbsp;“Art fosters self-expression,&nbsp; as the need to visually communicate&nbsp; is deeply ingrained within us.”</h4><hr>Q: That’s incredible creativity. Can you talk about your books?SP: I have two books out. One is Creative Expression: Say it with Art, written in India in 2008, mainly for teachers. I have now uploaded a PDF to my website and am making it freely accessible to teachers. The other is Using Art Therapy With Diverse Populations, where each chapter focuses on working with a different population, such as asylum seekers, prisoners, and various age groups. We have about twenty-seven authors contributing.Our therapists can work in various settings, including community centers, hospitals, and schools, with all age groups, utilizing relevant techniques. That’s why training is essential. I have to emphasize that because a lot of people think that because they’re artists, they can do art therapy. But art therapy is a mental health profession. It requires a master’s level program—two to three years of very intense training with internships. There are also PhD programs where research is being conducted on how the arts have been utilized in indigenous populations. From&nbsp;prehistoric times, we see art being used on cave walls as a means of expression. The arts have always played a crucial role.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_journeys3_155b6b4289.webp" alt="healing-journeys3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Q: So training typically involves art, education, and psychology?SP: Yes, all three components. A lot of psychology and counseling techniques. In the U.S., it typically takes two to three years, depending on the program, and we usually recommend working with at least two populations under supervision. Currently, I teach at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune, India, where I helped design and launch a hybrid program. I still conduct supervision there, so our students work in various settings and we provide them with opportunities to discuss the challenges they face. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_journeys4_23a947d88d.webp" alt="healing-journeys4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I utilize many of the materials we find&nbsp; and collect in nature in the art room. Recycled materials, things that people consider trash— we’re always collecting them.</h4><hr>Q: You seem to have a very holistic approach to mental health. Would you say that’s something that’s becoming increasingly necessary?SP: I think so. Medication is not the only solution. We need a multifaceted approach. When a person comes with an issue—trauma, developmental delays, life changes, a divorce—you want different tools for that person. Along with art therapy, I use a lot of mindfulness <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/an-experience-in-meditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a>. I’ve been trained as a mindful meditation teacher and have my own practice. I find the combination of mindfulness and art a wonderful mix.Neuroscience is another passion of mine. If we understand the brain and the body, as well as the connections between them, that can really help us understand where our client is coming from and provide them with different tools to work with.Q: I loved reading about the spiritual perspective in your work. I’m also a trainer in Heartfulness meditation, and sometimes after a meditation session, people want to sit and talk, and your role is to listen. You take it to the next level with your art therapy training.SP: It’s really wonderful because in the schools I’m involved in, it’s become so apparent that children really need another means of expression. And art therapy provides one of those tools. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_journeys5_a6db52a2bf.webp" alt="healing-journeys5.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Q: You’ve also used this in prisons. How does that help with rehabilitation?SP: There’s a wonderful art therapist named Dave Gussak who has done a lot of work and research into how art therapy can be used in settings where there can be a lot of aggression, where people come wounded, and where there are angry outbursts. There’s a lot of trauma, and then there’s re-traumatization happening within a prison.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">One artwork that Dave shared in his book&nbsp; is from an inmate who collected M&amp;Ms, and using M&amp;Ms and water,&nbsp; they did amazing paintings.</h4><hr>Art therapy can be used to help calm them down and improve their communication, leading to better understanding. Many people end up in prison because they have mental health issues. Helping them work through some of this can aid in rehabilitation. It needs specialized training and experience because it’s a unique place of work—you can’t use many art materials in that setting. No scissors, no glue. You have to be very vigilant.Despite these restrictions, people have continued to create art. One artwork that Dave shared in his book is from an inmate who collected M&amp;Ms, and using M&amp;Ms and water, they did amazing paintings.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_journeys6_2ca23ad600.webp" alt="healing-journeys6.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Q: So they used the dye from the M&amp;Ms as paint. How ingenious!SP: Yes, it says so much about the creativity of that person being in prison with limited resources. Art fosters self-expression, as the need to visually communicate is deeply ingrained within us.Q: Like a primal need to connect with the outer world and express what you are.SP: Right. And it also facilitates a connection to the inner world. Like <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-neuroscience-of-meditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a>, there’s that inner and outer connection.Q: That’s a lovely, hopeful note to end with. Thank you very much for your time. Thanks for the opportunity.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_journeys7_ea8777eade.webp" alt="healing-journeys7.webp"></figure>For more information, visit sangeetaprasad.com&nbsp;&nbsp;

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