Dr. Richard Davidson

William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.

Davidson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology in 1976. Davidson’s research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. He has published over 440 articles, numerous chapters and reviews and edited 14 books. He is the author (with Sharon Begley) of “The Emotional Life of Your Brain” published in 2012 and co-author with Daniel Goleman of “Altered Traits” published in 2017. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017 and appointed to the Governing Board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) in 2018. In 2014, Davidson founded the non-profit, Healthy Minds Innovations, which translates science into tools to cultivate and measure well-being.

Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul

𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗷𝗶 𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗱𝘂𝗹’s passion is to help people gain a deep understanding of the Nalanda tradition of Buddhist philosophy and imbue that knowledge with the heart of Bodhichitta, so that practitioners can transform their own continuum into the path of enlightenment. Geshe la’s knowledge of science and interactions with world renowned physicist give him the unique ability to teach Buddhist philosophy with a modern twist which is highly appreciated by contemporary audiences.

Since 2011, Geshe La has served as Director of Tibet House, Cultural Centre, New Delhi. He has also lectured at Delhi University,presented several papers for National and International Conferences and has been translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 2005. Geshi La has co-authored & edited scientific, philosophical, Buddhist and secular books with prominent international professors, as well as with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

For more information please visit Geshe la’s website - http://bodhiwisdom.org

Mingyur Rinpoche

In his approach to teaching meditation, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche integrates traditional Buddhist practice and philosophy with the current scientific understanding of the mind and mental health – making the practice of mediation relevant and accessible to students around the world.

Born in Nepal in 1975, Mingyur Rinpoche began to study meditation as a young boy with his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, himself a well-respected Buddhist teacher. He spent many years of his childhood in strict retreat and completed the traditional Buddhist training in philosophy and psychology. In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Mingyur Rinpoche has also had a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology, which has led to many fruitful collaborations with neuroscientists and psychologists. Mingyur Rinpoche is the author of the best-selling book The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, as well as Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism, and In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying.

KB Jinan

Jinan considers himself a victim of modernity, cognitively rewired to understand the written word instead of the real world. As an activist concerned about cognition, his basic concern has been to explore the cognitive crisis of modern men who with their so-called education have become anthropocentric and turned against life itself. He considers cognitive right the most fundamental right which modern society brutally takes away right from childhood.

His exploration began with issues related to decolonization, especially of the aesthetic sense. His life with illiterate communities helped him to expand this exploration to include knowledge creation, ‘do-nothing parenting’, and to shift the focus from sociological aspects to the biological roots of cognition and the formation of our sense of beauty.

His understanding further sharpened and clarified once he stopped reading- this helped him regain his biologically rooted cognitive system which is what all non-literate people have been using through eons. Another fundamental shift that brought in more clarity was shifting his enquiry from how to teach children to how do children learn. This question revealed the connection between our biological potential and the contextual dictates- between the world and the word, one of awakening and the other of conditioning.

He believes that in order to understand the modern crisis we will have to revisit childhood studies and the biological roots of cognition. For this we have to first address the biases and cognitive framework and also study children who are functioning in autonomy, free from coercion and control.

Currently, Jinan is involved in enabling people to explore and experientially recover their natural cognitive system damaged by schooling. The aim is to sensitize adults so they can provide the most conducive environment for their children to unfold naturally to their true potential.

Jyoti Pagdi

Jyoti Pagdi is an educationist. She holds degrees, of Bachelors of education and BHSc Child development. She has been connected with Waldorf education for two decades as a teacher and teacher trainer. She is a certified anthroposophic healing art Practitioner (Rudolf Steiner painting school, Dornach,Switzerland).

Dr. Shailesh Shirali

Shailesh Shirali studied at Delhi University, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and the University of Texas, where he did a PhD in mathematics. He taught at the University of New Brunswick (Canada), joined Rishi Valley (1983), and has been with the KFI schools since then. He is a trustee of the KFI. He served as Principal of Rishi Valley School, and is currently the Director of Sahyadri School.

He has been in the field of maths education for many decades. He has written several books for students and maths teachers and serves as Chief Editor of the maths magazine At Right Angles. He has a particular interest in ancient Indian mathematics. He also has a deep interest in facilitating enquiry into fundamental issues of life among teachers and students.

Sharing our Reflections

Shruthi Veena Vishwanath

Shruthi Veena Vishwanath is a singer, songcatcher, composer, curator and educator whose practice celebrates mystic music traditions from South Asia and beyond. Her work strives to bring lesser-known voices, especially of women poets to the fore, celebrating the multiplicity of language, form and thought of the region. Rooted in a folk-classical idiom, Shruthi has sung at festivals and venues across the world, spoken and taught at leading universities, and is currently leading an inclusive, online community for song and song-learning called Music in the Machan. www.shruthivishwanath.com

Judith Blackstone, PhD

Judith Blackstone, PhD, developed the Realization Process, a method of embodied psychological and relational healing and nondual spiritual awakening. She teaches throughout the United States and online, in workshops and teacher certification trainings. She was in private practice as a psychotherapist for thirty-five years. Before that, she was a professional dancer. She is a long-time student of both Buddhist and Hindu wisdom traditions. She is the author of Trauma and the Unbound Body: the Healing Power of Fundamental Consciousness; Belonging Here; The Enlightenment Process; The Intimate Life; The Subtle Self; and The Empathic Ground. An audio series of the Realization Process practices is available from Sounds True.

www.realizationprocess.org

Lisa Clark

Lisa Clark, is a Senior Teacher of Body-Mind Centering®, an Infant Developmental Movement Educator, and Registered International Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist, with over 40 years of teaching experience.

Lisa is Program Director for the School For Body-Mind Centering® Yoga Immersion Series, and Educational Director for the Body-Mind Centering® Somatic Movement Educator Program in Taiwan. As well, she has been faculty for the SME Program in Brazil, Uruguay, and USA. Her Workshops have been presented in China, Taiwan, India, South America, Europe and the USA.

You can read more about Lisa Clark at www.lisaclarkyoga.com

Sandy Dias Andrade

Vipul Shaha

Monika Piasecka

Benaiza Shroff

Shilpa Salve, Ph.D.

Shantum Seth

Shantum Seth is an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma Teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and teaches in India and across the world. He has been leading pilgrimages ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha’ and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia since 1988.

He is actively involved in educational, social and ecological programmes including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, with educators, the Central Reserve Police Force and the corporate sector amongst others. This is pioneered by the non-profit trust, Ahimsa of which he is a co- founder.

He has been a Senior Advisor to the World Bank and advised the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India on Buddhism and Pilgrimage Tourism. He worked in the corporate sector and later in social advocacy and development, fifteen years of which were with the United Nations Development Programme, managing programmes on Volunteer Promotion and Artisan Development across 16 countries, as also initiating the Endogenous Tourism programme in India.

He has contributed to a number of books including, ‘Walking with the Buddha’, ‘Planting Seeds…Sharing Mindfulness with Children’, and ‘Volunteers against Conflict’.

www.buddhapath.com

www.ahimsatrust.org

Zia Nath

Zia is a paramedical therapist specializing in Craniosacral Therapy (BCST RCST), Somatic Intelligence™, Trauma Support, Mother-Infant Birth Trauma & Mindful Nutrition. She founded her clinic Quanta Health Care Solutions in 2001 and has been supporting individuals & families with a healthcare system that is natural, holistic and non-invasive.

As a dancer Zia has been in the study and performance of Sacred Dances for more than two decades. Zia has always been intrigued by the body as a form of art and an instrument of healing and this led her to develop Realms of Dance™ & Whirling Mandala™ presenting Sacred Dances of ancient esoteric cultures as a therapeutic model and for deeper explorations of our consciousness.

“Our body is an instrument of evolving consciousness. In our body, science meets spirituality”- Zia Nath

www.zianath.com

Sujata Nerurkar

Educated in Engineering and Management, Sujata found her calling in the field of Yog. She has dedicated more than 2 decades to this field. Her 12-year experience in the corporate sector gives her the unique capability to be logical and process-oriented in running the organisation while her passion for Yog combined with a flair for teaching has taken her students beyond the limits of asana technique.

As a student of Yog since 1998, Sujata learnt that there can be no single approach to teaching Yoga. Her learning has been diverse and deep because of the many teachers she has learnt from. Therefore, as a teacher too she continues to learn from various schools to broaden and deepen her own understanding. Since 2006, Sujata has trained about 600+ teachers. She has keen interest in understanding and sharing Yog sutra wisdom, as she believes it’s the art of harmonious living.

Sujata is also a trained psychological counsellor. In that capacity, she conducts one-on-one counselling sessions. She has also worked with suicide prevention programme through Connecting, a Pune-based NGO. and helps people in emotional distress. In doing so, she utilises her expertise in Mind management aspect of yoga, REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy) , EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Non-violent communication and Interplay (movement as therapy). Sujata’s passion for Yoga is apparent through her students’ progress both in asanas and in their personality. Indeed, she derives satisfying smiles from her students’ eureka moments – physical, mental, and emotional.

Dhammachari Jinarakshita

Dh. Jinarakshita, (Dr. Jayaram N. Chengalur) is a Buddhist practitioner and a Distinguished Professor at National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. He has been writing and lecturing about the intersection between Buddhism and Science for some years, including as part of the programme on Socially Engaged Buddhism at the Department of Pali, Savitrabhai Phule University. In addition, he has many years of experience in introducing Buddhist meditation to, as well as leading meditation retreats for, a wide cross section of people.

Nithya Shanti

Nithya Shanti is an internationally acclaimed teacher of joyful and conscious living. He completed an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur and worked in the corporate world. He then went on to live as a forest meditation monk for six years. He now shares his learnings through retreats and talks with organizations and audiences worldwide.

He has been invited to share his insights around the world by leading universities, corporate and non-governmental organizations, he coaches CEOs, senior government officials and school teachers, and taught these principles at international conferences, forums such as TEDx and also in prisons. He is on the Advisory Board of Axialent, an international consulting firm specializing in enabling a more conscious culture in business.

www.nithyashanti.com
www.facebook.com/spreadinghappines
www.youtube.com/nithyashanti

Jyoti Pagdi

Jyoti Pagdi is an educationist. She holds degrees, of Bachelors of education and BHSc Child development. She has been connected with Waldorf education for two decades as a teacher and teacher trainer. She is a certified anthroposophic healing art Practitioner (Rudolf Steiner painting school, Dornach,Switzerland).

Malati S. Kalmadi

Mrs Malati S Kalmadi, Managing Trustee ,Kannada Sangha has been actively involved with the Kaveri group of institutes, Pune since 1989. A person totally dedicated to the cause of Education , she has a Post graduate degree in English , PG diploma in Media and Communications and School Psychology. She believes that every child is good, unique, different, special and has potential. This belief system guided the organization towards setting up strong Counselling centres in the KGI schools that cater to the needs of students, parents and teachers. Founder Director of Kaveri Gifted Education and Research Centre established in 2014 , that caters to the needs of Children with High Abilities nationally. This centre has received an international affiliation from European Council for High Ability as a Talent Point .It helps to identify and nurture gifted students in schools. The centre focuses on Teacher Training, curriculum development, nurturing sessions,Counselling , mentoring and identification processes. Hon Director at Anjali Morris foundation since 2007. A centre for Learning Disability needs of Children. This centre has been successful in conducting awareness sessions ,training teachers and special educators in Govt & private schools to identify and support students with Learning disabilities in their school system even during the Covid times. Project Director of the Mindful Parenting Program , a Parent Education project undertaken at Kaveri Institutes with guidance from University of California’s Greater Good Science Centre. Her aim is to spread love and make this world a better place for all its inhabitants.

Shrirang Sarda

Mr. Shrirang Sarda graduated in Commerce from BYK College of Commerce and MBA from Simon Business School, University of Rochester in 1996. He joined the Sarda Group family business in 1996 and played a key role in diversifying the Sarda family’s Bidi business. He was instrumental in establishing a worldclass dairy farm, Sarda Farms, and setting up its last mile distribution for chilled milk. He also set up Yogi Ayurvedic Products Private Ltd. a leading GMP certified company engaged in manufacturing Ayurvedic products. He oversaw the launch of Apple Country, Manali, one of the highest-occupied hotels of Manali. As Director of TLC Relationship Pvt. Ltd. (a leading CRM services company for the hospitality vertical), contributed to the technology aspect for CRM services. He developed Nashik’s first shopping centre, ‘The Zone’, integrating Retail, Entertainment and Leisure for the first time to attract national retailers to the city. He is the Chairman of ‘City Centre Mall Pvt. Ltd.’, a 5,50,000 sq. ft. shopping centre in Nashik. He is a trustee of Shriman Kisanlal Sarda Pratisthan, which runs Rasbihari International School, one of the lowest cost IB PYP schools in the world. He serves the Vipassana community in the capacity of trustee at Mitra Vipassana Academy and Dhamma Bodhi Vipassana centre. He serves as a trustee at Seeds of Awareness, an NGO working in the domain of Gender and Sexuality. There are many other charitable, philanthropic and community causes in which he serves in various capacities.

Dhira Peer

Dhira Peer is a child counselor, play therapist and an Arts Based therapy practitioner in Pune. She has recently been certified by the Emory University as a Cognitively based Compassion Training instructor and also completed the SEE learning (Socio-Emotional -Ethical Learning) L1 facilitation certification.

Currently Dhira works with The Akanksha Foundation as a network lead and oversees the functioning of the counseling teams across 3 cities- Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur. She has also been leading the SEE learning (Socio-Emotional- Ethical Learning) program for children, parents and teachers of 21 schools at Akanksha. Through her work, Dhira intends to build awareness and inspiration among people by advocating what is necessary for children’s emotional wellbeing.

Today she will be sharing with us about Akanksha’s vision to build Compassionate schools and the small steps towards creating a nurturing environment for children through mindfulness.

Fathima Khader

Fathima brings with her close to 18 years of experience in the education sector working extensively with children, teachers and parents in areas of life skills training, personal development and child behavior management. Her passions lies in conducting workshops on Personal safety, Body awareness, Human Sexuality, CSA awareness and has extensively worked with adolescents on responsible behaviors. She currently heads EvolveED, a Bangalore based training organisation, that primarily works in the space of childcare, focusing on healing, restoring and transforming human relationships. Mindfulness based Compassion and Acceptance programmes are used to build inner strength, enhance self - awareness and promote emotional regulation. She has completed training in using Mindful and Self - Compassion with Center for Mindful Self - Compassion. She is member of Early Childhood Association of India( ECA). She holds a professional certificate from Monash University, Australia in coaching educational leaders and focuses on bringing in compassion, mindfulness and contemplation into school leadership. She is also a parent consultant and holds an international Parent coach training Mastery certification from ACPI, USA.

Arul Dev

Arul dev aspires to connect to the Truth of Humanity through his works with Individuals, Organisations and Institutions. His aim is to live with his ‘natural breath’ and do his conscious practices at work, home and society. He has been sharing his ‘inner work’ through his books ‘Into Great Depth of Your Being’ published by Auro Publications and ‘The Flame Within’ published by Soulscapes with leaders, teachers, students, parents and others - to support their inner evolution and outer creative manifestation. He holds a MCLC (Master Certified Leadership Coach) certification from Coach for Life.

He is the Founder CEO of People First Consultants for last 26 years, guiding the organization to be value-centered providers of L&D and Talent Hiring services. He is the guest faculty at IIT Madras for the ‘Self Awareness’ and ‘Self Awareness and Higher Goals in Education’ courses since 2011. He periodically offers these experiential workshops: ‘New Creation’, ‘Integral Education’, ‘Intuition & Innovation’, ‘Discovery of Purpose & Vision’, ‘Culture Building’ and ‘Sadhana’ (Conscious Inner Practices). He coaches resonant few, to be Radiant Universal leaders, coaches, educators and healers. He is the key anchor and facilitator of the Level 1 and 2 ‘Coaching with Depth’ program, which are spread over 9 month’s duration each.

Sharing our Reflections

Ananda Sangha, Mumbai

Patricia Meadows

Patricia Meadows, MS, RN, SEP is a holistic nurse counselor and trauma therapist with Master’s Degrees in Community Health Nursing, as well as in Community Mental Health/Clinical Counseling. Also, she completed six years of doctoral studies in East/West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, with a specialization in Adult Psycho-spiritual Development.

She has over 45 years experience in healthcare, education and mental health, with the last 20 years in private practice. She facilitates a psycho-spiritual inquiry-based, and process-oriented approach to healing, transforming and being/living authentically in the world. She is trained in and integrates multiple approaches to working with diverse forms of trauma, including: developmental trauma (neglect and abuse); prenatal, birth and perinatal trauma; attachment/relational trauma; family and intergenerational trauma; medical/surgical trauma; and shock trauma.

Also, her work is informed by long-term spiritual practice and participation in the Diamond Approach, a path of realization. She is a teacher of the Diamond Approach.

Sandy Dias Andrade

Vipul Shaha

Monika Piasecka

Benaiza Shroff

Shilpa Salve, Ph.D.

John J. Prendergast, PhD

John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is the author of The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence (2019) and In Touch: How to Tune in to Your Inner Guidance and Trust Yourself (2015). He is also the senior editor of The Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy (2003) and Listening from the Heart of Silence: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, Vol. 2 (2007). He is the co-founder of the Conference on Nondual Wisdom and Psychology (2000-2018) and founder and editor of Undivided: The Online Journal of Nonduality and Psychology (_2012-2018). He is a retired Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where he taught and supervised masters level counseling students for 23 years. He has also recently retired from being a psychotherapist in private practice since 1986. He studied for many years with the European sage Jean Klein as well as with Adyashanti, and now offers teachings and retreats in the U.S. and Europe, as well as online.

Website
YouTube Channel

Mandar Karanjkar

Mandar is a trained Hindustani vocalist, a self taught flutist and co-founder of Baithak Foundation, a not for profit organisation started to promote Indian Classical Music. Mandar is a practitioner of Naad Yoga and has taught Naad Yoga at various prestigious organisations like Sri. Aurobindo Society, Samskritam Auroville, Pune International Yoga Mahotsav etc.

Mandar is also a published author of three books including his second book - The Kabir Way: Actionable Insights for Organizations and Individuals which applies wisdom of Saint Kabir to business management. Mandar is also a director of Akshar Maifal, a fast growing Marathi Publishing House and works in the field of strategic communication solutions.

Sensei Sandeep Desai

Sensei Sandeep Desai is a lifelong warrior and a yogi. He is a Master of T’ai Chi, Yoga and Martial Arts having several international Accolades to his name. He is credited with introducing the original Chen style T’ai Chi Chuan in India. He has trained arduously and extensively in Chenjiagou village, the birthplace of T’ai Chi in China. He enjoys the unique distinction of acquiring 5th Dan Black Belt in Okinawa, Japan and also becoming the only Indian to successfully finish the advanced ‘The Full Time Training’ in China under the strict supervision Chen Zhonghua, the Standard-bearer of the Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan Practical Method . His journey began with karate in the 1970s, when he was in his teens. In his pursuit of perfection and purity in the martial arts, the Sensei has travelled to Japan, Germany and China to learn directly from grandmasters. His teachers were known not only for their exacting standards but were also part of a lineage – keepers of the highest traditions in their respective arts. His name has spread to the far and wide corners of the world. He has been featured in all the major television networks and the leading publications. He has taught some of the poorest of poor and some of the the richest of rich people across the country. He has been felicitated by Shri Narendra Modi for his stellar accomplishments and for introducing T’ai Chi to the people of Gujarat in 2011.

Zia Nath

Zia is a paramedical therapist specializing in Craniosacral Therapy (BCST RCST), Somatic Intelligence™, Trauma Support, Mother-Infant Birth Trauma & Mindful Nutrition. She founded her clinic Quanta Health Care Solutions in 2001 and has been supporting individuals & families with a healthcare system that is natural, holistic and non-invasive.

As a dancer Zia has been in the study and performance of Sacred Dances for more than two decades. Zia has always been intrigued by the body as a form of art and an instrument of healing and this led her to develop Realms of Dance™ & Whirling Mandala™ presenting Sacred Dances of ancient esoteric cultures as a therapeutic model and for deeper explorations of our consciousness.

“Our body is an instrument of evolving consciousness. In our body, science meets spirituality”- Zia Nath

www.zianath.com

Shefali Kosta

Shefali is the founder of Swadhaa Waldorf Learning Centre, India, Pune. Swadhaa school is founded on the commitment towards celebrating the grandeur of human life along with all the learning and syllabi. She derives her inspirations from Dr. Rudolf Steiner’s Waldorf Education, the ancient Indian knowledge systems and the wisdom of the seers and gurus of India.

Dr Meyrav Mor

Meyrav is a trained Waldorf kindergarten/primary teacher (1996 Waldorf Institute of Southern California) and completed an additional Waldorf primary teacher training with a focus on teaching additional languages (2004 Antioch New England Graduate School, USA).

​Meyrav completed her postgraduate in teaching early elementary education at University of Brighton, UK. She has a Master of Education degree from Antioch New England Graduate School (2004). Meyrav received her PhD (2017) from Bath University in the UK. Her doctorate studies focused on designing a transformative education and curriculum model for traditional communities that keep them connected to their spiritual heritage, natural environment and cultural knowledge.

​Between 1996 – 2015, Meyrav set up the first two Waldorf schools in Nepal and two kindergartens in England. She has taught kindergarten (Israel, Nepal and UK), primary class 1-8 (Nepal and UK) and children with special needs (Nepal, UK). For the past 25 years Meyrav has been training kindergarten and primary school teachers in Nepal, India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Israel, and the UK. At the same time, Meyrav has been developing curricula that cater to the heritage of communities around the world by interweaving transformative and experiential learning with culture and spirituality. Her work brings together the Waldorf methodology and the traditions of specific communities to help them transition to the 21st century without losing their spiritual heritage and valuable traditional knowledge. She has written two books about this subject: Fire in the Heart: A Teacher Training Manual for the Himalayan Region (2000), and Preserving the past, Reserving the Future: A Culturally Sensitive Early Childhood Curriculum for Tibetan Children in Exile (2003).

​Meyrav came to Buddhism in 1997 a year after she moved to Nepal. She had the good fortune to receive teachings since then from many great Buddhist masters. From 2000, when Meyrav established the Tashi Waldorf School in Nepal, she has been developing a Buddhist curriculum for children from Tibet and high Himalayas.

​Since 2016 Meyrav’s sole focus has been on bringing together her wealth of knowledge and expertise to develop the Abiding Heart Transformative Experiential Buddhist Education for kindergarten through to class 8. This education approach, that includes curriculum design and content, and teacher training courses, can be used by Buddhist and non-Buddhist communities around the world. Meyrav is the director of Abiding Heart Education, which has bases in USA and Nepal where this new education approach and curriculum is offered to regional and international trainees through online and in-person comprehensive teacher training courses.

​At Abding Heart, Dr. Meyrav Mor teaches on the Child Development course, Learning Theories and Methodologies course, curriculum studies in the Kindergarten and Primary Teacher Training courses.

Vishwas Parchure

With 12 years corporate experience and 32 years in the field of education (children & adults), Vishwas brings to his facilitation a variety of experience from Sales & Marketing, Teaching, Training, Peace building in communities, Outdoors and Adventure. His travels with Play for Peace and desire to build peaceful communities has taken him to Canada, USA, N. Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East to work with organisations involved in building peaceful communities. His Corporate facilitation work has taken him all over India, and other countries - Dubai, Costa Rica, Peru, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Czech Republic. His experience and application of experiential methodology in the classroom over 30 years includes working with teachers to have more exciting classrooms, and travels into the outdoors with children. Expeditions of body and mind are common practices in his methodology. He is the 2020 recipient of The Association for Experiential Education’s Marina Ewald / Kurt Hahn Award for his contribution to the world of Experiential Education.

Manoj Pavitran

Manoj Pavithran is an integral yoga practitioner coach living in Auroville since 1995. He has been following Sri Aurobindo’s integral yoga psychology and its transformational practices since 1989. He is passionate about individual and collective evolution and in Auroville he works in many areas like education, filmmaking and software development.

He has co-founded Purnam Centre for Integrality in Auroville to offer educational programmes based on the Auroville experience. He sees Auroville as an international university campus where life-long learning and research are seamlessly woven into daily work, relationships and social development in harmony with Nature.

His educational programmes can be found at https://aci.auroville.org and the films are available at www.sopanam.org.

Shefali Kosta

Shefali is the founder of Swadhaa Waldorf Learning Centre, India, Pune. Swadhaa school is founded on the commitment towards celebrating the grandeur of human life along with all the learning and syllabi. She derives her inspirations from Dr. Rudolf Steiner’s Waldorf Education, the ancient Indian knowledge systems and the wisdom of the seers and gurus of India.

Dr Meyrav Mor

Meyrav is a trained Waldorf kindergarten/primary teacher (1996 Waldorf Institute of Southern California) and completed an additional Waldorf primary teacher training with a focus on teaching additional languages (2004 Antioch New England Graduate School, USA).

​Meyrav completed her postgraduate in teaching early elementary education at University of Brighton, UK. She has a Master of Education degree from Antioch New England Graduate School (2004). Meyrav received her PhD (2017) from Bath University in the UK. Her doctorate studies focused on designing a transformative education and curriculum model for traditional communities that keep them connected to their spiritual heritage, natural environment and cultural knowledge.

​Between 1996 – 2015, Meyrav set up the first two Waldorf schools in Nepal and two kindergartens in England. She has taught kindergarten (Israel, Nepal and UK), primary class 1-8 (Nepal and UK) and children with special needs (Nepal, UK). For the past 25 years Meyrav has been training kindergarten and primary school teachers in Nepal, India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Israel, and the UK. At the same time, Meyrav has been developing curricula that cater to the heritage of communities around the world by interweaving transformative and experiential learning with culture and spirituality. Her work brings together the Waldorf methodology and the traditions of specific communities to help them transition to the 21st century without losing their spiritual heritage and valuable traditional knowledge. She has written two books about this subject: Fire in the Heart: A Teacher Training Manual for the Himalayan Region (2000), and Preserving the past, Reserving the Future: A Culturally Sensitive Early Childhood Curriculum for Tibetan Children in Exile (2003).

​Meyrav came to Buddhism in 1997 a year after she moved to Nepal. She had the good fortune to receive teachings since then from many great Buddhist masters. From 2000, when Meyrav established the Tashi Waldorf School in Nepal, she has been developing a Buddhist curriculum for children from Tibet and high Himalayas.

​Since 2016 Meyrav’s sole focus has been on bringing together her wealth of knowledge and expertise to develop the Abiding Heart Transformative Experiential Buddhist Education for kindergarten through to class 8. This education approach, that includes curriculum design and content, and teacher training courses, can be used by Buddhist and non-Buddhist communities around the world. Meyrav is the director of Abiding Heart Education, which has bases in USA and Nepal where this new education approach and curriculum is offered to regional and international trainees through online and in-person comprehensive teacher training courses.

​At Abding Heart, Dr. Meyrav Mor teaches on the Child Development course, Learning Theories and Methodologies course, curriculum studies in the Kindergarten and Primary Teacher Training courses.

Sharing our Reflections

Gratitude & Taking it forward

Sandy Dias Andrade

Vipul Shaha

Monika Piasecka

Benaiza Shroff

Shilpa Salve, Ph.D.