As a part of Phase III of the ongoing course on Integral Education (IE) spread over a period of 12 months, aimed at introducing, guiding and mentoring a group of 8 teachers of the M S Udayamurthy School of Excellence, including one representative from the management, a three-day workshop was organised at the school premises in Namakkal. This was the third workshop held in the series of phases for the topics regarding IE to be covered with the teachers of the school.

The facilitators of the workshop were Shivakumar and Priti, from SAFIER, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry.

In Phase I, a general introduction was given to the theory, practices and approach of Integral Education. The participants were introduced to the founders of Integral Education and also the basic vocabulary and foundational parts of Integral Education (IE). Psychic education was introduced with several experiential activities. 

In Phase II, a brief preview was given to the practices of Physical Education, through awareness games and activities, and the approach was introduced with reflective experiential activities. A Project work was given at the end of the workshop which was designed to help the teachers assimilate the learnings of the workshop.

In the Phase III workshop, an introduction was given to Vital Education beginning with Sense Development games as sense development is the doorway to building a robust Vital Education. Activities such as awareness games, painting in nature and writing poetry, which helped the participants become aware of their Vital nature were taken up and methods to control and the Vital nature were also taken up. 

Some of the important topics covered were:

• Presenting the project on Physical development
• How to prepare a Lesson plan keeping in mind the 3 principles of True Teaching
• Following the growth of the child – Introduction to Sense development
• Exploring the sense of Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste and Touch with the help of games
• Mantra Chanting
• Conclusion of Sense Development with reading of Principles from Sri Aurobindo
• Sense Development as a part of Vital Development
• Awakening to the emotions with a game and interaction
• Refining the Vital by connecting with nature and re-expressing through Art
• Learning Methods to control the Vital ad make it an opportunity for progress
• Conclusion – Reading on the Vital from the ‘The Science of Living’

An assignment was given to the teachers develop their own sense development and minor games taken up in the earlier phase. 

The last phase will conclude with curriculum planning based on Project Based Learning which is an integral part of the Mental development. 

In all the three workshops, the teachers were happy to experience a new awareness enveloping them and their outlook towards education got completely reawakened with the shaking out of old ideas about education and the emergence of a new understanding with the help of Integral Education. Follow-up online sessions were taken up to strengthen the practices introduced during the workshops. Many small practices such as playing co-operative games, sense awareness games and creating a psychic atmosphere in the classrooms have already been started in the school.