A Beautiful Landscape

Devika is a highly confused 20 year old, who likes to spend her time working with children, exploring craft techniques and drinking coffee. She has finished her schooling at Centre for Learning, and is currently on a gap year.

Devika writes 'A Beautiful Landscape'. 

I am currently in Chennai, co-facilitating the 7i initiative at HLC . This is a part of an ongoing series of sessions conducted by Snehadhara Foundation (http://snehadharafoundation.org/) under their initiative ‘Impart’. The aim is to interact with 6^th, 7^th and 8^th standard students, and explore ‘social domain goals’. It’s a long term project that uses arts as a medium to see their own processes of motivation, sharing, and understanding diversity amongst other things.

I was a part of the facilitation of 6^th standard students yesterday. This was the closing session for the year for this group.We started by sitting in a circle, and discussed the annual day the students had participated in recently. It was nice to hear the multiple perspectives. This was followed by an introduction game. I tried to keep it as simple and hassle free as possible. I came with an easy ‘tap-tap-clap’ beat that everyone had to follow. They all managed to follow the beat quite effortlessly. The next step was to speak out our names to the beat. This was a little tricky but fun at the same time. The only thing I had not accounted for was the loudness of the beat that could overpower the voice. 

Then we spoke to the children about ‘The Little Prince’, a book they had read in their initial sessions and were supposed to complete on their own. Unfortunately, most of them had not read the book and we were required to rethink the activity. We had initially planned to create a timeline on the board with the help of the students. They were then supposed to pick one planet mentioned in the book to create a postcard describing it.

We asked the children to recall anything they remembered from the book. This started as a verbal exercise and eventually we created a ‘web diagram’ on the board. This was extremely helpful is showing the children that they had made more observations than they realize. I was personally surprised to see the minute details they remembered like the colour of boy’s coat. 

After creating a small link with the story, we decided to introduce the postcard activity. Since the familiarity with the text was still limited, the children were now asked to create their own planet. They were supposed to write a postcard to a friend, which included both a drawing and a description of this unique imaginary planet. The objective was to encourage them to think about their own areas of interest and how they can manifest in a different world. With slow instrumental music in the background we set off on this journey of creation and exploration.

The students took their time to create interesting planets. They had some clarifications and questions that they voiced quite openly. The only think we forgot to account for was the time management for those who finish their work quicker. It didn’t get too chaotic, since they managed to occupy themselves by revisiting their work or playing cards in a small group.

Post the short 20 minute break they were supposed to share their postcards with the class. Some of them were a bit hesitant about the sharing. We created a simple format they all had to follow. They were supposed to display the picture to the group, and mention one thing about that planet. This went extremely well. People came up with some very unique ideas such as:

• ·         A planet with lots of arms and guns
• ·         A more technologically modern planet
• ·         A diamond shaped planet
• ·         A planet where teleportation can happen
• ·         A planet where you can do whatever you want
• ·         A Pacman themed planet
• ·         A planet where breathing is easy
• ·         A planet where excessive studying led to death penalty

 and many many more…

The last part of the session included a closure game called ‘dragon tail’. This was a competitive game which required the formation of two groups. The groups were made to stand in two straight lines. It was interesting to see and bring to focus, the clear gender divisions. They were required to hold each other by the shoulder and create a ‘train’ of a sort. This took a little time and negotiation regarding who stands where, but eventually they were able to follow the instructions. We gave a cloth to the two students standing at the end of their lines. They were supposed to tuck this into their pants, so that it resembled a tail. The first person in each line was declared the head, and the heads of both the lines faced the tail of the other line. The game required the both the teams to stay in contact with their line, while protecting their own tail and helping their head catch the other tail.

It was a very chaotic and energizing activity. They were all supposed to avoid speaking, which became exceedingly difficult to follow. The pushed and crushed each other in the process and still managed to have fun. After a few more people got a chance to be the head or the tail, we asked to strategize with their teams. This complicated the matter a bit. The first attempt helped one team achieve their goal quite easily. The second attempt lead to both the teams using the same strategy. This made the situation quite comical and increased their excitement. We gave everyone a chance and then settled down in a circle again.

We sat together and reflected on the activity and how it made everyone feel. Some very significant observations were made. Some people felt physically hurt and exhausted while others noticed the competitiveness growing. One student felt that the strategizing made the game more ‘winning focused’. A boy noticed that the situation started resembling the violent scenario he had created for his imaginary planet. I was impressed by their ability to articulate their feeling so well.

Finally, we spoke about this session and the programme as a whole. We received some very valuable feedback from the children. It was interesting to see them express the fact that some of them were still unaware of the ‘seven Is’ that this project hoped to inculcate. Some of them claimed that the sessions helped them redefine learning in a non-academic format, and helped them coordinate with each other. There was a general appreciation for activity based learning. There was a reluctance to stay on after school hours, which was quite explicitly conveyed by some of the children. 

It was a very interesting one-time session for me. I enjoyed the process and the sharing. I felt that a long-term association and relationship with the children will surely make it meaningful for both the parties. 

If you never did, you should!

….and will you succeed?

Yes you will indeed!

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed)

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss got it right……well almost! The children at Tukio covered the last 1and ¼^th percent! When asked to step out into the unfamiliar and the unknown, most adults will think twice and at least half of them would rather not attempt it at all. Here is where we can learn from children. While some might see it as having no risk filters, no thoughts of consequences, I think it is more than that. It is the simple belief in oneself, it is the non-existence of self-imposed boundaries and limitations, it is the true act of living in the moment.

Nowhere was this more evident than at Tukio this week. Presented with new levels of challenges this weekend, they more than just rose to the occasion! Every one of them conquered whatever was holding them back and jumped on the ropes, pushing themselves. Each of them had their own little bridge to cross when it came to the rope course challenge set out for them. Whether it was an Abhinav who while he took initiative in participating, took his time with climbing the ladder or a Keshav who found it difficult to get off the rope course. While the course looked like it would be a breeze for Naman, there was fear evident in him, which he overcame and did everything on offer. Nihal achieved a new milestone in participation of activities without any cajoling and also overcame his fear of getting down from the ropes. To Kabir, the whole process was effortless and he willingly participated in it all. Sai Sharan while was not too willing to participate in the activities itself, demonstrated clarity of thought and understanding of what he would do.

While on the one hand, there was an overcoming of fears, on the other hand watching each of them bringing in their own uniqueness to the whole process was a joyful experience. Each of them patiently waited their turn, which itself was a big achievement, with an accompanying interlude of singing by Abhinav, followed by Kabir every time. Nihal’s concern for Dambaru and the bond he shares with him was evident in his voluntarily reaching out to support Dambaru every time he was on the ropes. Naman shows beautiful leadership qualities, with an effortless leading of any child who is buddied with him. Sai Sharan’s staying on at the venue rather than going back to the farm house and his keen observation of the activities is in itself a movement for him. It was fascinating to watch Keshav’s independence and complete focus on the activities on hand. All of them actually responded best to the new outdoor instructors and the session proceeded smoothly when the multiple instructions from the familiar people stopped and the kids were allowed to build their own relationships with the new people.

There are so many little lessons in all of this for us adults. An overall humbling experience, with a clear message to us…….

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! Dr. Seuss

Zentangle – a surprise that unfolds one stroke at a time

Entangle=cause to become part of a tangled mass
Zentangle=creating mass of beautiful images from repetitive patterns.

We got entangled in zentangles beautifully with the Grade 6 and Grade 7 at HLC, Chennai. The children explored their own capacity for a mindful activity without an overt awareness of how they were executing it.

Being with themselves, totally engrossed in their expression of the art form, the music wafting gently around them enhancing their experience in a subtle manner, the children seemed to be impervious to time. It almost seemed a travesty to disengage some of them from the activity at the end of the class. 

A robust group they came in chattering, friendly, curious, and eager for their ‘7i’ session. There was much laughter and banter during the introductory round. The energy was high yet not intimidating. Yet introducing them to the zentangle activity seemed an antithesis of this energy. It was fascinating how quickly they adapted to it and how completely they adopted it. Each one brought out his/her own creativity to the fore. Once it was established that sharing is an option, it shed the last vestiges of any doubt that ‘non artistic’ children had. The intent was never the art anyway, their reflection of the process brought out the words that conveyed its intent; calm, peaceful, confused, blank, clear, uncomfortable, happy, ease.  It was almost as if they were surprised at their own reactions. It was interesting that not many sought reassurances as to the accuracy or the ‘rightness’ of their work. Also how they responded to simple verbal requests and non verbal instructions to respect the process and each other by maintaining the ambience of silence that was essential.

The zentangles were followed by wishes and dreams, another exercise that made them delve a little deeper into their own desires, aspirations, and expectations. They had to express what they dream for themselves and also give their opinion on whether dreams come true, what impedes their lack of fruition and what facilitates it. Though their responses ranged from idealistic conditioning to realms of black and white thought processes, what was interesting was that they placed the onus of dreams coming true on themselves rather than on the forces around them like expectations of parents, teachers, the social acceptability etc. Of course the dreams that they wrote for themselves came from fantasy, areas of interest or the safe zone of socially acceptable ‘professions’. They were yet to give full reign to their imagination for something fantastic yet possible or something unconventional. They were however able to distinguish between ‘practical’, ’possible’, ‘improbable’ desires.

It was fascinating to see the emerging maturity vying for a place with childlike naivety.

Inclusion - A kaleidoscope of diversity

A new stage performance of George Orwell''s "Animal Farm" by Centre for Film and Drama (CFD) in collaboration with Snehadhara Foundation was performed at Rangashankara, Bangalore on 21st & 22nd October 2015. The 18 member cast of the play included  children from Snehadhara, a few children from other schools and a cast of theater artistes and adults from various walks of life.

What I saw at Rangashankara on the first show

I saw-

A palpable excitement in the Snehadhara family. A familial pride devoid of results or outcomes. Having been though the process with the children in many ways, there was a delight in their participation. And through the performance, a wonder at how each child maintained his/her own in the midst of an alien experience.

I saw-

The audience responding with joy and natural warmth. Of course the family members whether from the Centre or personal, carried their own emotions but others too seemed affected by the energy of the space that connected them to the performers. The patterns of the audience were a testimony to the fact that no special concessions were made to the performers as the usual annoying interruptions and cell phone usage continued to be a part of the occasion. There was curiosity, expectation, laughter, emotions generated by the flow of the play-all ensuing as always.

I saw-

The children, first the audience- some were curious-questions were asked (But why are the animals sad?), observations were made (Are all the children from the same school, do they have holidays too, Oh they are all different ages, why did she die twice?) yawns were not stifled (I am bored..) and hunger was proclaimed (its late, can we go to MacDonald's -we can’t go home and eat).

There were other children too, in the audience. They did not say much but they did absorb the sense of gravity required of them in the space. If they were disconcerted by the darkness, the play of lights, the loudness, the changes, they revealed little through their manner and voice. What went in, what would come out was irrelevant.  Untouched by expectations yet responding to the demeanor demanded by the space, and its energy. Where did it come from? And are we surprised? Should we be surprised? Can we take it in our stride; accept it as natural, truly within us, that extraordinary times will yield extraordinary results from everyone- equal or more equal alike? Where do these reserves of patience, calm, resonation of the space come from? There is no dictation  or engineering here….

And then I saw-

The artists. Their entries, their exits, their presence, their songs, their movements, how they allowed the space to dictate to them and humored that dictate with aplomb. How they bore the interminable wait in the wings, how they knew within themselves that this is what is required of me at this instance and I can do it without a sense of ‘cause’, ‘effect’, ‘should’,’must’, ‘have to’,. How just being in the flow guided their beings and despite staying immersed in their own selves they became an integral part of the whole montage.Weeks of labour, yet unattached to its result. No sense of ego or pride or performance to motivate or enhance the final presentation. Just to be in the moment, with awareness, an organic, innate feeling that this is somehow important to me, to the world around me.

And so…….

What needs to be challenged here? My beliefs of what I am capable of with the children or what they are capable of with or without me or what peaks can be scaled if I allow myself to look beyond use of words like ‘skills’ and ‘abilities’ so loosely? My attachments or detachments to the human experience in all that it is capable of and does not know it. My need to be ‘included’ in the wonderful world that is not governed by rules that we seem to understand and stand by. A world that is constantly telling me to dig deeper, yet step lightly.

“Inclusion is not integration

                        Not an adjective                     

It’s a noun

We can’t do a little of it

Either it is, or it isn’t

Its fair play, common sense, hard work

Elegantly simple

       Awesomely complex

Its not building an extra of

It is being in the one that is

A kaleidoscope of diversity

Bits of color, sound, shapes and sizes”

-Marsha Forest

A story transcends words the moment it is read or told.

Facilitator at Snehadhara, Shailaja Bedi shares her experience of travelling with a story....

To the story tellers

"You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift". - Erin Morgenstern


A story transcends words the moment it is read or told.

It envelops our hearts and minds and makes connections, creates awareness hitherto dormant and unrealized or even unvisited in a while.

Our mind brings in vivid visuals, predicts, analyses, evaluates,adds body to the content, memories kick in , past experiences are revisited, we reconnect with the joy  and wonder and curiosity that all this evokes in us. Then the heart speaks with the feelings and emotions that emerge from the twists and turns of the fates of our characters and their personalities and we are at once awestruck, sometimes laughing sometimes crying, anger, compassion, empathy, they all arise within us to complete the picture of the journey that the story takes. A connection is made, with the various aspects of the story and who we are. That connect resonates in each person involved in the telling or the listening of the tale.  We move beyond ourselves, when the ‘I’ becomes the ‘We’, goes unnoticed, as we are so immersed in the totality of the experience.

 ‘A boy and his drum’ took a journey quite its own into the realm of drama, songs, drum beats; each aspect infusing fresh energy that did not let the tale get stale for the audience and especially the storytellers who reinvented with each telling.Each narration provided it distinct flavors imbibed from the story teller, the listeners, the ambience of the space and the experience of repetition that deepened its essence.In a span of two weeks the simple story grew in proportion as it connected hundreds of minds in shared laughter, joy and creativity. Its tentative foray soon became a torrent of colour, music, gaiety and thorough enjoyment as each one of us rose from our own beds of imagination and connected with the larger vision to enable performances of unique ingenuity. And so the connections intensified.

That’s what its all about, the connect we make. The story is the medium. As the bond with the story grew it shaped our connect with the characters who resonate some aspect of our own being. The subsequent narrations extended this link to how we used the props, how we involved the audience, how we included each other in unplanned, impromptu renditions of the same story again and again and the energy did not flag. Because the connections had strengthened with each instance.
The drum beats reinforced our belief in the rhythm of life that, through these performances, brings us closer, lets us into the world of uncertainties and discomfort that we perceive in differences and allows us to integrate joyfully, oblivious to that which divides us.

As an observer of the whole process, I was fascinated by the dance of the personal stories that emerged in and around me. Right from the reading of the story that brought in mixed reactions, in the team, due to its apparent lack of complexity, to the repeated inventiveness of the performances, by the same team,  that kept the freshness alive. For me personally it was an exploration of the world of performance, accosting my inhibitions.

I saw the storytellers delve further into their own creative reserves, support each other, laugh sportingly at their own and each other’s goof ups and emerge with performances that were laced with these nuances.The audience, which comprised of our children, their loved ones and their communities as well as other children for whom this was a novel experience, seemed to reach within to echo the compassion that such occasions elicit.


Not only were we connected to each other, to the story and its characters but mainly to our own core, our own patterns that were revealed to us in the universal message conveyed by the story. As Brandon Sanderson has said “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” 

From the land of metaphors

Painting is silent poetry and poetry is a painting that speaks

Dance is rhythmical poetry and poetry is dance in motion

Seeking is searching poetry and poetry is seeking that helps find

Dreaming is poetry and poetry is that dream of the unknown

Being is feeling poetry and poetry is that feeling of being.

I seem to be in a mystical land this morning that was inhabited by words, language, metaphors, sharing’s, expectations, childhood, aspirations, strangers, known and the unknown. A ‘poetry circle’ that got created as each one came up with their feelings and emotions tuned to poetic expression. I realised this magical land is where I do live in most times.

Each shared what was close to their heart and what was amazing was that though the sharing was different we were all close to that same heart. I have often felt that words never capture the essence of what one feels, there are so many more dimensions to an experience. Words  have always seemed  to convey the known.  Yet poetry as an art form transported us into that realm of the unknown gently.

They were poems written by some of us, a nazm or a song that was dear to some of us, a poem that we grew up listening to.  The canvas that we created together had butterflies flitting with myriad colours, musing flowers, feet in our shoes, the wind, dreams, love, ceased boundaries. What we experienced seemed to be a universal language which the heart holds with nature and itself.

किसी पागल कवि की कल्पना हो तुम  

खुद को भूल जाऊँ मैं , वो नशा हो तुम

अब होश आये न कभी , थो बेहतर होगा

सपना ही सही , मेरा अपना हो तुम।

I see that the air has no boundaries,

but the storm that stirs has its boundaries,

How could I use the boundaries of the storm stirred in my life,

to go beyond the boundaries it creates.

From this land where I think I belong, adding to  Jaime Gil de Biedma  “All this while although I believed that I may have  wanted to be a poet, looks like deep down as I feel this moment, I think I just want to be a poem”.

                                                                                                                           Gitanjali Sarangan

Growing Down

Facilitator at Snehadhara, Lakshmi Karunakaran talks about her journey of working with children and how she has learnt the most powerful lessons from the children she works with.

I have resisted the urge to work with children for a long time. Children had no place in the corporate world that I belonged to, of deliverables and deadlines, clients and boardroom meetings. But two years ago, I left the corporate world to work with children. 

To concerned family members and friends, I had nothing more than ‘that is what my gut says’ as ‘logical explanation’. That I guess, was my first step backwards…towards becoming ‘childish’.While for the rest of the adult world, ‘childish’ was a term for irrational behaviour, and illogical thinking, for me, it was something I wanted to be. Soon I realised that the reason I was drawn to working with children was to get in touch with, and nourish the child in me, who in many ways was arrested in growth.  

Shortly after I left the corporates, I moved to a small village in Kolar, and took a year off to live in a village and work with Government schools. I realised that the children in rural India might seem deprived to a privileged urban youngster, but they have strong instincts and an earnestness that none of the city dwellers can match. Over the last two years, I have worked with varied population of children, from government schools and slums, children with special needs, and children with learning difficulties and disorders.

Children are the kindest teachers. They have held the clearest mirror in front of me. They have gently nudged me to understand my strengths and limitations, and helped me see them and myself differently. While each child I have come in contact with has deeply nourished me, I am reminded of a few who have taught me valuable lessons that I have taken back home. Some of the children are those I worked with at the Govt schools, the others are children at Snehadhara.

Dilip – One look of kindness is worth a million words.

Chitra- The violence that you see in your home and community, can never tear down the compassion in your heart.

Illias – Storytelling is a powerful transformational tool. 

Fatima – You can change the course of another’s life by just being yourself.

Ahan- Always seek clarity in everything that you do.

John – There is so much joy in drawing.

Naman – It’s OK to disagree, especially when you ‘know’ what you are talking about.

Nihal- The life force in you is powerful, and it will guide you. Gently.

Srujan - You don’t have to be old to be wise.

Naren – Life is a musical journey.

Arvind – There is immense joy in small things. 

Archana –The enthusiasm to learn is half the learning itself.

Each of these children, are now a part of me.  The valuable lessons they have taught me have become guiding forces for the work that I do with myself and the children that I will work with in the future. Those, who will help me in my journey backwards, of becoming a child again.