In the mornings, the children received in-depth classes on yoga philosophy. In the afternoons, they enjoyed doing kiirtan and meditation immersed in our beautiful natural surroundings. They were then free to play in the wild!
Classes on Yoga
The children learned the foundational principles of yoga: YAMA & NIYAMA. These principles are not the goal, but the basis for a proper life. They are guidelines for human development.
Discover these principles… exemplified by our children!
YAMA
To control our actions related to the external world…
1 . AHIM’SA’
Non-harm in thought, word and action. To the best of our capacity, we should never inflict pain or hurt on another living being. Cultivate the thought of welfare and love for all.
2 . SATYA
Benevolent truthfulness. Words should be helpful to others; they should be true; and they should be sweet-sounding.
3 . ASTEYA
Non-stealing. Not to take possession of things which belong to others, to refrain from both mental and physical stealing.
4. BRAHMACARYA Universal thinking. To remind ourselves that we, and everything around us, are different expressions of One, Infinite, Loving Consciousness.
5 . APARIGRAHA
Simple living. Not to accumulate excessive or unnecessary material goods for a dignified life.
NIYAMA
To control our personal habits…
1 . SHAOCA
Purity of mind and cleanliness of body. To keep the body clean, not only externally but also internally, depends on what we eat.
2 . SANTOS’A
Mental ease and contentment. To be easily satisfied, and to infuse others with our cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
3 . TAPAH
Social service. Working for the welfare of others. Helping others without expecting anything in return.
4. SVA’DHYA’YA
Inspirational reading. To be receptive to deep ideas and higher thinking. This inspires us on the path of self-realization.
5 . IISHVARA PRAN’IDHA’NA
To meditate on the Cosmic Consciousness. This brings to the realization that you are one with That.
Kiirtan & Meditation
To assimilate these deep and powerful concepts, we walked down to our marvelous lake. The wonder of the Universe was all around us…
Kong was singing to the Universe from a bamboo raft, while the rest of us was on the edge of the cliff.
Then, we sat in meditation.
Kong was still there, meditating and floating in the middle of the lake…
Our Neohumanist Lifestyle is based on a proper balance between our external and internal life. For harmonious living, we have to develop both.
Our external life is how we deal with the physical world. It is how we relate to others and how we perform our duties and take responsibilities in society. It means to serve all.
Our internal life is our spiritual world. It is how we relate to our deepest self.
We shouldn’t neglect any of these two aspects of life. Hence, our motto:
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