Oorja within and around me - Classes I & II
In continuation to the ongoing celebration and as we enter the 24th year of Shikshantar, the children of Class I connected with nature which they closely bond with as they enter Shikshantar. The children of Class II, through understanding their inner energy or ‘Oorja’, also took the larger theme of ‘Oorja within and around us’.
The Class I children looked closely at the flow of energy between them and nature. During their nature walks, they engaged with their green friends, exploring their senses by feeling the textures of leaves, observing the colours of green friends, inhaling refreshing fragrances, sowing the seeds and taking a moment to listen to the rustling of leaves and the songs of birds.
During the circle time experience, the Class I children connected with their inner oorja and built an understanding of the inter-relation and exchange of energy between them and their green friends. Together they reflected on the ways they can recharge their inner energy by absorbing calmness from the trees and plants they frequent.
The children wrote about ‘The Plant I want to be’ with their free expressions, exploring how they would help people if they could be the plant they appreciated. This practice of empathy drove the children to look at the people and occasions around them and reflect on the qualities they identified with.
The Class II children took the theme ahead by observing the energy that flows inside them - their breath, heartbeat and stillness. Through music, lights and rangoli in their groups, a calming ambience extended their positive energy, further helping children experience how the environment can shape their energy.
The exploration grew more reflective when children observed their own reflection in the mirror, noticing their inner and outer oorja. This awareness helped them in creating their window format paper folders as personal frames capturing each child’s journey of how their oorja feels, acknowledging their outer self, reflecting on the positive qualities they have, based on past experiences and the qualities they would like to continue to nurture.
The children also connected with the festival of Dussehra and shared what character in the Ramayana they resonated with the most, the positive qualities in each character and the emotions they would like to work on.
Layer by layer, the children discovered the depth of their own oorja while merging their energy with their surroundings and collectively culminating the experiences moving from ‘I to We’. The children celebrated Shikshantar’s birthday by a large group circle time bringing together the collective oorja.