Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, shared universal scientific yogic principles through his book Education for Life. In this article I share my personal discovery of potential from applying Education for Life (EFL) concepts.
A decade ago I became part of the Ananda community in Gurgaon and came upon a copy of Education for Life. I was already familiar with concepts of energy from practicing various healing techniques and educating myself about related energy-based ideas, so the fundamental concepts of EFL resonated strongly for me. Swamiji stated that we are beings of energy or consciousness. Further, this consciousness has an innate intelligence to guide us.
This statement and others deepened my interest and exploration. My self-observations with EFL concepts were based on the yogic principles of the gunas (sattwic, rajasic, and tamasic). These principles were discussed as specific gravity in Swamiji’s book. I began to pay attention to states of energy and consciousness as heavy, egocentric, and light, and to their interplay in my daily life.
Along with the support of my own personal observations and experimentation, I started sharing information with other educators, parents, and students. The process of introspection prompted me to make conscious choices about using the states of energy at any given time of the day. Aha! The power was directly in my hands to be a conscious choice-maker. I paid careful attention to the progressive, developmental nature of specific gravity. Anyone can observe their own gravity and that of their children, family, and friends. It’s simple, self-directed learning. Bravo! The applications and results of specific gravity ideas are immediate. I have shared knowledge of this principle on various education platforms for building behavioral management skills.
Additional EFL principles include stages and tools of maturity. Swami Kriyananda describes maturity in his book as the ability to relate appropriately to realities other than one’s own. The Stages of maturity draw our attention to the four dimensions of self: physical, feeling, willing, and intellectual. When we attend to these aspects, along with their relative tools, we learn to balance the energies of the four dimensions in our lives. We can bring more harmony and tap into our full potential.
These concepts aid the growth and development of anyone interested in balancing the energy of the multidimensional self. The tools of maturity guide us in their relative aspects. For example, in the physical aspect, it relates to moving physical energy through our expressions, movements, drama, and posture. In the feeling dimension, uplifting energy through feelings of harmony, friendship, arts/crafts, and music is encouraged. In the aspect of will, we can balance energy to accomplish goals and master challenges. In the intellectual, we balance energy through inquiry and critical thinking.
I saw for myself that my feeling aspect needed more balance. Through self-observation, I applied EFL concepts to feelings with techniques of breath awareness. This helped me become more centered, aware, and sensitive. EFL principles are like everyday companions, guiding us toward having more harmony and joy. All of the energies are dynamically interrelated, rather than isolated in watertight compartments. EFL helps us to understand the various roles of energy in ourselves.
Integral dimensions that we possess can be discovered by observing quiet time and silence. This has the innate power of propelling us towards excellence. The practice of keeping some amount of silence and quiet time every day gives us access to the source of creative energy dwelling within each one of us. I encourage experimentation with this for yourself.
My personal passage via the discovery of these principles has brought me needed understanding and appreciation of others and of who I am. Applying EFL principles supports the exercise of self-transformation. EFL is a process of flowering goodness, not only for educators, parents, and children but also as spiritual aspirants’ guide towards a more fulfilling life and relationships.
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Gayatri Neena Nambiar is a Co-Director for EFL India. She facilitates & guides EFL workshops on various levels of leadership & finds joy in mentoring others. She invites people who are interested in collaboration and exploring EFL principles with the EFL international team worldwide. She can be contacted at neenanam@gmail.com.
19 Comments
Beautifully articulated, Gayatri!! So glad you’ve sustained the interest and energy to promote EFL in this magnetic way!
Love and blessings to you,
Priya
Thank you Gayatri for sharing your journey with the principles of EFL. Hope you are doing well.
Particularly enjoyed reading about the application of the principles in your own personal growth.
Thanks dear Sunny. Good to hear from you!How s your film making going? All is well !
Gayatri
Thank you for your compelling story of EFL, in your life and how EFL can be a part of all of us any age. Thoughtful and gentle words of wisdom!
In gratitude of your response dear Paul.
Blessings Dear Gayatri, It was wonderful to see you at the EFL conference and feel your continuing passion for EFL in this article. It is one of master’s & swami’s most wonderful blessings for this new age. Joy! Joy! and more Joy!
Dear, Thanks for your inspiration & support! In Joy & gratitude !
thanks,you answer my prayer
With gratitude in Collective Energy!
Very inspiring. Please share more talks and articles.
Thanks Ashvini for your response! More coming!
Thank you for the practical important information….I invite you to send more of what is your great gift of communication. Eleanore
Appreciate your response dear Eleanore! In gratitude!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, that helped me ” awakened ” mine. Bless you. ♥️♥️
Thanks dear Juanita! In Collective Awakening !!!!!
Hi, I have a number of Grandchildren that will do online studying this year due to Covid. Can you put me in touch with the EFL group in Grass Valley / Nevada City, CA. I’d like to know how the Ananda Community will be using EFL through the pandemic, and how can I help the children.
Hi Jackie! I’m so glad you asked. I’d love to be in touch and share with you about a project that is just getting started here at Ananda Village to offer exactly this sort of support for parents (and grandparents!) who are interested in learning about and applying the principles of EFL. You can email me at erin@livingwisdom.org and I’ll add you to my list of those interested in staying connected and learning more. Many blessings, Erin
Beautiful thoughts! I especially enjoy your use of the principles of Education for Life as a personal spiritual tool.
Very well written, and very helpful exposition of the EFL principles! God bless.