Chapter 1
Silent Sitting & Story Telling: The Power Of Oral Traditions
Lalini Reddy, Dharma Naidoo Magendri Perumal, Pat Reddy
South African Institute of Sathya Sai Education, Cape Town, South Africa
reddyl@cput.ac.za, lalinisai@gmail.com
Many of our current education systems globally are in need of re-vitalisation in teaching and learning methods and techniques that inspire students to learn. It seems poignant for us to return to age-old traditions and practices which instilled interest and passion in the education and development of our forefathers. Two such techniques are discussed in this chapter, namely: silent sitting or meditation, and storytelling. The impact of these techniques on children and teachers will be discussed. This chapter explores the roots of silent sitting and takes an in depth look at why story-telling, an age-old oral tradition, continues to work so effectively for passing on information from generation to generation in the context of education. Silent sitting and storytelling are presented as teaching or transformation techniques that can inspire children from a young age towards both academic excellence and character development. The techniques may be used as standalone methods using age appropriate methods and stories. A variety of examples of powerful stories for human transformation are presented showing how they foster positive morals and values in students. Silent sitting techniques are demonstrated using a variety of techniques that take less than 10 minute to practice. to lead the child gradually inward increasing awareness of his or her inner self.
Chapter 2
Silent sitting, Mindfulness and Meditation: Building more resilience and self-awareness in teachers teaching in a Malaysian school
Dr Suma Parahakaran
Sathya Sai Academy, Malaysia (Certified Trainer)
Education Consultant
Wawasan Open University (Tutor, Course Assessor and Module writer)
sap1@tutor.wou.edu.my
This chapter will explain teachers' use of silent sitting as a pedagogical practice. The chapter provides other teaching pedagogies which can be used along with their own teaching style. The difference between mindfulness, meditation and silent sitting is explained to further clarify silent sitting as a teaching technique. A tool kit is provided to support teachers to implement silent sitting in the classroom. Teachers' ability to channel their thoughts so that they use their awareness to be self -resilient in different situations is explained in this chapter. Along with teachers' practice, self- awareness of their own actions and monitoring their own actions and thoughts become crucial drivers to their teaching techniques. The Human Values Integrated Model (Jumsai, 2004) is explained briefly to enhance the understanding of the learner's mind. The five basic, universally shared values and their relationship to teaching practices are also explored so that teachers are able to contribute to a child's wholesome living and learning experience. This chapter supports that teachers' gain of insight into the self and increase in resilience are enhanced as they practice silent sitting along with their classroom. Chapter 3
Mindfulness as Resilience: Applying African-Centered Psychology in Educating Youth of Color in the United States
Dr. Stephen Scherer
Research Consultant- Virginia State University,
Clinical Health Psychologist- RISE Center for Behavioral Health, New York
sscherer@vsu.edu, scherer.stphn@gmail.com,
Cheryl P. Talley, Ph.D Department of Psychology, Virginia State University
ctalley@vsu.edu
This chapter investigates the use of mindfulness as one strategy that increases resilience. We will also present techniques and case studies to support buildin
About the Author: Dr Suma Parahakaran is a researcher in Education in Human Values and member from the Sathya Sai Academy, Malaysia. She also works as a consultant for the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO- RECSAM) Malaysia. Currently, Suma is a visiting Professor for the American University of Sovereign Nations (USA) and her research is on Spiritual Human Values and Bioethics in environmental education. Suma was also an education training consultant for HUMANA Child Aid Society (2014-2016) and has worked with schools in Thailand and Malaysia. She was a resource person for the Human Values based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education (HVWSHE) for the (UNHABITAT) and Society for Preservation of Water (Institute of Sathya Sai Education, Thailand) between 2004 and 2009. The focus of her work is in the integration of education in human values in the curriculum for Education and Environmental Education. Silent-sitting is one of the main teaching pedagogies which Suma is interested in implementing in educational systems. She works as a tutor in the Education faculty for Wawasan Open University, Malaysia
Dr. Stephen Scherer is a research and supervising clinical health psychologist whose research interests lie primarily in the field of emotion and emotion regulation, with a focus on mindfulness as a mediator of emotion regulation. Dr. Scherer has over 20 years of experience in meditative practice and began researching emotion regulation and mindfulness as an undergraduate student. He developed the Personal Factors that Influence Academic Behaviors Assessment (PIABs) which aims to further bring the fields of mindfulness, emotion regulation, and post-secondary education together to help enrich the lives and successes of college and college-bound students. He also teaches mindfulness and emotion regulation strategies to children, adolescents, and adults in his clinical practice and provides Dialectical Behavior Therapy, a mindfulness-based treatment to adolescents and adults.
