I consider myself particularly fortunate for having gone to a school that was seeped in spirituality. Established by The Mother and an integral part of The Aurobindo Ashram, a sense of spiritual serenity pervaded the school environs.

The beautiful morning assembly, the flowers and fragrance of ‘ Mattipal ‘ and ‘Nirvan’, the prayers from Arpan Gaan, the high philosophy recited by the students (if with limited understanding then), the celebrations on Mother’s Birthday, the blessings received by students before the Board exams; have all left indelible impressions on our psyche and shaped us – our characters, thinking, values, disposition overall- in ways we may not be able to describe or fathom entirely.

The school , with its expansive campus, is still like an oasis of calm, while located in the mid of a bustling south Delhi neighbourhood. Even today, when the mind is restless or agitated, I find myself thinking of the extraordinary vibes inside the Meditation Hall in school.

Having grown older and ( hopefully) wiser, I am increasingly convinced that it is important to have an element of spirituality in the lives of students – it tends to give them a mooring for the rest of their lives.

Not via ritualistic practices or conformance to an order necessarily, but an environment that allows kids to develop the ability to connect with their inner calm and strength – amidst their tumultuous yet impressionable growing-up years.