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The Integral Learning Centre is based in the
intentional community called Vérité (because "Truth heals")
and has been dedicated since its inception to 'higher healing' or
non-medical-healing-towards-Wholeness.
Integral Learning is as much a state of mind as a 'centre' and we
experience integral learning in the actual work of bringing the
buildings into existence, in the everyday challenges of living in
community, and in the many classes, sessions and gatherings which take
place in Vérité's two Halls.
Integral Learning in Community
Living in community means that an effort is made
to refer all important developments to the group for feedback and
collective decision. Very often the process of doing this creates
tensions as people pull for their particular idea before a common
direction is agreed. Holding each other in respect and love during
differences is another opportunity for integral learning.
Integral Learning in the Halls
In Vérité community, there are two Halls. The
original Yoga Hall, now called the Music Hall, has hosted over the years
many workshops by visiting teachers and Aurovilians giving workshops and
presentations of various topics such as Psychosynthesis, Essential
Peacemaking, Art Therapy, T'ai Chi, Dances of Universal
Peace. Also Vérité's weekly community meetings, daily meditations and
music sessions happen here.
Regular communal sessions
Various activities take place with great
regularity, such as:
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Vipassana meditation
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Tuning
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Meditative movement
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Sanskrit chanting
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Sacred song
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Consecration
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Bhajans
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Development work
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Study sharing
Three seasons
Once the larger Vérité Hall opened, there has
been a clear development and widening in the community's programme. The
year is seen in three seasons: guest season, retreat season, and study
season:
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During the guest period (December-March)
a variety of workshops and classes are organised catering to
visitors to Auroville so that they are enabled to have access to
inner experience. Last year for instance two workshops, 'Who Am I?'
conducted by psychiatrist-psychotherapist Dr. Henner Ritter, were
held, and also Ashtanga Yoga teachers conducted three week-long
classes here.
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During the retreat season (April-June),
after the guests have fled for the heat, there are less programmes
and the Vérité community meets itself in quiet. Usually a 10-day
Vipassana retreat is held during this time. Last summer, village
children from the Village Action Summer Camps were introduced to
Auroville and creativity during eight half-day sessions in Vérité
during this period.
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During study season (July-November),
-and this has grown into the season having the most intensity and
influence on the rest- Verite's Aurovilians meet other Aurovilians
in the main Hall in a number of small groups. Participants of these
sessions study and research and share together in such fields as
singing and chanting, tuning, harmonics, Sanskrit, Vipassana
meditation, body awareness and movement, meditative dance, drama,
'Consecration Week', and development work.
Transformative learning
These activities serve to develop in the
participants the awareness of integral learning, by emphasising
non-conventional approaches to learning. For instance, importance is
given to other parts of the being rather than just the mind, teachers
and learners are interchangeable (everyone is a learner), the 'success'
of any given class is judged by how much each participant feels he or
she has learned, not on outward signs of achievement.
The atmosphere at
most of these classes is almost as akin to prayer as to study - as the
important result is that the participant connects not only with some
mental idea but actually with the Source of ideas and with each other.
This is perceived as transformative learning.
Very gradually, very subtly, the sense of what
an integral learning centre might be, how it might function, begins to
dawn on us.
Integral Learning with the Industrial Zone and
the Bioregion.
Vérité has always been aware of its location in the heart of
Auroville's Industrial Zone. It holds for the area a focus on ecology,
community and spirituality, especially in relation to business and
worker relations. In its way of conducting its guesthouse business and
caring for its workers, Vérité tries to actually model a style of
operation wholistic and caring.
Throughout the year, the Integral Learning Centre
has presented on-going classes with Development Work trainees of
Auroville Village Action Group introducing them to Auroville's deeper
meaning, and to their own potential to grow and unfold their
personality. Individuals from the villages are frequent visitors,
getting assistance and guidance to develop their communicative and
creative skills.
AVAA
Presently these activities are being consolidated
into a programme called 'AVAA', a Tamil word meaning 'enthusiasm for
learning' and also an acronym for Auroville Village Action Arts, which
started in July 2000 with a 'Saturday Camp' in music, dance, physical
education for village children. Follow-up sessions and classes took
regularly place since then.
Future Plans
Developing the Programme: The programmes
going on within the Halls should continue to expand, following the
inspirations of the participants.
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Special attention will be given to developing
the opportunities for integral learning for the management and
workers of the Industrial Zone.
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A continuation of active collaboration with
the Auroville Village Action Group in training their staff and in
developing arts as a bridge between Auroville and villagers.
§ The development of the Vérité Guesthouse as a retreat facility
for integral learning, with an elaborated guest and student
programmes will be part of this movement.
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As well, the use of the retreat centre
facility to encourage residential in-depth workshops for Auroville
working groups is under consideration as well as the documentation
of the Vérité Community process as an action-research.
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Counseling is also seen as a major activity to
be accommodated by the new facilities.
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As the very nature of integral learning
precludes a rigid mental plan and a harmonious agreement among all
the participants, only after the community planning process over the
summer can we expect to be able to formulate clearly these
directions.
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