APV teachers have come to the ashram from all over of the Indian mountainous state of Uttarakhand. Like the many mountain rivers flowing into the Ganga, their energies have converged at the ashram, directed down the same path of self development and social change. Individuals come to the confluence of APV possessing some sense of dedication to education and some ideas of spiritualism, but the ashram and teaching experience provides the space from them to grow as educators and learners, enquire about the nature of reality, live mindfully, while effecting the change they want to see in their communities and world. Their job in turn, is to provide the same space for their students to learn and grow. As the children mature, they start to influence those around them to live more mindfully, setting in motion a chain of revolution. With the energies of many streams flowing into the same river, we hope that we can gather enough momentum to change its course down the path of more intelligent living.

 

The ashram lifestyle is rigorous. Days are packed with activity starting very early, for some three in the morning, and ending late, for some eleven at night (See Shanti’s schedule below to gather an idea of a typical school day). All of the teachers contribute to the activities of the ashram, from chopping vegetables to chopping wood, building rock walls to cleaning toilets. This is on top of preparing for school and teaching six days a week, five to six hours a day. On their day off from school, the teachers spend the majority of their time working with their hands, farming, collecting wood from the forest, building stone walls for terraced farmland, etc., sometimes lasting up to twelve hours. The teachers use the remainder of the time to catch up on personal chores of washing clothes, tidying up room, playing music, reading, writing, etc.

 

This demanding schedule requires immense energy and dedication. For this, APV teacher directly put APV philosophy in action. At the center of ashram living is mindfulness, freeings one’s mind from the binds of future and past to live fully in the present. By curbing the flow of unnecessary thought, boundless energy and creativity is released for the teacher to direct to the needs of their children, their communities, and themselves.

 

Shared experience and the mindful lifestyle kindles camaraderie amongst the community and creates a nurturing space where all support each other as teachers and as members of family. The bonds between those participating in the community run very deep. But this shared experience does not dilute the individualism of each teacher either. The plurality of personalities within the ashram remains intact creating a vibrant and diverse community.