Didi Ananda Devapriya: Yoga and Meditation Teacher in Romania

Three stories included in “Stories to Light the Night”

Three of the stories I wrote for our AMURT “Pathways to Education” project with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon were published in Susan Perrow’s latest collection of therapeutic stories “Stories to Light the Night”.

It is really such an important collection. Trauma, loss and grief are a part of being human, and as much as we want to protect children, many also endure these experiences. Whether the loss of a beloved pet, or grandparent, or the trauma of war or natural disaster, children need empathic support. The healing and transformational power of metaphor and story cannot be underestimated.

 

 

Story in Susan Perrow’s “Therapeutic Storytelling”

After reading Susan Perrow’s “Healing stories for Challenging behaviors” –  I was so inspired, I sat down and immediately wrote a therapeutic story for one of the children in AMURTEL Family, using the metaphor of a rabbit who is adopted from a crowded, competitive litter to live in a spacious new home, with plenty of food and a clean bed of straw.

I looked Susan up on the web, found her email address, and sent her a thank you letter. Imagine my surprise when only hours later, I received a personal response directly from Susan and a request to publish my story in her upcoming collection.

That is how “Juniper the Rabbit” ended up in Therapeutic Storytelling, on page 133!

 

Peace in your Hands – early years supplement

I wrote this early-childhood adaptation of the “Peace in your Hands” teachers manual, together with Anke Keulen of Mutant, in the Netherlands. It is part of a wonderful set of free materials available on the Peace Education in Action website for free.  The early-childhood version is already translated into Romania, and the primary-school version is available in many languages.

This manual includes story, songs, games, and discussions to help children connect to peace in themselves,  recognize peace-makers in their communities and the wider world, and challenge them to be active participants in creating peace.

 

Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share in Education

The Children in Permaculture Manual

 

This book was the result of an intensive collaboration during the three years of the Erasmus plus funded project, “Children in Permaculture”, which brought together formal and non-formal educators and permaculturists from 5 countries and 7 organisations!

I was one of the three co-authors – together with Lusi Alderslowe and Gaye Amus, but the book was the fruit of many hours of discussion and sharing with all of the members of the CIP team.

Here are some of the reviews:

“Earth care, People care and Fair share can serve as principles for all seasons and all professions. If incorporated into the lives of enough children, and the lives of the adults who care for them, this philosophy can change the world.”

— Richard Louv, author of “Vitamin N,” “The Nature Principle,” and “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.”

“Making use of this book is a great way to start taking learning outdoors. The ‘hidden potential’ in the outdoors should be placed into the hands of conscious educators to a much larger extent. There it can provide a foundation for developing reflective learners and a paradigm for critical thinking and knowledge in action, not only in Europe but all over the globe. This is a must-read for anyone wanting to do permaculture with children because a muddy child is a happy child in an affective and cognitive way! I wish everyone an enjoyable, playful and fruitful time outdoors with this book.”

-Dr. (Fil lic) Anders Szczepanski, author of Outdoor Education, Assistant Professor of Outdoor Education, Spetsa Company at University Holding, Linköping University Sweden.

“Brimming with practical examples of how to support children in connecting with themselves, each other and the growing cycle. This handbook illustrates the scope of permaculture that is relevant for children, using gardening as an entry point into wider issues of fairness and connection. Written with such a deep sense of care and consideration for the future generations, it is invaluable for parents and educators alike.”

– Looby Macnamara, author of People and Permaculture, and 7 Ways to Think Differently, and co-founder of Cultural Emergence project.

 

TO BUY THE BOOK PLEASE CLICK HERE.

OR READ IT FOR FREE ONLINE HERE.

Tantric women tell their stories

I remember meeting  Jayanti  when I was in the Sweden Training Center, completing my second year of acarya training.  She was undergoing cancer treatment, and during her own journey, grappling with mortality, pain and other intense experiences she decided to create a collection of the stories of tantric women. It would prove to be her last gift to this world.

It is a powerful compilation of the personal stories of women on the tantric path of Ananda Marga. The essence of tantra is to develop the fighting spirit to overcome all obstacles by seeing them as teachers.   I contributed as well to this collection “Fire in Our Eyes, Flowers in Our Hearts”  with the story “The Mirror at the Crossroads”.  It is a story from a pivotal moment and extremely intense but healing experience in my life. Although it happened well before I actually encountered my spiritual path, it was one of the experiences shaped my life profoundly.

I was proud to be included alongside so many spiritually strong and dedicated heroic women.

The book can be read online here. 

Scroll To Top