Jan 21, 2022 - JCHYK Grade 10-12 (Friday)

Dear Parents,

Hari Om!  Pranams!  Our class has been discussing the first two chapters of the Bhagavad Geeta.  After understanding Arjuna's state of mind in Chapter 1 and relating his delusion and confusion to our own daily personal struggles, the class was introduced to Lord Krishna's summary of the Geeta in Chapter 2.  The details discussed in class can be found here.  In our last class we conducted a discussion activity based on the flowcharts of Chapters 1 and 2 attached.  Students were divided into groups and asked to explain the following statements in the context of the two chapters, relating to their personal experiences.

Chapter 1 groups:  

a)  In the human heart there is always a great tendency to glorify one's own weaknesses with some convenient angelic name.

b)  Why does Krishna not respond to Arjuna's lament in Chapter 1?

Chapter 2 groups:

a)  Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

b)  Describe the 8 steps in the ladder of fall.  Illustrate with common high school examples.

We heard a good discussion from the children incorporating concepts of vasanas, freedom for self-effort, disciplined life, fear of failure that comes due to attachment to specific results, cycle of addiction etc.  With this background in place, in the following weeks we will delve deeper into Karma Yoga.  

The teaching activity for younger grades is scheduled for February 25th.  Those students who have not been assigned to teach but would like to, can reach out to us asap and we can find spots for them.

Thank you,

Aruna and Sirisha

Nov 19, 2021 - JCHYK Grade 10-12 (Friday)

Dear Parents,

Hari Om!  Pranams!  Hope everyone had a relaxing and safe Thanksgiving break.  In our last class we had an introductory discussion about the Bhagavad Gita.  The details can be found here.  

As we have a few new and returning students this year, we are resending the zoom link for our Friday class.  

Join Zoom Meeting:  https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76476733396?pwd=THN4NGxWNXdHWGZmc0JXRDRNazJ4UT09

Meeting ID: 764 7673 3396  Passcode: Hariom123

Here is the link to join the Whatsapp group for parents and students.  We will be sending important, only class relevant and time sensitive communication here, so please join.  Whatsapp:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/ExniwwOl3zGLpQeByOtj08

We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate once again that this essentially being a philosophy class, the children who participate will get the most out of attending.  Parents' reinforcement of the importance of Bala Vihar class/discussion is critical.  If children are just logging in to check a box, it is a waste of precious time that they cannot afford.  

What do we mean by class participation?

1.  Coming to class regularly and on time - @ 7:00 pm

2.  Connecting to the zoom meeting on a limited distraction device (laptop or chromebook is better than a phone)

3.  Listening attentively without distractions (texting, playing a game, or watching something else in another window during class is not a good idea)

4.  Keeping the video on to help teachers see them and their body language so we are not teaching to a blank screen - We will be requiring this from now on

5.  Speaking up freely, and especially when questions/opinions are asked

6.  Connecting topics discussed with their personal experiences and sharing what they feel comfortable helps internalize the concepts discussed

We will jump into Chapter 1 of the Gita this week, and discuss Arjuna's distress, how he verbalizes it and rationalizes his escape.  Careful listening and reflection will remind us of ourselves in Arjuna's place whenever a challenge looms large in our lives.

Look forward to seeing all the children on Friday!

Thank you,

Aruna and Sirisha

Oct 29, 2021 - JCHYK Grade 10-12 (Friday)

Hari Om! Parents,

In our last few classes we debated some important topics from Self-Unfoldment.  Namely, Happiness, Freedom, Religion, Balance and the three basic Values which form the cornerstones for most religions, and especially Hinduism.  The details can be found here.  These concepts will serve as building blocks as we introduce the Bhagavad Gita.  We will revisit these fundamental concepts many times during our Gita discussions.  In the next class we will continue with the review of the main events in the Mahabharata leading up to the Kurukshetra war.  Quiz time for one more week!

Today's class was the House Inaugural.  Children did an excellent job participating in the Tweet Jam around a major event in the Mahabharata and its outcome.  Talk to them about it and learn their perspective on this inexplicable episode.

Have a safe and sweet Halloween!  See everyone next week!

Regards,

Aruna and Sirisha

Sept 24, 2021 - JCHYK Grade 10-12 (Friday)

Dear Parents,

Hari Om! Pranams!  We are the teachers for the Grades 10-12 Friday Bala Vihar class.  Some of the children are continuing in our class for their Junior and Senior years, we are very happy to see them all back!  A warm welcome to our Sophomores!  We are excited to get them initiated into the Bhagavad Gita discussions this year.  

In our first class on September 17th, we played an icebreaker to get to know each other.  Two Truths and a Lie.  The class would try to spot each student's lie.  It was really amusing and fun.  For many children, it was so hard to come up with a lie about themselves, and that, we strongly feel, is a very good thing! :)

We discussed the format of our class and emphasized that we are looking to create a safe space to freely share our thoughts and opinions on the topics presented.  This essentially being a philosophy class, the children who participate will get the most out of it.  There will be no judgement, every opinion will be considered and talked about.  However, the children are asked to keep an open mind to receive answers and contemplate on them before they finalize their opinions.  This is critical for growth in any field, and especially important for spiritual growth.  

What do we mean by class participation?

1.  Coming to class regularly and on time - @ 7:00 pm

2.  Connecting to the zoom meeting on a limited distraction device (laptop or chromebook is better than a phone)

3.  Listening attentively without distractions (texting, playing a game, or watching something else in another window during class is not a good idea)

4.  Keeping the video on to help teachers see them and their body language so we are not teaching to a blank screen

5.  Speaking up freely, and especially when questions/opinions are asked

6.  Connecting topics discussed with their personal experiences and sharing what they feel comfortable.  They will find many heads nodding, having had similar experiences.  This is very liberating for them.

Why should children attend?

As parents are very aware, this is a critical age for our children.  They are facing unprecedented pressures that cannot compare with our own childhoods.  This is the age to build a strong foundation of timeless values and disciplines that will ensure their success and mental peace, as they navigate high school and beyond.  So we want to structure this class to help them cope constructively and grow wisely.  With the wealth of practical techniques that Lord Krishna offers, there is no greater tool than the Gita for this.  Our request to parents to help us with our sankalpa, is to discuss with your children and reinforce the class participation points listed above.  

Curriculum:

The main topics this year will be from the Bhagavad Gita Chapters 1-6.  We will be covering Karma Yoga in detail along with meditation.  Swamiji has asked us to include topics from Gurudev's book Self Unfoldment to reinforce the Gita Concepts.  This is a wonderful book that parents can also read and discuss with children at their level, in the context of your child's goals and challenges.  

Focus for this year:  Meditation

This year we would like to focus on building a meditation and mindfulness practice.  We recommend all children use an app to help with this.  There are many out there which require a subscription.  If children aren't already using one, we have found a free app - Smiling Mind that is very good for beginners.  We have asked the children to download it with your permission, answer a few questions to customize it to their needs and get started with daily practice.  We have suggested a buddy program to keep themselves accountable to each other.

Here is the presentation we shared with the class last week.  We would appreciate it if parents can respond to this email with a single word - "Received" so we know it is reaching your Inbox (and you have read until here!)  Please feel free to email us if you have any questions or concerns.  If you haven't already, please join the class WhatsApp group here.  We will be posting important information there as needed.

We are looking forward to a fabulous year of learning with the children!

Sincerely,

Aruna and Sirisha

Welcome to JCHYK Gr 10-12 - Friday Session

Please look out for regular updates from 

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