Den Bosch, Netherlands
LOTUS, directed by Yolande Koning, is an initiative of NERI (Neohumanist Education Research Institute) of Netherlands. It is a ‘community learning center’ which provides training for educational renewal; equips parents with skills to guide children in uncertain times; supports children through therapy utilizing arts, music & play; gives healthy life-style courses including sentient-cooking classes, physical exercise classes, knowledge about preventive health etc; and imparting 21st century skills for social change such as use of social media for positive personal and social transformation. The local government has given a building on Waalstraat in Den Bosch (close to Zonnelicht Day Care) for this project to use. In the initial stages, one floor has been cleared for LOTUS activities. In one and a half years, the entire building will be vacated and made available to NERI (Netherlands).
Dutch Website: www.lotus-training.nl
Focus Training at Lotus
Focus Training is intended to develop intuition, greater self awareness, meaningful relationships, wisdom and leadership abilities. The course is designed to create a positive impulse to face the challenges of the 21st century. The course answers: “how can I contribute towards a meaningful future?”
Modules:
1. Who am I and what is my relationship with myself?
Module 1 aims at expanding self-knowledge and understanding about what is a human being? Who are you? What motivates you? From where do you get your inspiration? How do you connect with your deepest longings and qualities? How do you shape them? These questions will be matched to practical orientation exercises.
2. Connection with Society and the relation with the world
Module 2 is about our relation with the world around us? What is determining our vision of the world? What ‘references’ do we employ? What is the source of our discriminations? How do we relate to ecological and inter-cultural issues?
3. Knowledge about growth processes
Module 3- to be able to guide growth processes in humans and in society, we need to have knowledge about growth processes. What are the conditions for growth and development for individuals and society? We need to get to know the different layers of awareness in order to be able to guide children.
4. Balance
Module 4- to be able to perceive and react on what is happening in you and around you, it is important to be in balance on the physical, mental and spiritual levels. What one needs to be in balance and stay in balance will be offered in this module. Exercises will be practiced for this purpose.
5. Health and positive life
Module 5 aims at getting insights into improving positive attitudes and healthy life style. How does this affect wellbeing? What is the relation between healthy life-style and sustainability? Silence in meditation will be experienced.
6. Growth to subtlety and sensitivity
Module 6 aims at developing greater sensitivity & awareness to everything that goes on within and without. This will include empathetic quality development exercises and Cardinal Human Values.
7. Leadership and its expressions
Module 7 aims at development of transformative leadership qualities; How to contribute to one’s work and relationships in society in a more sensitive way? This module provides the base for intuitive & creative thinking and to be able to stay firm on most essential elements of life.