Nurturing Wholeness: Empowering Our Children Through Holistic Education

Holistic Education includes Nurturing the Body Mind and Spirit of our children and helping them to understand that they are multifaceted beings. 

Everything is connected. Whatever is going on in the body is always connected to the mind and to the spiritual side of our beings and vice versa. It’s a triangle that works together.

In order to educate our youth properly we need to take this into account and stop acting as though academic success is separate and independent from overall success. Or that we have no obligation to educate our youth on their whole body system, but only to fill their brains with information for them to regurgitate at a later date. 

Here in New Zealand, our model of Health and the model that is used in the PE and Health curriculum is Te Whare Tapa Wha. This model recognises the importance of holism as it considers emotional, spiritual, physical and social aspects of well-being and how they all work together to empower the whole person. Other models such as Fonofale and Fonua which represent health within other Pasifika cultures such as Samoans, Tongans and Niueans reiterates just how important the ideas of including vital aspects of life such as environment, community, cultural values and beliefs and family into a system that caters for an individual as a whole being. So why are we not doing this throughout our education system?

We often hear about the recent rapid rise in Youth Mental Health issues in our country and around the world. These rates are astounding with reports of 1 in 4 kiwi kids suffering from anxiety, depression or fatigue. An article from Stuff in 2023 quoted evidence from the 2023 Salvation Army State of the Nation Report which stated that “Based on these figures, our country has become a much less safe place for children and young people over the past five years,”

With these rates we probably all have someone in our lives that is suffering in this way. There are many theories on why this may be: lack of freedom and outdoor play as children, overprotection, Covid, social media, or perhaps a mix of all of the above. Johnathon Heidt’s book ‘The Anxious Generation’ has some really interesting research based on this as well as ideas on what we can do to combat this worldwide epidemic of anxious youth.

As a parent I know the intense worry we feel for our children when they are in a dark place and wondering how we can just ‘fix’ things for them. We can often blame ourselves, what should we have done differently? What if I hadn’t said this? What if I hadn’t done that?

However, the reality is that this is the world our children have been born into and we are doing the best that we can. At the end of the day as educators and concerned parents it probably doesn’t matter so much why we are in the position we are in but how do we get out of here? What can we do now to provide our youth with the building blocks of wellness so that they can move forward and be positive, proactive members of society.

I believe that in today’s rapidly changing world, holistic education plays a crucial role in preparing students for a successful and fulfilling life. Here we look at educating the whole child, mind, body and spirit in order to enable them to flourish.

Body: Fostering Physical Health and Well-Being

By learning to look after and honour their physical bodies children create lifelong habits that will enable them to face the challenges the world has to offer. This looks different for everyone, as we know we can be born into very different bodies that function in different ways, however by learning to respect and care for the body we are in we create a connection with the beautiful vessel that carries us through life. 

Learning about what is actually in our food and the impact that has on our body. Even if we look at this from a purely academic and results driven perspective we still see the benefits as the brain uses a huge 20% of our daily energy intake. The food we eat massively affects the way we learn, our memory and how attentive we are. Our understanding of food and nutrition has changed dramatically over the last thirty years. What I was told was good for me as a child is no longer necessarily true. Are we equipping our youth with the knowledge of how food affects their body?

We all know the importance of exercise and creating positive attitudes in youth however how much time in the day is actually given for students to exercise their bodies? Yes they have time outside of school for this but in this day and age how many children are going home and sitting in front of a computer game or phone. What is a realistic goal for time spent exercising our bodies at school? Do we actually teach our students the benefits of exercise and show them the effects of a lack of exercise? Would this give them more understanding and ownership over their own health and enable them to make better decisions?

Covering the topics above will give our tamariki a good grasp on simple ways they can look after their body, not to mention brushing our teeth, showering and cleaning ourselves properly!! I propose that we also introduce an understanding of the true nature of our bodies. Cultivating an understanding of energy and its flow into and out of our bodies. How our chakras can be in or out of balance and how this will affect the material things we see manifesting in our physical world.

By opening our students up to the magnificence of their bodies and how they work, we are helping them to create a positive relationship with one of the only things that will be with them for their entire journey through life. There is so much pressure on our youth, especially as they head towards their teenage years to look a certain way. If we can help them to understand just how incredible our bodies are, and how they can treat their bodies in a healthy way in order to get great results then perhaps that can help them to navigate the waters when social pressures begin sending them unhealthy messages.

Mind: Cultivating Intellectual and Emotional Growth

Focussing on our mind fosters creativity and love of learning as well as exploring critical thinking abilities and personal growth. This can be achieved through a multitude of ways such as arts, crafts, music and dance, to name just a few!

It is about learning new things and allowing students to explore without too much hindrance from the teacher, fostering positive connections as students choose to either work with a buddy or explore on their own. The role of the teacher is to provide a safe and supportive environment in which to do this learning, which is done easily at the beginning of the year through modelling, explicit conversations and sharing of ideas.

There are a number of tools we can provide students to help them to understand their minds and how to use it to its full potential. By learning coping tools such as mindfulness and meditation we empower our youth to recognise what is happening in their mind and to see the mind as the tool that it is rather than being a ‘slave’ to their thoughts. If we can help our tamariki to understand that the mind is a powerful tool that protects us, helps us and ultimately creates our lives in front of us then we give them a powerful gift.

Through explicit lessons in mindfulness, growth mindset, optimism we can provide our students with tools that help them to take more control of their thoughts and recognise whether they are helpful or in fact a hindrance. Other useful tools are yoga or any other mindful movement as well as mindful arts and crafts.

Spirit: Nurturing Inner Peace and Purpose

This can mean different things for different people and there is no right or wrong. Your spiritual connection could be to your heritage, your environment, your beliefs, values and/or traditions. It's important to recognise the things that help you feel connected spiritually and to stay connected to the things that bring you closer to your source of spiritual health. 

This could be exploring values and beliefs - what is important to each child, not just what are the school values, or what is important to me as the adult but what does the child see as important and who do they want to be?

Ways to delve into these topics and learn more about what resonates for tamariki individually can include learning meditation techniques, taking time to journal, spending time in significant places or even time alone.

Nature is the strongest healer and spending time outdoors helps children to feel connected and whole. They not only feel a sense of connection with nature but get the opportunity to use their body and mind at the same time so regular time outdoors throughout the school week can be a wonderful way to explore spirituality.

Another important tool is learning to listen to their intuition and having the opportunity to follow this insight. Talk to your students about that feeling we get in our tummy (or in fact anywhere) that gives us a wee clue about what choice to make. Practise following this in simple situations and build strength and understanding of this superpower. Notice when we don’t follow our gut feeling, what happens? Share stories about times you have had an ‘inkling’ but haven’t followed it only to find a short time later that you should have. (This may be as simple as ignoring the urge to check your keys were in your bag before you left home and then finding out later they weren’t!)

Nurturing spirit can be a conscientious topic and one in which we must acknowledge and respect our own internal compass in order to decide what is right for us. It is important that we help our students to recognise this for themselves without any perceived  judgement from us. 

Embracing the Whole Child: The Path to True Empowerment

Holistic education is about honouring the whole child, recognising them as multifaceted beings who need more than just academic learning. It’s a comprehensive approach that addresses the emotional, ethical, social, and academic needs of all students. By understanding various aspects of themselves, including their body, mind, and spirit, students can navigate life more richly and effectively.

This educational philosophy offers numerous benefits. It fosters holistic development, helping students excel academically while also developing essential life skills. By addressing their diverse needs and talents, holistic education prepares students for the complexities of the real world. It nurtures well-rounded individuals who can adapt to changing circumstances, communicate effectively, and think creatively.

Holistic education is not just about a set of lessons each week but about integrating whole-child learning into all aspects of the classroom. If we begin to think about how we can support our students in this way and take small actions that are not too overwhelming we will inevitably see that we can make a huge difference.

For more ideas on how to bring holistic education into your classroom in an easy, time-effective way, consider purchasing my manual, The Classroom Connections Project, available at here.

Until next week take care and thank you for being the change you want to see in the world!

Natalie

“When mind, body, and spirit are in harmony, happiness is the natural result.”

— Deepak Chopra