Tag: creative Saathi

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BloggerSaathi

Build your Second Brain and Help Grow the Community Knowledge Garden

“Knowledge garden” is a metaphor for a dynamic and living system of information, ideas, and inspiration that interact, cross-fertilize, feed and grow on each other.

School of Commoning

A small story before I start this article. As I started planning this article, I asked Shilpi Mayank Awasthi, Founder of SpecialSaathi, whether one of the CreativeSaathis could do a creative representation of the second brain. Within a few hours, I had two creative representations! I started wondering how to best use these two representations by Dhrov Tikoo and Morpheus Nag. As I started writing the article, an idea came to me. I would use the two artworks to convey two different but related concepts. Dhrov Tikoo’s representation for conveying the idea of a knowledge garden and Morpheus Nag’s representation for the conveying the idea of a second brain.

I will be hosting our first webinar on the second brain concept and tools on January 9th, 2023. Please join our Facebook group here for information on this virtual meetup and other discussions on the second brain.

In the few months that I have been associated with SpecialSaathi, I am impressed with the way a knowledge garden has started evolving through the efforts of Shilpi Mayank Awasthi, Founder of SpecialSaathi. The SpecialSaathi structure of ParentSaathi, CreativeSaathi, BloggerSaathi, SoochnaSaathi and other initiatives paves the way for the development of a well-organized knowledge garden for the parent and professional community. There is a wealth of information on SpecialSaaathi. More importantly, this information is organized and curated to facilitate retrieval and use.

“Knowledge garden” Artwork by Dhrov Tikoo

Second Brain

Building a second brain is a systematic method for saving and retrieving ideas, inspirations, insights, and connections we’ve gained through our experience. The second brain is an external repository (notebooks and digital repository) for the things that we learn and the resources from which we learn.

Second Brain artwork by Morpheus Nag

The way that I will use the terms second brain and knowledge garden is as follows:

*Second brain refers to individual efforts to compile and curate their learning and resources.

*Knowledge garden is a community resource.

Individual efforts to harvest and organize their learning supports the development of a community knowledge garden. In turn, a community knowledge garden provides learning resources for individuals to harvest and include in their second brain!

Example 1: Rama’s SpecialSaathi Blog Posts and LIFESMART Webinars

I have started building a second brain that compiles selected blog posts that I wrote last year as well as links to our LIFESMART ParentSaathi webinars. While blog posts can be accessed from the SpecialSaathi website, my collection is a curated one. I have selected the posts that I want to talk about more in 2023. I have omitted some (e.g., on 100-day projects) because I will be writing newer versions of these articles in 2023 based on what we have been learning. This collection is built in Wakelet. I quickly embedded it in this post. Scan the posts in this Wakelet and read what interests you. Add it to your second brain!

Ananth’s 100-Days of Smile Brightly and Dance Project

Ananth is building a second brain for his Smile Brightly and Dance project. It is an organized resource that we use for our practice. As he does lessons with his teacher, Shri Ujwal Jagadeesh, we add resources to this second brain. The clearly organized individual second brain is also being shared as a resource for the community. There are many short videos of lesssons that parents can use to implement their own 100-Days of Smile Brightly and Dance project!

Benefits of Second Brain

  • The repository below is a detailed and organized record of our learning during the 100-Day project.
  • Resources can be accessed easily for review and practice.
  • Teachers can see learner’s activities and progress.
  • Resources can be curated and shared with the community in an organized manner.
  • The community has access to resources in one place rather than resources being scattered in posts in groups.

Build your second brain in 2023 and continue contributing to the SpecialSaathi and LIFESMART knowledge gardens! Together, let us build a better future for our children!

Author Dasaratha Rama

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CreativeSaathi

New Year; New Beginnings; New CreativeSaathis!!!

Let’s welcome two new CreativeSaathi associates in our team

View the complete list of all the CreativeSaathis on the CreativeSaathi initiative page…

Specialsaathi is glad to announce incorporation of 2 more supertalented CreativeSaathi associates in our CreativeSaathi team.

1 Shubh Pathak, 15 years, Greater Noida. Check his profile…

2. Nikhil Thotam, 15 years, New Jersey, USA. Check his profile…

Link to our CreativeSaathis page…

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BloggerSaathi CreativeSaathi

Can Shaadi season be a learning reason?

Travelling, learning and therapy- a homeschooling series by Manju K Iyer

Can Shaadi season be a learning reason? Let’s find the answer…

Attending Marriage of a Cousin in Lonavala :

A great opportunity to travel, meet new people and socialise, exposure to overwhelming sensory surroundings for a Homeschooling family.

From Mumbai we had gone to attend a Marriage of my cousin at Lonavala. For a Homeschooler like me. Every opportunity coming my way is a golden one. The car trip itself was very interesting. We booked Uber from Vasai to Lonavala. The driver was a big fan and follower of Shivaji Maharaj. Lavanya shared what all she knew about Shivaji maharaj according to her knowledge from reading books. The Driver got motivated even more to tell her the tales about Shivaji Maharaj which she concentrated on listening to. Some words she understood and some I explained again to her.

In the marriage she saw beautifully dressed ladies. She got to meet a lot of new relatives she has never met before and she didn’t miss the opportunity in narrating to them her favourite Indian epic stories. I would say she found some good listeners. I noticed my daughter has reached the stage where she wants to show off now what all she knows…

During the marriage procession she saw other relatives singing some marriage songs on the mike.. She expressed her wish to sing as well and readily went to sing some of the songs she remembered. I think this has been the first marriage I attended where I saw her sitting in one place for a longer duration without feeling overwhelmed with a lot of sensory input and the need of running away to self regulate. It was a big achievement for us. I can say all efforts put together all these years have reached a state now where we can take her to places without worrying about how she will regulate herself for long hours.

After that we decided to do a short trip to Khandala. We went to Wagdevi temple, a pond, a park, sunset point and came back to leave for my sister’s home. This trip gave me a lot of confidence to take her to different places without worrying like before.

As looking for opportunities to learn for my daughter has become my second nature. There are possibilities that I might have done some things which I couldnt note down as well.. Hence I am sending some points which can be used to keep in mind when you go to a wedding or any function with your child.

1. Lets not shy to talk to people, your child is watching you. Conversations can help them listen and learn a lot in the process of understanding others’ perceptions.

2. Be focused on what you want to do instead of what others might be thinking about you or judging you.

3. Give the opportunity to your kid to take your pictures. Don’t think he or she won’t be able to do it. Kids learn when they do. Let the make mistakes and learn.


4. During lunch and dinner, let the child choose what they want to eat and carry their own plates if they can. I know it can be difficult. But try your best to let them be independent in choosing what they want to eat and carry their own plates.


5. Show them the procession and explain what is happening around them in easy language so that they can carry the memory.


6. Take pictures during the ceremonies, so that you show it to them later and discuss it in detail to help language development through exposure.

So, if it’s shaadi season, then do not worry, it can be ofcourse a reason to explore and learn.

Author Manju K Iyer

Manju K Iyer is a Psychologicist, Counselor,  Parent coach, Play Therapist, Homeschooler and Founder of PlayTime ( A coaching program for parents of children with special needs).

Artwork by Dhrov Tikoo

Creative representation for this blog’s theme is done by our talented CreativeSaathi associate Dhrov Tikoo.

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bloggersaathi Junior

My Mumbai Travel Blog (Part 2) by Lavanya Iyer Bloggersaathi junior

Part 2 : “And the Fun in Mumbai continues.. “

Welcome to my Mumbai travel blog part 2. My travels continued for the second week in Mumbai!



Day 1 : Chitti’s (aunt’s) house to Mani Mamu’s (uncle’s) house : “I love birds! A cockatiel sat on my shoulders”

I love birds! I got excited as we went to Mani mamu’s (uncle’s) house. There were two cockatiels and many budgies in their house. One cockatiel sat on my shoulders. I was so excited and happy. It was fun to meet their daughter Naira. We played with clay there and came back home in Chittappa’s (uncle’s)car.

Day 2 : Chitti’s (aunt’s) house to VVMC park : “Meeting other homeschoolers”

Next day we went to VVMC park. I saw a lot of birds in the park. I love birds, I love to see them flying and chirping. There were a lot of children in the park too and we had a lot of fun. There were slides and swings and wonderful rides. It was a park for kids and we also met other homeschoolers like me there.


Day 3 : Chitti’s (aunt’s) house to tailor shop : “Searching on the streets for a tailor shop”

One day we went to find a tailor shop to stitch a lehenga choli for me to wear in Anu akka’s (sister’s) marriage. We saw several shops but we did not find any tailor shop to stitch my lehenga choli. At last we found one lady who agreed to stitch it. It was a relief to finally find her.


Day 4 : Chitti’s (aunt’s) house to Aaji Aajoba park and Calisthenics training centre : “Kesar Lassi was so yummy”

Next day we went by train to Malad and took an auto from the station to Aaji Aajoba park. There was a drawing day for homeschoolers there. There were also rides in the park. They were fun. Next we went to the Calisthenics training centre as the park got closed. There I did a lot of fun activities like hanging on the bars. When we came back, I ate Pani puri and Kesar lassi in the shop near the station. It was so yummy.

Day 5 : Chitti’s (aunt’s) house to a book exhibition : “My favourite Hanuman story book”

Next day we went to a book exhibition. There we saw many books. There I found a Hanuman story book. I started reading it. It was fun to read the book standing there. We bought some other books and came back home in Chittappa’s (uncle’s) car with my cousin, Anshu.

Thank you for reading my blog! Hope you enjoyed!

Author Lavanya Iyer

Lavanya Iyer is 9 years old Neurodivergent. She loves to read, draw, paint, and do traditional dance. She is a newly incorporated CreativeSaathi junior and a bloggersaathi junior with our team now.

Artwork by Dhairya pal

Creative representation of Lavanya’s blog is done by our extremely talented CreativeSaathi associate Dhairya Kumar Pal.

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BloggerSaathi CreativeSaathi

Changing our Mindset from Speech to Abhinaya

The 100-Day Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD) Lab for Parents: Days 1-7

Artwork by Morpheus Nag

Who do you think of when you hear the word abhinaya? The picture by Morpheus shows a popular actress, Sridevi. We think of talented actors and actresses who engage audiences with enthralling performances.

This blog post is not about such actors and actresses. It is not about performances. It is about abhinaya as a tool for expression for everyone. Abhinaya as a tool for expression for parents. Abhinaya as a tool for communication for neurodivergent children.

This week is an exciting one! We launched the TAHD Lab for parents on December 5, 2022. TAHD offers many insights into effective educational practice for all children. One of the most important insights from TAHD for parents of neurodivergent children is captured in the notion of abhinaya in Indian natya. Dr. Ambika Kameshwar chose abhinaya as the concept of the first week of the TAHD 100-Day Lab. I think it an excellent choice for our community!

Concept of the Week: Abhinaya

Parents often worry about speech and language development. By changing our mindset to abhinaya rather than speech, we recognize that humans communicate in many ways. Speech is only one of many ways to communicate. Further, parents worry about speech means that they often overlook the struggles in other areas. In particular, they miss the struggles in nonverbal communication and emotional expression. These foundations of communication are developed long before speech! Abhinaya in Indian natya is a systematic framework of expression using varied modes of expression. Thus, abhinaya is a useful way of thinking about learning and development of children.

December 08, 2022

Abhinaya at the Airport!

I am very happy today! As we were waiting at entrance, a man came from behind and said “I have an 8.45 flight. Can I go?”

Ananth looked at him said “Go ahead” Usually he does not process unexpected things being said to him in crowded places. But he is very alert today. Indian airports are a good test of TAHD! He had the right posture, a pleasant face rather than stressed, and made a perfect entry through security while I went through the ladies line! I am very glad his Bharatanatyam lessons are shifted to TAHD mode. Everything is working together very well now!

An airport scenario is a good example to think about the various components of abhinaya. Vacika(speech) did not have to be used extensively. Angika (tracking people, knowing when to stop and when to go, handling security check) is much more significant. Satvika (expression) important too.

I think that the regular practice of open your eyes and smile and many reminders to smile throughout the dance class is already having some effect. Ananth didn’t a have flat or stressed affect but a more alert and with it look today! Finally, aharya or props. A simple example – handing boarding card to security person, scanning boarding card at entry.

Ananth’s Presentation

Watch Ananth’s presentation of The White Peacock presented at a SpecialSaathi webinar. We retaped this video as the video was blurry in the webinar.

Ananth’s presentation at the SpecialSaathi webinar on December 2, 2022 illustrates the four components of abhinaya:

  • Angika abhinaya: Body movements (e.g., bharatanatyam mudra and hand movements) are used throughout the presentation.
  • Vacika abhinaya: Story narration is the speech part of the abhinaya.
  • Aharya abhinaya: Thanks to Manu Sekar’s mother (Manu is the Founder of HashHackCode) for stitching the attire for Ananth’s birthday. Originally, Ananth wanted a maroon kurta. Then, he decided to choose colors that would work with the peacock story!
  • Satvik abhinaya: Facial expressions and hand gestures were used to communicate how the peacocks and humans felt throughout the presentation!

Read about the four modes of abhinaya in Indian natya on page 7 of the TAHD book:

Dr. Ambika Kameshwar. 2006 Theater Arts for Holistic Development. Ramana Sunritya Aaalaya Trust.

Thank you Shri Ujwal Jagadeesh for your guidance and support. Thanks to Ms. Usha Sankaran for coaching him. Thanks to Dr. Ambika Kameshwar and Dr. Vaishnavi Poorna for ensuring that Ananth has the right mix of TAHD experiences at every stage. Thank you Shilpi Mayank Awasthi for a memorable 25th birthday celebration for Ananth. Some of our family members attended and I have also sent the video to a few family members.

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