Being Present to Students

How Holistic Educators Communicate Presence

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of how holistic educators communicate presence to their students. Six holistic educators embodied presence to students through communication practices. Students feeling the authenticity of their teacher’s presence may experience a transformation akin to darshan. Findings from qualitative interviews suggest presence is multidimensional, reflecting interconnected yet distinct concepts: soulfulness, being present, and communicating for communion. Soulfulness means being in connection with one’s soul, the internal awareness of the state of one’s being or consciousness which is developed through life experiences and daily contemplative practices. Mindfully being present means bringing soulfulness into the moment with the wholeness of another person through holistic communication practices. Communicating for communion occurs when the souls of the student and teacher meet which is transformational for both. Interpersonal communication practices drew out their students’ wholeness: teaching as conversation, purposefully pausing, experiential learning, equal partners in learning, full attention, empathic listening, sensing emotion, and channeling. In these ways, holistic educators restore the heart and soul of education.