I sent my boy to India, well… actually he wanted
All my life, I never wanted to have kids because of the pain I experienced as a child. I had rejected the idea that it was possible to have a happy childhood. That was until I met Amar Singh.
We were in a restaurant during the South American ‘Lord of Miracles Tour’ when I met him. He must have been about 6 years old. He was sitting beside me, and his mother was beside him. A simple correction from his mother made me see the possibility that there was a way to be conscious with your child in your communication and actions.
The issue was not a big deal; Amar was just playing a bit with the knife on the table. His mother corrected him in a way I had never seen before. It was direct but lovely, and what struck me most was that she spoke to him as if he were an adult. She did not minimize him; she considered his position and respected him.
Years later, there I was…
Waiting for my first to be born. 👶
I was so nervous. I didn’t have a father while growing up, and I didn’t know how I would be as a father. But I had with me that inspiration from Amar and his mother; that was the type of father I wanted to be.
So my wife and I spoke a lot about how to give our children the most conscious experience possible, and even before he was born, we decided he would go to Miri Piri Academy in India.
This was based on what we saw from the students coming from there. We had never seen anything like it. They had such a solid base, unlike any other young adults we’d ever met.
He did not want to at first, but…
Then adolescence happened, and everything was upside down, but we listened. Our boy didn’t want to go, and he had his reasons. He didn’t have friends there, connections are so important and are your safety net. He wanted to have that, so we provided that for him.
With that on hand, he was eager to go. The whole family was so excited – we made it, he made it! 🎊
Now, he is in his second year at MPA. The school kids just came back from Rishikesh, where they took their Autumn break. And, yes, he wanted to go back for this second year, and he’s already talked to us about going again next year.
MPA is a boarding school Yogi Bhajan founded to continue the Eastern tradition that at a certain age, kids need to interact with adults other than their parents and learn from them. Yogi Bhajan wanted to give our kids distance from the neurosis of their parents so they could build self-esteem without all the chaos they go through at home.
Here is my son in different activities at MPA
As a parent, I want to finish by saying that MPA is not a place to make up for all your parenting problems. Your parenthood needs to be solid, and the work needs to be done from your side first.
MPA Open for Registrations
Miri Piri Academy has opened registration for the next school year. I wanted to give you a personal story about MPA, so if you have kids you might consider this option for them too.
Blessings,
Rai Singh
3 responses to “I sent my boy to India, well… actually he wanted”
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Dharma Khalsa
Perfectly done!
Principal really explains it well.
Video is very professionally done
Siri Pritam Khalsa
What a relatable story. We all want the best for our children and this sacrifice will bear fruit. Thank you for sharing with us your own experience
Dharam Atma Combs
I have been staying in Amritsar, really close to the Golden Temple. We went to visit Miri Piri and spent time with the principal, Japjeet Kaur. She was lovely and so gracious with us. I saw Rai Singh’s son there. He was so bright and genuinely happy. He recognized me and my friend immediately from Solstice and gave us a big hug. The is a beautiful, peaceful, extraordinaey school where all the children have the chance of a lifetime to flourish being their true, authentic selves and thrive in their education. What a gift for any child to go to MPA! 🙏