Do you believe that a society can exist with perfect human unity? Well, I’ve just returned from a community founded on this intention. My month in India was one of the most challenging of my life and one of the most transformative.

The Matrimandir (translated as Mother Temple) is the golden temple in the heart of the community, which I admired several times a day while cycling through town. In the heart of the dark dome is a meditation room with a silence so profound I could hear my pulse and feel my thoughts! It isn’t very often in the western world that we find a space that can facilitate that kind of experience.

But the greenery surrounding the Matrimandir was even more profound than being within the globe itself – or so I found. Our lecturer, Bem Le Hunt, led us on a walking meditation through gardens with names such as wealth, life and birth. I remember climbing the tree house in the garden of youthfulness, wondering how the arrangement of plants could inspire such deep feelings of lightness and playfulness within me.

One of my favourite memories was visiting the vegan community living in Sadhana Forest – an offshoot of Auroville. I joined them at 5 am for stretches and their morning “hug circle”, before cleaning cow pens for two hours, followed by breakfast. They’re well known for some of their more eccentric practices, like living in huts, opting only for composting toilets (aka drop toilets), using human manure – not cow manure, showering under buckets and cooking without much oil or salt. “Character building” is the phrase that comes to mind. As an environmentalist, I was inspired by their water persevering techniques, including the three bucket dish wash system and the thin stream hand wash. I honestly see myself incorporating some of these design elements into my future home.

During my time in Auroville, there were moments of lull, particularly between activities or when the connection dropped out. I remember how stagnating and painful the feeling of unproductiveness was. But then I started to notice the spacious cushion of boredom become more comfortable. I rested my head on the fact such sensations aren’t ones I have or will often get to experience, and they come with their own creative benefits and insights.

As a journalist and creator, I loved growing my understanding of utopian thinking and resilience building in complex systems so that I can tell stories that create harmony, not division, in a time of global challenge. This experience has allowed me to challenge ingrained western assumptions making me question how I view work, collaboration and success. I know this experience will add richness to how I capture stories, removing some Eurocentrism and allowing me to be a more thoughtful and empathic storyteller for the rest of my career and life.

Cogan, Eve

Global Short Program Student (Faculty-Led)

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant Recipient

The Auroville Global studio was an incredible and memorable experience that I will never forget. Six weeks in an eco-village in the south of India was a unique opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture.

We spent time speaking with Aurovillians about the lifestyle and the inner workings of the complex system that is the ‘city’ of Auroville. We visited co-opts, local farms, small business owners and even had the opportunity to hear about Aireville’s history from its original founders and pioneers.

We visited Sadnah forest, a property in Auroville that houses a congregation of people dedicated to regenerative practices and re forestation. They operate on a zero-waste model that allows them to live sustainably while ensuring that the forest is restored and flourishing.

We visited Krishna’s farm, a pillar of the community run by a man who left his life as an academic in the UK to dedicate himself to regenerative farming practices in Auroville. We met a man named bill who came to Auroville when it was just a dessert waste land and an ambitious dream for the idealistic. He lives in a house entirely build from recycled materials called the trash Mahal and was instrumental in the development of a process of developing an alternative cashless economy in Auroville.

We were able to take classes in yoga, pottery, Tai Chi, meditation and awareness of the body that allowed us to connect with the intuitive and unconscious knowledge systems that are often ignored in western societies.

We engaged in daily meditations and reflective practices both individually and as a group that allowed us to make sense of our experiences in this unique eco-system.

I had to opportunity to intern with a social enterprise dedicated to ensuring that access to and education on period products was available to everyone. Eco-femme was founded by an Australian and long term Aurovillian, Kathy who wanted to create a sustainable alternative to disposable pads while allowing women in rural India to have free access to their products.

They hired a team of passionate and dedicated women who travel to schools around India educating women on their options when it comes to sanitary products and as well as the basics of what periods are and what they can mean within different cultural and social contexts. I had to opportunity to engage with my skills set as a journalism student by interviewing these women and helping to tell their story. I was even able to visit their factories and speak to some of the women who have been given employment opportunities through eco-femme that has helped give them financial autonomy as well as flexibility around family responsibilities.

roux, Emilia Leonora

Global Short Program Student (Faculty-Led)

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant Recipient

It is difficult to summarise a three-week experience into a few short words in a blog post. This experience has by far been the best challenge, learning opportunity and period I have had the privilege to explore. I have been given so many opportunities to take my practise outside the confines of a university lecture hall and experience design and transdisciplinary on a new scale. But not only that, this trip has also changed my perspectives and outlook on life.

Auroville is an experimental community located in South India, is a unique place that has had a profound impact on the lives of many who visit it. I have had the privilege of spending three weeks there, and it was truly a life-changing experience.

To paint a picture I visited Auroville in south India filled to the prim with nerves, excitement and questions about what to come.

The first thing that struck me about Auroville was its incredible sense of community. Despite the fact that Auroville is home to people from all over the world, everyone there seemed to be working towards a common goal of creating a sustainable and peaceful society. I felt a sense of belonging and connection with the people I met there, and this sense of community was something that I carried with me long after I left.

One of the things that made my time in Auroville so transformative was the opportunity to learn from and engage with people who are deeply committed to spiritual growth and self-discovery. The community is built around the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, and there are many opportunities to participate in meditation and other spiritual practices. I found myself delving deeper into my own spiritual journey and feeling more connected to something larger than myself.

Another aspect of my time in Auroville that had a significant impact on me was the focus on sustainability and living in harmony with the environment. Auroville is home to many sustainable living initiatives, from organic farming to eco-friendly architecture, and I was able to learn a lot about how to live in a more sustainable way. This experience inspired me to make changes in my own life to reduce my impact on the environment.

Overall, my three weeks in Auroville were an incredibly transformative experience. I left feeling more connected to the world around me, more committed to my own spiritual growth, and more motivated to make positive changes in my life and in the world. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this special community, and I hope to return one day to continue my own journey of growth and discovery.

Voyzey, Isabella

Global Short Program Student (Faculty-Led)

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant Recipient