Back to school

Last week, my boys went back to school—and so did I. But instead of a classroom, I found myself immersed in a different kind of curriculum: a week in monastic silence. 🧘

Vipassana, which means “seeing clearly,” is the most challenging and gratifying form of learning I’ve encountered. It’s irreverent to admit, but I’m ready to say it: it’s more instructive than anything I learned in school.

Mindfulness practices, in their many forms, have taught me invaluable lessons about myself, my mind, and the connection between the two. They’ve also helped me see what’s wrong with our current approach to education—and what’s needed to fix it.

Modern schooling treats kids' brains like computers to be optimized 🧠 . It's time to treat them as instruments to be tuned.  🎶

One Buddhist concept that has always animated me is chitta—a Sanskrit word meaning heart-mind. It’s a reminder that our intellect and emotions are deeply interconnected. Neuroscience and spiritual traditions agree.

So, what if schools were reoriented to educate the heart-mind, not just the brain? Here are three courses that could help us start:

🎯 The Art of Stillness
Our attention is fragile, and our tech addictions make it worse. This course would teach us to observe the habits of our minds, focus on what truly matters, and choose which thoughts and stories we believe. Our thoughts shape our actions, and our actions shape our lives.

🎯 Listening to Our Bodies
Our bodies send us constant signals, yet we’re taught to ignore them. But our bodies don’t lie. What if we learned to trust the messages they’re sending us?

🎯 Intuition 101
We know more than we think. Intuition helps us read situations, connect ideas, and make decisions with speed and accuracy. It’s innate, but it needs to be relearned and restored. How can we remember to listen to—and trust—our internal compass?

Schools are teaching kids to be smart, but not wise. In an era when robots can pass all the exams, it’s time to commit to teaching kids about their minds—not just filling them with facts and figures.

✨ What if exploring our inner lives was deemed just as important as reading and math?

✨ What if, alongside learning to judge, strive, problem-solve, and plan, kids learned the art of discernment?

✨ What if school taught young people that their most valuable asset is their ability to pay attention?

This new mode of learning is our northstar at The Flight School. Rather than teaching to the test, we’re teaching to chitta—equipping the next generation to navigate with their heart-minds, and soar.

What would a school like this look like? Where are the bright spots we can all learn from?‍

‍And no, my boys aren’t avid meditators (yet…!), but they sure love making fun of their mama! 😂