I can see. I can respond. I can bow down.
Kaushiek Pranoo is the founder of Unlearning Ashram.
He is a full time facilitator and seeker juggling multi faceted roles. He has been a holistic life coach, youth mentor, strategy/process consultant, yoga teacher, facilitator trainer, content writer, speaker, artist and more.
Compelled by a deep longing to move towards a more meaningful and rewarding life, he quit his corporate career and gave up his training as an engineer in renewable energy and began seeking to explore and experiment wanting to know life first hand.
His journey led him to live with Tibetan Buddhist monks in the Himalayas, learn from indigenous communities in South India, work with changemaking youth leaders of sociopolitical grassroots movements and explore communities experimenting on conscious alternatives in different parts of the country.
Over the past 10 years, he has worked with with diverse groups of people; children, youth and adults from indigenous, rural, semi urban and urban backgrounds exploring themes like alternative education, leadership, economy, conflict and healing, interfaith harmony, community building and inner transformation. The valuable tools, insights and skills that he soaked in through this 'unlearning' journey, along with his heartfelt desire to facilitate similar possibilities for the transformation of others gave birth to Unlearning Ashram.
Today, he facilitates powerful experiential spaces and courses for people to deepen their own unlearning journeys through mindful presence and clarity building. As an unschooled facilitator, he is self-taught...or, rather 'life-taught' and his spirit of paying deep attention to life with reverence reflects in the nature of the experiences he designs.
Focusing beyond ready made solutions and solaces of convenience, his offerings are uncompromising in their integrity of inviting people to tap into their own lived experiences, reflections and insights as a way of lighting their own path through their inner wisdom. Over the years, he has facilitated over 1500 sessions both online and offline, impacting over 6000+ participants and has been nourished and empowered by the experience of the collective wisdom of unlearning together.
His larger vision reimagines a world where people are rooted in a deeper sense of inclusiveness, inner balance and clarity, feeling empowered to take charge of radically reshaping the quality of experience of their life and thereby the world. Because life becomes beautiful not because we do different things, but because we can learn to do things differently.
While Unlearning Ashram does not have a physical campus today, he dreams to move to a land someday and establish a dedicated space for seekers to visit and deepen their mindful presence and empower their unlearning journeys. When he hasn't happily lost track of time working on Unlearning Ashram, he loves dabbling in music, poetry, clay sculpting, photography, cooking, and martial arts. He enjoys his puns, good biriyani, storytelling and long slow bike rides or walks by the beach or surrounded by nature, lost in immersive conversations with loved ones or just singing his heart out.
Glimpses
Feature
DTNext : Mastering the Art of Unlearning: A journey towards personal growth
DTNext : Taboo but true: Talking mental health the right way
The Hindu : Spreading the art of gifting
Deccan Chronicle : Jammin’ for a cause!
Deccan Chronicle : PAUSE and enjoy your life!
Sakshi (Telugu) : Rela's community Initiative coverages in Andhra Pradesh
(3 Articles)
Talks
2024
The Art of Unlearning for the senior community by The Young Again Initiative
Blindness with Kaushiek Pranoo, Podcast Episode on Conscious Parenting by The GenieCoach Podcast
Unlearning Yoga, Instagram Live on The International Day of Yoga by Center for Embodied Mindful Presence
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2023
The Art of Unlearning, Re-Imagining Education conference by The Ecoversities Global Alliance
The Art of Unlearning, ABC Artroom by Kochi Biennale
The Yoga of Unlearning, Farmers Market & Ecofest by CAVE, Surat
Stories of Gift, Giftival by Free We Grow, London
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2022
Guru & Shishya Relationship, Panel by Centre for Escalation of Peace, Ritanjali & Pallavan Learning Systems
2021
Our Self Designed Relationship, Breaking Stereotypes by Conscious Connections
Breath: A Decolonized Pedagogy Re-Imagining Education conference by The Ecoversities Global Alliance
Unlearning Self Care, 7 Day Wellness Festival by Living Conscioussly
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2020
My Experiments with Gift Culture, Let's Talk, Let's Connect by Amazing Human Being, Chennai
Self Designing Life, Volunteers Meet by iLab, Kozhikode
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2019
Unlearning the Stories we Tell Ourselves, by Design Ashram &TEDx NIT Calicut
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2016
From Untruth to Truth, Interfaith Harmony Confluence byThe Dalai Lama’s Foundation (FURHHDL)
There is a sacred alchemy that nature knows of
that transforms the muddiest filth into fragrant flowers
In unlearning the many delusory sheaths of our untruth
we can transform tragedy into wisdom, pain into possibility.
If you are truly determined in becoming this possibility,
I can walk with you as we learn to remember our light
I am not one for quick fixes or comforting conclusions
I offer not answers but ways to transcend your questions.
I can see. I can respond. I can bow down.
This is the heart of all I know, I am and offer.
Kaushiek Pranoo