Being in Harmony: Approaches to Philosophy, Mindfulness and Religion 

With Virashni Bharuth (SA) and Amanda Bell (UK)

The spiritual part of the world in which we live is always present. For young children, this is taken for granted, and in Waldorf Education it is considered part of everything we do. Rudolf Steiner speaks powerfully about how, in puberty, the young person feels ‘spat out’ by the spiritual world. This is a necessary part of their development, but how can we support them during this time? How are spiritual ideas relevant to our students at this time? In these sessions we will look at how we can approach philosophy and religion with our teenagers…and how to embed mindful practice in the classroom and in ourselves. 

Virashni Bharuth has been a leading High School English, Drama and Humanities teacher at several South African Waldorf schools for many years and has played a pivotal part in pioneering content and curriculum. Since 2021 she has been a member of the Council of the Southern African Federation of Waldorf Schools, supporting and mentoring high schools and developing Teacher Education programs.

Amanda Bell has been a Waldorf teacher for 25 years. She was a Class teacher for 16 years before moving into the Upper School to teach History, Art and Philosophy. She and two colleagues founded The St Michael Steiner School in West London, where she still works, in 2001. Amanda has been co-director of the London Waldorf Seminar since 2010 and was a regular tutor on The Modern Teacher: Education as Art in the UK.