OBSERVATION JOURNALING
Invitation to parents to be part of research on children
Journaling is perhaps the most powerful process for any parent to immerse themselves in to deepen their connections with their child and themselves. Whatever insights, learning, or wisdom that I(Jinan) hold today have been entirely the result of deep observation of children since 1991. This process of pure observation is what many call meditation, mindfulness, or darshan, i.e. just “seeing.” Journaling is an extension, a refined version of this kind of observation, especially meant for parents.
While observation is a natural process for all of us, we needed to reinitiate it through a program like this because modern people are cognitively damaged, and their perceptions are biased and already covered by second-hand knowledge.
The Highlights of the program were:
· UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF OBSERVATIONAL JOURNALING.
· SHARING OBSERVATIONS by parents who’ve been transformed through journaling.
· WEEKLY FEEDBACK through WhatsApp.
· ONLINE DISCUSSION & feedback sessions twice a month.
THE PARENTS WHO JOINED US ARE NOW SHARING THEIR STORIES :
“ What we understood of children and how children transformed us”.
Amrutha A
Myself Amrutha.
The journey of observational journaling gave me a new perspective, which is the path of authenticity I see. By observing, I have learnt to trust my child and myself. It's like you see and know then and there. Otherwise, I had believed I did not know things to take care of a child, or I would need to learn, read, and seek expertise advice to be in a motherhood journey. Of course, observational journaling is also a long way, but it has helped me to see so many false notions to realise the truth.
When I saw EKF videos by Jinan for the first time, it was like a new world opening for me. My deep gratitude for Jinan's work, which is an eye opener for me in many aspects, it's not just for one child care thing, it's for life.
The observational group of friends has been of great support in this journey. Jinan has helped to step into this path, group members have hand hand-held to walk the path. I see the observational journaling group members as Satsang in this journey. Ever thankful for them- Beethika, Anjana, Veeresh, Snehapriya, Oindri...I still remember Ranjana mam's video(about disconnection) being shared by Beethika had touched me so much.
An observational journaling journey would be a blessing for both parents and children in this modern life.
Snehapriya A
Snehapriya A, member of Observational Journalling group, June 2024, mother of 7-year-old son and 5.5-year-old daughter.
Since the birth of my son in 2018, I have been searching without conscious awareness for a place. A place where my child could be seen for who he was. And not the versions that adults around me perceived the child to be. As a mother, it was too painful to see the silent suffering of my children (and others) in today's adult-centred world. My search led me to various parenting books, coaches, alternative schools, and workshops. Most of the advice seemed impossible for me to implement. In June 2024, I came across (via Instagram) the call for 6 months Observational Journalling with Jinan. The only expectation was to be unbiased and non-judgmental, consistently document the observations of children (without making it obvious to the child), and revisit the observations to gain insight. It felt doable to me, and I enrolled. Little did I know that this would transform me as a human. Now by May 2025, I have become a much calmer, accepting and conscious, joyful person. My silent search has ended, now I am more present with my children, and we feel resilient as a family.
This workshop has truly empowered me as a mother. The sharing of other parents who have travelled a similar path keeps you going through the tough times when certain awareness hits hard. And am most grateful to Jinan for his dedication and consistent perseverance towards reclaiming childhood, and it starts with sensitizing parents.
Beethika Dhar
We attended the first EKF workshop in Pune in May 2023, shortly after our son turned three. That day left a deep impact — the raw truth shared through powerful visuals moved me profoundly.
The inner stirrings reminded me of my earlier search for meaning, which led me to Sadhguru and yogic practices. His message about children being fresh from the manufacturing unit of life and not needing any ‘teaching’ deeply resonated. Still, I struggled with how to create a nurturing, natural environment while living in a city. When our son’s Montessori-inspired school introduced us to EKF, I felt I had found the answer. Though it was overwhelming, I allowed myself to be present with it, and something shifted. I began to truly see my son and all children in a new light. And when I saw them making sense of the world in ways just as Jinan describes, there was no turning back. I started sharing observations in the general group, and when the 6-month journaling workshop came up, I joined — even in the midst of relocating. The families who joined became a close-knit support system. We had honest, open conversations and learned to observe not just what our children did, but how they made sense of the world via regular WhatsApp feedback and Zoom calls with team EKF. Over time, I saw how children create knowledge, often from seeds of enquiry they held within long ago. This workshop became more than just learning — it became a community, a blessing. I now hold space for all children around me, not just my own.
If EKF’s videos have touched something in you, don’t stop at intellectual understanding.
Come experience it. Let’s walk this path together and bring ‘Do Nothing Parenting’ to life — not as a concept, but as a lived reality.
Anjana S
I attended Jinan’s workshop around 2.5 years ago when my elder son Aarush was 4.5 and my younger one Aathish was 6 months old. Since then, I have been constantly observing them, reflecting, and sharing my observations.
Around 10 months ago, when the ‘ Observational Journaling’ group started, I joined, and the experience was profound. There were just a few parents who were determined to observe and learn from their children, sharing, reflecting, questioning, and evolving. We had online meet-ups every two weeks, which provided a space for all of us to open up and share our concerns. Slowly, many of the parents started sharing more focused observations, and we started documenting our observations and presenting them. We also started observing similarities in what children were doing across the globe, which led to the creation of mini groups with a focus on one particular area.
The group is still very lively. The transformation I have undergone is humongous, and I wish more parents understood this and joined us.
Please join us if you are interested in rediscovering the joy of parenting.
Veeresh M
Myself Veeresh, and spouse Parnitha were on a spiritual journey before our son was born.
We attended workshops from RamaKrishna Mission about Garba samskara and natural birthing. From there on, we directly connected to Jinan's work in early 2023 after Udbhav was born. We never attended any parenting workshops, never read any books etc. We always felt that, and even now, landing in this space was very lucky, and it is all driven by a higher spirit.
In the early 2023, I used to document Udbhav activities month by month, and it made things interesting. After attending the 'Being in Beauty workshop' in Thrissur in December 2023, the way I see things changed. I moved from looking to seeing and then to choiceless seeing. From then on, I consistently observe Udbhav and document them. This further led to connecting with more children and observing them, mainly in caretaker families. Later on, I was into 'observational journaling' for 6 months. Here I have learned many things from others and can see different explorations and observations from various other children. Also, it gave a space to revisit observations. In the last one and a half years, many things have been redefined for me. These are 'values are redefined', 'spirituality is redefined', 'Time to being', 'word to world'. I can clearly see that the observational journey transformed me faster than any other spiritual practice.
As a child, I was always curious about how everything started, the topics in mathematics, and curious about formulas and their connection to the real world. Although I still did not have answers to most of the questions, curiosity was always driving. The time with EKF, children's observations provided an opportunity to delve deeper into these aspects. I would like to delve deeper into understanding language, mechanics, and numbers in the coming days.
I am very thankful to Jinan, EKF, and fellow members.
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Important links
Videos on OBSERVATION