Our Team

My journey with Thamarai began when I was a child. It gave me opportunities beyond school—exploring books in the library, art, crafts, and many other interests. After finishing college, I returned as a volunteer to share my knowledge, but I soon realized that Thamarai was also a place where my own learning could continue. Here, I discovered that learning does not end with college—it is a lifelong journey.
Being at Thamarai keeps me curious and excited about learning new things. I try to support students in understanding concepts rather than focusing only on marks, helping them learn with confidence and openness. Through this journey, I have become more calm, adaptable, and reflective, while students around me are learning to grow from their mistakes and believe in their abilities.

My journey with Thamarai began when I was a child. It gave me opportunities beyond school—exploring books in the library, art, crafts, and many other interests. After finishing college, I returned as a volunteer to share my knowledge, but I soon realised that Thamarai was also a place where my own learning could continue. Here, I discovered that learning does not end with college—it is a lifelong journey.
Being at Thamarai keeps me curious and excited about learning new things. I try to support students in understanding concepts rather than focusing only on marks, helping them learn with confidence and openness. Through this journey, I have become calmer, more adaptable, and more reflective, while students around me are learning to grow from their mistakes and believe in their abilities.

My journey at Thamarai began as a frisbee coach. As I spent more time with the children, their curiosity, energy, and openness deeply inspired me, and that naturally led me to take on the role of a facilitator.
Being with the students fills me with joy. I feel happiest when I am engaging with them, learning alongside them, and supporting their growth. Thamarai has played an important role in my personal journey, helping me stay calm in challenging moments and encouraging me to look at situations from multiple perspectives.I grew up in Auroville and studied in Auroville schools, where learning is hands-on, child-centred, and deeply connected to life. At Thamarai, I bring these ways of learning into my work, giving children the opportunity to experience academics in a more meaningful and exploratory way—one that helps them see learning beyond textbooks.

With a background in education and data management, and eight years of experience as a Data Entry Operator at JIPMER Hospital, I joined Thamarai after rediscovering my love for learning through Tom’s English classes. I saw Thamarai as a space for continuous learning and meaningful connection.
Being with children makes me feel happy and emotionally connected, often turning difficult moments into positive ones. At Thamarai, I have learned to guide children with patience and politeness—skills that have positively influenced both my professional and personal life. Through my work, I support students in strengthening their basics and encourage them to respect everyone equally, while aspiring to grow in administrative and team-management roles.

I am a B.Tech college student inspired to be part of Thamarai because it offers a caring, after-school learning space for children. I enjoy helping students understand concepts clearly, build confidence, and learn without fear or pressure.
At Thamarai, I am developing patience, communication, teamwork, and leadership skills while creating a calm and friendly environment where students feel supported. My goal is to grow as an engineer while continuing to learn, guide, and support young learners.

I am a former student of Thamarai and a Montessori teacher who chose to return because this space truly believes in trust, respect, and freedom in learning. Unlike my experiences in other schools where children followed the same rules with little space to explore, Thamarai allows children to learn, play, and grow in ways that feel natural and joyful.
Being at Thamarai makes me feel happy and mentally relaxed. Here, I learn alongside the children every day—understanding empathy, open sharing, and the importance of accepting my own mistakes. I enjoy mingling with children as a friend, and that sense of connection is what brought me back to contribute to the community that shaped me.

I am a qualified Allied Health Professional – a Rehabilitation Counsellor – and a committed practitioner and facilitator of Yoga and ‘Inner Work’.I’m also a wife, a daughter and a friend, and a participant in the Auroville adventure. I am blessed that my deepest inner compass orients me towards the aspiration, the seeking, discovering and practicing of Integral Yoga. I am inspired to support and encourage others as they connect with and deepen into their own journey of inner exploration and self-discovery. My approach is an integrative, holistic frame that is evidence-informed from both science and traditional (often categorised as Western vs Eastern) models of human care, psychology, health and development. As a resident of Auroville – a place of unending education – I am an avid, non-stop learner and action-based researcher. I work with integrity, with my heart-mind grounded in compassion, and I provide coaching, training, plans and programs that:

– take an authentically heart-connected, whole-of-person approach, 
– are client-centred, self-directed, empathic and empowering, 
– foster sustainable change through active, experiential, evidence-informed and discovery-based methods. 

I feel honoured and blessed to be a part of the valuable outreach service that the team at Thamarai offers to the community..

I came to Jagrata Claudia Drews Thamarai as a volunteer, struggling to be useful and adopt to heavy academic priorities from school. I wanted to offer a program that would benefit all levels of children’s development. Now I found a way, a counterbalance through ATB (Awareness thorough the Body). I enjoy giving ATB classes, being a trainee of ATB myself and I work with the personal foundation of children after finishing their homework. Being a curative educator, the small, sometimes unseen successes of the children facing difficulties, touches me most.
In Thamarai I learn flexibility, humility and not being able to answer all needs. I expanded the range of age groups I am working with and would like to work with the families as well. I am passionate about bringing ATB to the bioregion of Auroville. My big dream is offer ATB to the public school system as well.