Education
Award-winning Ajay Rastogi, (Co-founder & Director of the Vrikshalaya Himalayan Centre, Uttarakhand, India) is an applied ethics practitioner, philosopher, and a yoga instructor. He tells why not just energy saving appliances but an almost 180-degree turnaround in attitude is crucial for saving the planet. He explains the science behind nature contemplation and why you don’t go into the forest with a checklist if you want to contemplate on nature. He tells us why he thinks the three principles of ‘dignity of physical work’, ‘interdependence’ and ‘interconnectivity’ are imperative for a smart, harmonious planet. He shows us by example us how village homestays are bringing out positive change both culturally and monetarily in a small corner of the Himalaya. Also, why the ‘Science of Happiness’ and the merging of the East with the latest neuroscience of the west are so popular. Ajay is a recipient of the South Asia Youth Leaders Award, European Union Erasmus Mundus Fellowship in Applied Ethics, and the Nehru-Fulbright Environmental Leadership Award for Contemplative Education.