Miri Piri Academy
About Miri Piri Academy
Miri Piri Academy is a private boarding school located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It has an international student body with children from more than 20 countries around the world. Founded in 1997 by Yogi Bhajan, the school program emphasizes Sikh and Khalsa values, Kundalini Yoga and academic excellence. The name is derived from the words "Miri'" for Temporal and "Piri" for Spiritual. The school encourages students to: "Discipline your mind. Train your body. Befriend your soul".
[1]Mission To train the future leaders, teachers and healers of tomorrow through rigorous discipline, quality academics and a strong sense of self.
[2]Founder Miri Piri Academy was founded in 1997 by the Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, also known as Yogi Bhajan. A deeply devoted Sikh, his inspiration and example motivated thousands to embrace the Sikh way of life. Through his personal efforts, Sikh Dharma was legally incorporated and officially recognized as a religion in the USA in 1971. Born Harbhajan Singh Puri, August 26, 1929, in a part of India that became Pakistan in 1948, he was the son of a doctor. He spent his youth in Catholic convent schools and private schools, and when he was just eight years old he began his yogic training with Sant Hazara Singh, who proclaimed him to be a Master of Kundalini yoga when he was sixteen years old. During the turmoil of partition in 1947, at the age of 18, he led his village of seven thousand people 325 miles on foot to safety in New Delhi, India, where he arrived with only the clothes on his back. He soon established himself in Delhi, and after graduating with a degree in Economics, he began service with the Indian government and married Bibi Inderjit Kaur in 1952. In September 1968, he left India to begin teaching in the west. Breaking the centuries old tradition of secrecy surrounding the empowering science of kundalini yoga, he began teaching it publicly. Traveling extensively in the seventies and eighties, Yogi Bhajan crusaded tirelessly to educate, uplift, and enlighten everyone he met. True to his earliest commitment, "I've not come to gather students, but to train teachers," he directed the formation of the International kundalini yoga Teachers Association (IKYTA) and Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) to hold teacher-training courses throughout the world. An ardent advocate of world peace and religious unity, the Siri Singh Sahib met with world leaders of all faiths to encourage dialogue, including Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, and two Archbishops of Canterbury. His openhearted acceptance of everyone, along with an uncompromising insistence upon excellence, made him a formidable teacher. Miri Piri Academy was founded to serve future generations with the example and the teachings of the Siri Singh Sahib. The Siri Singh Sahib died on October 6, 2004, but his mission and his teachings continue to guide each generation of students who come to study at Miri Piri Academy.
[3]Credo:Miri Piri Da School, Rehit Piare Pehelaa Asool. “Our School is of the Temporal and the Spiritual, Love of The Rehit (Spiritual Path) is our First Commitment.”
Academics (Mind)
Miri Piri Academy's curriculum is designed to qualify for the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) certificate. Miri Piri offers IGCSE, AS and A-Level Certification to their students. AP classes are also available. Graduates are eligible for admission to colleges and universities around the world. All classes are taught in English, except Punjabi Language.
[4]Subjects Include:
- English Language and Literature
- Mathematics
- Biology, Physics and Chemistry
- History and Geography
- Punjabi as a Second Language
- Applied Information/Communication Technology
- Art and Design
- Yogic Philosophy and Practice
- Sikh Philosophy and Practice
- Gurbani Kirtan and Tabla
Extra Curricular Study Opportunities
The extra-curricular program at Miri Piri Academy allows students to delve deeper into specific areas of interest in the fine arts. Recent extra-curricular options have included:
• Classical Raag Vocals
• Tabla
• Sitar
• Bhangara Dancing
• Drawing and Painting
• Pottery and Sculpture
• Metal Work
• Photography
Based upon the teachings of our founder, the Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan, the school’s program and curriculum are designed to prepare students for the physical, mental, and spiritual challenges of life.
This academic foundation is combined with a unique opportunity for practice and mastery of Kundalini Yoga and meditation. Students in 11th and 12th grade take KRI certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training courses and graduate as certified teachers. Balancing ‘Miri’ and ‘Piri’, the temporal and the spiritual realms, graduates enter the world with the capacity to serve themselves and anyone else in need, and the grit to excel through the challenges of the times.
[5]Admission Policies and Procedures
Miri Piri Academy accepts students from 5th grade to 12th grade. Subject to the availability of seats, students will be admitted to the school based on their understanding and agreement with the schools mission and philosophy. Admission decisions are based on the information provided to the school in application forms, interviews, and transcripts. Instructions for Admission are available at: www.miripiriacademy.org/parents-and-families/apply-now
Physical Education (Body)
[6] In Yogic philosophy,the mind, body and spirit are an integrated whole. Each component has an interdependent relationship with the other, providing multiple avenues for growth. In the Miri Piri Academy model yoga, physical fitness, and sports play an essential role in healthy development.
Students are required to follow a daily regimen of physical exercise and eat a vegetarian diet. From Monday to Friday at least three hours a day is dedicated to the development of physical fitness. All students participate in running, physical training, and a specially designed yoga workout, as well as the US Presidential Fitness Award program to test their physical fitness and set goals for improvement. Exercise training includes running, marching, wrestling and kundalini yoga as well as the martial art of Gatka.
Sports Students have the opportunity to receive basic skills training and to participate in a number of inter-school competitions and intramural sports. These include:
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Cricket
• Badminton
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Table Tennis
• Kabaddi
Spiritual Education (Soul)
[7] Spiritual education and practice are a fundamental part of the daily life of Miri Piri Academy students. Based upon the teachings of the Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan, the program integrates the practice of Kundalini Yoga and the Sikh lifestyle.
Spiritual Program Components
• Kundalini Yoga Classes and Teacher Certification
• Sat Nam Rasayan Training and Certification
• Gatka Training and Certification
• Golden Temple Parkarma Seva
• Teachings of Yogi Bhajan
• Morning Sadhana
• Recitation of Banis
• Gurbani Kirtan
• Gurmat Studies
The Siri Singh Sahib emphasized that all elements of the Sikh lifestyle have a direct effect on the mind, body and spirit. Students come from many different backgrounds and faiths, but all adopt practices such as wearing a turban and a vegetarian diet while at MPA.
Kundalini Yoga Teacher Certification
Eleventh grade students take Kundalini Yoga teacher training and obtain Level 1 Teacher Training Certificates from the Kundalini Research Institute. Twelfth grade students also take two modules of the Level II teacher training course.
Our Alumni
The Miri Piri Academy Guidance Counselor works with each student to help them prepare for life after graduation.
[8]Graduates were recently accepted at:
• Brown University, Rhode Island
• Clark University, Massachusetts
• ESEI International Business School, Barcelona
• Mt. Holyoke College, Massachusetts
• State University of New York, Stony Brook
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Virginia, Charlottesville
• Vassar College, New York
• Wellesley College, Massachusetts