Education for Flourishing: Inner and Interpersonal Development Through Integral Transformative Learning

In the context of a significant increase in mental health issues and loneliness in academia, there is an urgent need to reimagine the contribution of academic learning to inner development, psychospiritual growth, and flourishing. Integral transformative pedagogies that engage the whole person (cognitive, emotional, somatic, and spiritual), offer a viable response to these challenges. Through the analysis of a community of practice that involved 15 students, the research shows how such pedagogies can cultivate inner and interpersonal capacities that support flourishing. This study examines the way integral transformative pedagogies cultivate the dimensions of Being (inner) and Relating (interpersonal) capacities in the Inner Development Goals Framework. At the Being level, they had an impact on self-awareness, authenticity, and openness to vulnerability. At the Relating level they significantly deepened interpersonal connection and cultivated the experience of mutual care and kindness, contributing to participants’ well-being and flourishing.