DEEP is home-coming for me.
As Rumi said, "There is no path, the path is paved by walking".
Not, only did I not have a path, I didn't even have the legs to walk or pave it for me. DEEP did come at this juncture of my life and gave the resources to build my legs and pave the path into Education.
I owe my career in Education to Vishwas and DEEP. The experience influenced me to rethink what Education is and What it can be! Opened up my mind and the world of meaningful education. The beauty of the course and why we keep coming back to it is it evolves, no DEEP is the same:) every year it is different, better and evolving.

Also, what stands out is the "becoming" piece in DEEP. Nobody comes to DEEP and leaves the same! and something about every DEEPer changes DEEPly within. I did, too.
As I always say, "I joined to DEEP to learn Experiential Education but I learnt about myself".
You will, too:)

Heart swelling Gratitude to Vishwas and DEEP

It is not a mere coincidence that the acronym DEEP also describes what this transformational journey is intentionally designed to be!

I joined this program in 2013. After quitting my career as a radio jockey I took the plunge to explore new possibilities in the world of education. Journeying from one professional identity to another is similar to how a snake sheds it’s old skin! During this long, painstaking process the snake is unable to see clearly, not at its best and feels very tentative and vulnerable. Career transitions can be similar.

DEEP gave me the gift of a very supportive community of peers - many of whom were on similar journeys as mine, and are now friends for life. I had a space in which I was comfortable to talk about the struggles, triumphs, good days and bad days of my career transition. I learnt how to accept myself and others, test my assumptions and beliefs, build better relationships and manage conflict. And in Vishwas, I found a mentor and dear friend who helped me work on my blind spots and build a new life. This program helped my character, strengths and unique abilities find new expression. It helped me celebrate myself and the light I bring to the world.

In terms of professional skills, Vishwas taught me the art of facilitation and showed me how mastery comes from being a lifelong student of any craft! I practice these facilitation skills in my many roles - as a program manager, trainer, coach, designer, colleague, family member and friend.

Today, 7 years later, I look back and realise that the larger purpose this program was to make me go beyond the boundaries of everything I was taught and to find my own place from which I now speak my own unique truth! And I'm thrilled to see how Vishwas and his amazing team at ELI have launched these wonderful programs online, made them as engaging and even more accessible to people from across the world! May this light spread and this tribe grow.

Writing a testimonial for CEEP, Racoon Circles, DEEP, Processing Experiences Purposefully is like writing one for a vast library. When asked what can one take away from these courses, well it depends on which conversation thread, theoretical model, book or activity did you choose to immerse yourself in during the course. Vishwas Parchure is a vast library!

The mark of a Good educational course is one that fills the gap between the current and the pursuit of a learner, a mark of a Great one is that it gives you the space to explore and imbibe the learnings for life. Transference is at the bedrock of each of these courses.

The courses run by Vishwas are essential from both a professional and personal stand point. His style allows every course to be a personal journey while strengthening the process and theoretical underpinnings in the field of Experiential Education (EE). From a professional development stand point every individual and institution that is in the space of education, training and management must look into the Experiential Leadership Institute. Having attended all the fore mentioned courses and many other run by Vishwas, I am looking forward to going back for the newly launched ‘Facilitating for Transference’.

I have attended numerous courses across the world over the past 20 years of being a part of EE and I am yet see a better facilitator for anyone who is seeking to learn how to practice Experiential Learning as a methodology.

Thank you Sir! Fortunate to be under your guidance for 15 year and running :)

I signed up for DEEP at a friend's insistence, but I really didn't know what to expect. Right from the first session in April 2021, DEEP has been life-changing for me in many ways. He is not like the rest of the educators you meet. He has his own style and a method that really helps you connect with yourself and those around you. All my life education has traumatize me with the way it is delivered, but DEEP is nothing like those traumatic memories.

I used to be (still am at times) a nervous wreck, but DEEP has helped calm those nerves. The sessions are like chicken soup for the soul. It's brightened my day on so many days. It has also changed the way I parent my child. I'd like to think that this course has changed me in some ways. And this really is just the beginning. Cant wait to see what happens next!

As I look back at all those 12 sessions I've had at DEEP - my mind goes back to the Shoelace story. That was your Sermon on the Mount, Vishwas! That one session pretty much sums up everything the world needs today.

Thank you for everything. Eternally grateful. :)

Hello! There's many things that I can say about me, but let me let you in on what brought me to DEEP. Im a mother to an 18-year old. A few years ago when I saw him breakdown while facing challenges such as navigating relationships, and with no skills to do so, I decided to dive in to the space to see how I could help. What I found about adolescents and teens astounded me. And to date it still does. Long story short, I had to lay my hands on everything possible that would prepare me for the space. And DEEP was a recommendation from a fellow partner in the space. And my gosh, while you come prepared to learn skills to teach others, it is unnerving and yet so profound to discover that you only teach who you are. So you better get that right. And that's what DEEP does, so so beautifully! It forces you to ask questions! And not easy ones! And before you ask the world a question, you need to address the ones staring you in the face! Ones you didn't know you'd left unanswered for eternity. Above all, it rekindles curiosity! How did we forget that? We were born with it! And it is such a simple yet powerful fix! There's no one thing that DEEP does. And yet the one thing that it does do is uncondition you! How that can be such a start to all things bold and beautiful. It takes courage to sink in, drown, struggle. But what emerges is so completely worth it. And the bonus of it all is doing it in a space that surfaces the power of community, safety, non-judgmental'ness' and fun! Vishwas, will forever remember your silent, non-interferring yet vibrant presence. XOXO

I had been hearing about DEEP from a lot of people around me. And all of them were professionals who I have looked up to. But, nothing prepared me for the paradigm shifts that were to come.

The way that Vishwas weaved theory with practice and the live learning that happened under his nurturing and encouraging guidance, is an experience in itself. It opened me to new ways of looking at experiential learning and implementing it not just in my professional life but also my personal life.

This course has taught me so many things that I will cherish forever.

If you are even remotely considering whether DEEP, CEEP, raccoon circles or anything that Vishwas Parchure runs, then just go for it. You will walk away with something really valuable.

The whole experience of DEEP has been wondrous. It's been more than a year that I did DEEP, the things I learnt here will stay with me for life. The concept of my state of being in my daily mundane things or during counseling has had a huge effect in the way I deal with every aspect of life. For me the concept of how my state of being affects the things that happens when I am dealing with people caught my attention, but it was Vishwas literally showing me what it means to be alive , open and authentic in the moment that made a huge impact. The whole content that's dealt in DEEP is literally deep, at the start ,it was all hazy... As I started relating to them in the context of my life, my whole experience of it changed, there was so much clarity to the puzzle called life. It's not only helped in how I deal with my counselee's but also made parenting and other relationships a much more fun and enriching experience.

I lived my life believing "there are some things you can only learn in a storm" and enjoyed embracing risk and challenges turning battles into war.

It all changed the day I completed this course. I love to read this quote from Aristotle once a day "knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom".

The day my daughter was born, the first thought that came to my mind is to give her joyful and memorable childhood experiences. I have started searching for a course that would help me achieve it. I found Vishwas's profile and course details online and decided to do this course.

As usual, I thought work and life took precedence over the course.
I thought it is necessary to complete it as my child is growing. She is 2.7 years now. (If you read this paragraph after attending this course, you would enjoy reading it from a different perspective).

The discussions we had over several weeks have initiated my journey for "self-exploration".

First aid kit, Shoelace and conflict management are game-changers for me.

Vishwas, thanks for providing me the bundle in a single course. I loved the way you made me explore and experience it all through the sessions.

I have been dawdling on writing this for a while now. That's simply because writing about one or two things from an ocean of ideas feels difficult.

In 2008, I went to see the beautiful Andamans. When I dived in the lovely turquoise coral reef waters, I couldn't see the colours and the beauty of the coral reef. All I saw was muddy murky water and bland corals till the time I donned the snorkeling gear. Through that I could appreciate the colourful fish and the variety of corals. What Vishwas gave me was this snorkeling gear to help me see my life, and what I do as a parent, an educator, a friend or a family member more clearly. The concept was 3Cs or in simple terms what is known as consciousness, awareness, or mindfulness. I am still in that ocean trying to navigate my way through tricky waters, but it helps to understand my being and my actions from time to time.

I came as an educator with years of experience and I thought I knew quite a bit about teaching. DEEP just showed me how little I know. More importantly, it showed me how much role do control, perfectionism, and conditioning play in my life - both personally and professionally.

Signing up for DEEP opened a lot of doors for me - one of them was an invitation to a join a community of educators. This community keeps discussions alive and it has been a source of stimulating ideas and questions which have given me a much needed distraction from dreary and overwhelming work during this lockdown.

I find it fascinating how Vishwas can leave a learner in discomfort, allowing the learner to explore and to figure out things for himself. It is not easy to get answers from him. Whatever you get from him may not please you but there aren't many people who will be able to tell you that. Stay with the frustration and the discomfort long enough and understanding starts seeping in like rays of sun.

And it is not empty philosophy that Vishwas offers, he can flood you with enough research, experience and activities to back up his arguments.

I was looking forward to attending DEEP 10. (He allows ex DEEPers as observers.) DEEP 10 didn't happen because of covid 19 situation but I hope that I will get an opportunity to delve deeper into EE philosophies with Vishwas sometime in future. 🤞✌️

I have been on this journey with ELI since 2016 and it has profoundly changed my life. No matter how many times i revisit the content with the guidance of Vishwas and the ELI team, there is always something new to learn and there is always a shift - a deeper understanding of this line of work and my self is achieved
It is a beautiful shared journey and i cannot recommend any course with Vishwas enough. What are you waiting for? Sign up now!

After years of dead bore classroom education in school, I joined DEEP when I was still in college and had my first "aah! now I get it" moment when Vishwas was talking about different learning needs and styles.
Since then, I worked in various countries as an Outdoor Educator and kept re-visiting Vishwas's words whenever I was stuck in life or with a group. Amazingly, my biggest difficulty faced with a group got answered when I attended a second course in 2020 way after my first one in 2016.
It is definitely not a coincidence that I learn and feel ready to experiment the same in field every time I'm around him.
To put it simply: he is amazing not because he says a lot of important stuff, but because he actually shows relevance of that 'stuff' in life and never forces it on anybody. What is better than being able to choose your own lesson? :)

Vishwas showed a picture of a forest fire on the first day and asked what does the picture mean to us. On that day I did not know what to say and now after completing the course, that's exactly what I relate myself to. He lit this fire in me which is burning my old biases and perceptions and a re-birth has happened which has helped me to look at things around me in a new and different way.

My husband enrolled me in the course( i am so eternally grateful that he did) and I went with a certain expectation and from there Vishwas took us on this roller coaster ride to help me look into myself and be a better human.

Now anything and everything that's anyone says around me I end up reflecting on what Vishwas would have said. Earlier the things that went unnoticed and now it's becoming clearer as each day passes.

It's so hard to say that this course is just for experiential educators, personally, I feel this course is for anyone and everyone, helping us to become better and grow.

All in all, thank you, Vishwas. You are an amazing role model with some outstanding patience and for being such open and warm-hearted. Thank you so much for the ELI team, without you folks in the background, this experience would not have been so great. I love you all :)

He is different...Haven't met an educator like him. You can't tell whats happening to you while in the session with him but his subtle talks makes you think about yourself the way you haven't thought before and that makes the difference !!! Before you know , it's already started happening.
I call it AWAKENING.

He skillfully touches your inner places of mind which you didn't know in there. He makes you believe that you are different , every single person is different , and every single person is capable of and made to do things differently. DEEP10 as process gave me tremendous confidence as being unique person and made me believe in myself all over again.

I believe Patience and Power of listening are two qualities he transferred in me. I'll consider myself proud and lucky if I can do at least once of work what he have done :)

I was introduced to this course by a friend who insisted that I do it! I didn't question and just jumped right in with both feet. I had expected it to be interesting for sure, but by the third session, I was completely baffled with the content of the course and its delivery!

Since I'm not from an EE background, I connect the learnings from this course to life itself (or to making films and children's entertainment). I truly believe that if DEEP is something that is taught to us in school - we will have a better chance at life! The sessions on communication, conflict and having better conversations have been profound and I have managed to apply them so beautifully in my personal and professional life. Many more concepts like detachment from outcome, FLOW theory, pause, 3Cs, Growth Zones, the importance of PLAY (the list is really long) have had an effect on my being. More than just the concepts - it is the delivery of it that is so organic (it's art!) that has made it so impactful.

Even though we come from the Guru+Shishya culture, Vishwas for me has been a friend more than anything else. Even just seeing him conduct himself in class has given me immense perspective about how a classroom could be.

As I have seen the course over the years now, I have seen that every time we are doing the next piece - he reinvents it! It's never the same... Even with the new online course, he has managed to create deep, impactful experiences for people. I have seen people being moved by the sessions. I'm not from this field, but I do know that there are not too many people who have managed to do this online - yet!

As we say - once a DEEPer, always a DEEPer! This is going to stay with me...

Initially when I heard about DEEP, (being from the corporate sector) was wondering why am I even trusting him for a 9-month commitment when the work he does is mainly for facilitators, teachers. Besides, you ask him a question and he has no answers.…Don’t mistake me, Vishwas is very approachable, but definitely you will never, ever get answers from him, all who know this will be smiling!!!
For me, DEEP – 9P, a life changing process. Can’t explain in words but one has to experience it as the degree varies for each individual. I was able to confirm my purpose in life and what it will take of me to achieve it. It takes into consideration the whole person. Learning was fun here in DEEP because he let me be myself, comfortable in my skin. No judgements whatsoever, but probing questions for reflection plenty.
A few lessons will always stay with me which are not very novel you may say but got a chance to live them….”detach from outcome”, “pause”, “plan till you die and throw it away”…..and many more complex concepts, simplified. In my journey of being a better person everyday, DEEP has played a role and given me strength in my dark days.
I was lucky to have the classes in Pune where I met the most beautiful, loving people, respected individuals in their own field….but here all merely students wanting to understand more from him…..
Last but not the least, once you get hooked on to him it is a life- long membership, of discussions, sharing important learnings, stupid irrelevant stuff, references, workshops everything needed to become a better individual and facilitator.
Lovingly for many he is “dadi wale baba” his iconic style, “Vishy” for a few…for me “My cool guruji”. Very calming to be in his presence. Grateful to the universe that I was introduced to him and learnt a lot from him….journey still continues.

This has been one of the best training programs I have attended in terms of content, delivery, expertise in the subject area, and just the overall experience. While I signed up expecting to learn just the basics of Experiential Learning, this course is giving me so much more. Every session has been a revelation of sorts and has helped me see even the concepts I was familiar with from a new perspective.

I have never seen a more giving facilitator who is willing to give as much as one is ready to take. Vishwas’s content delivery style and rich experience (that he most willingly shares via anecdotes and stories) ensures that the most complex concepts get across.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone who does any degree of facilitation and definitely to parents…it just opens up a new world of possibilities, while keeping it all doable, realistic…and most importantly, human!