It turns out that the earth has eyes and mouth, and any garbage thrown on it is just like spitting in your mother's face. Such strong opinions have the students of TGU and College of Arts brought from a training session "Tuvan folk etiquette", which took place on February 9. This training, associated with the Day of Learning, took place at the department of psychology and pedagogics of Tuvan State University. The instructor - Tatiana Ondar, a lecturer at the same department, put all her strength into getting the students to remember the postulates of ancient Tuvan customs for a long time.
Already at the entrance to the auditorium the students encountered an original test - do you know how to greet someone correctly the Tuvan way?
It turned out that almost half of the students were not able to perform correctly even such a simple ritual - some offered one hand instead of both, others offered their hands from above, as if they were older than the welcoming person, and still others became completely confused and had no idea what to do. Already on the threshold it was clear that the kids were not in for a boring lecture but an energetic training session requiring their active participation. The instructor Tatiana Ondar successfully communicated an hour and a half of Eastern wisdom at a breakneck Western pace.
The utilitarian Tuvan etiquette
Anything can be learned very fast if the instructor and the student are "on the same wavelength", without allowing boredom to creep up. Everything the instructor said she supported by an example from real life, and mixed in with the sayings of wise ancestors, she offered advice such as to watch the excellent "Seven years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt.
Everything new was the well-forgotten old. The students present at the training convinced themselves of that, when even the fact that even a Tuvan handshake is an important ritual was new to them.
It became clear that many components of Tuvan etiquette are very healthy for the life of the community. For example, a self-respecting Tuvan is forbidden to litter and to spit on the ground, and during Shagaa celebrations (the whole month) one can't drink even beer. And in general, if one is to believe the norms of Tuvan etiquette, the traditional attitude to alcohol used to be completely different: a Tuvan was not supposed to drink a single drop of vodka until the age of 40; at 40, one would only taste it; at 50 - no more than one shot at a time, and only at the age of 60 could one permit oneself to drink a whole bowl. It seems that if the norms of Tuvan etiquette were generally observed, many problems of our society would be solved.
Shamanic protectionism
Psychologist Tatiana Ondar has a great deal of respect for the culture of Tuvan shamanism and is very proud of it. It is an indelible part of local original culture. "The foreigners regularly come here, even though there are no five-star hotels with an "all included" system, - thinks Tatiana Alexeyevna, - that means that here in Tuva there is something more important than the comforts of civilized world - our ancient culture, which it is difficult to imagine without shamanism."
The instructor has dedicated a lot of time to the study of shamanic techniques and she is convinced that many of them can be of real help in the work of practicing psychologists. "I just do not like it when foreigners come here to get the best of the knowledge, then return home and open private clinics or conduct seminars for money, in exotic shamanism, - shares Tatiana Ondar. - Better if our young psychologists study these shamanic psychotechniques and use them fort he good of our own small native country."
Tuvan syndrome of silence
Tatiana Alexeyevna devoted a lot of time to the matters of ethnopsychology. She discussed what she calls "Tuvan syndrome of silence". It often happens here that people meet and get to know each other without speaking, get married, give birth in silence, then raise children, with whom they do not talk either, and those then become criminals after doing something stupid. "We have to learn to be more communicative and open, - says the psychologist Tatiana Ondar, - then mutual understanding will grow, and possibly we'll learn what they call "empathy" in the West - the 
ability to put yourself into another person's place." Tatiana Alexeyevna jokes about it: "Guys, marry only girls who have empathy - that is most important!"
"The Boss" of the training session was not going to let anyone leave with empty hands. Beside her brand phyto-tea "for VIP-guests", Tatiana Alexeyevna prepared many presents, just like in the old times, when during Shagaa celebrations nobody could leave a neighbor's yurt without a present. Some received Tuvan folk (hand-made) postcards in the form of the national coat (tyva ton), others in the form of a Tuvan boot (Tyva idik), others in the form of a Tuvan hat (Tyva bort), others a Tuvan yurt, others received souvenirs with traditional Tuvan culinary recipes for Shagaa, and the luckiest ones received pictures and books, but the best present of all was received by all the students - they got particles of wisdom of their ancestors from this training, which can help make our lives better.
Hit-parade of punishments for breaking Tuvan etiquette
If you steal something, the Spirit Master of the stolen object gets angry; you can expect revenge.
Spitting on the ground is like spitting in your mother's face; luck will leave you and the Earth will punish you.
To throw garbage on the ground - you are bringing trouble for yourself and inviting obstacles into your life.
Leaving garbage in the forest - expect revenge from the Spirit-Master of the Taiga.
Throwing garbage into a river - you are bringing disease for yourself.
Having a filthy cooking range - you are defiling the realm of the Spirit-Master of the home hearth.
Leaving filthy dishes overnight - you are leaving a feast for evil spirits.
