Looking For Calm

“The soul is healed by being with children”   -Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I am beginning my second year teaching Mindfulness classes to elementary school aged children. What strikes me as I sit and talk with young children about awareness and the present moment is that they live in the present much more than, we as the adults in their lives, do. We seem to have had it beaten from us because in our culture we focus more on isolation, violence, devastation and fear. Children have worries, concerns, angsts and fears too. Their ability to articulate what is on their minds and in their hearts, however, is refreshing, honest and real.

Last week I was working with a second grade class. I asked the question, “Has anyone ever said something to you that made you feel good?” Ella reported, “When my friend said I was good at soccer, it made me feel happy.” We talked about sending kind thoughts/wishes to people that we care about…this could be a person that we see often or perhaps someone we do not get to see as much as we like. This being could also be a pet, a dog or a cat that brings feeling of love. Our wishes included the following lines which the children repeated after me,

“May you be peaceful and strong.”

“May you be happy.”

“May you be healthy.”

After sending kind thoughts we went around the room and a few children shared to whom they had sent their wishes and how it made them feel to share them with someone about whom they cared. Lucas raised his hand and said, “I sent my  wishes to Ms. Weber (who sat about four chairs away). This made me feel good because Ms. Weber is my teacher, and I liked knowing that I was sending her peace.” Ms. Weber was able to share with Lucas how good it made her feel to have been sent peaceful thoughts by him. Other children were sending wishes to parents, pets and friends in the class. To whom would you send kind thoughts and wishes? I encourage you to try this practice- and try sending the wishes to your self too. It feels good to practice gratitude and compassion for others and for our self (which we do not do nearly enough). Sometimes in the busyness of our days, we can forget that it makes us feel happier and healthier.

DailyGood.org is an organization that sends out news that inspires, uplifts and shares stories that make us feel good. I love the link below, “All We Have is Now.” I am so proud that Horace Mann is doing this great work through its partnership with Grand Oaks, an assisted living facility at Sibley Hospital. Darrell and Maggie host a monthly lunch and activity in their PK classroom with residents from Grand Oaks. If you have a chance to go by and spend some time with the Bats and their special friends, you should. Each spring our fifth graders, with the support of Mary Ryan, Ms. Byrne, Mr. Kiplinger, Mr. Howes, and Ms. Gollan have a project where students visit Grand Oaks, conduct an interview with a resident, and later complete an art project that they present to them. Our daughter, Caroline, shared candidly about the experience of visiting and interviewing a friend at Grand Oaks. This experience was a powerful one for her and for her peers. This video will make you smile and warm your heart.

All We Have Is Now – Present Perfect Trailer | KarmaTube

Growing up and growing old sounds like a logical notion but it also appears to be a surreal process that we . . .
http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=6704#sthash.gF3AjarL