How are you a peaceful warrior? What do you stand for? In this class for kids ages 3-9yrs, Lani shares how we show peace to our bodies, peace to others and peace to the earth. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the ultimate Peaceful Warrior- we like to think about how we can make change by fighting for equality, justice and freedom for all beings, no matter what color your skin is or where you come from. Now more then ever, this is an important lesson. The Peace Book by Todd Parr Set up the class by reading a few pages from this book- pick out pages that share ways to be kind and peaceful to yourself, others and the earth. Peace Breath Place hands to your mouth and take a big inhale- exhale all your breath into your hands. Place hands on your belly and breath in… Read More »
Why YOU, Yes YOU Should Start a Gratitude Practice
and how a gratitude practice can bring more joy to your life. The definition of gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Benedictine monk, Br. David Steindl-Rast, suggests that two qualities belong in our basic definition of gratitude. The first is appreciation: You recognize that something is valuable to you, which has nothing to do with its monetary worth. The second quality Br. David mentions is that gratitude is gratis: freely given to you. Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, also argues that gratitude has two key components: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.” In her book, Living in Gratitude: A Journey That Will Change Your Life, Angeles Arrien writes: “Gratitude is essentially the recognition of the unearned increments of value in… Read More »
Put Down That Cell Phone!
This past weekend we took a vacation to California to see all our west coast friends and celebrate LOVE at a gorgeous wedding tucked into an apple orchard in the mountains of San Luis Obispo. It was so beautiful. I did not work for 5 days, I did not respond to email, go on social media (except to post photos every evening) and basically shut down my brain. It was exactly what I needed. As someone who can feasibly work 24/7, taking time off is IMPERATIVE for me. I also celebrated my 48th trip around the sun with dozens of my besties and it was just the celebration I needed. While we are patiently waiting for spring to appear here in the Northeast, we can think about more ways to bring mindfulness to our daily life. Yes, the flowers are blooming (and they are GORGEOUS) but do you miss it because… Read More »
