All posts filed under: Books

LOVE is The Most Powerful Weapon…

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“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” ~ Mahatma Ghandi   I think it’s safe to say that there has been a lot going on in the world over the last few weeks… a devastating earthquake hit Nepal leaving many people dead, injured, and without basic necessities. There have also been a number of protests popping up around the United States. I am not one who follows the news on a consistent basis, honestly, because it terrifies me. However, these protests, and the stories of people who are protesting, have impacted me a lot lately. I’ve also been left with a lot of questions about the world… Why don’t people really listen to each other more? …

What’s with the Children’s Yoga hype?

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  Now that I am currently teaching some new yoga classes (which have been so much fun!) I thought it would be helpful to write about WHY people are choosing to sign their children up for yoga classes, and WHAT they are getting out of it. There’s definitely been a surge in popularity with yoga; there’s probably more types of yoga than there are flavors of ice cream now! And on top of it, now there’s infant, toddler, children’s, and teen yoga. Whew! Seriously though, people ask me all the time if kids yoga classes are similar to adult classes. “How do you get kids to sit still for so long?” I explain that depending on the ages of the kids, there is A LOT of movement, music, and games within each class to get kids interested in focusing on their bodies and their BREATH. As kids get older (even Pre-K ages) shorter stints of quiet focus can be added for them to establish peace and awareness within their bodies and minds. However, many children struggle …

Parents… You rock!

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How many of you out there are single parents? How many of you are married, but feel like a single parent some, or most of the time? How many of you are parenting equally with the other parent- meaning, you each take on about 50% of the “parenting” duties? Well…. I honor ALL of you. Yes. All of you. Parenting is not an easy job. Whether you are sharing the responsibilities as a parent with someone equally, or taking on most of them yourself- it can feel overwhelming some days. Babies staying awake all night, or toddlers waking up every few hours when they are sick. Children fighting you about bedtime and not wanting to brush their teeth. The mornings when you’ve literally been awake for 60 minutes and already you want everyone to go back to sleep. Yep. We have ALL been there. We all know that instead of yelling, you are quietly talking to yourself, taking deep breaths, and reminding yourself that it is most important to stay calm. We all know how hard …

Where Are All The Helpers?

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It’s funny the places I happen to be when all of a sudden, an idea for writing comes to mind. Today, it was the dressing room of T.J. Maxx. Yep. I bought nothing, but came out with an idea! You see, I’ve been feeling unsure of what to write about for the past few weeks… should it be about Yoga, Parenting, or about how to keep your Holidays simple with children…? Well, I’m thankful for the T.J. Maxx dressing room today because a very important question came to my mind… WHERE ARE ALL THE HELPERS IN THE WORLD? There is an astonishing amount of CRAP going on in the world. Today. Right this very moment. Violence, war, drug abuse, children being used and abused as soldiers… not to mention all of the poverty. And yet here I am writing on a computer from the comfort and safety of my home. What a blessing, truly, it blows my mind.  However, what I want to focus on (amidst the chaos of this world) is the fact that there are GOOD… …

Let’s Get Real With Parenting…

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From a Buddhist point of view, everything is temporary. There is nothing that does not change. This can either induce extreme anxiety or contentment. Or a bit of both. Your child will never be the same as they are in this very moment… their mind, and body are constantly changing and developing. It really is wild to think about! Even though these thoughts may bring on sadness because our children are growing up so fast, the reality of things being temporary can really help with many life situations while parenting. I don’t know about you, but life with a 3-year-old can be pretty interesting. My son is a relatively easy-going child, however, he can fall apart just like anyone else. When this happens, it is a true test to what my threshold of patience is. And this varies day-to-day. When I am able to stay calm and centered, he definitely benefits in so many ways. If I can remain somewhat neutral to whatever it is that is happening, his overall mood can shift somewhat easily. But honestly, how is this possible every single time? Maybe …

Media… Has It Always Been This Way?

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Lately, I have been spending a lot of my “free time” (you know, that time when your eye lids want to close at 8:00pm, but you force them to stay open to get stuff done) reading books. So. Many. Books.  I have to say, I am very grateful for all of those who have come before me, and who have spent their lives researching and publishing books, articles, etc. to help educate the masses on various subjects. From these individuals, my own concepts continual to evolve, and I am challenged to delve deeper into what my long-held beliefs are and what might need some tweaking. One of my favorite books at the moment is called Magic Capes, Amazing Powers: Transforming Superhero Play in the Classroom, written by Eric Hoffman. It truly is a well written book for both parents and educators. At the preschool I work at, so many children are engrossed in this “superhero play”. It is something relatively new to me, however, since my own son is just beginning to discover the power of this type of play. I have been looking for …

Is MY child normal?

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As a parent, there are so many circumstances that arise that make me wonder “Is this normal? Is my child the only one that acts this way or talks this way?” Sometimes parenting can feel like the greatest thing since sliced bread, and at other times can feel like the most lonely job in the world. What often makes me see clearly again (and laugh!) is remembering that when you become a parent, you basically join a “club”. Walking down the grocery aisle, witnessing a toddler scream and cry about not getting the food they want doesn’t make me judge the parent- it softens my heart. It allows me to remember that no one should ever have to feel alone because we have all been there. I remember before becoming a mother having SO many ideas for parents to try and wondering “why can’t they just do this, it will help their child!”  This makes me wince now, ever thinking that I had the idea that I knew exactly what to do… I guess that …