Meditation Tuesdays

Guided Meditation for children...Meditation is important for everyone but it is especially important for children. Some key factors are:

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• Young people are naturally able to meditate.
• They have a yearning to experience the spirit within.
• Build up their self-esteem by affirmation respecting them and their contributions.
• Listen carefully to them
• Be patient with their journey
• Meet the children where they are.
• Be aware of development stages, psychological, social and spiritual.
• Remember the learning is effortless: ‘caught not taught’
• I suggest creating the following for your children:

Environment:

• Importance of creating a ‘sacred space’ with icon, candle and nature treasures as focus and explain significance.
• If possible meet in a dedicated area, which will distinguish it from everything else.
• Sitting in a circle
• Quiet music playing upon entering.
• Importance of clear ways of starting and finishing the session.
• Singing Bowl as start and finish of silent period.

Preparation:

Use preparation as aid to becoming focussed:

There are various possibilities to be chosen according to age group and context:

• chanting (simple Taize chants) – explain difference from singing.
• awareness of breath: watching the breath, coming in cool at the nostrils and going out warm.
• relaxation exercises (See ‘The Centering Book’)
• walking meditation.
• Use stories with values, which relate to them and are appropriate to their age.
• Be aware of development age in selecting stories to meet them where they are.
• Stress that this is a slow process: regular practice is needed, as with sport and music.

Approach to the discipline:

Explain importance of paying attention.
Emphasize silence and stillness: ‘in the stillness we can just be’
Explain link of meditation with their usual way of prayer, talking and asking.
Stress meditation is ‘listening’ prayer.
Stress no thoughts, images or daydreams
. Start with 5 minutes only, then add over time one minute for each year of age.
Use ‘maranatha’ as mantra right from the beginning.
Explain the importance of being patient with themselves.
Be patient with them.

After meditation:

Short time for questions coming from children
No other follow-up

Simply and Fun Guided Meditation

Let's go on an adventure!

But, instead of rushing out the front door, let's go on an adventure within, to a beautiful place inside, in our thoughts ...
Lying on the bed, floor, carpet, or the lawn or beach in warm weather, stretch out on your back, arms and legs resting easily. Close your eyes, let your body go limp as a rag doll, while counting to 10 in your mind.
Lying so still and relaxed, keeping your eyes closed, walk through the inner doorway in your mind onto the beach, on a warm sunny day.
In your mind, just feel yourself standing still for a moment looking around, seeing the waves wash against the shoreline in their regular rhythms, over and over again.
While watching the regular pattern of the waves, just breathe in and out, evenly in and out, over and over again.
Watch the waves, while breathing evenly in and out.
Enjoy the relaxed feeling in your own body that is lying so limply on the bed or carpet. Feel whole and comfortable in your resting body and mind.
When enough time has passed, begin to come back to your everyday active self. Stretch out those limp arms and legs, take a deep breath, sit up.
Do you feel your new energy, all set and ready to go again!

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Meditation Tuesdays Two Minutes of relaxation

Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level.  We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have. Shakti Gawain

It's very easy to forget to relax, during the time when we're constantly trying to get things done. So many of us are spending so much time on our jobs and our extra tasks in life that we tend to forget to slow down and reassess what we're doing and why. It is hard to find the time in our busy lives to do this. though I feel it is truly important to stop every once in a while and collect yourself...Breathe and Be... Do Nothing for at least two minutes and just breathe. . http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/

So take a deep, slow breath. No, really--go ahead. Take a deep, slow breath, taking in as much air as you can as slowly as you can. Right down deep in your belly. As you breathe in Feel your lungs fill, and then hold the breath for five to ten seconds.

Let your breath out slowly, feeling the stress leave your body as you exhale. The hurry and the stress can ride out of your body and mind in the air that you breathe out, and if you can allow your mind to focus on the breathing, you can slow down those thoughts that are running around in your mind at about a million miles an hour.

Take in another deep breath, slowly and surely. Hold it for five to ten seconds, then exhale slowly. . . . slowly. . . . slowly. . . .

There are many important things in your life that you need to take care of, but if you take the time to relax and treat yourself well, you will find that these few minutes of relaxation can provide a huge benefit to you.

So take another deep breath, very slowly, and hold it in. Release it slowly and feel the tension leave your body with the air. If you do this ten to fifteen times, you'll find yourself feeling energized, relaxed, and in a more positive state of mind. Just two minutes can change your whole perspective on your day.

Meditation Tuesdays

At night before going to sleep, enter into a meditative state and once you are deeply relaxed project yourself into space looking back at Earth.

 

Although our planet will appear to be so beautiful and peaceful from a distance she is in much need for loving, healing energy so as to help her find a way to manifest peace, love, healing and harmony.

While meditating, extend your arms (Even if only in your imagination) and imagine Earth suspended and rotating between your two hands. Imagine projecting healing energy  from your right hand to your left. Imagine this healing energy going right through and completely surrounding Earth.
As you are doing this, think of all those who are involved in wars and suffering and with all your heart think to yourself mentally,

"May love, health, healing, peace and harmony come to all who are involved or better."

Imagine Earth absorbing the energy and then healing through time. From then on, every time you think of wars and suffering, immediately picture Earth suspended in space, rotating and emanating this healing energy. From time to time, in your meditations project Earth through time getting healthier and enjoying peace.

Meditation Tuesdays

Most people do not think children are old enough for meditation but like yoga poses for kids, children’s meditation has a different approach than the adult practice. When disguised as a game, kids can easily learn to relax and become more aware of their bodies through meditation. Once you child is accustomed to meditation they will enjoy that time in there day and you can go further and deeper into meditating.


Noticing my Body: Begin lying down flat. Try not to move at all. It is hard to do isn't it? First off, try to  make your body really heavy and be very still. Now we will start by just wiggling our finger and toes. Then stop and be still again. Next wiggle your arms and legs. Be nice and still between wiggling each body part. Then move up your body starting with your toes,your legs,your hips,your belly, your arms and wiggle your entire body. Then stop and be still again. Notice how your body feels when it is still.

Removing All Negative Energy:

First have a nice basket of beautiful smooth stones. Start the meditation either lying down or sitting up. Give each child their own flat stone to hold in their hand. Think of something that makes you sad, angry or worried. Imagine that thought as a bright white light coming from your head. Now take that white light and imagine it traveling down your neck through your arm and into the rock. Imagine that the rock is like a sponge absorbing all that negative light deeper an deeper into the rock. Now if you any other worries do the same for each one letting the rock soak them all up. Once all your worries have been absorbed open your eyes and look at your rock. Now take a big deep breath and blow it onto your rock making all your worries float away. Notice how your body feels now that all of your worries are gone.

Meditation Tuesdays

Would you like try a meditation with me? 

Children's Meditation Called "Peace" for ages 5-13

 
Close your eyes and relax. Try not to think of other things but just for a moment watch your breath. Feel the air flowing in and out of your body.

If you get really good at this all you will be able to notice is the air flowing in and out.

Then can you imagine that it is not air that you are breathing in but peace. Think about a time when you have felt very peaceful and very strong and try and breathe in that feeling.

Breathe it in and feel the peace flowing throughout your entire body. Feel that the peace is flowing into your heart and then down to your toes and up through your arms and to the top of your head. Imagine that peace as a white light that is full of strength and calmness and it is filling you with that light.

As you breathe out try imagining that you are throwing out of yourself, any fear or anger that you might have. Throw out the anger like it was dirty water.

Breathe in and out like this for a few minutes and when you feel completely full of peace and strength you can forget about breathing out anger and imagine that you are breathing peace into the world. You are creating peace for others to feel. You are helping the whole world to feel more peace, this is a very powerful gift that you are giving.

Reflection
When you are ready, relax a little but keep your eyes closed. Just for a few moments think about how you can be more peaceful in your life. Perhaps the next time you are about to get angry over something very small, remember that angry people make themselves unhappy and others around them unhappy. Remember the strength that comes from peace.

Finish
When you are ready take a couple of deep breaths and relax – your meditation is finished.

To view more meditation for children please visit Heart of the Child

Meditation Tuesdays

Meditating Outside...

Take a walk to a natural area. Begin with a deep breath, arms extended overhead in a huge stretch. Walk calmly, at a pace that is manageable. Resolve to be a silent observer of everything around you. Sounds, colors, shapes, inanimate objects and living creatures, wind, weather, scents…..nothing is to escape your mind. Give yourself a pre-determined time frame or destination, then give yourself permission—more a gentle command—to let go of any specific thoughts. Your day—and its stresses—will be there to greet you when your walk is over. For now, just stroll…and enjoy.

Meditation Tuesdays

Meditation Tuesdays

JOURNEY MEDITATION

Journey meditation combines imagery and visualization to achieve a meditative state. This form of meditation appeals to those who find peace by picturing themselves in a peaceful place.

Here's how to do it.

Sit up straight. Get into a comfortable position. Either sit on the floor with your back against a wall, or sit in a chair with your feet on the ground and your hands resting on your knees or thighs. Have a pad and pencil nearby. Write down the worries, concerns or problems that you're afraid will distract you from meditation, and promise yourself that you'll deal with them when you're done.

Take a few cleansing breaths. Breathe in slowly and deeply for five counts, then exhale slowly for five counts.

Find a peaceful place. Close your eyes and concentrate on a soothing, tranquil place where you feel safe and calm. As distractions flutter through your mind, remind yourself that you'll deal with them when you are finished meditating.

A quiet beach is an ideal mental destination for most people. Picture yourself resting on the sand. Feel the sun on your skin, hear the water lapping the shore, listen for the sounds of seagulls or see the ships gliding out to sea. You can use the same routine for any beautiful, serene place that calms you.

Do it twice a day. Most people will benefit from a 5- to 15-minute meditation practiced several days a week. A good rule of thumb for practicing journey meditation is to do it in the morning and then again later in the day. A peaceful meditative journey as you wake up can improve the whole tone of your day.

Journey meditation is also an excellent antidote for afternoon slump. Most people find that at about 3.00 PM, they are at their lowest energy level for the day. This is a good time to take a short nap or to take a short journey break. In as little as ten minutes, you'll find that you've refreshed yourself.

Meditation Tuesdays

Ever notice how good it feels when a total stranger stops you and pays you a nice compliment? It can almost guarantee a smile. Rather than waiting for someone else to make you feel good, the same feeling can be achieved by performing a quick meditation with a positive affirmation.

To begin this meditation, get in a comfortable, meditation position, close your eyes and start to take deep, long, cleansing breaths.

If stressed out and wanting to feel more relaxed, try repeating the word relax. Even envision the word in your mind. With each breath you take, feel the calming energy come into your body while the tension goes out of your body each time you exhale. Repeat this any time of the day you wish to slow down.

There are many positive affirmations that can be used in meditation. Don't forget how special you are and you can remind yourself of that by meditating on, "I am special."

Call up the love you have and the love you give by stating, "I give love and I'm blessed to have love given to me." If looking for a more cosmic approach, try, "I am one with the universe and the universe is with me."

Here are some more try to meditate on these for at least 5 minutes a day.

I am surrounded by peace.
I am letting go.
All things in their right time.
I remember the truth of who I am


Source: A Guide to Meditation, Lorraine Turner, (Parragon Publishing,) 2002.

Meditation Tuesdays

Beginning Sitting Meditation for Kids 7 and up

Meditation is a time for quiet thoughts, and can be done sitting, walking, or lying down.

Meditation gives you a chance to think about how to get your projects done the best way you can. And, it is a way to spend some time thinking about ways to solve problems.

If you are having trouble getting along with someone, meditation is a time to think about a way to get along again.

If we meditate each day we will feel stronger and more connected to ourselves . We will be able to think more clearly and be able to make better decisions in our lives. It will align our Chakras making us more connected to the earth and balanced within.

Here's one way to meditate:

A Sitting Meditation


Time: 2 to 10 minutes.

Sit up straight, cross-legged if on the grass, or if you are indoors sit on a pillow on the floor, or on your bed, or in a chair. If you sit in a chair your feet can be on the floor in front of you. Hold your hands in your lap and close your eyes.

Begin to breathe easily and evenly, in and out. Silently count each breath in as one count, and each breath out as one count, till 20 counts, or another even number.

Example: Count 1 breathe in; count 2 breathe out; count 3 breathe in; count 4 breathe out.

Finish counting to 20 and continue to breathe evenly.

Next, think with appreciation about the people in your life, such as your family, friends, and teachers. Thinking good thoughts feels good and rests you mind and body. It gives you more energy.

Feeling more rested after spending time in appreciation is a good time to work out, in your mind, any problems with family, friends, or school.

After meditation write your new ideas. A notebook or journal just for your thoughts is handy.

To finish the meditation, take a deep breath in, and out. Stand up and stretch.

Meditation Tuesdays

Teaching your child to meditate basically involves helping them learn how to connect with their inner-self, including their imagination and the real essence of who they are. Although meditation for some may signify the very still, closed-eyed, and cross-legged pose, it does not have to mean that for our children. In fact, it simply involves giving children the time to be creative, to practice listening and to be carefree. It is easy to teach and may also be beneficial for parents who include themselves in the practice. At the very least, finding time to relax can reduce anxiety and increase one's ability to problem-solve. Sometimes just focusing attention on a different task permits new and fresh ideas to present themselves. Meditation can also help an angry or frustrated child to calm down and rethink a situation.

The first step in teaching children how to relax and meditate consists of having them sit or lay down in a comfortable place and position. Secondly, have them take one or two very deep breaths and have them close their eyes if they feel comfortable enough doing so (Should you not be at home and you find that your child is misbehaving or becoming overly active, sometimes simply having them concentrate on their breathing may successfully calm them down a little).

Afterwards, there are a variety of different techniques that can be useful in guiding a relaxation mode. Older children may simply want time to themselves to quietly rest or think privately. For other children, some continuous deep breathing may be sufficient.


A wonderful meditation you can do with your children.

Meditation Tuesdays

"Concentration it is that awakens our powers and channels them, dissolving obstacles in our path, literally attracting opportunities, insights, and inspirations. In many ways, subtle as well as obvious, concentration is the single most important key to success." Part II, The Art & Science of Raja Yoga

Meditation is a way of life. It is to be lived. We have a vast reservoir of energy in us, lying unused, untapped. Once we get in touch with this energy, our life changes from just being an ordinary to a divine one. Meditation is being in tune with our inner energy source.

As parents we need time to meditate, time to reflect our lives as parents and as individuals.We often forget we are separate from our children and we do need time for ourselves.

Today I will offer you a simple yet very powerful meditation that you can do and it will only take a few minutes of your time. You will see that in doing this just a few minutes a day your whole day can be more productive and more relaxed.

Meditation is being with our true self; being able to control all activities of the mind and senses a well as making the right choices. Meditation is an antidote to the mounting stress and tension. The tremendous transformation that meditation can bring to you can be derived only by delving into its experiences with the child-like innocence.

Make yourself comfortable, sitting upright, with a straight spine. With your eyes closed, look at the point midway between the eyebrows on your forehead.

Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Hold the breath for the same eight counts while concentrating your attention at the point between the eyebrows. Now exhale slowly to the same count of eight. Repeat three to six times.

After inhaling and exhaling completely, as the next breath comes in, mentally say Hong (rhymes with song). Then, as you exhale, mentally say Sau (rhymes with saw). Hong Sau means 'I am He' or 'I am Spirit'. Make no attempt to control your breathing, just let its flow be completely natural. Try to feel that your breath itself is silently making the sounds of Hong and Sau. Initially try to feel the breath at the point where it enters the nostrils.

Be as attentive as possible. If you have difficulty feeling the breath, you can concentrate, for a while, on the breathing process itself, feeling your diaphragm and chest expanding and contracting.

Gradually as you become more calm, try to feel the breath higher and higher in the nose. Be sure that your gaze is kept steady at the point between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don't allow your eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your mind has wandered, simply bring it back to an awareness of the breath and the mantra.

Teaching the importance of meditating

CHILDREN’S MEDITATION

This is an exercise to teach your children how to still their minds and focus their attention, enhancing their self-confidence.
The meditation helps them to concentrate through visualization and expanding their creativity. Children also develop their inner calm, security, self-confidence, and self-awareness.


Try this meditation at bedtime, and your kid will sleep more relaxed. It will be a magical experience.


MAGIC FRIEND
Sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
When there is, something that, you think it is impossible for you to get in your life, or when you feel you need some magic to do something very special, and very unlikely to happen, ask for help to your Magic Friend.
Your Magic Friend is someone who lives in your heart. He is always with you. Only you can see him, and only you know who he is. And he is your special best Friend.
Who would you like to be as your best friend? Think of one person, one animal, a God or Goddess, some mystical entity, something or someone you feel as the most powerful being to help you to fulfill your dreams and overcome your fears.
Now, close your eyes and think of your magic friend… He is far away, in a place where only you know the path to get there. He is so special and magic as you need him to be. And now you would like to be with him a lot … So, you put yourself on your way there!
You leave your place and walk in the direction of the mountains. When you get there, look around, chose the tallest one to climb.


Start your way up to the top of the mountain. Climbing up and up you reach the top where you find the most beautiful rainbow you ever saw waiting for you.
You climb into it and it goes up, slowly … and gently…! You look back to the mountain, and it is getting far away, as the rainbow goes up.
Now, tell the rainbow where it should head, to your special place where your Magic Friend is waiting for you. Give it the instructions to get there, and enjoy your journey.
When the rainbow stops, you are at your special place. Look who is there waiting for you, smiling with his arms opened, willing to hug you, to cherish you. It is your Magic Friend … he is there, willing to help you to fulfil your wishes, to overcome your challenges.
Take your time… and remember you are there for a reason, so … Be you, with confidence, faith, and certainty. Be just you!
Talk to your Magic Friend, feel his friendship, notice the soft way he uses to talk to you, how he understands you.
You know, he is always there for you,
You know, he always helps you, to get successfully what you need,
You know, he is only yours friend,
You know, that is yours special place.


Stay there enjoying your friend and let your heart talk to him about what worries you.
When you feel it is time to come back thank him for his help, and tell him you will come back soon. Then, climb the rainbow again, and do your way back to the mountains. In the next moment, you are arriving in your room.
When you are ready, bring your awareness to your body and breathe deeply a couple of times, stretch your back and open your eyes.
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP!

Meditation Tuesdays!

How Ten Minutes a Day Together Can Make Life Saner (and more Pleasant) for Even the Busiest Families

What better way to promote family harmony than to meditate together? When family members have a peaceful place inside themselves, they naturally get along better with each other and those in their world. The author brings many years of meditation and parenting practice to this timely and down-to-earth guide for families who want to cultivate peace.


This book is calming and inspiring. I think it is one of those books that ever family should have. It helps promote peaceful parenting and togetherness. Two things I really enjoy.



So I highly recommend if you do not have this book you pick up a copy today!

Meditation Tuesdays! Children's Meditation

CHILDREN’S MEDITATION

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This is an exercise to teach your children how to still their minds and focus their attention, enhancing their self-confidence.
The meditation helps them to concentrate through visualization and expanding their creativity. Children also develop their inner calm, security, self-confidence, and self-awareness.


Try this meditation at bedtime, and your kid will sleep more relaxed. It will be a magical experience.


MAGIC FRIEND
Sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
When there is, something that, you think it is impossible for you to get in your life, or when you feel you need some magic to do something very special, and very unlikely to happen, ask for help to your Magic Friend.
Your Magic Friend is someone who lives in your heart. He is always with you. Only you can see him, and only you know who he is. And he is your special best Friend.
Who would you like to be as your best friend? Think of one person, one animal, a God or Goddess, some mystical entity, something or someone you feel as the most powerful being to help you to fulfill your dreams and overcome your fears.
Now, close your eyes and think of your magic friend… He is far away, in a place where only you know the path to get there. He is so special and magic as you need him to be. And now you would like to be with him a lot … So, you put yourself on your way there!
You leave your place and walk in the direction of the mountains. When you get there, look around, chose the tallest one to climb.


Start your way up to the top of the mountain. Climbing up and up you reach the top where you find the most beautiful rainbow you ever saw waiting for you.
You climb into it and it goes up, slowly … and gently…! You look back to the mountain, and it is getting far away, as the rainbow goes up.
Now, tell the rainbow where it should head, to your special place where your Magic Friend is waiting for you. Give it the instructions to get there, and enjoy your journey.
When the rainbow stops, you are at your special place. Look who is there waiting for you, smiling with his arms opened, willing to hug you, to cherish you. It is your Magic Friend … he is there, willing to help you to fulfil your wishes, to overcome your challenges.
Take your time… and remember you are there for a reason, so … Be you, with confidence, faith, and certainty. Be just you!
Talk to your Magic Friend, feel his friendship, notice the soft way he uses to talk to you, how he understands you.
You know, he is always there for you,
You know, he always helps you, to get successfully what you need,
You know, he is only yours friend,
You know, that is yours special place.


Stay there enjoying your friend and let your heart talk to him about what worries you.
When you feel it is time to come back thank him for his help, and tell him you will come back soon. Then, climb the rainbow again, and do your way back to the mountains. In the next moment, you are arriving in your room.
When you are ready, bring your awareness to your body and breathe deeply a couple of times, stretch your back and open your eyes.
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP!

Meditation Tuesdays!

Well today has been a hard day for me. I have been feeling really overwhelmed with housework,laundry,kids. It seems as though I can never get anything finished or when I finish one thing something else is destroyed,dirty or needs to be washed.

Sigh.... so I really needed a time out for me this morning. One thing that I found helps me is to have a place in my house where I can have a few moments to myself. In my room I created my meditation corner. With all things I love like candles, my favorite sachet filled with lavender, Some of my favorite paintings etc. When I am feeling overwhelmed,sad, anxious I take a few moments of me time.

Take a few moments to meditate on the blessings and lessons you have received from your children.

Changing your mindset is the single most powerful and important step you can take to change your life. The power of positive thinking has been studied by the psychiatric medical, scientific and spiritual community and they've all determined the same thing - positive thinking has power. Of course, changing the way you think is easier said than done. That's where positive affirmations become a very useful tool.
What Is a Positive Thinking Affirmation?
A positive affirmation is a statement you can use to replace a commonly held negative statement. For example, if you're always saying, "I feel so overwhlemed," then a good positive affirmation to replace this sentiment might be, "I am in control and feeling calm".

Positive affirmations help you change your thinking by giving you something to lean on. They help you stay aware of your thoughts, which is the first step to changing them.
Finding the Right Affirmations for You
The next step is to determine what your negative thoughts are and to replace them. Here is a great list of positive affirmations for women.
• My body heals quickly and easily
• I am the picture of good health
• The more grateful I am, the more reasons I find to be grateful
• I am a wonderful mother
• I give out love and it is returned to me tenfold
• I have a wonderful partner and we are both happy and at peace
• I am the perfect weight for me
• I make positive healthy choices for myself
• I express my needs and feelings
• I am my own unique self - special, creative and wonderful
• Everything comes to me easily and effortlessly
• I love and appreciate myself just as I am
• I accept all my feelings as part of myself
• I love doing my job
• I always communicate clearly and effectively
• It's okay for me to have everything I want
• I am getting wealthier each day
• I have an abundance of energy
• My mind is calm
• My thoughts are under my control
• I am successful in whatever I do
As you look through the list of potential positive affirmations, are any compelling? Do any of those affirmations ring true to you or cause a stir of emotion? The affirmations which resonate with you are good ones to start with. For example, if you've been struggling with your weight, spend some thing thinking about the negative self-talk you have around that issue and find a few positive affirmations which give you the strength and motivation to move through this challenge.
Affirmations are the first step toward changing your thoughts, however with any process; it takes time, practice, patience and a love and acceptance for yourself. Negative thoughts will slip in from time to time but as you practice, it will get easier. Trust yourself and the positive affirmation process. It will change your life.

Being positive truly has great power !

Meditation Tuesdays!

"Concentration it is that awakens our powers and channels them, dissolving obstacles in our path, literally attracting opportunities, insights, and inspirations. In many ways, subtle as well as obvious, concentration is the single most important key to success." Part II, The Art & Science of Raja Yoga

Meditation is a way of life. It is to be lived. We have a vast reservoir of energy in us, lying unused, untapped. Once we get in touch with this energy, our life changes from just being an ordinary to a divine one. Meditation is being in tune with our inner energy source.

As parents we need time to meditate, time to reflect our lives as parents and as individuals.We often forget we are separate from our children and we do need time for ourselves.

Meditation Tuesdays will be a wonderful way to help you relax and focus. I will offer you a simple yet very powerful meditation that you can do and it will only take a few minutes of your time. You will see that in doing this just a few minutes a day your whole day can be more productive and more relaxed.

Meditation is being with our true self; being able to control all activities of the mind and senses a well as making the right choices. Meditation is an antidote to the mounting stress and tension. The tremendous transformation that meditation can bring to you can be derived only by delving into its experiences with the child-like innocence.

Make yourself comfortable, sitting upright, with a straight spine. With your eyes closed, look at the point midway between the eyebrows on your forehead.

Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Hold the breath for the same eight counts while concentrating your attention at the point between the eyebrows. Now exhale slowly to the same count of eight. Repeat three to six times.

After inhaling and exhaling completely, as the next breath comes in, mentally say Hong (rhymes with song). Then, as you exhale, mentally say Sau (rhymes with saw). Hong Sau means 'I am He' or 'I am Spirit'. Make no attempt to control your breathing, just let its flow be completely natural. Try to feel that your breath itself is silently making the sounds of Hong and Sau. Initially try to feel the breath at the point where it enters the nostrils.

Be as attentive as possible. If you have difficulty feeling the breath, you can concentrate, for a while, on the breathing process itself, feeling your diaphragm and chest expanding and contracting.

Gradually as you become more calm, try to feel the breath higher and higher in the nose. Be sure that your gaze is kept steady at the point between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don't allow your eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your mind has wandered, simply bring it back to an awareness of the breath and the mantra.

Simple ways to Prepare for Teaching

Rudolf Steiner was very specific in teachers going into a class prepared spiritually. The following quotes are from the book Balance in Teaching

"When we think of the education of the young today, we must bear in mind that we are concerned with the feelings, ideas and will impulses of the next generation; we must be clear that our present task is to prepare this next generation for definite tasks which have to be accomplished some time in the future of mankind."

"A specific kind of inward humility, the sense that we ourselves are still only becoming, is something which will give the teacher strength, for out of this feeling more arises than out of abstract principles. If we stand in our classroom, conscious of the fact that it is a good thing we do everything imperfectly - for in that way there is life in it - then we will teach well. If on the other hand we are always patting ourselves on the back over the perfection of our teaching, then it is quite certain we are doing badly."

"One thing of special importance is that we must quickly strip off our narrow, personal self like a snake skin when we enter the classroom." "As teachers, we must train ourselves to lay aside these moods and to give ourselves up entirely to the content of the subject we are going to teach. We should be able to describe a subject tragically, taking our mood from the subject, and then pass over to a humorous mood as we proceed with our lesson, surrendering ourselves completely to the subject."

"As we teach, our object is not simple to teach with and for the intellect, but rather to be able to take these various moods really into consideration. For what is tragedy, what is romance, what is a 'melancholic' mood? It is exactly the same as an in-breathing for the organism, the same as filling the organism with air..."

"When a child comes into this world, he is exposed to things from which we must protect him through our teaching. Otherwise he would flow too actively into the world. A person always has the tendency to become weak and stunted in soul, to make his limbs rachitic, to become a gnome. And in teaching and educating him, we work at forming him."

"Reverence, enthusiasm and a sense of guardianship, there three are actually the panacea, the magic remedy, in the soul of the educator and teacher. And if one wished to represent, externally, artistically, something like an embodiment of art and education in a harmonious group, one would have to create like this:

REVERENCE for what precedes the child's existence before birth;

ENTHUSIASTIC looking forward to what follows it, after death;

PROTECTING gesture for what the child experiences during life.

(Rudolf Steiner accompanied each of these sentences with a gesture. An indication for the first is missing; for the second, a guiding pointing hand; for the third, both hands raised with fingertips inclined toward each other.)

Do Your Best

"While I feel it is beneficial to recognize the importance of our role with young children, I am the first to admit shortcomings in my attitudes and actions in bringing up my own children and in being with young children in many given moments. However, we not only try to do the best we can, but we also strive to do better, for the most important work of the parent with young children is inner work on oneself. The young child accepts us as perfect and good; once he becomes older and sees our imperfections, the most important thing is that the child sees that we are striving to do better. Our desire for inner growth is perceived by the child and has a very deep effect on him." ~Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Parent/Teacher Meditation

I thank you, silent stone.
And bow myself before you:
I owe to you my plant nature.

I thank you, earth and plants,
And stood deep before you:
You help me rise to the animals.

I thank you stone, plant and animal,
And bend myself before you;
All three of you help me to become myself.

We thank you, O human child,
And lower ourselves devotedly before you;
For, because you exist, we exist.

In reply, there is thanks
From the all encompassing Godhead
In its simplicity and multiplicity;
In thanks, all that is, is intertwined.

If we, as parents as well as parent/educators, take care to instill such an attitude throughout our view of nature and godliness by permeating artistic imagination and scientific thought one with the other, then the right love and attention for animals, plants and the elements of the earth will pass over to the children.