Balancing yoga postures have never been the easiest postures for me, but I was drawn to try Warrior III while at Ogonquit Beach in Ogonquit, Maine just to see if I could hold the posture with sand, sea, and breeze beneath and around me.   I was standing on pretty firm sand but my foot was sinking in a bit, requiring some micro movements to establish a secure foundation.  A slight breeze swept over me.   The waves were rolling in to shore reaching my feet when stronger surges rolled in.  My balancing foot had to be firmly rooted so that I wouldn’t be distracted by the sea washing over it.  My mind needed to be focused on the execution of the posture.  My weight had to be forward just the right amount, so that my body was parallel to the beach.  Extension through my fingers and back foot required focus and concentration as I held this posture.  My breath supported me in expressing Warrior III to its fullest for that day.   Staying balanced took stability, a firm foundation, suppoortive breathing, and focus as the forces of nature, my mind, and emotions swirled around and within me.

Be Prepared.  How many times have you heard that?  Maybe you first heard that phrase as a girl scout or boy scout, or perhaps, from your mother or father when a child, who heard it from their scout leader.  I would guess that phrase goes back even further in time.   ‘Be prepared’ is very appropriate with the new school year here.  Children are often uneasy, even anxious, about starting a new grade with a new teacher.  Questions swirl in their heads:  Will my friends be in my class?  Will my new teacher like me?  Will I like my new teacher?  How strict will he/she be?  Will I be able to do the math?  How much homework will I have?   There may be any other number of other concerns about the new year as well.  So how can your children be prepared for the new school year?

Have you ever watched a crane, egret or heron walk?  They are very slow and deliberate with each step that they take. (See  egret pictured above.)  Each foot touches the earth or the water bottom with strong softness.  The strength lies in their long, thin legs that support their seemingly top-heavy  bodies.   They place each foot with an exactness and lightness that allows them quiet hunting.  Perhaps there are times when the way of crane would benefit each of us.  For instance . . .

Having been home from my time in Florida for a month now, I find that I really appreciate the forced slow-down I had while there.  I appreciate it even more now that I am back into my usual, busyness.  Don’t get me wrong, I love being busy, doing my work, but I recognize that slowing down is good for my body, mind, emotions, and soul.  Now, I must intentionally take slow-down breaks for myself so that I can maintain harmonious balance.

Yes, Creating the Peaceable Classroom:  A 21st Century Wellness Guide for Teachers, Students and Parents goes to the air-waves!  Whoever would have guessed?  It’s a new and exciting venue for me.  I’ll be ready to go with my headset on and my thoughts in place to let you know what I feel is important for ourselves and the children in our care in whatever capacity that may be  i.e. as  teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, counselors, day-care workers, school nurses, and psychologists.

I know that I promised this next blog post would have ideas for bringing a bit of play into a work situation that is less than that, but as I began to put my thoughts down, I realized that what I was really doing was offering some ideas on how to change your state-of-being.  What does changing your state-of-being have to do with making a more pleasant work experience?  Well, it helps to relax you, to release your emotions, to soften your heart.  It helps to bring at-easeness to your body/mind/emotions/spirit so that your work situation becomes more tolerable, more pleasant.  Here are a five ideas you can explore with that in mind.  See if they will make a difference for you.

On February 10th and 11th, I found myself in the thick of my work, presenting my two sessions at the 3rd Annual YogaHub Conference, Yoga, Meditation & the Philosophers Stone.  There was a lot of work and effort that went into preparing for those two days that culminated in the live recording sessions.  But for me, it was all play!  I love creating, putting things together and sharing what I do or happen to know.  That’s what I do, share what I do, share what I know, and it’s fun.

Just last week, we were taking a walk at Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve in Florida when we came across this tree.  It stood out, towering above the tall grasses, scrubby bushes, and saw palmettos.  I marveled at it’s curved shape, “a dancing lady,” I thought.  Knowing that hurricane winds have the power to change the shape of trees (We have seen the affects in hurricanes on the trees in a NH conservation area near our home.), and since we were in hurricane country, we surmised that this tree had been bent by strong hurricane winds.