I worked with the year 5 and 6 children at our local primary school this year using MiSP’s ‘Paws b’ course. It never ceases to amaze me how these brilliant young people take what we share in the classroom sessions and then use it so creatively in their lives…
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6th birthday puzzle finished! Going to make this a mantra for the school summer holidays - let's see how long we can keep it up 😉
So many of our flashpoints can be traced back to rushing - usually because I am trying to squeeze one more thing in and always underestimate how long it takes to leave the house. Smallest one in particular cannot be rushed. Hoping to remember this learning and make a change this summer. Self awareness and discipline needed... A lovely last session of the year with year 3/4 children at our local primary school. They were really engaged with a '5 finger appreciation practice', we talked about things that make us long-lasting happy, and sent an imaginary balloon full of friendly wishes to the world. It is a true joy to spend time with them. Here are our 'happy stones' ready to be hidden around the village over the summer - hoping to inspire others to notice, savour and share what makes them happy.
“I am coming to believe that 70-80% of our practice should be in grounding, as life tends towards us living so much in our heads’ ~Chris Cullen
What is grounding? Whatever helps bring you into the here and now - rather than so often being caught up in the mind's busy travels back into the past and forward into the future. The body (including the breath) can be a portal to the present moment. The body is always here now. ... physical movement, the body in motion... running, swimming, Pilates, dance... practising yoga... qigong... meditating in postures of stillness - sitting, lying, standing - using the breath and body as anchors… walking... time in nature... gardening... painting, sculpting, woodworking, sewing, creating using the hands... Whatever nourishes you. As you move, sit, lie, stand... practice noticing the mind's wanderings, make a soft mental note of where it went, and gently patiently bring it back to the senses and the sensations of the body, again and again. Body here now. You can do this any moment at any time of the day, the greatest challenge is to remember and that gets easier with practice. And when you notice that you are striving for grounding (expecting, comparing, judging...) make a soft mental note of that too. Remind yourself to try softer, not harder. This is a very gentle discipline. Starting out on my jobs for the day I caught myself thinking about how good it will be to stop and have a break later. This is the pretty awesome passage that sprang to mind along with a wry smile. If I am incapable of hanging the washing joyfully...
During our training, a special teacher often reminded us that “people aren’t broken; they don’t need fixing”. While driving back from a timely gathering this morning, the shuffle playlist threw up Coldplay’s Fix You, and I was reminded of this. [Please forgive me Chris Martin for mangling your international hit as I yelled I WON’T TRY TO FIX YOU at the top off my voice down the country lanes of Berkshire.]
There is someone very much on my mind, who I am supporting with all my heart, and always will. I won’t try to fix you. And I will fight for you with a fierce compassion so that others don’t try to fix you either. You aren’t broken, and you don’t need fixing. May we all have consciousness, understanding and compassion. And the courage to begin again when we get confused like all humans do. |
AuthorI'm Claire - and I (re)learn something every day from practising and teaching mindfulness... Archives
March 2022
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