Peace Begins with Me

 

Finishing up kids yoga 2021

Children are the best time markers ever. That's a good thing for me because I lose track of time a LOT. 

Young people in my own family have these major events happening that prove to me that time has passed and yet... it will always surprise me. I've already shared how freaking weird it is to me to have a 21 year old daughter - never mind how it does not feel like a year has passed since I taught kids yoga at my local Boys & Girls Club. 

But it has.

Today I wrapped up week one of this pretty cool summer gig. Twice a week, from 10 in the morning until noon, I teach breathing, some yoga asana (shapes), and even meditation to children ranging from age 4 or 5 all the way up to 14, I believe. 

How old are they at the end of middle school? That old.

There are so many plusses to this job. The location is five minutes from my house (I could walk there, but hello - its July in NJ) so I do drive. I do bring my own mat, and supply a speaker to play music. I use a headset with a belted amplifier on my waist. (Think Gwen Stefani mic, but not as cool) 

Obvs I love teaching, but the kids make it even more fun

The other plus is that it is a thing I love to do. It is different - in some ways, harder - to teach children, so I can say at times it is challenging. I get that reminder to be a beginner. 

I get to see yoga through a child's eyes.

I get hugs - real ones. And I have pictures drawn for me.

The fact that I'm in a mutually supportive relationship with a local haven for children in need of affordable, summer fun is really the best part.

I don't know if you caught it back there, but I did say I'm teaching meditation to children. This is not as much of a miracle as it sounds. Kids have terrific powers of imagination - they gravitate towards creating pictures in their minds. That's really at the heart of meditation. If you are creating a picture, you can then make the shift to observing it. Viola. Of course it is more complicated than that - but not for children. Bonus.

One of the first things I have them do is pause and breathe. I tell them to put their hands on their bellies, to feel how the breath moves the body. It is amazing to watch how it calms them down.

Then I teach them a mantra, "peace begins with me". We tap our knees once for each word, move up to the shoulders and repeat the phrase. I let them clap really loud - I mean LOUDLY - and SHOUT the mantra and then I immediately have them whisper it, touching finger to finger.

It is just wonderful and hard to describe the experience. I beam at them - so hard my face hurts.

Then we shift, into movement. Little arm raises, twist left, twist right. It varies. After a few minutes of this, they take child's pose

easy, on the breath movements to settle

While they're in child's pose, I invite them to close their eyes. Then I ask them to think of their happy place. It can be anywhere they feel most happy. Inside. Outside. It doesn't matter - but they need to see the color of the grass, hear the birds chirping if they're outside.

That's a form of meditation.

I am so grateful I get to share it - and the message that peace begins with me.