Poem for the week

08
Jan
2012

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early
And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?

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Thought for the week

08
Jan
2012

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

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Poem for the week

01
Jan
2012

It occurs to me this first day of the New Year that I am well, abundant and free.
Fortunate, blessed are we.
There are no worries today.
The best is now and yet to come.

It occurs to me that to have the ability to smell the roses, to see the sky, to hear the birds sing, to hug the ones you love and taste the elixir of life is pure joy, being totally alive.
We know in our hearts to be free of strife.
This too we know, let go of your woes, negativity will never serve us well.
We might not have it all, still we must strive to pick ourselves up when we fall.
The best is now and yet to come.

It occurs to me to be here now.
Not to wait, nor hesitate.
Life is in this moment, nowhere else.
Believe, focus and achieve.
This is a truth that does not deceive
The best is now and yet to come.

It occurs to me that you are the most beautiful thing created, that is so of of others.
That it must be so of me.
See the courage, kindness and compassion in you.
See the courage, kindness and compassion in me.
That is so of others, that it must be so of me.
We are marvelous souls indeed.
Live your life today without desire and greed.
The best is now and yet to come.

Be here now.
Don’t delay.
The journey started when we were born; we learn along the way, yet, living for only this moment.
Only this day.
The journey has just begun.
Follow the path that is yours, there is a trail, allow life to show you the way.
It will you know, if you simply let go.
The best is now and yet to come.

It occurs to me that are smiles, lives and loves, are all gifts.
Embrace the abundance that is, throw away your concerns, have faith.
Magnificence is all around.
Every day there are miracles to be found.
The best is now and yet to come.

Yes life can be a struggle, a challenge, and a chase.
Sometimes we garner, sometimes we waste.
But it is what it is, no less, no more.
If you let life happen with positive believes and acts.
Ecstasy and joy will be with you forever more.

The best is now and yet to come.

Z

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St. Mary’s Catholic School-yoga program

26
Dec
2011

Yoga isn’t becoming part of the national elementary school curriculum any time soon. But it is showing up in physical education programs, recess and break-period activities, and even classrooms, integrated into topics including mathematics, art, and science.

Three organizations—YogaKids, of Long Beach, Indiana; Yoga Ed., of Los Angeles; and Yoga’d Up, of London—have launched training programs that educate yoga teachers and school teachers in the U.S. and the U.K. on how to adapt their teaching to appeal to the short attention spans and special needs of young children. These programs also help yoga teachers get established in school systems, get funding for their programs, and, in some cases, go on to become educators who train the teachers who will ultimately integrate yoga into the classroom.
Yoga as a Learning Tool

All three programs use movement as an integrative method for learning. “When you give [kids] yoga poses, use visualization, and allow them to move their bodies, their whole learning ability goes up several notches,” says Marsha Wenig, founder of YogaKids. Yoga Ed.’s Kalish agrees that children learn best by doing. “When you teach kids, it’s not about telling them—it’s about creating experiences for them where they connect the dots, and create new dots.”

“The YogaKids program helps children learn how to control their energy so that they can focus and concentrate better,” adds Amy Haysman, coordinator of the program. “It teaches breathing techniques and poses that help them think more clearly.” For example, bunny breath, short inhalations through the nose and a long exhale through the mouth, can energize kids who need to get focused in order to take a test. Haysman has been hired by schools in Georgia to incorporate yoga into academic classes and physical education programs. In one program, called “Reading Comes Alive with Yoga,” teachers take a book, picture, or story and practice yoga poses associated with animals or objects in the story. “It helps the kids feel like they’re not passively listening. It’s interactive,” Haysman says.

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