I hope this finds you all doing well. Thank you for continuing to be part of this grand experiment of yoga online with kids!
Last week I was able to host my first virtual summer camp with a group of super sweet kiddos. We learned about bees and explored ways to be(e) in the present moment. With it being the first one online, I wasn’t sure what to expect and certainly learned some lessons along the way. Even with our ups & downs, it exceeded my expectations. It felt like a true community. Along the way, everyone shared and supported one another, showing great caring and concern for one another when big feelings came up. While we weren’t able to get to a few things such as covering the life cycle of a bee, we had first-hand lessons of how to be present for each other, how to sit with our own emotions and the emotions of others (even when they’re big and seemed overwhelming), they were able to mindfully move through the energy arriving at a good-feeling place. It was truly beautiful to witness.
These are lessons that I sometimes feel like I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of in my own life, and are one of the reasons I teach children. How would my life be different if I learned tools to observe and honor my thoughts and emotions instead of getting entangled with them? The Dalai Lama once said, “If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” While it seems idealistic, it also feels attainable – especially while so much is looking to be built anew.
Of course, as I am continually interrupted while writing this message, I cannot pretend that I have calmly and kindly redirected my own kids to the task of cleaning. But this is our practice. I get to choose to return to a place of calm and open my heart, seeking to find collaboration and cooperation. Hopefully, it will model the same response from my children (Get back to me at bedtime, though…. that’s the real test around here!). To further the Bee Present Camp analogies, I’ve been striving to communicate that we have to work together as a family – like bees in a hive – if we want that sweet honey at the end of the day, which translates as an easy bedtime routine. The boys both seem to understand this one.
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