PEACEFUL was our welcome.
What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning! It was a family affair as two of our parents stayed to enjoy the time with us, feel free to stop and connect. Here's a glimpse at what we did...
CREATED a paper garden. Flowers & butterflies, giggled and danced as everyone decorated a shaped name plate, and "planted" them all together - add your name next Sunday, and see how artfully our garden grows!
SANG Breathing In, Breathing Out from the Planting Seeds CD. It supports the pebble meditation we'll be learning in the weeks ahead, sighting flower/fresh, mountain/solid, still water/reflecting, and space/free. (click the title to see a youtube demo)
STRETCHED and learned the words to the "Waking Up" poem.
Ask your child to teach you the movements we created...
"Waking up I smile, 24 brand new hours before me,
I vow to live them mindfully, with love and compassion for all beings."
We discovered it works very well seated too! A great way to start each day.
SHARED about our pets
(we counted horses, turtles, fish, chickens, cats, hermit crabs, dogs, pigs, guinea pigs, potbellied pig, goats, and a frog! Holy guacamole - did we miss anyone?).
OBSERVED how our breath moves our bellies in and out,
and spent several mindful minutes exploring an orange using all 5 senses.
It was nice listening to the bell sound together, and silently focusing on one sense at a time. We discovered so many new details and associations we had never taken the time to notice before. Did you know an orange slice can look like a smile one way, and a mustache the other? Have you heard and felt the fizzy sound and spray on your cheek as you peel it open? Some felt happy, joyful, even dizzy! So much to experience when we really pay attention to the moment at hand.
RELAXED to the excellent story... Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee Maclean. About little piggies learning to self sooth, self settle and begin to work with thoughts and feelings. A great exploration of meditation and it's benefits" for children of all ages
PRACTICED observing our breath with stuffed animal breathing buddies (children are invited to bring a buddy of their own if they prefer!). Resting peacefully and placing our breathing buddy on our tummy, we listened to the Breathing Meditation from Buddha at Bedtime (a fantastic collection of bedtime stories, and meditations) and experienced for ourselves our buddy move up and down like the waves lapping the shore of our imaginary beach. Some felt calm and happy as they stood on a remembered beach, others scared and powerful as they imagined harpooning sharks waiting in the water - all stayed with the meditation, and every hand raised to mark a good time.
DESIGNED a personal peace sign for planting seeds in petersham T-shirts. Each artist busy at work, every one a masterpiece! I can't wait to see the finished tee's!
SO GRATEFUL to you for coming together and sharing this time with us! - without your seeds there can be no garden, let's water them together this Sunday!
Thank you for inviting me into your circle to learn the breathing song and to create my own flower to plant on the wall along with all of yours. Though I was with you all but a few moments, I left feeling welcomed and peaceful! :)
ReplyDelete-Rev Michelle