Live From Joy

Some might recognize this quote from the movie Pollyanna. I recently rewatched this movie and was deeply inspired by the way Pollyanna looked for the good in every situation and especially in every person. The people in the town were transformed by her perspective. Our thoughts and expectations can be more powerful than we realize. What struck me is that it wasn't merely positive thinking. Pollyanna genuine looked for the good in each situation, even if she needed to stretch a bit and she felt the benefit of that effort. Then gradually those around her began to feel the effects as well. They weren't instantly won over but with a bit of persistence, they began to see and feel the benefit of the "glad game" as she called it. I still remember taking the first course in Education for Life through the online training program . The instructor gave us our homework assignment the first week: look for the light. We were to look for moment of lightness and childlikeness, moment...

At beginning of the year I participated in an art workshop where we each chose a word for the year. Rather than creating specific resolutions we chose one word as our focus or inspiration for the year. The word I chose was patience. Now, as we wade through the unknown and find ourselves ending every conversation with "let's wait and see," I'm wondering, what does it really mean to be patient? Is it simply a matter of waiting, of timing? Or is it an inner calmness you bring as you forge ahead anyways? Patience typically seems like a passive quality but I'm wondering how to practice it more dynamically, with greater energy and intention. A large part of patience is accepting things as they are. As Swami Kriyananda says in his book Affirmations for Self-Healing: Patience means also adjusting to whatever is in life, rather than wishing it were something else. ... For it is when we work with things as they are that we can change them to whatever we might like them to b...

I don't usually engage much with the news or politics but I think what is happening right now in our world is beyond politics. It is about justice and truth, about reclaiming our humanity and standing up for what matters most. We can talk about and criticize how others are acting but in the end, what example are we setting by what we do, by the choices we make? If we want harmony or peace, are we at peace within ourselves and the people in our lives? If we want clarity and truth, how honest are we being with ourselves and others? Everything we do has a ripple effect and while we usually won't change someone with a lecture, we can subtlety influence them with our actions and attitudes. People, especially children, learn more from what you do and how you act then from what you say.  I came across this incredible talk from Trevor Noah that touches on recent events and people's reactions and the power and responsibility of those in leadership to lead by example, not by force o...

Taking yourself too seriously? Get ready for a curve ball being thrown in your direction! A little bit of "bizarre" will help you work through what you need to work through. -Coyote I saw a coyote yesterday at dusk and looked up the symbolism. Animals that cross our paths have messages for us. Well I'm definitely ready for a curve ball these days, something to shake things up. Which might sound surprising considering the current state of things seems to be one curve ball after another. I think what I'm really ready for is an "inner curve ball," something to help shift my way of seeing and relating to the circumstances at hand. In a conversation with a friend I commented a bit on this and the need to find ways to redirect current energy going into well worn grooves of habit (mostly thought habits right now). I can see energy going in certain directions and instead of trying to simply STOP that from happening, I'd like to find ways to apply or direct that ...

I could easily make a long list of all the things that make distance learning frustrating and impossible but it wouldn't really change things except maybe to make me feel crankier and more annoyed. A friend of mine was recently commenting on a project he was assigned to at work. Being perfectly honest he said "I don't really like it... but I realize I don't like being unhappy even more." Wise words. Wiser perhaps than he even realized.  We have a choice. There are many things we can't control. This may seem more true now that ever before. Or maybe we're just realizing how little control we've always have. Either way there is always one thing you can control - your attitude. How easy, how seemingly rational, even how socially acceptable it is to blame our state of mind and our emotions on the current circumstances. But as Yogananda says, "Conditions are always neutral, it is how we react to them that makes them seem good or bad." This is a dee...

Last year I ended the year with a special project. We all contributed to a list of different things we would remember about our school year together and then I created a little book and gave one to each child. It's a way for us to think back on the year and end on a high note, thinking of the things we will miss but reframing it as things we want to remember.  We worked on our list today in our class call and it was a wonderful reminder of all the awesome learning and fun that was had the first 6 months of school. Despite the last 2 plus months of craziness it really was a great school year and I'm going to really miss this class. In fact I have been missing them already!  I really enjoyed writing up the awards I will give each of them this year. In the past it's been a bit challenging to give it time and energy in the midst of all the other end-of-the-year activities. I think having this distance has made it a bit easier to get perspective on each of them and focus more on...

Today I worked on writing up the awards for each of my students. This is yearly school tradition where every student in the school is honored for some quality they have shown or developed through the school year. Normally we have this awards ceremony on the last day of school. We call each student up and present them with their award and tell a little story about how they've shown this quality. This year we'll be recording our presentation (teachers only) and then live streaming the recording for students and families to watch.  At first I was worried about trying to think of an award for each child since we haven't been together in so long and we rely so much on observation to help us. However, it has been really special to think back on our first 6 months of the year together and contemplate the qualities I saw shining in each student. This process is the highlight of my year as a teacher. No student can shine in every way, every day. It can be an exhausting job and I oft...

I finally finished creating and printing the "end of the year" booklet that I'm sending home for the students to fill out. It's titled "My Distance Learning Book" and includes pages to write and draw about different questions and prompts to reflect on this time of learning from home. It includes prompts like "ways that I was helpful," or a page on different feelings they may have had and another to reflect on when they practiced different life skills (truthfulness, relaxation, kindness etc.) On my way to go and make copies I shared what I had made with my neighbor, a former teacher at our school, who made a comment referring to how few schools might ask questions like these of their students. Normally I would be observing my students and making my own notes about ways that they have learned and grown in this different areas throughout the term. This booklet came about as a way to try to capture their experience and growth this term in lieu of our u...

Even though I know how important and helpful routines are, I have found it incredibly hard to create an sense of regularity for myself within this quarantine time. I end up staying up too late, eating at odd times, struggling to get out of bed, or forgetting to drink water.  Why don't we do the things we know are go for us? Usually it's because the lower brain states (fight/flight and our emotional brain) have taken over and we're not operating from our prefrontal cortex where clear decision making happens. In yogic terms this area of the brain is known as the seat of superconsciousness; it's where we can access intuition.                                              It's helpful to remember this the next time you find yourself thinking "why are they behaving that way? They should know better!" Well, the answer is they do know better but in order to do better, we hav...

The unknowns seem to multiply by the day and the questions outnumber the answers. It's an interesting time to be alive! I just finished up a staff meeting via Zoom where we continue to discuss possibilities for the future of our little school, our classes and our community. This "great pause" and the gradual transition back toward movement and activity is giving us an opportunity to rethink how we really want to do things and envision new possibilities. There are many ideas and opinions but as we often ask here at Ananda, what's trying to happen? It's a deep question that gets tossed about a lot but how do we really go about answering it? First, we have to take our opinions, our expectations, our likes and dislikes out of the mix, which is harder than it sounds. Or perhaps just as hard as it sounds!  We have to be willing to put those things aside, to consider that there is a bigger picture beyond simply what we currently see or have known. We have to expand beyo...

A friend posted this picture on Facebook today and it made me smile. So much natural, uncontainable joy! This is who we really are.  I miss being around the natural joy and delight of the children at school. There is something so precious about their discoveries, the way they see things for the first time, even when it's not the first time. The amazement over ice crystals in a frozen puddle, the caterpillar in the road, racing to climb the cherry tree at recess to eat the not-yet-ripe cherries.  In my mind and in my heart I can almost hear and feel their excitement when we discover something new or come upon some new question or connection in our day. It feels so alive to be in those moments of wonder and curiosity and appreciation with them. Ever new. The question is: can we experience these moments of authentic shared presence and collective curiosity and discovery through distance learning? What does that look like?  I'm craving the beautiful mix of spontaneity and rou...

While I'm not currently teaching in the classroom there is still lots of learning happening. One of the wonderful things about Education for Life is that it is something that we teachers can (and do!) apply in our own lives, not just in the classroom.  One of the building blocks of education are the relationships - building a sense of safety and connection so that learning can happen. It's how our brains are wired actually! If we don't feel safe and connected we can't access the higher brain states (in the prefrontal cortex) where learning and decision making happen. Well, with all of us at a distance these days, connections have become even more important but also a little harder to maintain at times. I'm realizing that simply showing up on a Zoom call does not automatically equal connection. I've noticed myself so focused on the lesson plan that I forget there are real people on the other end! Just like in the classroom, each person needs some little opportuni...

I've been wanting to start this blog for awhile, to write and share about my current experiences as a teacher and more specifically as an Education for Life teacher. So what has stopped me? All the same old worries that stop many of us from doing new things. Who am I to do this? What do I have to say? Will it be good enough? What if I fail or make mistakes? Well, there has been a surge of inspiration and energy lately that is helping me to more consciously work against these false beliefs and doubts. Firstly, by just noticing them and then by doing things anyways. By showing up. It's a great trick I've learned along the way that has taken me much farther than I ever expected. Just show up with sincerity and willingness. So here I am, making the commitment to show up and share. Today is Swami Kriyananda's birthday. He is the founder of Ananda Village, the community where I live, and the author of the book Education for Life which guides and inspires the work we do...