The topic for this month Peace.

The topic for this month Peace.

There is a new "conscious hip hop" band called the Luminaries and they have this great song I like to play in our classes called "Peace". The best part is the catchy chorus phrase, "peace worldwide starts from inside". A message similar to our quote for the month. We wish each other peace over the holidays, we see the peace sign again throughout our culture, but to truly have peace we must cultivate it inside of ourselves before we can be peaceful with others or have peace on earth.

So the magic question is how do you cultivate peace within yourself? It lies within all of us. It is a matter of silently checking in, taking the time to allow it to come forward. This could be done anywhere you can have a moment to yourself.
- Taking some deep breaths
- Being in nature
- Meditate
- Pray
- Yoga
- Sitting still
- Looking up at the stars
- Listening to calm, soothing music
- Watching a child sleep
- A big long hug from someone you love

When we can take a moment to bring peace to our lives we are more easily able to bring that peace to the events and people around us. May you be filled with peace this upcoming holiday season.

Peace and love,

Danay

8 Kid Tips to Practice Peace

Peace is a state of being calm and quiet.

Sometimes when we are busy with school, homework and after-school activities we forget to take time for ourselves. Practicing peace, even if it's for just a minute or two, allows us to be calm, centered and focused. When we make time to find peace within ourselves we will notice that more things seem to go our way. Finding time for peace allows us to think about things that are bothering us, before reacting in a way that could get us into trouble. Giving yourself time for peace can also make you feel good about yourself! When we take the time to find peace within ourselves, we will be able to bring peace to the world around us.

Here are a few ways you can practice peace:

♥ Use your words to solve conflicts.
♥ Practice patience. Try not to get upset when things aren't moving as quickly as you would like.
♥ Be helpful. Random acts of kindness create more peaceful communities.
♥ Help and encourage someone if they are having a hard time with a task or a sport.
♥ Sit and enjoy being quiet with someone you love.
♥ Give someone a hug.
♥ Lay in Savasana and practice long, deep breathing

♥ Or do our pose of the month!

Extending Compassion

The topic for this month is Compassion.

Several years ago I learned a concept that has helped me see people with compassion, and I would like to share that with you when considering your interactions with people in your life - friends, children, parents, teachers, even strangers.

First, start by thinking back to a time when you were walking down the street or at a party and someone gave you a dirty look for what you felt was no reason at all. Many times, our first reaction is to make that look mean something about us or about the other person. But what is often really happening is that the person is not responding to you; they are responding to their personal insecurities, thoughts and opinions that are going through their head. We've all done it. We've all been quick to judge or jump to conclusions about other people.

It takes practice and conscious thought to consider what might be going on for the other person when they snap, get angry, give a dirty look, yell or cut us off in traffic. It could be the guy that cut us off is racing to be by his wife's side for the arrival of their first born. Or the woman who cut you off is late for her first doctor's appointment after finding out she has cancer. Or it could just be they are a reckless driver or on their phone. The grumpy woman checking us at the grocery store could be working her 2nd job or recently lost a loved one. The list goes on and on. The thing is we become so wrapped up in ourselves and our own lives that we do not think about others and what could be going on in their lives. Practicing compassion means stepping outside of our own world, our own thoughts to imagine with kindness what someone else is experiencing.

As a teacher for YogaBuddies, and I know my instructors all feel this way, we never know or assume to know what is going on with our students. We have an advantage using our Emo cards and allowing them to share with us how they are feeling, which is often when we learn they got into a fight with one of their friends, or their brother is having an operation, or their dog just died. It is our goal to practice what we teach, therefore we bring compassion to them. We allow them to feel how they feel without fixing or changing it. We provide them with breathing techniques and yoga poses that ground and calm them. We listen and we give them love.

There is a lot happening on our planet now and we can all bring a little peace to it by giving each other the gift of compassion for one another.

Have a wonder-full holiday!!

peace and love,

Danay

All we need is just a little patience...

It’s summer, and not only are temperatures rising but so can tempers. With summer comes family vacations, trips to theme parks and trips to visit other family. The saying “patience is a virtue” could never be truer.

Things requiring our patience include: waiting in a long line; traffic; visiting family; waiting for an important call or email; waiting for a late friend or business associate for a meeting; waiting for a delayed plane, train or bus; waiting for a child to express what they want or finish what they are saying; and managing a child that does not want to go to bed or take a bath or eat their food.

Research supports patience is not something we are born with, rather it is something we learn.

Yoga has been a tremendous vehicle for me to learn patience in my life. I still remember my first yoga class- my feet, hot and sweaty, were slipping on the mat in a yoga pose in which I was trying to look good. As I followed the instructor’s many verbal cues: “square your hips, turn your back foot at a 45 degree angle, make sure your front knee is not over your ankle, reach your arms up... and breathe”, I really wondered when I was going to experience the calm everyone talked about!! After ten years of practice, I feel I’ve come a long way and I still find patience is the key to my practice.

I find the patience I practice in yoga follows me off the mat and in the grocery line, in traffic, waiting for someone to get back to me or even teaching a yoga class with several chatty kids.

Here are some ways to practice Patience:

• Take deep breaths.
• Count to ten.
• Practice patience in small increments (either by time such as 5 minutes, the drive from home to office (one day), and/or standing in a line). As you reach those milestones you can gradually build on them.
• Practice empathy. Depending on the situation, imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes. This is a good one to practice with family.
• Notice how your body feels when you are not experiencing patience as well as when you are. Use this information as cues to practice patience.
• Resist the impulse to finish another’s sentence. By listening fully we show our respect and let the other person know they are worthy of our time.
• Give yourself plenty of time to get somewhere.
• Read a magazine instead of watching the clock when at a doctor’s appointment.
• Only do one thing at a time.

Patience is a change in attitude and without patience we experience frustration, become easily annoyed, bothered, irritated and angry. With patience, we become more accepting of what is and we experience ease and a sense of peace.

Seven Tips: Peace For Kids

Peace is a state of being calm and quiet. We often get so busy with everything that we need to do - wake up, go to school, do our homework, practice sports, eat dinner, go to bed. We don't find the time to be at peace with ourselves.

Yet, when we make time to find peace within ourselves we will notice that more things seem to go our way. Finding time for peace allows us to think about things that are bothering us, before reacting in a way that could get us into trouble. Giving yourself time for peace can also make you feel good about yourself! When we take the time to find peace within ourselves, we will be able to bring peace to the world around us.

Here are a few ways you can practice peace:
1. Be helpful. Random acts of kindness create more peaceful communities.
2. Practice patience. Try not to rush to a judgment or action.
3. Give someone a compliment if they do something good.
4. Help and encourage someone if they are having a hard time with a task or a sport.
5. Use your words to solve conflicts.
6. Sit and enjoying being quiet with someone you love.
7. Lay in Savasana and practice long, deep breathing.

Ten Pathways To Peace

Being a child of the 70's I've always been a fan of the peace sign and am surprised to see it everywhere when I step on school campuses. Kids are wearing the peace sign in all its forms on their backpacks, clothing, and jewelry. Peace seems to be the new fad.

We wish each other peace in our holiday greetings and we wish for world peace. It's a great thought and a wonderful wish, but how often do we sit to really cultivate that awareness of peace inside of ourselves.

On my bathroom mirror I tape the following quote from German mystic Thomas Kempis:

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. -- Thomas Kempis

I don't feel I can teach peace without practicing peace and being peaceful myself. I can quickly tell the difference in the days when I start off taking time to be peaceful and the days I don't.

So the magic question is, how do you keep peace within yourself? It lies within all of us. It is a matter of silently checking in, taking the time to allow it to come forward. It can be done anywhere you have a moment to yourself.

Here are some helpful reminders:
1. Taking some deep breaths
2. Being in nature
3. Meditation
4. Prayer
5. Yoga
6. Sitting still
7. Looking up at the stars
8. Listening to calm, soothing music
9. Watching a child sleep
10. A big hug from someone you love

When we can take a moment to bring peace to our lives we are more easily able to bring that peace to the events and people around us. May you be filled with peace this holiday season.