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The Rhythm of back to school

8/27/2014

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It's that time--back to school.  A time that incites a multitude of reactions depending on who you poll. Parents are relieved, teachers are frantic and many kids are bemoaning the end of summer fun.  As someone who's been a student even longer than I've been a teacher and a parent, I can honestly say that I enjoy the energy of "back to school."  I like to think that it really doesn't matter if you'll be attending classes or not, one can still approach this time of year with the mentality of a student.  What I mean is that this is the chance for a fresh start, a new endeavor or a changed outlook.   The beginning of a new school year, even for those not attending, presents the opportunity for re-evaluation and change.  Why not embrace it?

I'm actually a little surprised that I get so excited about the new school year given an early trauma in the first grade.  Let me share my sob story.  As so many students do, I had gone shopping with my mother to buy my school supplies for the new year.  I was especially proud of two big fat pencils, one in shimmery emerald green, the other sparkly hot pink.  What was cool about these pencils, to my mind, was that each had a matching eraser on the end.  Between that and the shimmer, I thought they were pretty special.  As it turned out, my first grade teacher was a bit of a battle-axe. With an iron grey bouffant and a stern voice, she made it clear from the onset that she brooked no nonsense.   One of her first admonishments was to behave or she'd choose a ruler from her rather large pack of rulers (held together by a big rubberband) and smack the back of your hand with it.   Then she proceeded to explain other rules in her classroom.  You were to have a writing utensil every day and as she said this, she moved over to my desk and picked up my pretty green pencil with the green eraser.  She showed it to the class (I'm thinking, of course, "YES--my pencil is awesome").  She then produced a large set of scissors and said, "see this eraser, I'd better not see you using any erasers or I'll cut them off."  And with that she guillotined my lovely new pencil.  I was both heartbroken and terrified.  Her reasoning was YOU'LL LEARN TO DO THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. Now, I can appreciate her inclination to stress that sloppy work isn't productive or helpful, but really--first-graders can't erase their mistakes?  We all spent the year trying to wipe away errors on worksheets with spit on our fingers. Is it any wonder that I still mentally beat myself up any time I make an error?  I have since used that experience to emphasize to my students that taking risks is part of learning.  We have to stretch ourselves or we don't grow, and that means making mistakes.

It is a wonder to me that given this experience I still love when the school supplies appear in the stores.  I like organizing my planner and thinking about tools I'll use throughout the year to be better organized than ever.  I enjoy thinking about something new I might try in the classroom.  I like re-organizing my closets and clothes.  I like the feeling that here, two-thirds of the way through the year, I have the chance for a "reset". It feels like a shot at redemption.  Combine this with the great weather of early fall and the energy is electric.

So, some ideas to bring a "new school year" mentality to your life:
  1. Get yourself some fresh "school" supplies.  Are you always hunting for a pen, or a pad of paper, or a stapler?  Now's the time to get what you need with more choices in the stores than usual.
  2. Add something new to your exercise routine--like a daily walk (while the weather is nice).  Perhaps get a pedometer.
  3. Take inventory of how you are eating.  Summer tends to be a time when perhaps we overindulge in cool treats or county fair fare.  Get back to simple flavors favoring lots of greens, squashes, tomatoes and fresh stone fruits.
  4. Take up a new hobby or area of study.  You don't have to be an official student to take up a new course of study.  My suggestion would be our Art of Living September Mini-Course (of course) http://www.yourartofliving.com/store/p12/Month_Mini-Course%3A_September.html
  5. Clean out your closet.  Make a bag for charity and keep a list of things you need to buy or replace to put together good outfits everyday.
Get in that "back-to-school" mode and enjoy the fresh energy and approach to life that can accompany it.  As always, smile, study hard, and play nice with others!

Artfully yours,  Lisabeth




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the power of peace

8/17/2014

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This week we had dinner with a Buddhist monk.  He was part of a group from the Drepung Gomang (in Southern India) monastery traveling the midwest and east coast making a peace mandala of colored sand at each stop. The mandala features a dove in the center surrounded by the symbols of various faiths. The monks are making this art not only to engender peace, but also to raise money for Tibetan refugee monks who cannot go back to their homeland.  We spent a few minutes before dinner with the monks leading prayer and meditation, and then shared a communal potluck with "momos" (Tibetan dumplings) made by the monks as the main attraction. These are small dough bundles, filled with hand-chopped meat and onion, then steamed. They're served with a hot sauce that resembles a finer-milled salsa.  Flavorful and tasty, I'll be trying to make these myself for students in the Eastern Philosophy and Meditation class I teach in the winter.  

Most of the monastic group did not speak English, but one young man approached us who did.  He wanted to practice his language skills.  As he put it "you don't need to know Tibetan, but I need to know English."  He was a lovely, gentle soul who told us about being called to the monastic life at age nine.  He was born in Northern India, and so his main language is Hindi.  He asked his parents' permission to join the order and they granted it.  He said it was very hard to be a very young person in such a serious place who needed to learn the language.  However, his natural intelligence was immediately apparent.  Anytime he didn't understand a question or comment he would think about it and ask about for clarification rather than just remaining confused.   We truly enjoyed getting to know him and could feel the calm and goodness emanating from his being.

I won't claim to be an expert on Tibet, but elements from this culture have been making their way more and more into my life of late.  A couple of friends traveled to Tibet in June and brought me back a wooden flute.  It's beautiful to look at, sounds pretty and smells of woodsmoke.  It makes me happy just to hold it and I will treasure learning how to play it.  


A few years ago my mother bought me a book by the Dalai Lama How to Practice: The way to a meaningful life.  It was a thoughtful holiday gift as she knew I was exploring yoga and meditation.  Having tried to read it at that time, I found myself simply impatient and irritated with it.  I felt that little of what the Dalai Lama was saying truly applied to my life.  The other day I picked this up again and was amazed to find myself connecting with his advice.  It is clear that I've grown since I last tried to penetrate the meanings of his words of wisdom.  

A couple of years ago, I came across a children's book at our school library called Tibet: Through the Red Box by Czech author Peter Sis.  Not really a children's book, this gorgeously illustrated memoir tells of the author's father, a filmmaker, being sent to Tibet to show the Chinese how to make documentary films of the huge works they were undertaking (like highway building).  His father kept a red box of notes and mementos which he later left to the son (the author).  The book is a luminous study in how children perceive things differently than adults.  I loved this book so much that I had to buy my own copy. Each time I read it I feel a sense of wonder.  

And, in New York city a few years ago, I came across a magnificent exhibition at the Natural Museum of History on Tibetan medical paintings.  I could not believe the level of detail, organization and study in the pieces that were hundreds of years old.  It showed great curiosity and comprehension of the human body.  Since touring this collection, I have made it a point to read more on the ancient healing traditions of Tibetan sages.  

One theme runs through all of these experiences--they all left me with a sense of wonder and peace.  They all took me to a better, simpler version of myself (one less worried about being sophisticated or proud of being complicated).  I love this feeling--the feeling of immediate connection and rightness that you get from certain people or pursuits.  Though it doesn't perhaps happen nearly as often as I would like, there have been enough times where I meet someone and just know that we are going to "click."  There are times when I come across a particular artist, music, or author and know that I will be swept away.  

So what lessons can we take away?
  • Be willing to explore new cultures and see what fresh perspectives they have to offer.  Art museums in our time are realizing that this is a niche they can fill and offer wonderful programs to educate.
  •  Try new foods, especially with those who are expert in preparing them.  Food is an immediate way to connect.  Don't be fussy or self-righteous.  A little extra spice, fat, gluten or meat in the interest of cultural understanding is a small "sacrifice" to make!
  • See the intelligence, beauty and accomplishment of other cultures.  A little internet research can make new worlds accessible at your fingertips.  It's easy now to be an armchair traveler.
  • Approach life like a buddhist monk: 1) See the delight in simple pleasures like a wind chime, a flag blowing in the wind, birdsong, a soft breeze.  2) Walk softly. 3) Listen more than you speak. 4) Smile with both your mouth and eyes. 5) Sit quietly for a few minutes each day.

Though peace in our world may seem improbable, we can all move humankind forward by approaching our own lives peacefully with the choices we make everyday.  Choose openness, softness and gentleness and watch the world unfold like a lotus blossom.

Artfully yours--Lisabeth

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Prayer Flags in my backyard garden
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the power of playing

8/8/2014

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Cubs face off, by john storr

I'm thinking today about the power of play.  School has not yet started, and so my daughter and I had the afternoon to spend together doing whatever we wanted.  Her continual plea: "Play with me!"  Why is it that as adults we forget the importance, the POWER, of play, for ourselves and our children?  Play serves important psychological and physiological functions, and yet it tends to be ignored in the daily busy-ness of our lives.  Animal research shows that not only do lots of different types of mammals play, but that not to do so can have a detrimental impact on their health.  We know from artifact collections that mankind has always invented games with which to occupy their time, entertain themselves, and develop certain skill sets.  

Now, let me emphasize that by "play" I don't mean playing organized sports, or taking part in a scout troop, or going to summer language camp, or rocket camp, or a Suzuki violin intensive.  I mean spontaneous, creative, unstructured, unencumbered-by-expectations play.  I was reminded of the difference after my daughter's plea to play.  See I had bought her a couple of "ballerina Barbies."  They were inexpensive, yet I felt the need to justify the purchases by saying to her (and myself) "you aren't going to be interested in Barbie dolls for too much longer, so sure, let's get them."  When she asked me to play with her, what she wanted was for me to watch her perform a ballet with her various ballerina Barbies, including the new ones.  I am ashamed to admit, the prospect didn't thrill me, but I also realized that I was being unreasonable if I said no to her request.  

After I acquiesed, my daughter proceeded to "build" a stage on the dining room table.  Cleverly using my centerpiece and various odds and ends from her play room, she created costumes for her dolls and three set changes.  With the "classical ballet" station on Pandora playing in the background, she spontaneously performed "The Rose Princess" ballet.  I was surprised and delighted by her enterprising instincts.  She managed to convey a storyline through various scenes, was extremely dexterous in having her dolls "dance" and even managed to hold her audience's interest (the impatient ME).  Most engaging was watching the look of rapt concentration and exultation on her face.  In a world where young people are too often exposed to overtly sexual messages, are inundated with social media, and saddled with the need to use their time for activities to "get ahead" (too many camps and enrichment opportunities), casual play--interest in things like dollies at age twelve--can fall away or be perceived as ridiculous.  Yet through watching her play, I saw my daughter's best qualities of innocence, resourcefulness and creativity come out.  She had me thinking about how I would play similar sorts of games with my dolls (but I never ever had an audience).  She reminded me of how much fun it is to invent, make do, re-purpose toys and items from the house and to use your imagination.  So many toys today are crafted to be all-inclusive and prescriptive (think Lego building sets). So much of our adult lives is designed to be prescriptive and pre-fabricated: our meals, our outfits, our desires and goals, our personal and professional benchmarks.  

So how do we loosen up, lighten up, become more playful?  Some suggestions:
  • Turn off the television and go outside to throw a frisbee, play catch, play informal badminton or volleyball.  No scores, no "working on improving the accuracy of your throwing"--just enjoy the leisurely pace, the movement, the laughter and the talk that will ensue.
  • Invite others to play.  Instead of scheduled playdates, how about an informal game of foursquare in the driveway with whoever happens to be around/available?
  • Bring back board games and card games!
  • Do a jigsaw puzzle, put on some fun music in the background, make some tea or hot chocolate and go to it!
  • Charades.  No equipment required.
  • For adults: Trivia nights at pubs.  
  • Also for adults: Don't forget bedroom play.  Doesn't have to be elaborate, but bring back some lightheartedness.  Laugh at yourselves and have fun.

For those interested in learning more about the research and history of play, I'd recommend Diane Ackerman's Deep Play and David Elkind's The Power of Play.  I'm also including a link to an article/exhibit devoted to deep play:
http://www.missoulaartmuseum.org/files/documents/exhibits/Deep_Play_essay.pdf

Most importantly, just do it.  Make play--the removal of objectives and the sheer freedom to exult in whatever you are doing--an essential part of your life.

Playfully and artfully yours,  --Lisabeth
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    Lisabeth Robinson

    I have been an educator for 20 years.  I create, I play, I guide and I grow.  I want to share that with you too!

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