No two snowflakes are alike!

There is scientific proof that states no 2 snowflakes are alike....this holds true for people as well. This weekend in my Alluem Kids 8-12 class we talked about the many differences between people....different shapes and sizes, different color hair and eyes, different skin tones, different voices, different likes and dislikes, different personalities...the list is endless. The kids know that these difference are what makes us unique - we each are different in our own special ways and we can embrace the beauty in that!

I had the kids think about what makes them different from other people, what makes them unique. I wanted them to go deeper just the surface differences and to really look at what makes themspecial, what makes them who they are. I had them narrow it down to one word. One word to describe what makes them special. After they meditated on this, I laid out foam snowflakes all over the room. I was sure to make them all different...yes, I made adjustments to 25 little foam snowflakes so they would ALL be different! Each child picked one and wrote their word on the snowflake - Unique, Charitable, Enthusiastic, Friendly, Loving, Miracle, etc. When all the snowflakes were hung, they chose a pose that best related to the word they picked - Candlestick for Miracle, Tree for Charitable, Frog Jumps for Enthusiastic....I love watching them think so carefully about what they can do to best represent who they were. It really said a lot about their personalities. A great lesson for all!

Meditation Owl

I believe it's never too early to start teaching kids about Meditation. In the Alluem Kids 4-7 year olds class today, I had the kids do an arts and crafts project to help them learn about what Meditation is all about. I started by having them tell me what Meditation means to them. One told me, "It means you clear your head.". Another told me, "It's just like praying." Kids get it. They may not be able to sit still for too long with their thoughts, but they don't have to! They don't need a dark room with a candle and quiet music. A meditative state is natural for a young child. They are naturally more imaginative and creative. For instance, they get what it means to relate a color to a feeling. As adults we sometimes forget to activate this imaginative part of our brain, and over time it becomes harder and harder to do so. Which is why I am a strong believer of keeping an active imagination and always staying young at heart!

So, why Owls? Owls are wise animals. It just seemed right to pick an Owl. Using the construction paper, I cut out the shapes for the kids to glue together. They then traced their hands to use as the wings. On each of the fingers we wrote a common Mantra, "Sa, Ta, Ma, Na" (See Bog Post: Yoga Mudras). On the belly of the owl, I wrote a little poem for them:

(To the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Sit up tall. Close your eyes.

Hands on knees. Heart to the sky.

Deep breath out. Deep breath in.

Just relax and look with in.

(then incorporate the mantra)

Sa, Ta, Ma, Na,

Sa, Ta, Ma, Na

Hearing them sing this was just adorable. Knowing they took home a skill that may help them throughout their lives, is even more beautiful.