"Jimmy has a computer in his room. Why can't I?"

"Lauren gets to stay up and talk on the phone as long as she wants, why can't I?" "all my friends have their own TVs."
It takes a lot of inner strength to stand up to this kind of often relentless pressure. Yet, to allow our children to do all the things they want to do, or to give them all the things they want, to make them "happy," is not always in their best interest.

Possessions are power in our society. A child who feels lost or powerless can easily turn to objects, thinking that they will make him feel better. The development of a child's inner life, his sense of himself and his own unique being, requires something more complex than the latest "cool" sneakers. Helping our child find soul-feeding activities- whether martial arts, dance, sports, playing a musical instrument, backpacking, drawing, fixing or building things, journal writing, singing or rappping or whatever speaks to who they are- is a needed balance to the quick fixes of our consumer-oriented culture.
-Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness Meditation

a view from our back yard that I took Saturday.

Mindfulness is best described as moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by paying attention to those aspects of our bodies, our minds, and our lives that we so take for granted - from our own breathing and body sensations to our perceptions, opinions, and emotions, and those of others. The practice of mindfulness can be profoundly transforming and healing, and makes it easier for us to experience the web of interconnectedness in which we live and work. It can give rise to greater insight and clarity, as well as greater empathy for oneself and others. Mindfulness can help us be more in touch with our deepest and most trustworthy moral and ethical instincts, reminding us and grounding us in what is most important in our own lives and in the life of those we most love and care for.
-Jon Kabat Zinn

Mindfulness

Isn't this cool? It was taken on our back porch after the snowfall.
have a great day!!
Namaste,
Michele

The only time that any of us have to grow or change or feel or learn anything is in the present moment. But we’re continually missing our present moments, almost willfully, by not paying attention.

Jon Kabat-Zinn