Blog
Surround Yourself with JOY
True joy is a limitless, life-defining, transformative reservoir waiting to be tapped into. It requires the utmost surrender and, like love, is a choice to be made.
A Gentle Giant Part II
This past week, Michael and I traveled to Long Beach to join my brother and sister-in-law to memorialize our friend, our family member, a person we loved.
Mindful…EVERYTHING!
Start by looking at what you are planning to eat. What do you notice visually?
Now, smell the food carefully. What do you notice?
If applicable, do you notice any sounds? If you’re eating something like a raisin, try holding it close to your ear as you squeeze it gently. Or if you’re unwrapping a chocolate, listen to the crinkles of the wrapper as you unfold it …
Do You SEE Seattle?
For the last three years, I’ve been preparing for a paper for an international conference involving my 5th grade students, a program called Anatomy Academy, and all of it during a time when we were all being taught over a platform called ZOOM during a worldwide pandemic.
Anatomy Academy is an outreach and research program to combat childhood obesity through education.
A Gentle Giant
“The world lost a bight light, a beacon of love, with a heart that held so much love and compassion” writes Jean. “Brian loved BIG, laughed long, and knew how to make others feel heard and seen.”
It Was a Grand Adventure!
We arrive at the bottom of the canyon in time for a Ranger talk. I am reminded of these talks as a child visiting various National Parks. I loved these stories and remember attending these intimate amphitheater events with my dad and siblings. (I feel fortunate to have visited so many in my childhood.)
What Does WELL Look Like? (part 2)
And I think it’s just as if not more important to remember that despite preparations for an unknown future, we must all practice being in and practice finding joy in the present moment. It’s easy to forget that the path of life isn’t over the next horizon but the ground that my feet are stepping on at this exact moment.
What Does WELL Look Like?
I like to dance! But … It doesn't mean I’m great at it! It just means that I like to do it. It makes me happy.
A Teacher’s Mindset Plus Save The Dates
Teachers love to plan! Perhaps, it’s a necessity, I mean, it makes the week go by so much easier when you know what you’re doing. But the truth is, I think teachers like to know what the future can bring.
When I Grow Up
When I visit my mom in her central coast town and attend those senior gentle yoga or body pump exercise classes, the average age of the participants and instructors are 55+ years of age! They’re rockin’ it! They’re holding strong and sweating hard. They support and encourage one another. It’s a wonderful community to be a part of.
When I grow up, I want to be a participant and instructor for senior exercise and yoga classes. When I grow up, I want to act like Rita Moreno - dancing and talking about my sex life. (Mom, if you’re reading this, sorry if I embarrassed you … )
We Can Do Hard Things
Why do we practice hard things? So that we know we can, perhaps. As humans, our emotions arise spontaneously - are we a masterpiece in the making? This question can deepen our perspective where we can see the long game and be connected to purpose. In the end, we seek JOY. We may pray, practice and meditate, re-training our muscles and our mind to seek JOY.
A Tale of Two Rooms
I am a fortunate being to witness both scenarios … of love and that love permeates both the wonder of innocence and the grief of losing our loved ones. Love is a force, is the connective tissue and what we source from in being held in community.
Transitions of the Heart
“Scrappy’s death feels like the mark indicating the ending of my childhood”
-Benjamin Conn
Kids These Days!
I never want to outgrow the qualities that they bring to our relationship. I continue to learn from them. My students show generosity and patience with one another more so than not. Needing a writing utensil, sharing warm sweaters and coats, offering to share their lunch with one another when a lunch is forgotten. Remaining consistent with one another by showing simple acts of kindness,
Sankofa: Part 2
The spirit of Sankofa encompasses taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present to make progress in the future.
Sankofa: Bringing The Past Forward
Activities that you wish to do in the future, any experiences, dreams and passions - write them all down. Once you have a plan firmly rooted in your mind, you probably won’t even need to think about it again.