The Balancing Act

One: The balancing act is not something that we do once, it is a way of life.

New Term: The Balancing Way of Life

How then do we balance our life?

What I've learned that works:

• Commit to yoga and dance. Do not miss class no matter how behind I feel in my schoolwork.
• Eat healthy and make sure to have protein in each meal.
• Be kind to supporters (husbands especially).
• Go out into the garden once in awhile just to see that nature still exists (for when you're really entrenched in study).
• Breathe. Not just "normal" breathing, but Yoga breathing.
• Watch a fun show after studying. Or read a fun book. It's really important to balance out textbook reading with pleasure-reading.
• Be kind to yourself.
• Be positive--if you notice yourself getting negative, assess what's going on and step back or take steps to make CHANGES
• Make fun plans for vacation.
  

Peace,
Be well,

Go to Yoga!!!!

Your friend,
Sarah

Cultural Arts Literacy-a look at the whole person

Cultural Arts Literacy is the name of the program I created for the students in my Adult Literacy Program. I wrote a grant proposal for the program and I am happy to say it was recently funded by BALIS. We are so excited about implementing the program.

Why is this important to me?

I came to adult literacy as a volunteer tutor. I loved the work and my enthusiasm helped me land the job as a Library Literacy Instructor. Having had no previous official training in teaching (other than in dance) I learned to work with the individual by assessing their goals and constructing a lesson plan. If something comes up that is "urgent" that the student needs help with we will divert our lesson until this situation is handled. The situation might be applying for a job, filling out a government form, or writing a letter.

I had been looking at our teaching styles and program content and realized that most of the information we were sharing was about spelling, reading, writing, grammar, grammar, and more grammar. All this is well and good but not everyone relates to English as well as we'd like them to. What about opening up the student's eyes to other aspects of our society? What about tapping into their creative abilities? Since I had noticed that most of our students had low levels of self esteem I wondered how we might be able to raise their self esteem by using creativity--looking at how society views art--learning about the art of all cultures.

In creating the program I looked at what makes me feel more confident. When my self esteem is low what makes me feel better? Tapping into various forms of creativity REALLY helps. Dancing, creating art, observing and discussing beauty in nature. I believe that all of these things help us tap into our True Selves. When we are in touch with Ourselves, we can handle The World more easily.

In Peace and Gratitude,
Sarah

Movement is essential--thoughts on car travel and our bodies

We just had a marvelous trip from the East Bay, CA to Seattle and back. Had great visits with friends and family. Saw some really pretty sights. Toured two wonderful libraries. And sat a lot while driving!

Having just taken three yoga classes and two dance classes the week prior to driving, I thought I'd be prepped enough to handle a week without yoga and dance. I did jog and stretch, thank God! But upon returning home had a rib out. Yes, one of my ribs was out of place and most of the last day of driving was painful. Two chiropractic visits and a modern dance class later I finally feel normal. But what a way to learn that sitting and twisting to reach things from the back seat was not good for my body.

Lessons I've learned:

• Take yoga on the road with me when I travel. Don't just bring a mat with me in the car. Do the Yoga!
  
• Find local dance and yoga classes to attend in the cities that I visit.
• Stretch before and after sitting.

I'm also looking forward to doing a yoga teacher training. As soon as my local yoga studio announces they have one, I'm signing up!

In peace and good health,
Sarah

Between Christmas and the New Year

One of my favorite times of the year is between Christmas and the New Year. All of the "Holiday Stuff" is over but the magic is still here. In fact, it's only just beginning.

Now is the time when we can set our intentions for the New Year. We can catch up with those people that we love and perhaps missed seeing on Christmas. We can play before too much work gets piled up.

We can Hope,

Dream,

Smile,

Breathe, Sigh,


Welcome into our lives whatever we wish to embody.

With New Years Blessings,

Sarah

Amazing Healing and Connecting with Friends on FB

I was touched and moved by seeing my dear friends on Facebook today. One in particular is in the midst of Labor! And she is writing and sharing her experiences with us all. It is the most amazing thing I've experienced in, well ever. I mean, how often do we get to be involved in someone's life over the internet to this degree?

Sending love and peace to everyone in this most amazing time.

And lighting a candle and sending prayers to Carolina and Maia--on her way into this blessed world.

Sarah

Is it possible to feel too much?

We have heard for years about the relaxing benefits of yoga. Last night I tried out a new yoga class. I was looking forward to an invigorating yoga class that would get my mind off of what was going on in my head and allow me to move through my "stuff." I've taken classes that would help me do this. But the one I took last night was slow.

Slo-o-w -w -w -w -w. Very Slow. First we meditated. Then we contemplated. Then we were asked to "notice" this and "notice" that. I had to wonder if it is possible to feel too much.

For those of you who are highly sensitive, know your body, and already know what things feel like--physical, emotional, you name it, might I suggest a good brisk walk, the treadmill, or jumping jacks?

After the hour and a quarter yoga class, my mind was still spinning and I was even more eager for a run around the block. So I went to the gym and did another 45 minutes on the machines and finally felt relaxed.

Yes, I would totally recommend yoga. For everyone. But pay attention to your mood. Do you need to relax (rejuvenating or restorative yoga) or move through challenging poses to quiet your mind and get the "stuff" out? (Vinyasa, for one)

Take good care and do what you need to do to relax, enjoy, and find peace.

Sarah

my website

Here is my new website.

http://yznrghealing.weebly.com/index.html

Enjoy!

Sarah