We’re coming upon the summer months and the end of school. This often can mean a change in routine and the adoption of other activities and programs in your child’s daily schedule. While summer is a wonderful time of year to relax and try new things, it’s important for your child to maintain a balance of structured and unstructured time. It’s advisable to keep some consistency in your child’s activity schedule so that the transition back at the end of the summer is not jarring or difficult.
I have been asked about whether a child should or shouldn’t “take a break” from the martial arts during the summer. Continue reading “Children’s Summer Schedules”
Sticks and Stones do what?
Getting in touch with our emotions and feeling the pain or suffering of others is a very sure way of becoming more compassionate as a parent, friend and a leader. This week at our school we will be discussing the impact of our words and actions on others. We have all heard the adage “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” But as we grow up we learn that this is not very true.
Our words are powerful, and when we use kind and uplifting words we can make others feel great and work hard at becoming their best and if we use words that tear down they can cause anyone to turn inside and for protection and one day demonstrate very angry actions.
As some of you may know my father passed away when I was a very young teenager and had been bedridden sick for much of my life. Unfortunately one of the only experiences that I remember with him is a time when he was trying to play with me and I did not perform the way he thought I should, he called me “stupid”. Words are so powerful that here I am nearly 50 years later and that is my memory.
So what kind of words can you use when dealing with our kids, mates, and work companions. What are some words that someone has said to you that has made you feel better?
Teaching Compassion
We have started our conversation with our students about compassion with a review of the word ’empathy’. All of us need to be understanding and sensitive to people’s feeling and that really is empathy. If we take that a step further with compassion when we don’t just recognize the feeling, but care deeply about their discomfort and take steps to reduce their suffering.
Our children are exposed to highly competitive environment and way too many acts of violence on TV and quite frankly in their own life. They are very sensitive to the attitudes and actions of those around them and recognize violence in its simplest forms. They like ourselves can become jaded to these acts and so that makes teaching compassion that much more important in todays world.
So this week coming up we will discuss how what we do and say can affect how others feel. Take some time this month to point our when we see compassion in action and praise our children for showing compassion to others.
Compassion’s effect on the mind
A few months ago, I read about a study involving brain scan images of monks who practiced meditation on compassion, where the results showed increased higher-order cognitive skills. While looking for that article, I found another article published just this last month, describing similar results found when using fMRI scanning technology. In this article, the study being described involved a group people without any previous meditation training, half of which trained in meditation on compassion, and half refrained from meditation.
I must also say that I have greatly enjoyed playing the singing bowl with the classes. I can’t describe the feeling I get when the class (and parents 🙂 ) are concentrating on the sounds, and it has quickly become one of my favorite parts of the day. I want to share this with our students, and I would love if any parents wanted to join their child in playing the bowl before class.
Read an excerpt below and link to the original article.
Continue reading “Compassion’s effect on the mind”
Student Art Show
On June 6 & 7 Balanced Life Skills will host a student art show. Do you have some art that you would like to contribute? Watch the video below and see what this event is all about.
Student Art Show
Belt Test -May
Title: Belt Test -May
Location: Balanced Life Skills
Description: 5/6 year olds 10 AM
7/8 year olds 11:30 AM
9-12 year olds 1 PM
Start Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 2008-05-17