Transformation is Tremendous Work

I've been watching the monarch caterpillars with a new level of fascination this year. They work so hard! From the moment they are born they eat and eat and grow SO fast. Then, one day they simply know they have eaten enough milkweed. That's it! And they turn and head down the milkweed plant in a hurry. They search out just the right place and get to work forming a chrysalis. WOW. Now talk about hard transformation. Click on the chrysalis photo to watch a video of this miraculous feat. The video is a little shaky as I stood crouched in the goldenrod to record the whole experience. While I watch I kept thinking about how much work this experience is for the Caterpillar. Even though they have the instinct and wisdom to know its time, even though they know just what to do, it is still hard. And as we watch them gracefully manifest in newness, let's acknowledge that even the most capable and graceful souls, full of confidence and faith, even they struggle with transformation. So often we express empathy and compassion for the troubles and trials of others. But our empathy and compassion can be used for celebration too. What a joy to watch such awesome, yet challenging, success. 
 

With Love, 

Sherene

1st Chakra

Several months ago I attended a meditation workshop given by one of my teachers. The meditation involved chakra work and at some point during the practice, the rest of my chakras seemed to ask my root chakra "why aren't you taking better care of us". This was a surprise because my root chakra is rooted. Deeply. Thoroughly. Rhythm and routine are my friends. I am not easily shaken. I stand firm and tall in my beliefs and, root chakra? She seems to be doing a great job. Maybe too good.

The vision I had in the meditation was of my root chakra-self tending a garden. She was busy but moving slow and steady, full of peace. She was tending. She was doing her job. REALLY well. 

Last night I had some wild dreams. Each and every scene had the same message. In one part I am driving a speedboat. REALLY fast. There are passengers and a HUGE lake-like river where there is noramlly a road. I think to myself " you are driving really fast" and " speedboat? This is so unlike you". Then I look over my shoulder and realize that the area I have just past through is full of raging rapids. I realize I never would have made it through had I not been driving so fast. I think   " It's a good thing I didn't see that coming".

Throughout the dream, over and over again, I am reminded that I can handle what comes. I know what to do, when to do it, and how. 

Over the last several months, rhythm and routine are not as available to me. I have to dig deeper into the root chakra's real roots, my crutches are no more. Those deep roots are serving me, as I explore. I can bend, I can extend, because of root chakra's work. But, she isn't holding so tightly now. The other chakra flower beds are free to spill over a little bit. Not only is Root Chakra taking care to give the other chakras their freedom, but root chakra gets to grow too. Deeper. 

Summary of the AAP Policy Statement: Food Additives and Child Health

AAP Policy Statement

Above is a summary of the AAP policy statement about food additives. The link will lead you to the full statement. The infographic describes some of the key points parents need to know about why the AAP is making this statement and how indirect additives ( food packaging) can affect child health. Food additives and plastics are a pervasive issue and it is not possible to address all of our concerns at one time. I've created this self-assessment to help highlight where you can reduce plastic exposure in your life regardless of where you are on the plastic-free journey. 

The reduction of plastics and indirect food additives will be a community effort. We can all do our part by making small changes and developing more awareness. Together, we can effect change for our children and grandchildren. Remember, together our small choices add up. WE can make them add up to a healthier future for the next generation. You matter. You make a difference. With intention and cooperation, we can do this. Women make the majority of household purchases which means, when we change our minds we change the world. 

With Love, 

Sherene

The Value of Play, for adults too.

Below is an entry from my grad school journal 2 years ago. The questions/practices posed to us were about play and how play relates to wellbeing. How do you incorporate play into your life? 

        “ Nature teaches us how the world works. Imagination teaches us how to dream. Play teaches us how to make our dreams come true”- Sarah Olmsted, Imagine Childhood.

This morning my 4-year-old son and I went to “see what we could see”. That is what we say when we go into the woods. We regularly spend time playing outdoors. I have found, and research supports, that spending time outside encourages more vigorous activity in the mind and body, and creates better emotional health for children (Larouche et al. 2013). It makes me feel good too. 

Today Lian and I are alone, which is unusual. He is chattering along about all sorts of things.  He reminds me that we were going to make our way to the little park in the woods. When we arrive at the playground he sits with me on the bench and we notice a long line of ants. Lian had just asked if we were giants, and we decide that we are to the ants. We talked about what kind of giants we are, and if the ants even notice us. Lian tests this by trying to block them. We wonder where they are going.  We follow them and find both their home and the worm they are cleaning up. We make up stories about the different ants, and what they are saying to each other. Lian makes me laugh because he is happy. He thinks this is funny, so he laughs. Then we are both laughing at each other laughing.

Upon reflection, our game with the ants addresses each of the (10) benefits of play (Snow, n.d.). We encouraged (1) flexibility of mind when we permitted ourselves to use the playground for something other than the intended use of climbing and swinging. We (2)took ourselves less seriously when imagining we were giants. We (3)expressed emotions like excitement, and in imagining how the ants would feel if we hurt them, or something large hurt us. We (4) practiced humility in our wonder. We (5) connected to each other, and our environment. We used (6) problem-solving skills to locate the source of the ants. Our exploration of the relationship between us and the ants was a (7) vehicle of self-discovery and creativity.  It (8) felt good to be together and sharing something sort of secret, that no one else may have noticed that day. We also laughed. We were definitely (9) interacting with nature and (10) fostering imagination and new ideas. Children with more unstructured time benefit with greater self- control and cognitive functioning (Barker et al. 2014). Both were required for and supported by our play.  

I believe that the intention and story we tell ourselves is more important to play than the phenomena. Later in the day, I carved pumpkins with my children. Normally, this is very celebratory and playful. I was feeling pressure from the impending rain, I was tired, and I had unfinished school work on my mind. These feelings told me I didn’t have enough time to play and celebrate the pumpkin carving. I had to keep calling myself back to the moment.

Later I explored this idea of intention and story vs phenomenon in play. My own attitude and conditioning are more important than the phenomenon. Though much of the research on play and nature has related to children, it is reasonable to expect similar benefits for adults given what we know about the negative effects of stress and value of neuroplasticity. A child becomes an adult in a short time. The effects of play are carried with us.  If I was not curious about the ants at the park, thought it was valuable to explore, or felt we didn’t have time, we never would have played the game. 

Referrences        

Barker, J., Semenov,A., Michaelson, L., Provan, L., Snyder, H., Munakata, Y.. (2014). Less-structured time in children’s daily lives predicts self-directed executive functioning. Front Psychol. 2014;5:593. doi:  10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00593

Larouche, R., Garriguet, D., Gunnell, K., Goldfield, G., Tremblay, M.. (2016). Outdoor time, physical activity, sedentary time, and health indicators at ages 7 to 14: 2012/2013 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Reports, Vol. 27, no. 9, pp. 3-13.  

Retrieved from http://0-web.b.ebscohost.com.muih.iii.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=5b1a1b9b-582e-4358-ae0a-a11ec92455dc%40sessionmgr105&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=cmedm&AN=27655167

Olmsted, S.. ( 2012). Imagine childhood: Exploring the world through nature, imagination and play. Boston, Massachusetts: Roast Books.

 Snow,R. (n.d.) Health positive practices: Play and recreation.[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://coursecontent.muih.edu/ISCI%20632B/ISCI%20632b%20M1%20Play%20and%20Recreation%20SU16/