Inner Discovery for Kids - Meditation, creative arts, journaling & fun!

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Winter Workshops

"Thoughts & Feelings: What's the Deal? and How to Deal"

Saturday January 21

1-4 pm, for ages 9-12 $45

Location: ID Classroom in Sebastopol, CA

call 874-8104 or e-mail to register

This will be an afternoon of exploring what goes on in our minds and bodies and how to work with, rather than resist or fight, what we experience. We will use art, drama and journaling as a means to learn about ourselves and how to:

* name and identify the "usual culprits" (aka difficult feelings)

* shift out of negative thoughts and pictures

* help our bodies feel better

* reconnect to ourselves

There will be time for circle, creative expression, mediation and snack and usually some spontaneous happening that is fun and/or meaningful to the group.

Laughter Meditation !

Saturday February 4

1-4 pm for ages 9-12 $45

Location: ID Classroom in Sebastopol, CA

call 874-8104 or e-mail to register

Since breath connects us to ourselves and everything else, laughter is a particularly fun way of getting there! We will do circle time, silly games, jokes and goofy art to get our breath flowing and connect to the joy inside us.

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Inner Discovery at Rivertown Revival

On Saturday July 30 from 11-7, Inner Discovery for Kids will be at the Petaluma Rivertown Revival http://rivertownrevival.com - Come craft and play in the awesome kid's area!

This is a fun family friendly and FREE event put together by many lively and generous Petaluma community members. There will be bands, crazy contraptions and boat races on the Petaluma River, local vendors, art, savory foods, a much expanded KIDS AREA and more. We will have several craft stations for kids to make clothespin dolls, bindlesticks (just like Huck Finn), cork boats, ribbon wands and anything else kids can invent with recycled fabric, string, stick, ribbon and yarn. There will also be a station for planting seeds in your own take home container so you can watch it grow. In addition there will be game boards set up for checkers, water trough play and other good ol' fashioned kid fun! For moms with small children, Sono-Ma http://sono-ma.com/ will be there to provide a restful space for nursing moms or anyone else who needs a sanctuary at the fair with water, shade and snacks. Hope to see you there!

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Share Fair Fun

Great time seeing you all at the Share Fair today! Many kids came by to make beautiful magic wands. Wonderful to see familiar faces and new faces as well! I loved the size of this fair and the intimate and supportive feeling that was created. Everyone was very friendly and thanks to all who helped me set up and take down my booth (stage guys, Gloria, Reina (sp?), Amos, someone's dad and Share Fair volunteers!!)
Congrats to Kelly and Debbie of the Share Exchange on their first Share Fair! From what I could tell, it looked like people were having a really nice time and for me it was a great opportunity to get out and meet families in our community. Thanks Debbie for finding space for me and Jeanna for the referral!!!

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Share Fair Sunday July 10 11-4

Bring the kids and head to downtown Santa Rosa this Sunday July 10 from 11-4 and check out the Share Fair. The wonderful Share Exchange is organizing this event focusing on art and children. Lots of great food, locally made art and activities for kids. Stop by the Inner Discovery booth to make a magic wand and say hello. Hope to see you there!!

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Inner Discovery Summer Schedule

Check out my schedule page for more detailed information about camps and classes

June 27 - July 1 9:30-3:00 “The Art of Play” This is a week long day camp for kids ages 7-10 to explore inner life and group connection through creative art and play.

August 1-August 3 9:30-3:00 “Inner Discovery for Girls” This is a mini-camp designed for girls age 6-10.

Saturday August 27 1:00 - 4:00 “Creative Journaling Workshop” for kids ages 9-12.

FOR MORE INFO OR TO REGISTER FOR CAMPS OR WORKSHOPS call 874-8104

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Japanese teacher brings feelings into the classroom

I was touched by this video:

http://www.wimp.com/homeroomteacher

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Checking in

The River kids explored how to check in with themselves to see and understand how they are feeling and what might be in the way of feeling great or being in the moment. They made their own customized check-in books where they can go down a physical and emotional checklist or, if they prefer, to spend some time drawing or writing about how they are feeling. They talked about keeping them on their nightstands or in the car or any place where they can do a daily check in. This is such a big step for any of us to take and they did such an amazing job at diving into this - we joked that it's like taking out the trash except for your mind, body and spirit! Part of the check-in is to then find out what reconnects us to good feeling/the present moment. Awesome to see these kids pick this up so easily - stuff that takes us adults years and years!

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Watching the Mind

The River kids have taken on a big challenge recently - they have begun learning how to watch the “monkey mind". We did a fun exercise where everybody tracked all the thoughts that were going on in their heads for about 15 minutes. As everyone knows who's ever tried tracking the mind, it's not an easy thing! They began to see how many thoughts, feelings, ideas and sensations occur and how many, if not all of them, can take us out of the present moment. They were pretty amazed at how rare it is to be in the now, in present time and not lost in a thought about the past or the future.

Tagged being present exercise for watching the mind kid's meditation monkey mind

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Symbols: The Language of Spirit

Students in the winter class series at River Montessori have been exploring in a deeper way how to be present. We have been looking at all the things that create barriers to being in the moment and ways to reconnect back to the present. In one class we talked about how to hear and listen to spirit inside - this led to an exploration of how spirit speaks to us and how we listen. Each student explored the symbols that appear in their dreams and in their meditations that are personal for them and how they help them reconnect. They painted and colored some symbols that are meaningful to them