Holiday Self-Care

At this time of the year I start to feel like I’m on a super light speed treadmill and I can’t keep up. Finishing school with students, shopping, wrapping, tree trimming, treat baking, family (Zoom) gatherings, post office runs, holiday cards, it all ads up to a head spinning schedule. This year I’ve had one thing throughout most of December that I’ve relied on either in the morning, right after school, or before bedtime that has kept me steady. 

Based in Austin, TX Adriene, and her sidekick Benji, does a monthly yoga journey and Find What Feels Good subscription classes.  She has free yoga classes galore on YouTube, including school resources, and I can find a different one every day to fit my desire/need.  The energy Adriene sends out on emails and in videos is what keeps me coming back. They are low key, kind, and she encourages you to play in your practice. Angelle connected me to these unique videos and Groovy Girl encouraged me to join her for 25 days of yoga during December. From what I understand they really helped her get through the last few weeks of her semester at school. 

Give yourself a self care gift and find one of her videos to just start…once you begin you may not want to stop. It’s a little like eating salted caramel saltines or my friend Jim’s buttery caramel squares.  Amazing.  
Blessings for a gracious holiday. 

Peaceful Piggy Meditation

by Kerry Lee MacLean
2004

     This is just the kind of  book I love to find and share at Peaceful Reader; one that focuses on how to make our world calm.  This book is simple with out being preachy or over-the-top.  It begins like this:

“Sometimes the world can be such a busy, noisy place.  Sometimes it feels like you always have to hurry, hurry, hurry…” 

We feel like that at our house many days and from blog hopping around so do many other families.  This book gives you clear reasons why we all could use a little daily meditation and how to fit it in with ease. 

“Peaceful piggies know when to take a break, find a spot and just breathe, breathe, breathe.” 

 This is a great book to help at home and at school, as kids can do this at their desk, during testing, anytime they need to find that power within.  We do live in a stressful world-one with many worries for children-and having an activity they can count on to bring them back to a peaceful feeling has gotta be a fantastic teaching tool.

P.S. Kerry Lee does her own illustrations, which are charmingly cute, making her extraordinarily talented!
Browsing around her website I discovered three other titles:  Moody Cow Meditates, The Family Meditation Book and Peaceful Piggy Yoga-all available for purchase at her website. 

For more information:

Find it here at an IndieBound book store-Peaceful Piggy Meditation.
and while browsing I found this site, Luck Duck Children’s Books, with an awesome list of alternative titles for kids-many of the books I love like The Peace Book by Todd Parr are on this list.