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Yoga isn’t only for adults. More American parents are introducing their children to the ancient practice which originated in India. Preliminary studies show it is beneficial for reducing stress and improving mood. Certified yoga instructor and author Susan Verde wrote I Am Yoga, a picture book which helps children explore mindfulness through relationships and movement. The book is one of several kid lit collaborations between Verde and the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. His relaxed illustration style helps convey Susan Verde’s message of peace, stillness of mind, and tranquility.
Susan Verde and StoryMakers host Rocco Staino were joined by — via satellite — kid lit singer and songwriter Emily Arrow. Arrow has written and performed songs based on children’s books. Together, Verde and Arrow collaborated on a song and music video for I Am Yoga. Emily Arrow’s song lyrics draw heavily from the book. Arrow’s latest CD, “Storytime Singalong, Volume 1”, is a combination of songs based on popular kid lit and tunes for young readers.
Watch Susan Verde’s interview at the Westchester Children’s Book Festival.
We’re giving away three (3) prize packs including of copy of Susan Verde’s picture book, I AM YOGA and Emily Arrow’s STORYTIMESINGALONG, VOL.1 CD. The giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on May 25, 2016. ENTER NOW!
I Am Yoga Written by Susan Verde, illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds
Published by Harry N. Abrams
An eagle soaring among the clouds or a star twinkling in the night sky … a camel in the desert or a boat sailing across the sea yoga has the power of transformation. Not only does it strengthen bodies and calm minds, but with a little imagination, it can show us that anything is possible. New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and author and certified yoga instructor Susan Verde team up again in this book about creativity and the power of self-expression. I Am Yoga encourages children to explore the world of yoga and make room in their hearts for the world beyond it. A kid-friendly guide to 16 yoga poses is included.
ABOUT SUSAN VERDE
Susan Verdeis an award-winning children’s book author, elementary educator, and a certified children’s yoga instructor. Her books highlight the unique manner in which children see the world. Her stories focus on their interactions with their surroundings with emphasis on problem solving in a calming and mindful way. Susan’s books are used to teach children how to express gratitude and to support each other.
Susan became a certified kids yoga instructor and children’s book author, after several years in the education field. “Her stories inspire children to celebrate their own, unique stories and journey. Her writing also inspires adults to let their inner child out to dream of infinite possibilities… and maybe come out for a spontaneous game of hopscotch every now and then.”
Susan’s latest book, The Water Princess, will be published in late 2016. The book is another collaboration with he bestselling, award-winning, author and illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds. Peter and Susan have collaborated on The Museum, You & Me, and I Am Yoga. Susan lives in East Hampton, New York with her three children and dog.
Emily Arrow is the 2015 winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Children’s Category for her song “The Curious Garden Song”. The song was inspired by the book THE CURIOUS GARDEN by Peter Brown. Emily was also a finalist in the 2015 Great American Song Contest and the 2014 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Emily Arrow creates literature inspired music for children, cultivating an appreciation and love for singing, songwriting, literature, and art. She performs storytimes of her original music regularly in Los Angeles at Once Upon A Time Bookstore and Children’s Book World. Emily is touring in support of the album at schools, bookstores, and libraries around the country!
Originally from Ohio, Emily played the piano, read a lot of books, and led a neighborhood “kids only choir.” Fast forward to now and…she’s still silly, she still sings incessantly, and she still loves books! She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston and earned her graduate-level teaching certification in Orff-Shulwerk Levels I & II. After graduating Emily became a K-6 music teacher at a performing arts-based elementary school in Los Angeles. During her time teaching, she found that her passion was collaborating with the library, art, and technology departments. Which led her to her current career as a kidlit singer/songwriter!
Oh my gosh what a great ,creative and funny book interview.
The book is so wonderful for kids to read and to learn yoga.
The drawings are so cute.
And the song was a perfect “Fit” with the book.
Rocco was so funny-a great sport-and for a first timer doing yoga –‘Great Job’.
Rocco you should definitly be a comedian–so funny.
Super Interview.
patte
Kristin said, on 5/12/2016 11:23:00 AM
Great interview! Sweet song and kid-topic. Love, love it! Great job Susan, Emily, and as always, Rocco!!
Each of us has an underlying motivation for why we may or may not choose to exercise. In this book, Dr. Chronister attempts to dissect the thought process behind our fitness choices. However, this is not a book for the common person looking for motivation. Instead, it reads more like a doctoral dissertation full of typos and grammatical errors.
Focusing almost exclusively on the motives of depressed people, Dr. Chronister presents her own process in attempting to prod them into activity. This is done through a series of questions designed to root out the reasons why they’re not exercising, and then encouraging them to begin.
When I picked this book up, I was expecting a readable explanation of why we generally choose not to exercise, some sort of motivational pep talk, and a step by step guide to starting and maintaining a regular workout routine. If that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it in The Psychology Behind Fitness Motivation.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
0 Comments on The Psychology Behind Fitness Motivation as of 6/24/2014 12:47:00 PM
A woman who gives birth to six children each with a 75% chance of survival has the same expected number of surviving offspring as a woman who gives birth to five children each with a 90% chance of survival. In both cases, 4.5 offspring are expected to survive. Because the large fitness gain from an additional child can compensate for a substantially increased risk of childhood mortality, women’s bodies will have evolved to produce children closer together than is best for child fitness.
Sleeping baby by Minoru Nitta. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.
Offspring will benefit from greater birth-spacing than maximizes maternal fitness. Therefore, infants would benefit from adaptations for delaying the birth of a younger sib. The increased risk of mortality from close spacing of births is experienced by both the older and younger child whose births bracket the interbirth interval. Although a younger sib can do nothing to cause the earlier birth of an older sib, an older sib could potentially enhance its own survival by delaying the birth of a younger brother or sister.
The major determinant of birth-spacing, in the absence of contraception, is the duration of post-partum infertility (i.e., how long after a birth before a woman resumes ovulation). A woman’s return to fertility appears to be determined by her energy status. Lactation is energetically demanding and more intense suckling by an infant is one way that an infant could potentially influence the timing of its mother’s return to fertility. In 1987, Blurton Jones and da Costa proposed that night-waking by infants enhanced child survival not only because of the nutritional benefits of suckling but also because of suckling’s contraceptive effects of delaying the birth of a younger sib.
Blurton Jones and da Costa’s hypothesis receives unanticipated support from the behavior of infants with deletions of a cluster of imprinted genes on human chromosome 15. The deletion occurs on the paternally-derived chromosome in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Infants with PWS have weak cries, a weak or absent suckling reflex, and sleep a lot. The deletion occurs on the maternally-derived chromosome in Angelman syndrome (AS). Infants with AS wake frequently during the night.
The contrasting behaviors of infants with PWS and AS suggest that maternal and paternal genes from this chromosome region have antagonistic effects on infant sleep with genes of paternal origin (absent in PWS) promoting suckling and night waking whereas genes of maternal origin (absent in AS) promote infant sleep. Antagonistic effects of imprinted genes are expected when a behavior benefits the infant’s fitness at a cost to its mother’s fitness with genes of paternal origin favoring greater benefits to infants than genes of maternal origin. Thus, the phenotypes of PWS and AS suggest that night waking enhances infant fitness at a cost to maternal fitness. The most plausible interpretation is that these costs and benefits are mediated by effects on the interbirth interval.
Postnatal conflict between mothers and offspring has been traditionally assumed to involve behavioral interactions such as weaning conflicts. However, we now know that a mother’s body is colonized by fetal cells during pregnancy and that these cells can persist for the remainder of the mother’s life. These cells could potentially influence interbirth intervals in more direct ways. Two possibilities suggest themselves. First, offspring cells could directly influence the supply of milk to their child, perhaps by promoting greater differentiation of milk-producing cells (mammary epithelium). Second, offspring cells could interfere with the implantation of subsequent embryos. Both of these possibilities remain hypothetical but cells containing Y chromosomes (presumably derived from male fetuses) have been found in breast tissue and in the uterine lining of non-pregnant women.
David Haig is Professor of Biology at Harvard University. he is the author of “Troubled sleep: Night waking, breastfeeding and parent–offspring conflict” (available to read for free for a limited time) in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. The arguments summarized above are presented in greater detail in two papers that recently appeared in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.
Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health is an open access journal, published by Oxford University Press, which publishes original, rigorous applications of evolutionary thought to issues in medicine and public health. It aims to connect evolutionary biology with the health sciences to produce insights that may reduce suffering and save lives. Because evolutionary biology is a basic science that reaches across many disciplines, this journal is open to contributions on a broad range of topics, including relevant work on non-model organisms and insights that arise from both research and practice.
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This weekend I’m celebrating a milestone. Two years ago I began running on the steps in front of my local courthouse. In these two years I’ve run up and down about 2,000,000 steps – between 3,400 and 5,600 steps per day, depending on how I feel and what the weather is like. On my 53rd birthday in October I challenged myself to run 10,000 steps. I did it in one hour and 38 minutes!
Why I Love Running Steps
Running steps more than anything is meditative. I walk about a half mile from my house to the courthouse, through my alley and down a semi-busy street. I watch the sun rise every morning, listen to the birds chirping, often flying overhead. I pass by morning glories opening and alley cats that scamper as I approach. I arrive at the courthouse while no one else is there, except for the security guards. I count the number of laps I do up and down, which I like to call “innings.” I don’t really focus on counting, it just happens naturally and keeps my mind light and free.
I live in Miami, so it’s hot here – really, really hot and humid. That adds to the challenge of keeping up my energy. But it also allows for a really good sweat, providing that feeling that I’ve sweat out the toxins and have accomplished something worthwhile. It may sound crazy, but the hard work is worth the euphoric feeling you get when you’re finished. I leave with happy, positive thoughts. Running the steps is free. No club membership! Plus it doesn’t take much time – about 45-minutes of time from start to finish.
I run barefoot because shoes cause injury to my feet and knees. Here I am running the Rocky Steps in Philly.
What Motivates Me to Run
When I was a child I was always the last one chosen for sports teams whether at school or at play. I wasn’t an athlete; in fact I couldn’t hit a volleyball over a net, hit a baseball or golf well. But as I got older I realized that not being athletically inclined didn’t mean I had to be unfit. My father passed away when he was 40 from a heart attack and my mother had two forms of cancer suffering for 9 years before passing away at age 70. I can’t change my genetics, but I realized I could get and stay fit, eat right and do what I can to stay healthy. Thinking about my parents’ health challenges motivates me every day. I live by my motto, “Shut your pie hole and move your ass!”
It’s Not Discipline
In the beginning, running steps was really challenging. I was already doing aerobics for years at home, but running up and down steps is really a strenuous workout. It took a lot of self-talking to get up and out of the house early every morning. But then after a few months, gradually I began to look forward to going. Now I can best describe running as a habit. It’s sort of like getting up and brushing your teeth. You just do it. I do have sluggish days when I just don’t feel like running, but I go anyway. My husband calls those “bonus days,” because although your time may be slower or your step numbers may be lower, you went out there and did something on a day when you just didn’t feel like doing it.
A white layer cake I made to celebrate.
What Running Has Taught Me
It’s wrong to label yourself in any negative way. “I’m not athletic,” “I’m too old,” “I’m uncoordinated” or “I don’t think I can or should do this or that.” Running has taught me that I can have as much energy as a 25-year-old, and that if I can stick to something athletic and challenging, then I can transfer that success to other areas of my life. The only boundaries are the ones we put on ourselves.
0 Comments on Two Years. 2,000,000 steps! as of 3/9/2014 9:54:00 PM
Maintaining an ideal body weight continues to be a struggle for many of us, and Kenn Kihiu has offered us his thoughts on how to do this. In Sleep Fat Wake Up Thin he presents his system of weight loss, the F.A.S.T. way.
Using this acronym, he presents a five-step system (modules) of eliminating unhealthy foods, adding more healthy foods and beverages to our diet, and changing the way we eat and think. These build on each other, eventually leading to healthy and lean bodies.
Unfortunately, this successful creator of the danceX Workout and 8020 Body has given us a lot of information we’ve seen many times before. His only divergence from standard diet advice is his presentation of fasting as part of our normal eating cycle.
If you’re already a follower of Kenn Kihiu’s programs, this book would probably be a good complement to what you’ve already learned from him. But on its own, it fails to cover enough new ground. However, if you’re interested in fasting, you may find this chapter particularly useful.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
0 Comments on Sleep Fat Wake Up Thin as of 1/4/2014 10:46:00 AM
Many people say they have been successful in converting to a Paleo diet. But what does that mean, exactly? And how does a fitness routine fit with this new eating style? Paleo Fitness answers these questions and more.
First, this book explains why the Paleo diet is superior to the traditional diet. Then it lists allowed and non-allowed foods, along with explanations. A sample menu and several tempting recipes are also provided. A three level workout routine is then given in the form of charts showing each exercise and its corresponding page number. The largest section is the descriptions and pictures of these unique exercises.
Unlike traditional workouts, Paleo fitness is designed to work out the total body, not just isolated muscle groups. You won’t find these exercises in the gym, and they don’t use traditional weights or machines. Instead you’ll find yourself crawling on the floor in crab walk or crocodile walk, jumping like a rabbit, hanging from a bar, or going through the motions of tossing an object. These exercises are created from nature, and work the body the way a caveman might have exercised through daily living.
If you’re bored with your traditional workout and you’re ready to try something more natural, Paleo Fitness might be just what you’re looking for. I highly recommend it.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
0 Comments on Paleo Fitness as of 8/16/2013 12:48:00 PM
In the land of Par-zee-no live the Schwoes. One of these, a boy named Franklin, is overweight. His many chins sag and his tummy shakes like a bowl of Jell-o. Franklin likes to eat… and eat… and eat.
One day his parents take Franklin to the doctor, who suggests Franklin exercise more and eat less. Then he whispers something in Franklin’s ear that makes him smile. Franklin decides to follow the doctor’s suggestions, and makes significant changes in his life. Motivated by the prize the doctor promised him, he returns to normal size, fit and healthy.
Don’t Be a Schwoe: Fitness is a story about an overweight Schwoe who makes healthy changes in his life to become fit. But these changes wouldn’t happen as quickly and easily as they’re presented in this book. An overweight child would face many obstacles to losing weight that aren’t addressed. I would rather see Franklin overcome these obstacles in his weight-loss journey, instead of jumping into this new lifestyle willingly and effortlessly.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
0 Comments on Don’t Be a Schwoe: Fitness as of 5/6/2013 1:01:00 PM
Teen girls have so much going on that it’s hard to make time for health. But to be happy and successful in all areas of life, it’s important to take care of themselves. In A Girl’s Guide to Fitting in Fitness, authors Erin Whitehead and Jennipher Walters show girls the changes they can make to be more active.
Fitness begins with healthy eating, and proper diet is presented, with an understanding that we all occasionally indulge in foods that aren’t good for us. But since teen girls are also prone to anorexia and bulimia, this book also shares the signs of an unhealthy eating obsession. Developing a fitness routine is encouraged, and sample fun workouts are included. We all know it’s harder to stick with a program when real life interferes, and tips are provided on how to succeed at school, on weekends and during the summer.
Today’s teen girls are busier than ever, so it takes some planning to fit healthy habits into their schedules. Speaking in their language, A Girl’s Guide to Fitting in Fitness is perfectly suited to their needs as they learn to take better care of themselves.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
0 Comments on A Girl’s Guide to Fitting in Fitness as of 4/11/2013 1:00:00 PM
Five mornings per week for the past year, I run the steps at the regional county courthouse (about 40 minutes per visit). The design of the building includes two extremely wide flights of stairs (28) that lead to a large platform and many doors that happen to be locked at all times. After September 11, the courthouse changed the entrance to a ground level door armed by a security guard and a metal detector. There are signs outside the courthouse telling visitors that there is “No Entrance at the Top of the Stairs.” The problem is that at least half of the courthouse patrons do not see the sign and begin their ascent up those 28 steps.
During my year at the steps, most of the workers acknowledge me as they walk into the building, as I’ve become a “regular.” I have stopped hundreds of people from wasting their time and energy hiking those stairs in the heat only to discover they cannot enter the building that way. I’ve stopped a pregnant woman who appeared to be ready to give birth, wearing spiked heals from walking up the stairs, a morbidly obese man who had a hacking cough, a very old lady with a cane, a woman with several tiny children, people who cannot speak English and whose language I cannot speak either. And the list goes on. Most of these people are so grateful for not having wasted their energy that they thank me profusely. I also answer countless questions while running:
Q.What time is the courthouse open? A. 8:00 am.
Q. What room do I go to for a new passport? A. 2nd floor. Turn left.
Q. Is the courthouse open on President’s Day? A. Nope.
Q. Where do I vote? A. Not here. Go east down this boulevard (as I point in that direction) one and a half miles and turn into the library parking lot on the left.
Q. Why on earth do you run up and down these steps? A. It seems as though I like to punish myself.
And the list goes on.
Today when I saw the security guard there, I told him that I thought it would be appropriate for the county to pay me for my work, since I have assisted so many visitors. Well that generated a big laugh from him. And then it made me think about all the times I’m not running stairs and visitors are unnecessarily climbing up and down those steps and have questions but there’s no one there to help out. Somehow these people survive without my assistance.
For the man who refused to stop blowing smoke up my nose while hovering around the steps I was running, despite my kind request, I somehow neglected to tell him there was no entrance up there.
0 Comments on Look. See the Sign. It’s Right There. as of 2/21/2013 11:03:00 PM
Platform: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
I frequently say that I would not run unless being chased by a _____. The thing chasing me varies widely based on my mood, but recently I have been saying, “Not unless chased by zombies.” My husband came home from work a few weeks ago, happily handed me my iPod Touch, and told me to go for a run.
As I was walking (Our secret, okay?) around our neighborhood in the newly dark night, I suddenly heard a helicopter and then a crash breaking through my carefully selected, super-cheerful playlist. What was that? It got louder and then a voice-over came through instructing me that I had been in a helicopter crash and I must now run from zombies and gather supplies to gain protection from a town of healthy people! My thirty minute walk turned into a forty-five minute walk/jog as I spent the time getting away from the hoards of zombies and trying to gather supplies.
Though this app is a bit pricey, it did make my exercise more enjoyable and even encouraged me to actually jog and do so for longer than I would have. My favorite part of this app has not been the storyline, but the option to schedule zombie chases. Interval training has never been so exciting!
I highly recommend this app for seasoned runners and those less willing to leave the couch.
As a new YALSA blogger I should begin my first post with a short introduction. My name is Kim Anderson and I’m the Library Media Specialist at Jefferson Middle School in Champaign, Illinois. I’m a two-time graduate of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois (MLS, CAS), and I received my National Board Certification in 2008. I’ve been in education for fifteen years, seven in the classroom and six in the library. I was thirty-something when I finally found my calling in the library and have not looked back once. I love my work. Love it. When I’m not working, reading or thinking about the library I enjoy doing yoga, P90, Insanity Asylum, and gardening. I recently decided I wanted to learn French and to play guitar. Wish me luck. Anyway, it is my love of talking and thinking about the library that lead me to start blogging here at YALSA.
At the beginning of each year our administration takes the JMS staff off campus for a retreat. I always arrive a bit early so I can walk out onto the docks and enjoy the peace of the lake while I think about where I want the school year to lead. The solitude is short-lived though since the peacefulness doesn’t last long once the rest of the staff arrives. The day is always full of lively discussion, laughter and inspiration. This year our discussion centered around the research of Dr. Charles Hillman of the University of Illinois. Everyone was inspired by the idea that getting students moving could improve their academic gains. (You can check out “A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind” if you want to read more). The question is, how can I, the school librarian, help increase student fitness? Last week the answer came in the form of two exercise bikes. In just under one hour we had two stationary bikes assembled in a corner of the library. They are battery operated (so no chords) and the wheels are completely silent.
The student interest was immediate. Now teachers just have to send their students to the library with a pass to read and ride. For now, the kids are enjoying a new place to move and I am happy to support a building-wide initiative.
By Michael Otto
Dear First Lady Obama:
I am writing this letter in support of your Let’s Move campaign against obesity. As you well know, traditional recommendations for physical activity and good nutrition have met with failure in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control, rates of adults who engage in no leisure time physical activity have been in the range of 20-30% for over 20 years. Moreover, over 75% of individuals do not
0 Comments on A note to the White House as of 1/1/1900
I have become a major yoga lover over the past year. If you’ve never taken a yoga class, the only way to describe it would be to say that it is difficult, rewarding, relaxing and rejuvenating all at the same time. It’s about moving, stretching, breathing and being aware; it’s like a combination of pure fitness and meditation all in one. Holding tough poses for several breaths can be challenging at times, but the rewards are tremendous. It’s changed my outlook and helps me think clearer.
Children can benefit from yoga for the same reasons adults can, and they sure do love to practice yoga with their parents!
http://www.clipartheaven.com
Here are just some of the many benefits of yoga:
Increases flexibility (less injuries)
Increases strength
Improves balance
Relieves stress
Builds self esteem
Develops motivation
Improves concentration
Builds awareness
Facilitates calmness
Improves posture
Improves attitude
Promotes healthy living
Develops listening skills
Improves digestion
Improves coordination
Helps maintain an efficient metabolism
If these were not enough reasons to introduce your child to yoga, here are more:
Yoga is not competitive
It does not matter what level a child is at to reap the benefits
A child does not have to be athletic to practice
A child does not have to be flexible (flexibility improves with regular practice)
Yoga is something parents can do with their children.
Yoga is fun!
0 Comments on Why Should Children Practice Yoga? I’ll Tell Ya All About It! as of 1/1/1900
Malibu, California, 1920s. via Flickr user dcwooten.
By Erik N. Jensen
Summer officially arrived on June 21, and as Americans anticipate lounging by pools and vacationing on beaches, they also look in the mirror and worry about how that midriff will look, once it’s squeezed into a swimsuit. Despite the country’s rising obesity rates, our society has not grown more accepting of different body types and sizes. We seem, if anything, to have become less accepting of them. Women in the 1950s and 1960s, a recent New York Times article noted, didn’t mind a muffin top here or a bulging thigh there, but “Today, it’s assumed that only the lean, muscular, hairless and ab-defined will feel comfortable in a bikini.”
That lean, muscular, and ab-defined standard would have looked completely familiar to women (and men) living in the 1920s, however, and there are some remarkable similarities between the physical ideals of that post-WWI decade and those of today. Then as now, society placed a premium on achieving streamlined, athletic bodies in men and women alike, and this was perhaps nowhere so true as in interwar Germany. A 1925 essay in a German magazine foreshadowed the spirit, if not the phraseology, of later Elle and Seventeen articles when it decried the “flabbiness and muscular atrophy” of the unexercised body and instead promoted “slender… taut-breasted girls” as the new ideals.
Photo by Vern C. Gorst. c. 1929-32. via UW Digital Collections.
In an episode that would strike terror in the hearts of every self-conscious beachgoer today, Germany’s very first democratically elected president of the new Weimar Republic, Friedrich Ebert, suffered the humiliation of having an unflattering photograph of himself in a swimsuit published on the cover of Berlin’s leading illustrated weekly on the day of his inauguration in August 1919. Political wags compared him to a walrus, and, within weeks, satirists from across the spectrum had spliced his image into a slew of mocking (and widely circulated) postcards, posters, and cartoons. They presented Ebert’s slightly sagging body (the man was 48 years old, after all) as a metaphor for his incapacity to govern the country, portraying him as literally unfit to lead. The relentlessly mocking tone of those media criticisms makes Us Weekly’s contemporary ridicule of celebrity cellulite seem gentle by comparison.
The quest for a toned body in 1920s Germany, though, was not just about looking hot in a bikini (which, in any event, wasn’t even invented until after World War II). It was also about counteracting the negative consequences of an increasingly mechanized and sedentary lifestyle. At the same time, as the economy sped up, business leaders insisted that their workers needed to keep pace. A modern society, in short, demanded modern bodies.
Here, too, a comparison of the body cultures of Weimar Germany and of our own society reveals striking parallels. When Business Owner magazine
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Women are givers. Women writers are some of the most giving people I know.
We tend to have stronger relationships because of it–with babies, grown children, friends, and extended family.
But unless you learn how to balance all this giving with replenishment, you’ll find it nearly impossible to write.
Gift from the Sea
It has been a particularly busy family time the last six weeks, with little sleep and even less time to write. I wouldn’t go back and change any of it either–very rewarding times. But there comes a time when you realize you’re close to being drained. Pay attention to those times, or you’ll pay for it later (in your health, in your lack of writing, and in lack of patience with those around you).
This morning I was reading a bit in one of my favorite little books, Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s book, Gift from the Sea. I re-read it at least once a year. Here are a few snippets that might speak to you giving women:
What a circus act we women perform every day of our lives. It leads …to fragmentation. It does not bring grace; it destroys the soul.
Eternally, woman spills herself away in driblets to the thirsty, seldom being allowed the time, the quiet, the peace, to let the pitcher fill up to the brim.
Only when one is connected to one’s own core is one connected to others, I am beginning to discover. And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best be refound through solitude.
One must lose one’s life to find it. Woman can best refind herself by losing herself in some kind of creative activity of her own.
Is That You?
If you find yourself feeling fragmented and agitated today, find a way to steal away from everyone for even ten minutes of total solitude (and if possible, silence). Breathe deeply. Bring the energy spilled on everyone else back inside for a few minutes. Re-focus. Relax.
If you have a couple hours, get a copy of Gift from the Seaand read straight through it. You’ll love it!
And if you have a couple extra minutes, leave a comment and tell us your favorite way to find solitude–whether for a day or just a few minutes. We all need suggestions for this!
Steve Ettinger is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Personal Trainer. He currently runs his own private training company in New York City. Originally from Southern California, Steve has always enjoyed staying active. Forever an avid soccer player, he has earned several coaching certifications and has spent years working and volunteering in youth sports and physical education. He began training clients while earning a psychology degree from Boston University and worked as a children’s behavior therapist before deciding to dedicate himself to fitness full time.
About the illustrator:
Pete Proctor graduated from Baker University with a degree in Elementary Education. He is a former middle school science teacher and current freelance illustrator. When not busy painting active animals, he enjoys music, fishing and travel. Pete is a Kansas City native where he still lives with his wife, Jennifer, and two kids, Ben and Sarah.
About the book:
Wallie is mostly a wonderful dog, but his super-laziness has become a problem. So his boy convinces him to go on an adventure to get fit. With a little help from a big friend, Wallie learns how to exercise. Will he enjoy the change from pudgy pup to healthy hound or will he return to his lazy ways? Learn important fitness concepts while following Wallie on his hilarious journey to get in shape. A special section with more information and original exercises (performed by Wallie) will get every kid (and pup) excited about exercise.
My take on the book:
Wallie Exercises is a wonderfully engaging and fantastic book for young children! Steve Ettinger’s catchy rhymes had me laughing out loud, and I had a blast reading it aloud to my daughter. Here’s a little sample:
Again Wallie worked without much success,
“Guys, I think I’ve had enough.
For an out-of-shape pup with a big ole gut,
This stuff is all way too tough.
While I was captivated by the author’s rhymes, my daughter adored Pete Proctor’s bright, boldly-detailed illustrations (complete with a fantastic centerfold illustration of Edwin the Exercising Elephant. Seriously, a must see!!!) which matched the action in the story brilliantly.
I think preschool and young elementary children will truly enjoy this light-hearted look at a pivotal issue for our young children today: obesity and fitness. With a little help from his friends, Wallies comes to the conclusion that exercise is fun and good for him. He reaches this conclusion without being lectured too or force-fed exercise regimes. Instead, Wallie sees for himself that exercise can be fun and something he enjoys. I
0 Comments on Book Review: Wallie Exercises as of 1/1/1900
he's so cute! I love those vintage bikes too ... I put my horse with hands on one :) http://snipurl.com/1zwn17 Poor little thing looks so clumsy... BUT! your Petit Monsieur, on the other hand, is adorable!
Hey, if these critters can do it, why can't I? New Year's resolution #1: Do more exercise. This is my first post on M.A. - thanks for the invite! :) visit my blog
I know he looks more like he's in his 80s BUT the title has a nice ring to it this way. Click the image to view on my deviantART! Image opens in new window and looks better in larger scale.
I'm a member of TWV2 - The Writer's View (newbie's group). A recent question about the relationship between our physical fitness and our writing performance reminded me of a post I wrote a year or so ago "Writing Exercises."
Some other members reminded me of the importance of great posture while sitting at the computer, of protecting your wrists and hands from carpal tunnel and
I'm also a member of TWV2. So helpful. And I enjoyed the fitness discussion too. We need to care for ourselves - body, soul and spirit. <br />Great post, Jean. Thanks!
I Am Yoga
The student interest was immediate. Now teachers just have to send their students to the library with a pass to read and ride. For now, the kids are enjoying a new place to move and I am happy to support a building-wide initiative.
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Women are givers. Women writers are some of the most giving people I know.
Oh my gosh what a great ,creative and funny book interview.
The book is so wonderful for kids to read and to learn yoga.
The drawings are so cute.
And the song was a perfect “Fit” with the book.
Rocco was so funny-a great sport-and for a first timer doing yoga –‘Great Job’.
Rocco you should definitly be a comedian–so funny.
Super Interview.
patte
Great interview! Sweet song and kid-topic. Love, love it! Great job Susan, Emily, and as always, Rocco!!
This is a great combo/book and song.