Woman smiling and holding a paper Earth with a paper figure standing on top

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Peace On Earth Puzzle

Woman smiling and holding a paper Earth with a paper figure standing on topAs Earth Day approaches this year, I am struck by what it means to truly foster Peace on this planet. I remember as a child, learning about anti-nuclear protestors who chained themselves to fences and were forcibly removed and jailed. These brave souls became my heroines and heroes in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. I was moved to tears singing Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and hearing stories of civil disobedience and the message of non-violent resistance. Later in the 1990’s, when I danced barefoot on Earth Day, a lump would form in my throat when I celebrated each small victory (and the Gigantic Hearts) of environmental activists who sacrificed so much to save a single tree and worked to preserve open space for our children’s children. Peace.

Last week my seven year old son earned his yellow bandana as a Grounded yogi. Much moved, I watched him tell his yoga students a story. He described a girl who wanted her father’s attention during her father’s important meeting. The father wished to keep his daughter occupied, so he tore off the page of a magazine with a picture of the Earth and ripped it into pieces. Knowing that his daughter was not very adept at geography, he was certain the puzzle would keep her busy for quite some time. The little girl happened to notice that a picture of a person was on the back of the picture of the globe, so she simply put together the picture of the person and then flipped it over to display the completed picture of the world. Her father was astounded at how little time it had taken her to complete the picture, so he asked her how she did it. She replied, “It was so easy, Daddy! Just turn it over and look at the other side.” She further explained, “I put together the person, and the whole Earth came together, too.” Yoga teaches us that we can bring peace to the planet by first accessing the peace within and then sharing it with others. Peace.

Today my heroines and heroes are the children to whom I teach yoga. I am inspired by their stories every day, and I am moved to tears and action as we celebrate together. I dance barefoot with them and piece together the puzzles of our lives. These brave souls teach me how to stay aligned on (and with) the Earth, how to sing, and how to stand up for what is right and true.

One such messenger wrote the following statement about what YOGA IS…. She inscribed this message of Peace in about five minutes. When she shared her words and her Gigantic Heart, I felt a lump form in my throat, and I was reminded of how imperative it is to continue to spread this peace to others. And, so today… I pass along this third graders message to you. Peace.

Yoga is Peace. No fighting is involved. As you stretch out, you realize how peaceful it is. It is Smiling girl holding up her handwritten page that begins Yoga is peacealso love. Pure love is a light inside of you. In your dreams it makes a warm glow in your heart. As the light spreads, peace and love spread. It spreads all over the universe. War stops. The injuries are cured. For a moment, there is no such thing as rage or wounds. The light can only be spread by your peace and love. Practice this strategy in yoga. I dream of a world full of love and peace. A world without rage or wounds. And that can only be true if you start it. The warm light is glowing. More people are starting yoga.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti… and Happy Earth Day, too.

More to Explore

  • Dr. Suetra presents: Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 1.2 yogah citta vritti nirodhah

    Yoga is the stilling
    of the changing states of mind~
    The act and policy of
    No chitta* left behind.
    Yoga is the re-channeling
    of habits of the mind~
    Capacity for Contentment grows
    And Vrittis* get declined.
    Yoga is the resolution of
    the agitations of the mind.
    A uniting of consciousness in the
    heart of all mankind.
    Yoga is the settling of the
    mind into silence.
    Nirodha* the misconceptions,
    And ignorant defiance.
    Yoga is the deepness
    In the lake of tranquility~
    Out of the surface ripples~
    And into heart’s reality.
    Yoga is a gentle
    Process of release~
    A settling into the
    Natural state of peace.
    Each inhale think calm~
    Each exhale think peace.
    Favor these words~
    Your distractions will decrease~

  • Lasagna Savasana

    Sedef Dion who teaches a Pre-Grounded class at Springs Yoga shared with me the story of a four year old girl who in the cutest way mistakenly called Savasana….Lasagna. This inspired me to write a Savasana visualization with a Lasagna theme that Amy and I recently used to connect with our Fernbank Elementary Yoga Club students. After we did our practice complete with the Lasagna Savasana, one of our students..the Principal’s seven year old daughter said…”that was so relaxing…this could help me fall asleep at night”. Since it was her birthday that day, we wanted to put together a recording that her parents could play for her as she lays her head down for a good night rest after a long day.

  • Cat Yoga for Kids: Building Strong Hands, Steady Feet, and Mindful Movement

    In celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, our young yogis stepped into a world of imagination, movement, and mindfulness inspired by the playful rhythm of “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” Together, we explored a creative cat-themed yoga adventure that helped children develop body awareness, balance, strength, and focus while making plenty of wacky and wonderful…

  • Rock Paper Scissors

    In the business of life, we tend to get contracted, even with our yoga practice. We want to be aligned, with good form and practice these principles in sequential order. At times, all of those details can bog us down. Bring playfulness into your yoga practice and think of it like a game. See what part of you is winning in certain poses. Steadiness, Spacious Breath, Hugging the Midline? The directions for Warrior 1 Up are here, but don’t stop there. Think Rock, Papers with each pose and notice what becomes more clear.