I Can Be

I had fun talking to everyone at the local LICC conference.  It is always nice to hear how children are enjoying I Can Be.  I continue to be inspired by Moms who let me know that their children love the book.  I can only hope that  I Can Be will continue to touch children’s lives. 

It has been an interesting year.  The good news, both of my boys are healthy and strong.   They both enjoy yoga and karate, and my youngest is taking a special interest in I Can Be.   Last August, a virus attacked my heart, and I had to temporarily stop teaching yoga.  I am now getting back into yoga and feeling much better.  This event changed my focus quite a bit, and I found myself in bed writing and doing other creative projects.  I have a new blog: Angel Garden Guidance.  There, I will be sharing some guidance from my favorite authors and myself to enhance your spiritual life.  In addition, Q & J Bird Press will be releasing its new product on this site very soon.

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!

Christine

I recently returned from exhibiting at the Yoga Health Festival in Los Angeles.  I spent a lot of time at this event educating attendees on SPD.  Only 5 out of the hundreds of people I talked to had ever heard of SPD!  Thank you again to everyone who stopped by my table to chat.

At this event, I also had the pleasure of meeting Celina Miller, publisher of YogaMom Magazine.  This is a great new magazine that celebrates all YogaMoms trying to balance all aspects of their life as well as their yoga practice.  Please visit her website at  http://yogamommagazine.com/

Celina also wrote a beautiful article about I Can Be on her website under the heading YogaKids.  It was a blessing to meet Celina, and I am so honored that she took the time to write such a thoughtful piece.  Click here to read this article.

Namaste to Celina and all YogaMoms out there!

I just received word that I will be receiving my free back issue of SI Focus very soon! 

 Kathleen Morris also informed me that anyone who volunteers to help with the National Sensory Awareness Month campaign in October will receive a free emailed version of SI Focus   http://www.SIfocus.com  just for joining their efforts.  The volunteer packet is full of great information and ideas about hosting an event and raising awareness about SPD in schools and the community.

Please contact Kathleen Morris at kesm@sbcglobal.net to volunteer and help spread the word!  

Check out Good Enough Mama’s blog and the great offer for a free back issue of SI Focus Magazine.  Thank you Kia for your thoughtful words and work!

http://goodmum.wordpress.com/

Christine

Today, I was thinking about our breath.  One of my first yoga teachers taught me that the state of our breath directly reflects the state of our mind.   Think back to the last time you were angry…were you huffing and puffing your breath?  How about the last time you were scared…did you hold your breath?  Anxious…was your breath rapid and shallow?  If we want to calm the mind, we need to calm the breath.

Here is a fun activity for kids from Marsha Wenig author of Yoga Kids. 

“Lie down on your back.  Place a rubber ducky on your belly.  Breathe gently in (your belly rises) and out (your belly button sinks down).  As your belly rises and falls like the waves, your ducky surfs the waves as you inhale (breathe in) and floats as you exhale (breathe out).  Give your ducky a slow and gentle ride with your breathing” (p. 24).

I often practice this exercise with my boys, but I use a  chameleon beanie baby.  They giggle and giggle when they inhale and see the chameleon. 

Here are some great links to gather more information on Sensory Processing Disorder:

The SPD Foundation

http://www.spdfoundation.net/

The Out-of-Sync Child

http://www.out-of-sync-child.com/

Michele Mitchell’s website

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/index.html

Developmental Delay Resources

http://devdelay.org/

I have been having some trouble with time out lately so I have been trying to do more calming activities with my children. A new favorite we learned from our OT is making a tent out of a sheet in one of their rooms. We hang the sheet over a long scarf and put some clips on the top. The boys really like placing the clips on the scarf (good for fine motor skills). When I notice one of the boys getting frustrated, I encourage them to go to the tent for some quiet time. I also give them a flashlight and a book to read. Building the tent is also a nice distraction from whatever was bothering them in the first place.

I think the fact that Sensory Processing Disorder isn’t recognized and understood by many professionals, people, friends, DSM-IV TR, etc..makes it a very difficult experience for mothers/caregivers of children with this disorder. It is almost like alcoholism in a way where people can deny its existence and ignore the pink elephant in the room and become numb to the chaos. This denial weighs heavily on the mother/caregiver experiencing life with his or her child and can make one second-guess her thoughts, experiences, and feelings. Sometimes you could almost slip into this denial when people tell you that they don’t see the things you do or “she will grow out of it.” Not to mention the effects on children with this disorder…leaving them in a nowhereland where services and support can be hard to come by.

Mothers, contine to listen to your inner voice and remain awake and aware! Believe in yourself and your child and know that you have this innate sense to provide exactly what your child needs. I’m saying this to all mothers, including myself, because sometimes I too easily forget how truly connected we are to our children and everything and everyone around us.

I met a friend online who has a great blog http://www.thesimplecajunlife.blogspot.com If you are the mother of a child with sensory processing disorder you will be moved by this blog.  I am especially touched by her recent post, A Little Bit of the Grumblies.  I too have experienced these same feelings. It is posts like this that fuel my fire to keep educating others about SPD and find new ways to support mothers of children with SPD.  Many blessing to this Mom for her courage and light!!!!

Anyone out there reading A New Earth by Echart Tolle? Echart states, “To love is to recognize yourself in another…The longing for love that is in every child is the longing to be recognized, not on the level of form, but on the level of Being…When another recognizes you, that recognition draws the dimension of Being more fully into this world through both of you” (p. 105-106).

Being that I just published a book for children called I Can Be, “being” is a central theme in my life right now. I want to be more aware and present when I am with my children. I want them to feel recognized and loved unconditionally. Any parent or caregiver knows that this can be a difficult task at times.

If you are watching Oprah’s webcasts, being is nothing new to you. Please share with me any ideas or experiences you have on bringing more presence and love into the relationship you have with your children. This can only make the world a better place and may give someone else a new idea on how to make this shift in their life!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Christine