"Children are born totally present, and healthy relationships are based on full engagement in the present" hence we have so much to learn from our children by learning how to access the same state of presence. This chapter discusses tools to help us with this such as:
- looking closely how the conscious mind can limit the perceptual world
For me this means recognising how I can make everyday activities fun for myself and when I am enjoying life it helps everyone around me to enjoy life
- recognising the culture in which we grow up defines our identity
I understand this to mean we see ourselves as having to be a certain type of 'mother/father', 'wife/husband/partner' 'person at work'. To give a basic example: sometimes this makes me say to myself "I have to cook dinner every night". This is the pressure I alone am putting on myself no one else is saying the dinner has to be cooked......being conscious of where we put pressure on ourselves to have certain things done and therefore not living in the moment and being. The judging of ourselves needs to STOP :) We have a choice!
Brent Cameron discusses Hardings findings and how he has a webcourse to learn his techniques and how we can use them with our children. I am yet to find this on his website but have been in contact with him so will ask about it at a later date.
He goes on to discuss how SelfDesign is a whole mind/whole body learning process....true freedom to be curious enthusiastic and learning within a community, the optimal way of being human.
Let me know what you think of these ideas which is Chapter 0 "Nurturing Genius through Natural Learning"
I love your comments Penny, it makes the book so much more accessible hearing someone else's examples... confirmation this is all going in correctly!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading this chapter last night, I was reminded that no matter what today involved, I'd try and be in the moment as much as possible with the kids... and it's been AWESOME!
We hardly have set meal times (especially when Luke's away at work) and everything we ate today, we made together and had a tonne of laughs along the way.
- And so much 'learning' for us ALL... sigh. A good day :) Now I'm heading back to the book!
Awesome Sadie, the more we can live in the present the more comfortable and "real" it feels doing what ever it is we are doing.
ReplyDeleteI found the part really interesting where it says "our true ability to bond with our children is in direct proportion to our ability to stop thinking, to stop looking at the next "task" or the right path and join them in the moment" this isn't always easy to achieve but it sounds like you were able to get there today, Yay!!