free as wind
A Newsletter from the Center for Sacred Psychology * Vol. 1, September 1995
Children's Corner    |    Warrior's Hoop    |    Elder's Circle
Children's Corner
    Years before the birth of my son I was fortunate to hear the guidance of one of my elders.  She told me that the one regret that people at the end of their life consistently express is that they did not spend enough time with their children while they were young.  I have asked many people about this and her words are consistently validated.  Our children need our time.  The violence that they exhibit is a symptom of the world they are being raised in.  Research reveals that one in three adolescents are in, or have been in, an abusive relationship.  What can be done?  My training teaches me to look in the mirror, to look for my own Shadow.  Thicch Nhat Hanh quoted a Vietnamese poem in his classic The Miracle of Mindfulness.  Hardest of all is to practice the Way at home, second in the crowd, and third in the pagoda."  I must practice "being peace" if I am to be a healing agent in my family rather than

  

     I must practice "being peace" if I am to be a healing agent in my family rather than a destructive one.  My relationship with my family will be the most effective mirror of where I need to grow.  A nine year old is a wonderful teacher for one who wants to learn patience. I can think of no better teacher for tolerance than an adolescent.

     The intent of this column will be to share what we are learning about providing healthy environments for these "co-travelers" who share their entire lives with us.  Send me your stories of what you are learning from articles you have read and your life's experiences.   As a society we do not invest in children or our elders.  I have spoken with students who earn the best grades.  They tell me they would not go to school another day if they didn't have to.  Something has to change.


  

    Armstrong, Thomas (1994).  Seven Learning Styles in Children.  In Who Am I?   Personality Types for Self-discovery.  NY: Tarcher.
Thomas Armstrong, an early proponent of holistic education, reviews the theory of Harvard professor Howard Gardner.   I would refer you to his works for a more in-depth understanding of his theory of multiple intelligences.  Armstrong succinctly introduces these constructs: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and, intrapersonal intelligences. Such diversity allows a much broader range of understanding how children learn, think, and feel.  Daniel Goleman's recent work on emotional intelligence is a natural evolution of this reasoning about what it means to be intelligent.  Introduce yourselves and your children's teachers to these ideas.

www.SacredPsyc.com
1365 18th Street, Ste. 3  |   Vero Beach, Florida 32960
Phone: (772) 569-2239   |   Fax: (772) 365-0386
info@sacredpsyc.com