Helle Heckmann and nokken and the feeding of young children

Helle's dvd was simply inspiring. Her new dvd is entitled...small ones ages one to two years, and is simply astounding. I haven't viewed the entire video yet, but te piece that shpws Helle with a table full of one and two year old children and an assistant, sitting down to snack is inspiring. She really truly holds the form. Thechildren are at ease and know to wait patiently to eat until everyone has been served. Helle is my lead teacher's mentor. Years ago when she took the training, she was paired with Helle. We chatted briefly about Helle's presence with regard to her being so able to hold the form of the mealtime.

Yesterday, i was in the lead position at mealtime, as Kerry needed to step out and converse with someprospective parents. the children had been out of sorts at circle and then at the sitting down at table part following. It took quite alot to bring some degree of peace and order to the group. I found rising within me from my stomach to my throat a type of sternness. Some children and their stools were pulled away from table until their hands could stop banging the table. Finally fire faery came and the children were waiting for their soup to be served. The chaos started to return, but i insisted on quiet at the table. We usually don't insist on complete quiet in the nursery but low table voices instaed. Something inside me felt that i needed to insist on quiet...and i was stern. It seemed to work, they quieted down. Later when we were all outside, i felt a wave of extreme tiredness...it had taken alot out of me to bring that order.

Today when Kerry needed to step out at the same time, it was much easier to hold the form. This time however, she stepped out after blessing. I was not exhausted outside, but energized. I need to think about this some more. Was my etheric drained from the effort of holding the form of the meal? I know i have been getting plenty of rest. Hmmm. I wonder.

Back to the grind

Well, i got back, so excited about sharing what i had learned with my colleagues, but the reality of the daily grind hit me full in the face. We are all so busy...with such full schedules. I personally have children in my care every day but thursday. Yesterday i even overbooked myself and i had. Six children in my care after school. Since it was my first day back, i had energy...but what was i thinking. They all played well and everything was great. But this is definitely not what i would call pacing myself.

Anyway, i haven't had an opportunity to share any of the songs with my lead teacher and co-assistant...let alone the concept i have for my rersearch project. Well actually i did briefly share the research project with my lead teacher...but she gave Me a reality check. She has two children dropped off at 8am. My research idea was to have the three of us have a harmonizing song in rounds for. Five minutes in the morning before we started. And then to see what effect it had on our working togethr more harmoniously. Oh well, what was i thinking anyway...this morning curtis raised a yell out of me as we were struggling with getting ready to go out the door, hence icarrived fiftenn minutes late at work.

Maybe we can sing at the end of the day?

Be like a goat?

Well, I am back in new Hampshire for part two of the Sophia's hearth training course. It is very exciting to be back. 10 of the 12 students are able to attend this autumn session. It is refreshing and invigorating to reconnect with these wonderful women and with my teachers. One of the first lectures was about levity and gravity. This lecture was given by our spatial dynamics/movement instructor, Jane Swain Over the summer we did an exercise with her called the mercury thermometer. This exercise allowed us to see or rather notice where we were personally in regard to our upper and lower planes...were we experiencing too much levity, I.e., blowing off steam, high as a kite, head in the clouds....or were we experiencing too much gravity, I.e., down in the dumps, feeling really low, needing to pick oneself off the floor. Jane had us walk on blanace boards, rubber balls...she had us skate on blocks of wood covered in felt on a smooth cork floor...you should try that some time...you really have to feel your feet.

Time and time again, it came down to the fact that the caregiver of young children must be in a good state in her body. We are showing the child how to be in his body, and we should strive to reach this place of equanimity. For if the caregiver has her head in the clouds...the children in the class might spiral up and out into chaos...a very unsafe feeling place for a young one.

Jane brought the example that we should strive to be like a goat. This was a reference to the old practice of placing a sure-footed, unflappable goat into a paddock with a nervous, high-strung race horse to calm the horse. Just the goat's calm, composed manner was enough to calm the horse down. And if someone"got your goat" they took away your composure. So maybe I should have named this blog "Be Like A Goat" instead of "Be Like A Madonna!"