It was in Sahaja Yoga that I first learn about the beneficial influence on the organism of baths for feet. Negative energies that we could “pick up” during the day go into the basin with water and salt. Peace sets within, negative thoughts and emotions leave us, sleep improves. And imagine how surprised I was when I found out that doctors also recommend keeping our feet in the water of comfortable temperature where some sea salt is added. Moreover, they advise to do it both for adults and kids.

Last month, the doctor who came to make a professional massage to our toddler told us something about footosoaking. Our little girl (17 mo) keeps her feet in the basin with water and salt two times a day since she turned 1 year old. She does it at the same time with us (in the morning and evening). The masseur explained to us the benefit of this activity from medical point of view:

• the nervous system relaxes – the child becomes more peaceful;
• the salt clears the body of chemical waste drawing it out from the organism through pores.

In fact, if our daughter is in a gloomy mood it is just enough to do the footsoaking together with her for her state to improve for the better.

And today the neurologist who we attended on a routine basis prescribed our little girl the same method for strengthening her legs. When I asked the doctor what the benefits salty water are, she answered that the minerals which sea salt contains go into the organism through the pores and strengthen muscles and bones. It is very important especially when the baby starts walking as sometimes because of the underdevelopment of muscles and tendons little children can have problems with legs at this early age. And of course, there are plenty of impressions coming from the surrounding world and that is why it is also important to support the child’s nervous system.

How to Do Footsoaking in the Right Way?

Pour some water of comfortable temperature into the basin (which you will use only for this purpose). Add a spoonful of salt. Pour also water in some jar/pan to swill your feet afterwards. Do not forget to prepare a towel.

It is recommended to keep one’s feet in the basin for some 10-15 minutes. If you try not to think about anything at that time, it will even bring you more good (at least, try to avoid negative thoughts).

Swill and wipe your feet. Pour the water from the basin into the toilet.

It is recommended to do this simple activity in the morning and evening (at least, in the evening).

The neurologist’s comment: “warm water helps us to relax and cold water – to pull ourselves together”.

How to Make a Little Child Do Footsoaking?

Actually, it is very easy. If parents do it, the baby wants to do the same by all means. When our daughter is keeping her feet in the basin with water and salt, we watch some positive video together with her: usually about children (like “Nine Months Together”). But those can also be movies about nature, animals… Sometimes I show her pictures or photos. And sometimes I sing for her.

Anastasia

It is very auspicious for the child’s development to draw his attention to nature in all the possible ways: to observe natural phenomena together with him, to find flowers and leaves and then make beautiful bouquets from them, to feed birds outside, etc. One more way is to use natural materials in arts and crafts.

Here is a picture of the camomile we’ve made together with our little daughter (16 mo) this autumn. Do you think it is not possible to make crafts with such little toddlers? We invite you to read more about this activity for kids in our blog “Parents’ Ideas”.

Anastasia

More articles on crafts with children:

ChristmasTree from Maple Seeds

Do-it-yourself for 3-year-olds

Applique Work from Leaves

Roses from Leaves

by Sia Reddy

Early one morning, Mum, Dad, Shanti and her little brother were sitting in meditation. Mum was leading the meditation and asked everyone to put their right hand on the left swadisthan. “Shri Mataji, please give me the pure knowledge,” Mum said and everyone repeated after her. Daddy even worked on his left swadisthan with a candle - Shanti would have loved to do that, but she knew she was not allowed to do it on her own yet. After some time Mum asked everyone to put the left hand on the right swadisthan and say “Shri Mataji, You are the Doer. You do everything. I am not doing anything.”

“What does this mean, Mummy?” Shanti asked.

“See, Shri Mataji is the doer. We are only the messengers,” Mummy answered.

“What is a messenger?” Shanti asked.

“The postman is a messenger for example. He does not write the letters, but he delivers them, so that they reach the right destination…look, that is interesting: In the word “destination” is the word “destiny”, which means; a destination is, where things are MEANT to go. Angels are messengers; messengers of God. We are also messengers or tools, instruments through which the Divine plays – like a flute. The flute itself is hollow, Shri Mataji once explained to us. It is not making any music on its own. Only if Shri Krishna blows into it, then the music is being born, through the flute as a channel, as a tool. Like this, we also have to be empty, thoughtless, and listen deep inside to what Shri Mataji is telling us.”

Shanti thought for a minute, then she turned to Mum again. “So, if the postman is the messenger, if he is the one who brings the letters to the people, are we messengers of Shri Mataji?”

“Yes” Mummy replied. “We are there to give realisation to the people, to pass on Shri Mataji’s message. But it is Shri Mataji who sends it. That is why we pray at the left swadisthan level to receive the pure knowledge from Shri Mataji – inside. If we listen inside, we might hear what Shri Mataji says to us.”

Shanti closed her eyes and just a short while later turned to Mum. “Shri Mataji said that it is the love. That we have to give love to the people.”

“Exactly” Mum replied, excited about the beautiful words Shanti had just said. “We spread the love, Shri Mataji’s love”.

But Shanti was not finished. “Shri Mataji said, I should sit properly. Look, Mummy, I have bent my feet to the side like this.” Shanti instantly corrected her sitting position and continued. “Shri Mataji said, we should respect other chidren and not hit them.” Mum ran her fingers through Shanti’s locks, as she always does when Shanti talks very sweetly.

“It is great to see, that you can hear Shri Mataji so well,” she said.

“Can you not hear Shri Mataji?” Shanti asked.

“Not as well as you I guess. You are young and innocent. You can surely hear Shri Mataji a little better than me.”

Shanti closed her eyes and a few minutes later continued to tell her family, what she heard her inner voice say. “I asked Shri Mataji if I could have a lot of friends, and Shri Mataji said ‘Don’t worry, you will have many friends.’ And then She said ‘I will bless you.’ ”

“Where did you hear Shri Mataji, sweetheart?” Mum asked. “All over my body!” Shanti answered, beaming with joy.

Mum gave her eldest daughter a tight hug and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “I am very happy that you are listening inside so nicely! There will be times when Mummy or Daddy won’t be around to tell you things. But Shri Mataji is always there to give you the answers you need. You just need to be open to listen to them.”

Vibrations were flowing so nicely that morning even though there had been a lot of talking going on during the meditation. But what can you say…If Shri Mataji said such beautiful things to Shanti, isn’t that the best meditation ever?

More stories by Sia Reddy

Shanti Cannot Sit Still or the First Step

Children and parents can enjoy beautiful Sahaja Yoga songs for children here.

These Christmas Trees were made from maple seeds at the Sahaja Yoga classes for children (at the creative part of them) in Novosibirsk, Russia

“There are five different subjects in which an infant must be trained in the first year: discipline, balance, concentration, ethics, and relaxation.

When once friendship is established with an infant the guardian is able to attract its attention and the infant will respond to the guardian. And that must be the necessary first condition; that condition must first be produced before beginning education.

When once an infant begins to respond fully to the guardian, then discipline can be taught; but not by anger, not by agitation, as the guardian very often does; for an infant is often very trying, and is sometimes more stubborn than any grown-up person can be, and most difficult to control.

The best way of teaching the infant discipline is without agitation, without showing any temper or annoyance, only repeating the action before it. For instance, the infant wants something which it should not have, while the guardian wishes that it should play with a particular toy. This toy must be given continually into its hand; and when the child throws it away, or when it cries, give it again; and when the child does not look at it, give it again. By repeating the same action you will bring the infant automatically to respond to you and to obey. It is a wrong method when the guardian wishes to control an infant and wishes to teach it discipline by forcing a certain action upon it. It is repetition which will bring about discipline. It only requires patience. For instance, if the infant is crying for its food or for something else when it is not the time for it, one should attract its attention towards something else, even against its wishes. The best thing is repetition.

Balance can be taught to an infant by bringing its rhythm at the moment when it is excited by a certain action, to a normal condition. For instance, when an infant is very excited, then the rhythm of its action and movement is not normal. By clapping the hands, or by rattling, or by knocking on something one can make the rhythm of the infant change to one’s own rhythm; because any noise will attract an infant, and a noise made in a certain rhythm will influence its rhythm according to it. However excited the infant may be, begin by making some noise in its rhythm, and then bring it to a normal rhythm. For instance, if a rattle or something similar is first moved with the infant’s rhythm, and then moved gradually in a slower rhythm, the infant will come naturally to that rhythm. The excitement will abate; the whole condition of the infant’s mind, the blood circulation, the movements, the expression, everything will change to a normal rhythm.

There are three rhythms. There is a rhythm of passiveness, where the child is not active at all. That means the child is not well or there is something wrong with it, something that should not be. There is a second rhythm where the child is active but not excited; that is the normal rhythm. And there is a third rhythm where the child is excited. That excitement must be brought to the second rhythm, where the child was active but not excited. This can be brought about by giving a child what it likes. If it does not like one toy, give another toy; and if not that toy, another toy, and yet another toy. In this way do everything to occupy its mind, so that for some moments it will keep to one thing.

The excitement of an infant is the changing of the rhythm; for the infant has no control over its own rhythm. It goes on at a greater and greater speed, until it cries or laughs. And the laughter or the cry is just the same. On the one side the infant will laugh and on the other side cry, because its rhythm is not normal. It can only be brought to a normal condition by the guardian’s effort. But if one gets agitated or does not like the infant or is displeased with it, then one cannot help it.

Should one stop an infant from crying? It is better to distract the mind of a child that is crying than to let it cry, but at the same time it is very natural for a child to cry sometimes. If the child does not cry, it means that there is something lacking in it, that the child is not normal. One must use discretion in how much one allows the child to cry and when to stop it. One can allow it to go as far as a certain rhythm; when it has reached that rhythm, then it must not cry any longer; that is the time to stop it. But when a mother, annoyed with the infant, stops its crying the moment it begins, it has a bad effect on its nervous system. And very often a guardian will put the child into the cradle or somewhere else to cry by itself. But that means leaving it in the same rhythm, and that does not help. In that way the child will become worse and worse, and more and more nervous every day.

And now regarding the concentration of an infant. Toys with different colors, fruits, flowers, things that attract an infant should be brought before it, whatever attracts most; and then one must try and attract its attention to that particular object, let it play with it, let it look at it, be interested in it. In this way the guardian can develop in the child the faculty of concentration, which will be of the greatest importance when it is grown-up. If this quality is not developed, it will be very difficult for the child to concentrate when it grows up. Besides that, one brings a great interest into the life of the child when it begins to concentrate. And the child concentrates without knowing it. Give it any beautiful thing it likes to amuse itself with, and if its fancy is taken by it, if it is absorbed in it, the child will concentrate naturally upon it. It is good for the child, for its soul and its body, because concentration is all the power there is.

Regarding ethics: this important word is used here, but in reality, the greatest ethics or morals that one can learn in life are friendliness, which culminates in generosity; and it is never too soon to cultivate this seed of morals in the child. When you give something to an infant which it likes, and with friendliness and sympathy and love you ask the child to give it to you, that brings about the feeling of giving and at the same time the feeling of friendliness. Very often the infant is not willing to give, but that means it is not trained to do so. You do not need to force it out of its hands, but by having patience and repeating your wish that the object may be given you, in the end the infant will give it. It may be that the first three or four times, if the child is very tenacious by nature, it will refuse, but in the end it will give it to you; and in this way it is taught the essence of morals.

Should one teach an infant that there are certain things it owns and other things which do not belong to it? Whatever an infant sees, whoever it belongs to, the infant owns it, and owns it as its birthright. it has not yet awakened to this world of limitations, of divisions. All that is there belongs to it; it really belongs to the infant. It is our consciousness of duality that makes us poor. The infant is rich, richer than anyone in this whole world. The infant has the riches of God; because, as everything belongs to God, so, too, everything belongs to an infant. And therefore there is no desire on the part of an infant to own anything: the infant owns all things. It is experience of the world that gives the child, as it grows, the desire to own, because then it becomes limited; then there are things which belong to others and certain things which belong to the child, and this means limitation.

Sometimes people think, ‘Is it not wrong in a way to make a person generous in this wicked world, where everyone wishes to snatch away everything from everybody he sees? And especially all the simple people who are giving, who are generous, they are the ones who do not take, but others do.’ The answer is that a selfish person is his own enemy. He thinks that selfishness is profitable, but his own action works against him. It might seemingly give him success. By selfishness he might earn riches or by a tenacious quality hold on to position, rank or something else; but at the same time he is defeating his own object, he is making himself weak. Besides in the end, whatever be one’s experience, one will come to the realization that from those who pursue the world, the world runs away, and those who turn their backs on the world, the world follows. The spirit of all morals and ethics is friendliness, learning to sacrifice and learning to serve; and that last lesson can be given first to an infant.

Finally we come to relaxation. The infant can become very troublesome to the guardian and to others if it has not learned relaxation properly. But relaxation is learned by an infant much sooner than by a grown-up person. One only needs to put the infant in an even rhythm, to give it calm and quiet surroundings, to place it in a comfortable position, to make passes over the child to give its nervous system rest, looking into its eyes with sympathy and with the thought of its going to sleep, producing by one’s own thought and feeling and atmosphere a restful and peaceful atmosphere for an infant so that it can experience relaxation.

It is very necessary for these five different subjects to be taught in infancy. Besides that, regularity should be observed in everything concerning an infant. In its food, in its sleep, in everything there must be regularity, because nature is rhythmic. The four seasons come regularly; the rising and the setting of the sun, and the waxing and the waning of the moon, all show that nature is rhythmic. By observing the rules of regularity with an infant one can build a foundation for a soul to grow up most successfully…”

Source:

The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Education.
Chapter I. The Education of the Infant

In May 2008 I, the one who manages this blog, became mother. A daughter arrived in our family. And since that time I’ve been getting experience on how to be a mum myself, on how to raise, bring up, develop the baby and care for her. Together with one more young mother, we have started a new blog “Parents’ Ideas” to share the experience we have been getting.

Since we became mummies, our life has changed for ever. We have learnt to INVENT – thanks to our babies.

Life with kids is easy! Sounds strange? Sleepless nights, a stream of new responsibilities, all the habits and hobbies aside – in an endless care for the baby – how can it be easy?

It’s easy to become more organized and dynamic when this precious little life depends on you. It’s easy to be resourceful and ready-witted if you have only 24 hours a day. It’s easy to feel new strength and talents within: they are born spontaneously – in answer to difficulties and joys of new life. And, finally, how easy it is to be happy when your kid is beside you! And all these sweet tokens of childhood, too!

The blog “Parents’ Ideas” tells how to make life with the kid easier and more harmonious inventing each and every minute. Wonderful ideas, parents’ tips and tricks, wisdom, lifehack – all these are our personal experience, the experience of our friends and the fruit of “collective mind” found in the wide space of the Internet. We are happy to share all these with You – on the pages of “Parents’ Ideas”.

And we will also be happy to get your advice and ideas! Let’s invent together! You can contact us leaving a comment or sending us an e-mail: info @ parentsideas.com (be sure to delete the space in the e-mail address; it is left to avoid spam).

You are very welcome!

Illustration

by M. Rudachenko to “Allow to Take Your Dog for a Walk” by Y.Yakovlev, 1990.

Dear All,

Gabriel, Shyam and Thierry, three Sahaja Yogis from France came to Lebanon for 4 Musical PPs from 8 to 11th February 09. They were very sweet and very kind and supportive who showed how collectivity should work out. Not only their music is amazing but also their Spirit…

They played the Harmonium, Tabla and Marasca and other kinds of percussion.

At school, on 11th February 09, there were several music progs (it was decided suddenly on 10th February, without organizing for it, and worked out perfectly without any effort!!!!). Kids from grade 1 till grade 8 received Selfrealization.

The introduction was that this music will help them getting better school results, better concentration and better attention and that this is done in the schools in France and children’s results are getting higher and better results and not only at school but in life…

The kids were told (from 6 to 10 years old) the story of Ganesh who lived in Himalaya. Ganesh spoke an Indian language… very brave and courageous and do you know what he is famous of doing? (he respect and loves His Mother.) He went to the forest to get some wood. (some addings: he heard noises, he looked up, down… saw nobody… and while telling this story kids enjoyed to act also by looking up down, behind…) it was his best friend Hanumana -do you know what hwe can do? he has special powers- Hanumana can fly in all directions (here kids enjoyed imitating flying with their hands…) because he felt in the magic potion when he was a little kid. Also he can transform himself into a very little ant or may become very very big like an elephant.

When they came back home (with music describing the feet walking), all the houses were in fire and nobody in their village except a little boy weeping … (Gabriel was acting and palying music to every new event or change like a special sound when Ganesha walks to the forest…)

So they all went to the sage of the forest who advised them that only the fairy of the forest will save them… And indeed the fairy of the forest said, “you came to the right place…” and she helped Ganesha opening the 7 flowers inside him which contains the strongest armies on earth of different colors and fragrance (here also kids helped Ganesha with their right hands raising Kundalini many times with a special sound, “Oopla” or “Oops” maybe ). The best flower was on the head made from all the fragrance and all the colors (the kids were asked to guess how many petals she has got, so the kids had to answers and one of them could guess 1000 petals…)

Also the kids to help Ganesha open His Sahasrara flower, they did massage on their head, to see if they feel hot their flower didn’t open yet, and the kids who felt cool over their heads, it means their flowers had opened…

And then Shri Ganesha went to the Rakshashas (or bad people) who were very very big like a mountain and treathen them, if they don’t release the villagers with his father and mother, he will destroy them completely… so they laughed at him, how can a little boy like an ant destroy them… So Ganesha sit, closed his eyes and started his meditation and the 7 flowers inside him started opening and spreading their fragrance everywhere which made the Rakshashas very very angry to smell it and in front of Ganesha’s courage… and they started attacking Ganesha, but an army went out of the flowers and destroyed all the Rakshasas (or evil people) till the last one… Also another adding to this story about 2 flowers in the heart, which has the best weapon of Love and on the head (the power of Love : Best Weapon…)

When all the rakshashas were destroyed, all the doors opened by itrself and all the villagers were released… So they made a very big celebration, all the villagers participated (here the kids joined this celebration and performed a dance 8 steps to the front and 8 steps to the back. Then the same steps to the left and to the right…)

For the bigger kids, they explained about the music therapy, the sounds which activate each chakras (sa re ga…) and students repeated these sounds with the music (like sa re ga…), Also few banjhans like Ganesha, they clapped and also performed a dance at the end. The last class of grade 8, at the end one of the student played very well on the percussion called Derbakeh!!! After Realization they felt cool over their head…

The school social assistant said that he is doing activities to almost all the schools in Lebanon and he is very interested to introduce SY in all these schools…

Also the assistant director was very interested to make more S. activities for kids so they can reduce their stress and violence (most of them have problems in their family and the school is poor and cannot afford to pay….) She also received it and said that she really needs it for the daily stress… she was very happy to start for little kids a program every wedensday.

Jai Shri Mataji!

The first term in this academic year in the Sahaja Kindergarten “Cool breeze” has finished. The term has turned to be full of creativity. Everything started with a big sack of beautiful cloth of different types which was sent to us by Sahaja Yogis. When the sack was opened, the atmosphere was filled with a storm of creative ideas.

For the first autumn children’s party, marvelous costumes for kids (“September”, “October”, “November”, “mouse”, etc.) were ready. Then the turn of theatre puppets came. The puppets put on panjabis, saris and beautiful dresses. Then an idea came to make dolls for teaching. Their clothes (depicting different aspects of the chakras) became the material for Sahaja lessons. We had also got ideas for the performances about Deities: costumes of Deities were also made from the presented cloth. The children were very interested. Till the end of the term, they joyfully staged the stories and invented their own ones dressed in these costumes.

Art dwelled at the educational lessons, too. The children created such beautiful collective paintings studying collaboration with each other! They got much experience and made many experiments when studying the world around: they learnt to recognize fruits by their smell, taste, studied the meaning of muscles and spine, etc…

When we were preparing for the final party, first we thought to make something devoted to the New Year’s Eve. But looking through the window at almost green grass and complete absence of snow, we got another idea. We used the experience of Borotin Sahaja School (Check Republic). The final party consisted of short performances about the Deities prepared by the children and adults. The costumes made by mothers-Sahaja Yoginis of different cities helped us greatly. The children staged the scenes from the lives of Shri Ganesha, Shri Krishna, they made a dance to “12 Names of Shri Ganesha”, sang songs and the adults showed the performance based on the fairy-tale “How the Greedy Neighbour Was Corrected”.

When the party was over, everybody had a feeling that we were like “at home”. And the most important thing was that the whole atmosphere was filled with pleasant coolness which washed our hearts and plunged us into the Divine bliss.

That is how we live…
Much love,
The collective of the Sahaja Kindergarten “Cool Breeze” (Togliatty, Russia)

by Sia Reddy

It must have been the fifth time during the morning meditation that Mum told Shanti to just sit still! But no use. She is fidgeting around, playing with the song book, and if there is nothing to grab near by, she plays with her toes, her trousers, her fingers…

“Shanti!” Mum scolds again. “Please! I told you! Sit properly! Hands on your lap”. Shanti follows Mummy’s instructions for just about a second, until she finds the pattern of the carpet really interesting again and follows the lines with her fingers.

“Ok”, says Mummy now. “Listen. Why do you meditate? Hm? Tell me.” Almost six years old, Shanti has heard a lot about vibrations and knows a lot of mantras, but she has not yet really thought about WHY she should be meditating…

“To make Shri Mataji happy!” she replies. “That is also true.” Says Mummy. “Of course. But you really meditate for yourself and nobody else, not even Mummy”. “But why?” Shanti asks. “Why do I need to meditate?” “Mummy takes a deep breath and looks at Shri Mataji’s  picture. After about a minute she turns to Shanti and says “Look. When we meditate, all the bad things in and around us run away. We can feel happy and light again. But meditation is so much more than just sitting here. If you imagine meditation being a huge beautiful mountain, we have properly not even reached the first step. But you know what the first step is?”

“No. What is it Mummy?”

“The first step is the “Getting ready part”. Imagine a cup, and you would like to fill it with water.” “Yes, Mum, I can imagine. A cup. Mine is pink!”

“Good. In your mind, turn this cup on its side. Now try to pour water in it”. “I don’t think I can, Mummy” Shanti replies. “Exactly. Now imagine holding it and moving it right and left, and again right, move it all along the table. Now pour the water!” Shanti laughs. “But Mummy, the water will spill all over the place! Maybe just a few drops will be in my pink cup!”. “Exactly” says Mummy. “You cannot turn the cup on its head either, nor can you hide it under the table, if you want to fill it with water. It is exactly the same with your meditation. If you don’t sit still, if you are not ready, like the cup, to receive the vibrations, why should they even try to fill you with love and joy?”

“I see what you mean, Mummy” Shanti replies. “Your ‘getting ready’ ” continues Mum “is so important to show all the deities that you are now ready and willing to meditate. But remember, it is only the first step! What counts is what happens after. This is where your journey really begins. “

Shanti’s eyes shimmered with joy. She closed her eyes and thought of this empty pink cup again. She wanted to be still and ready to be filled like the cup. And before she could even wonder what would happen next, she felt a soothing cool breeze on her hands. Just like that.

“I felt it, it is cool Mummy!” she shouted with excitement. “That is good! Now stay still like the animals in the forest, when they are trying to listen to the sounds of nature, like the stars that are looking down on us and don’t rush around across the firmament, like a lake that lets all the ducks and fish frolic in its water whilst he himself is still and patient. Then, when you are still, you will be joyful. Full-filled!”

Shanti still sat with her eyes closed, only this time she felt no urge to play with her fingers, nor did her eyes open by themselves again all the time, as they usually want to! She just sat there, and it was so easy. The lake….the stars…..the universe, it all made sense. At least for a few minutes. “Can I get the drum and sing Ganesha Ganesha, Mummy?” Mum smiled and replied. “Go on then”.