Shri Rama and Shambary

Script for a children’s play

The play was written and staged in Togliatty Sahaja Yoga Kindergarten (Russia) in 2009.

Characters:

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Sita
• Shabary

Author: In an Indian village, there lived a poor old woman. Her name was Shabary. She was so old that it was difficult for her to walk and she had lost almost all her teeth. But in spite of this she was very humble to God and every day she went to the temple of Shri Vishnu to clean the temple and to surrender to God.

Shabary comes in, she moves with difficulty. She comes to the temple, sweeps all around, rings the bell hanging at the entrance of the temple and makes Aarti with an incense in front of the picture of Shri Vishnu (or Shri Mataji). Then she sits down and meditates.

Shabari knew that the incarnation of Shri Vishnu – Shri Rama – was

Handmade Vases. Do-It-Yourself for Children of Any Age

These beautiful vases were made by the kids aged from 1,5 to 7,5 eyars old at the meditation&art meeting for children we have held this month. To learn more about the meeting and to learn the instructions how to make such beautiful things you are invited to visit the “Parents’ Ideas” blog: Handmade Vases – by Children of Different Age, or the 2nd Meeting of the Children’s Art-Group

So, the vases are ready. But is it really a vase if there is no bouquet in it?!

A couple of days before the meeting of the art-group I

The Bullock Cart – A Story about Equality

by Sia Reddy

On a farm in the heart of India, there lived a farmer and his wife. They were rather poor, but earned their living by collecting milk from all the farms in the area to sell it on the market in the city.

One day, like all the other days, the farmer set off to work. He fed the oxen and attached them to the cart. Everything seemed to work smoothly, until the front wheel started to speak.

“I am so great. Look how well I am made. The best iron bars have been used to shape my wonderful, round frame. The wood is still in brilliant condition after so many rides and see, what a beautiful pattern I make in the earth! Without me, this whole cart would not move an inch!”

“You are terribly vain, dear wheel” called one of the wooden planks. “Without us, there would be no cart! We planks are holding the whole cart together, keep the milk from falling and offer our farmer a place to sit.”

“Well, maybe.” Said the wheel. “But after all, I and my three wheel brothers are

The Benefit of Footsoaking for Children

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

Camomile from Maple Seeds. Crafts for Kids Using Natural Materials

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

Shanti Hears Her Inner Voice or We Are Messengers

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.

Sahaj Music for Children online

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

Christmas Tree from Maple Seeds

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

What to Train a Baby During the First Year of His Life?

“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

Parents’ Ideas

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