Weekly Om
Virtues
Recently I began teaching yoga in my daughters' kindergarten and elementary classrooms. The age range is from 5-10 and they are all very eager to learn.
The time spent with these kids has really become a favorite part of my week. I teach them how to breathe properly, how to focus and how to move their bodies consciously. It's refreshing to see how "awake" these kids are. How open to the Universe they are. How full of life they are!
Since yoga isn't all about movement, this year I decided to teach the children a new virtue every week. When we really dive into yoga, not just the postures that is, we realize that the poses are only 1/8 of the science of yoga. Yoga is so much more! So what better demographic to bring this to than our children who are already there in consciousness anyway!
After about 40 minutes of playing games with our yoga postures, I asked the children if they knew what a virtue was. I got blank stares in every classroom. Some said "being grateful" and I heard "being nice", which was great! But I was surprised that most kids did not know what a virtue was.
So I defined it for them: a virtue is a character trait or quality, valued as being "good". It can also be defined as promoting individual and collective well being. Sounds like the Yamas and Niyamas in yoga to me!
When I created this program, as a busy parent myself, I realized that sometimes we don't have time to really focus on essential virtues with our kids. The paradox is that above all else, virtues are necessary tools to life.
If it's so important, and we can all agree that it is, why aren't the kids learning it in school? I never remember learning any of this in school. Some teachers I talk to say that this is something that the parents should be teaching their kids at home. (there's that word should again!) But what if they aren't learning it at home, then what?
Our kids are inundated with academics - when is there time for virtues? We have to make the time and it's never too late!!! As a first grader my daughter already spends 45 minutes a night on academic homework. Now she spends 10 minutes on virtue Omwork too!
Understanding virtues is not rocket science. It's easy and so needed in our society. We are getting hung up on academics and technology with our kids. Eventually, they will learn to use a computer, they will learn to read....NOW is the time to reinforce virtues and values in them. They already know this stuff and they can validate it in their minds and hearts as they learn all the other things they need to know to make it in this world.
I want to be clear here...some of you are already teaching your kids these things. If you are great! Your kids are fortunate. It can be done through a church, synagogue or any other type of Sunday school classes. If you're not (because I wasn't when I was working full time), take the time now. I know it's difficult with all the other things we do as parents. But really, it's as simple as this:
every week look up a virtue on the Internet. Make that week a week of gratitude, responsibility, service, humility or whatever virtue you pick. Give them rewards for displaying these virtues - reinforce that fabulous behavior!
It's really fun to see them get it but it's even more inspiring to remind ourselves about how important virtues are in our society that relies on technology to communicate.
Be the change you want to see - get back to the basics again! Have a fabulous day everyone!
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