June 25, 2023 In celebration of St. John’s Day and the Living Art of Nurturing Care, I share a festival tradition that nurtures the adult self. I hope you appreciate the gesture and invite you to perhaps take up something of it into your own Midsummer traditions. Today marks St. John’s Festival, and Summer Solstice, […]
Living Arts Weekly: Midsummer Self-Reflection and Contemplation Read More »
May 21 2023 This week’s article is a lovely bit of poetry written by LifeWays’ Board President and Representative Site Coordinator, Shanah Ahmadi. She is also the Director and founder of the Rose Rock School and LifeWays Representative Center in Norman, Oklahoma. May Day Signifies school year’s end, celebrating triumphs and making amends. Revolutions round the
Living Arts Weekly: May Day Poetry Read More »
April 30, 2023 This week’s article was written by our friend, Judith Frizlen, veteran early childhood educator and author of several books. Judith is also the facilitator for our on-demand online course, Creating Home Away from Home. You can read more from Judith at her website here. When I started teaching over three and a
Living Arts Weekly: Karma, Alignment, and Destiny Read More »
April 16, 2023 The children of my kindergarten class have loved playing circle games this year. They have played some traditional ones that involve chasing, but more often, I have exercised my creativity to make up new ones along themes they enjoy, or movements and gestures they need. I have included a few today for
Living Arts Weekly: Spring Circle Games Read More »
It was the summer of 2005. I was 27 years old and a single mother of three beautiful and amazing children. My children were aged 8, 3 and 1 ½ so I’d already spent my short stint in “adulthood” as a caregiver. I had worked in daycare centers, participated in cooperative preschools and I had
How Mountain Bluebells Came to Be by, Lista Vergith Read More »
April 2, 2023 Festivals are universally-shared celebrations of life, and they are as diverse as the people of our beautiful planet. In celebration of the festival traditions that bring us together, we would like to share with you the experiences of several members of our LifeWays family this year, all from different walks of life
Living Arts Weekly: Stillness in Ramadan Read More »
Every time that we interact with a child is an opportunity to imbue their soul with a conditioning that has the possibility to nourish their mental and social health for a lifetime. It sounds like a big responsibility because it is. Children look to those who care for them for the answers on how to
Speaking Our Children Into Being~ By Sharon Lacay Read More »
There is a sweet and gentle evolution toward the relationship between language arising in children and story. It starts with Mama humming, surrounding the child with soul music that envelops the young child. Then comes lullabies, crooning, comforting songs sometimes just soundings such as luuly, luulay…bringing soft consonants in a rhythmic sing-song. This then took
When I was 21 I went on a 10 day silent meditation retreat with no cell phones, books, or journals. It was a time of simplicity and rhythm and 10 hours a day of contemplation. People often asked me what that experience was like. What was most fascinating to me was at the end of
Connecting through Silence, by Sarah Canga Read More »
From LifeWays Practices (Specific to the Infants section): Clear, articulate, melodic speech is expected of the caregivers when speaking to the infants throughout the day. “… speaking to the infant throughout the day.” Diapering is one such routine repeated throughout the day (and night!) five to seven times daily for two-plus years— perhaps the most frequent
Diapering for Connection and Communication, by Chris Lester Read More »
