http://urbanhomestead.org/about

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/want-to-feel-more-alive-study-shows-you-need-to-go-outside.php

by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California

We kind of already know this – if not intuitively then through past studies – but a new study has shown that when you spend more time out in nature, you feel more alive. Published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology, the study shows that getting out and communing with nature is better for feeling rejuvenated than reaching for the ever-so-urban cup of coffee. “Nature is fuel for the soul, ” says Richard Ryan, lead author and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. Both physically and mentally, we’re zippier when we step into the wild.

Science Daily writes, “The findings, adds Ryan, are important for both mental and physical health. ‘Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illnesses. One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings,’ says Ryan.”

The idea of getting out in nature to improve our spirits and therefore our physical health goes hand in hand with nature deficit disorder – the diminished use of the senses, difficulty with attention and higher rates of illness associated with an estrangement from nature, from the real world. Past studies have even shown that we’re kinder, more gentle folks when we feel in-touch with the natural world.

It really should come as no surprise that as we pull ourselves away from the world in which we evolved, that sustains us and keeps us ticking, we’re going to function less efficiently. Think about it – how often have we witnessed animals living in captivity just wither away from depression or unexplained illness? Well, humans are animals. We need our green scene.

The authors of this particular study wanted to find out the effects of nature alone, apart from other factors. So, they performed five experiments on 537 college students, including sending them on a 15 minute walk through either a hallway or a tree-lined path, showing scenes of cityscapes or landscapes, and imagining themselves in scenes either sedentary or active, inside or out and with or without others. Across the board, those participants who spent time or imagined themselves in natural settings consistently felt more energetic, and the final results are that if you spend just 20 minutes a day in nature, vitality levels will significantly rise.

“We have a natural connection with living things,” says Ryan. “Nature is something within which we flourish, so having it be more a part of our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built environments.”

So, if you’re feeling tired, listless, worn out, if you’re pooped at parties… Go. Out. Side. In fact, there’s an app for that.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/want-to-feel-more-alive-study-shows-you-need-to-go-outside.php

When the sun goes down, fears come up. The blessing of a transcendent story for any age is that it helps us to escape, to relate, to connect and to understand the perils and magic of our mortal universe.

Great children’s literature assures us that frail looking boys with scars on their foreheads can become heroes, spiders can write words to save lives and bunnies can go to bed fearlessly. Great children’s literature inspires us to want to live backwards: to live as openly and tenderly as a child. Great children’s literature for adults encourages us to live every day with intention to make the world harmonious for children, just as Fern’s father did in Charlotte’s Web when he lowered the ax on that fateful day and spared Wilbur.

Here, below, are my top recommendations for bedtime reading for all ages for the year 2010. In the midst of the swirling clouds of conversations on recession, terrorism threats and environmental anxieties, our great authors, honoring the mysterious yet profound world of childhood, steer us toward peace and community, and the promise of hope in the morning.

The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell: Mooch so wants to give his friend Earl a special gift, but Earl has everything. When Mooch realizes what Earl really wants is nothing, he goes about giving him nothing in a new and wonderful way. What you end with: Mooch and Earl’s simple yet joyous embrace.

Gone Wild by David McLimans: A brilliantly illustrated alphabet book depicting 26 endangered animals. Information is given on habitat and the threats to the animals’ existence. Why we read this: to marvel at inventive art and to get active on protecting our quieter friends in nature.

The Three Questions by Jon Muth: Based on a story by Tolstoy, Jon Muth takes us on Nikolai’s journey to discover his purpose: “When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?” He visits Leo, an old turtle who lives in the mountains. Leo explains, “There is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.” And Nikolai realizes he has been discovering these answers all along. For whom would this book most matter: if every world leader answered the question, “Who is the most important one?” with: “the child”, we would achieve world peace, safety and health.

Haiku Baby by Betsy Snyder: about a bluebird who visits animal friends; the story, of the moon, a flower, and other natural gits is told through haiku. The simplicity and peacefulness of the pictures and words is revelatory. “In tickly-toe grass a buttercup offers up yellow nose kisses.” To remind us to: savor the moments and to cradle the miracles of every day.

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maatthai by Claire Nivola: Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Prize in 2004 for her efforts to repair the environmental damage done to Kenya. She taught women and children to plant seeds and grow trees. Nivola shows the children restoring the health of a country. How this book will inspire: it’s not just Wangari who rallies us; it’s the tenderness of the children and their mothers, taking political action by planting gardens.

Poppy by Avi: Poppy is a mouse who shows tremendous courage on behalf of her people. Although she is by nature shy, she wills herself to stand up to injustice. Inspired by her friend Ragweed, she embarks on a great quest. Why read this: Poppy proves you might be small but you are not insignificant. It is what is within that counts.

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway: Kojo lives in a small Ashanti village. His life is changed when he is given a micro-loan by his village and he is able to buy a hen. His success after this impacts everyone in his community and beyond. Why we all should read this: When we try to figure out what to do to help in this year 2010, this book gives us a good model for how teaching a man to fish is more important than the fish itself.

The Dream Keeper by Langston Hughes: One of the greatest poetry collections ever compiled, The Dream Keeper contains Hughes’ masterpiece, “April Rain Song” as well as “The Dream Keeper” itself. But it is also the small poems that resonate: “I loved my friend/he went away.” What’s important: Langston Hughes shows us that words can change worlds. His poems told the story of a people, in a time, in a place, and that love is always and forevermore the sword of justice.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-allyn/bedtime-reading-childrens_b_416258.html

The drive to Sally Carless’ house is indicative of her nature. The road is a small, private road with huge boulders and wild sage lining its edges. Massive oak trees suspend their limbs above the road, adding a green canopy of vegetation, and breaking up the sunlight with patches of shade. You cross a creek over a small bridge, up a little hill and then back down. There, at the edge of the Los Padres National Forest, with avocado orchards to one side, sits a small older ranch house. Here, surrounded by natural serenity, is where you can find Sally Carless, founder and visionary of Global Village School.

Global Village School is a nonprofit distance-learning school founded in 1999 designed to teach tolerance, practical social activism, peace and an understanding for those of different religions, races, physical disabilities, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Global Village School offers customized K-12 curriculum and a high school diploma program. The School’s mission is to teach children how to become proactive in their own lives for social change and social awareness, while at the same time providing a safe haven for students who are harassed or ostracized in the average school environment. The ultimate goal is to provide a place where everyone “belongs,” and develops a sense of individual self-worth sufficient to produce a conscientious, proactive world citizen.

As one approaches the small ranch house that Sally calls home, it is difficult to ignore the beauty and the peacefulness with which she has surrounded herself. Sally sits at a small table underneath a huge oak tree, her dog by her side. She is unpretentious, dressed in jeans and tennis shoes. She has a gentle, quiet nature and a passionate love of the earth and its inhabitants.

Sally Carless holds a Masters’ Degree in Education, curriculum and instruction, with studies in alternative and experiential education and counseling. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in wilderness recreation, with an emphasis in environmental studies. In addition, she is a California credentialed teacher and has done graduate study in the field of counseling and depth psychology, and she has done extensive training with Jean Houston (Human Capacities Training Program) and Barbara Meister Vitale (Practical Applications of Brain Research).

Ms. Carless is also the founder and former co-director of Ila Wii Chala Summer School, in Redding, California, and has been a director for the American Indian Education Programs, Marysville, California. Sally has been active in curriculum development, teaching, personnel management, experiential and alternative education, and she has been teaching for twenty years. Sally is a true believer in lifelong learning and continues to attend many conferences, seminars and training sessions.

Sally Carless’ peace and diversity school has only been with us for a couple of years (editor’s note:  this was in 2002). But you need do no more than turn on the nightly news to know how urgently this kind of education is needed – globally. Currently the school has only United States students, but the inquiries from around the globe are coming in, and Global Village is in the process of signing up its first student from the Czech Republic.

So what brought on this desire to teach about peace and diversity? And what words of wisdom can Ms. Carless offer on the teaching of tolerance and peace? Ms. Carless has the following to say:

“You can find peace education on the Internet. You can find multicultural education. But they are not generally linked together. The problems, however, have the very same roots – fear, lack of understanding and lack of exposure to those who are different. So that’s how the vision for Global Village came about: minority education grew into multicultural education and into diversity education, and so on, until it became peace and tolerance education.

“Peace and understanding can only come about with personal responsibility and awareness. Our society and many religions teach people to be followers. But in order to build a world with responsible, aware citizens, we must teach our children to think for themselves. And that is where our education comes in. Global Village’s courses provide students with the missing links. Such as, how are human rights and the global economy interrelated? How does it impact a child laborer in Asia when I buy a pair of tennis shoes? What is the true cost of that tennis shoe – not just in dollars, but human suffering? What is the true cost of the electricity I use in my home, of the gas I burn in my automobile?”

Sally saw a need to respect all students. “The advent of schools for minorities was a good starting point. But now we need to take the next step. Because in a minority school, what you have is a group of kids, who, even though they now feel safe within their own group, they still don’t know anything about the other groups. What they learn is still ‘us’ and ‘them.’ And the division is maintained. Global Village is attempting to integrate the minorities and the mainstream, the domestic and the foreign, to produce a microcosm of the real world and to teach all of these students the value of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and social activism.”

Another way in which Global Village addresses personal responsibility and awareness is to introduce students to service learning. The student volunteers to work on a project that improves their community, improves the environment, etc. Generally, the student works with existing advocacy groups like The Humane Society, The La Leche League, Get Out the Vote, or some other special interest group that is helping to improve the world. The student ultimately reports on this project and they are given credits for their “hands-on” learning experience. By volunteering their own time and energy for a project of this nature, the student learns about real world dilemmas and real world solutions firsthand. They use their independent thinking skills and their sense of personal responsibility and awareness to affect the project on which they are working. They learn to be responsible, proactive world citizens. Each child will gain from this experience in their own unique way, but they will all learn that one person can and does make a difference.

Sally continues with her thoughts on teaching peace. “How we are personally affects the whole. If you are peaceful, you have an impact on the world around you. If you are not peaceful, you also have an impact on the world around you. If you are attending a peace demonstration and you act violently or aggressively, you are not truly working for peace. If you work for peace, but don’t want your children associating with that gay couple across the street, then you are not truly working for peace. If we are not peaceful as individuals, how can we have peace in the world? If we cannot individually show restraint in the face of perceived wrongs, how can we expect nations with nuclear weapons to show restraint?”

The vision behind Global Village School is that peace, tolerance and understanding can and must be taught in this ever-shrinking world. “Children don’t start out noticing differences in race. They learn it,” Sally concludes. Children are highly malleable. If a child is taught that they must kill the ‘heathens,’ ‘sinners,’ ‘barbarians,’ he will live that teaching. If, however, a child is taught that we should value our diversity, he will live that teaching. And if a child is taught to think for himself, he will live that teaching as well, and decide for himself. “What we’re talking about here is a higher level of being, a higher level of decision making.”

“Throughout history people have dehumanized the ‘other.’ It was easier to justify slavery, or the stealing of indigenous lands or the murder of people of a different culture or religion or race, if you could convince people that they were ‘less than human,’ that they were ‘savages’ or ‘heathens.’ But the world is much too small now. In the past, people on one side of the world could fight a war and people on the other side didn’t even know about it. Now, not only do we know it instantly, but we are tangibly affected by it. The economy is affected; the environment is affected; our souls are affected. Instability in one area of the world now threatens the stability of all the other areas of the world.”

As the sun begins to sink in the west, a cool breeze drops oak leaves on Sally’s outdoor table. A pink sky paints the whole area with a reddish hue. There is a profound silence as we both contemplate the complex subject that has occupied our afternoon– and much of Sally’s life. An oak leaf lands in my hair, as dozens more dance dizzyingly to the ground. Like the great oak tree that sheds one leaf at a time, we must plant the seeds of peace on earth, one child at a time.

Check out how our website looked during this time period here:  http://web.archive.org/web/20020722010001/http://www.globalvillageschool.org/

Author, Marsha Chandler. Source: http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/multicultural/chandler.htm

My dog runs ahead
her exuberance, her ecstasy
is contagious

I look West
and the full moon
is hanging high in the sky
by an etheric thread

I look East
and the dark sky begins to blaze
from the hidden sun

My big booted feet
take strong, giant steps
The crow of the roosters
Cheers me on

I turn and head for the wild
I lean against a huge boulder
and watch the bright full Moon
Slowly sink

The Earth feels like Eden
Like a playground
Where all we are asked to do
Is feel the forces of Life

The first light of day
A mixture of the sun and moon
Illuminates the world
Everything is aglow

Together we stand
Between the sun and the moon
In a field of joy

I sit now under the Great Oak
A tree so strong, so majestic
So silent, so serene

She is safe here far off the beaten path
Far away from the relentless greed of man

And I am safe here under her canopy
Here I can sit on a cool hard rock
And enter the sacred silence
Here I sit in the greatest cathedral of all
I look up at her awesome branches
Spreading in all directions
Upward and outward

I sit still so I can see Her
I sit still so I can feel Her
I sit still so I can hear Her
Her natural beauty is such a relief
That I cry tears of happiness

I study her trunk
So straight and strong
I see how the base of the trunk grows
Over a huge rock
I can hardly believe this was once a tiny acorn sprout
And now look at Her
See how Her graceful branches touch the ground
A perfect canopy

Now look — see how the huge trunk branches out into eight limbs
Like the eight limbs of Yoga
That we have all but forgotten
My soul cries out for Ahimsa
Non violence, mercy

The silence of the Oak can only go so deep
My mind won’t let me sleep
I cry out for the immense suffering and injustice
For the people and animals
At least people can speak

I cannot forget the pig in the steel crate
When I close my eyes I feel the holy stillness
But I still see the pig

Reign in your wandering mind
For this still moment
Leave the world behind
And focus on the Oak
Relax your clenched fist
Know you have a right to rage and be angry

For now
Feel the sweetness of the great Oak
Hear the coo of the quail
See how the light sparkles on the leaves
See how the sun rises each morning in spite of man’s insanity
See how the Great Oak grows silently

Like the Oak
I have no choice
But to express my true nature.
And revel in the miracle of being

This river bottom poem is dedicated to my daughter,  Monica

The most popular thing to do at New Years (besides drinking champagne) is probably to Make Resolutions. You tell yourself, your friends and your family (and if you’ve overdone it on champagne, perfect strangers!) that next year you’ll do it DIFFERENTLY. Next year, you really are going to lose those extra 20 pounds, even if you have to starve yourself to do it. For a time you stick to your plan. You diet, you join the gym and you lose some weight. Somewhere between Valentine’s Day and June, you lose your momentum. Summer rolls around and you beat up on yourself for not sticking to the diet and you dread putting on a swimsuit. Somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas you realize you really did eat that whole plate of cookies and you swear to fast until New Years so you don’t end the year without losing a single pound! Now it’s New Years Eve and you hate the sense of failure to meet your “resolution”, so you try to muster up some confidence to try again next year. (Maybe this contributes to the amount of champagne consumed on New Year’s Eve!)

Instead of making resolutions, what if you Set Intentions for 2009? Intentions are the “purpose or attitude toward the effect of one’s actions or conduct.” When we set intentions, we give ourselves guiding principles by which to make choices in line with our values. It is a meaningful and powerful way to live. So rather than make a potentially doomed resolution for an arbitrary goal like losing 20 pounds, you may want to set an intention like “I intend to create and enjoy a healthy life style.” With this intention serving as your guide for moment-by-moment choices about food, exercise and self-care, you won’t feel forced to starve yourself or beat yourself up when you get off the plan. And the results may astound you. You’ll find you have a much better chance of losing those extra pounds because real success is a result of mindful choices in line with your intentions.

Sounds simple?  It is!  Living with intention is a mindful way of life, based in both commitment and gentleness. Treat yourself with kindness, compassion and love while staying true to your values and principles, and at the end of the year, or anytime, you will be celebrating true success – a life lived well!

I used to be an activist. In the third grade, I was incensed by the soccer players at recess who trampled the daffodils peeking their heads up through the dirty snow. I lobbied and lobbied and finally got the school to put up a little wire fence around the garden. I bullied my classmates who bullied other kids. In high school, I was going to single-handedly save the rainforest, protect the whales and end nuclear proliferation. My first bumper sticker said, “If You’re Not Outraged, You’re Not Paying Attention.” By the time I got to college I was burned out. I couldn’t raise the fire that I needed to march on the administration building or on the St. Paul capital.

I’ve been out of the political arena for almost 20 years. It took Proposition 8 to bring me back into the fray. I read, I blogged, and I rallied. I shouted at bigoted plumbers and ticked off my friends’ Facebook friends. And I burned out, again.

“Burned out” is the key phrase here – I was fueled by anger, I burned hot, and I was left in an exhausted emotional state, a pile of cold ashes. I wanted to be more involved but I couldn’t muster the energy. So I asked myself, “How do people do it? How do people stay involved in political and social movements without burning out?” And my answer came, I think, from our President Elect.

Like Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy before him, Barack Obama is driven by a vision of a better future. He is sustained by his hope. As the title says, the only thing I ever created out of my anger was a fight. Again, I asked myself, “What can sustain my energy to work for a better world?”

I think anger is important; it wakes me up to the fact that something is important to me. But anger is only a spark – I need an engine to drive me if I am going to stay involved. For me, I think that engine is compassion, or maybe love. I want justice in my personal life, in my community and in my world. I still want the bullies to back off, the whales left in peace and an end to senseless wars. I also want all Americans housed and fed. I want equal rights for all Americans, gay or straight, and I want fair trials for all those in custody, including those rounded up after September 11^th. I want those things because I love. Because I feel compassion.

If I am going to stand up for social justice, I must return again and again to these core values. I am still angry, but I won’t let anger define me anymore. I will let it be the spark that lights the way for kindness, compassion and mindful action.

I invite you to think about Mindful inactivity.  Taking time to be quiet, to reflect and recharge, will deepen your enjoyment of the season and your contribution to those around you.  It will also help you enter the New Year with a fresh perspective and clear vision of things to come.  What does it really look like, this mythical quiet time during the holiday season?

Take some time for meditation and journaling each day to listen to your inner guidance.  You may be inspired to write in your Gratitude Journal during this time.

Include free time as one of your activities, time to just BE.  In order to protect your quiet time, you may need to say “No,” to a few activities that do not align with your values.  Mindfully consider each holiday activity and set your own pace. 

Each day, several times a day, remember to slow down, take a few deep breaths, relax, and remind yourself to connect with inner peace in the midst of the commotion of the festivities and preparations.  You’d be amazed how pretty your holiday decorations look from the comfort of your couch!

What can you cross off your schedule this week to take time for Mindful Inactivity?  Join the discussion at Mindful Way of Life.

That’s when I decided to be more mindful and create something uniquely memorable about each holiday.  To do this, I needed to SLOW DOWN so that I could consciously consider and wisely select each holiday activity.  And I needed to remember to be more fully present for each activity that was so carefully chosen.  This process of Mindful Holidays, the conscious choice of activities and participation in my own unique way, was quite liberating. With mindfulness, I am less concerned about appearances, judgments or expectations.  Not only have the holidays become more memorable, but they’ve also become a lot more fun.

Mindful Holidays are an avenue to greater meaning, creativity, and joy.  As you enter you’re your holiday activities, I invite you to pause and find ways to participate with greater mindfulness. 

You may want to start by giving yourself permission to live true to your values this holiday season.   Set aside some quiet time to explore your own reasons for the season.  

- Is this time of year important to you because of the spiritual traditions?  How can you participate more fully in ceremony and celebration this year? 

-Is this the time of year when you revel in parties and socializing?  Would you have more energy and love to share if you chose to attend fewer (or more) functions? 

-Is connection with family the highlight of your holiday season?  In what ways can you engage more fully and authentically with every member of your family? 

-Is your health high on your values list?  In what ways will you take excellent care of yourself this season – physically, mentally, emotionally? 

Take time each day to review your schedule and make sure that you are focused on activities that represent your values instead of blindly rushing from event to event.

If you feel that an activity you don’t usually enjoy cannot be changed, then set the intention to deepen your mindfulness and attention to experiencing the activity fully, rather than getting stuck in negative thoughts about it.  You will experience the activity differently – who knows, it might even seem fun again!

What will you choose for yourself this holiday season?  Give yourself permission and freedom to make it your own.  Make it the best holiday ever!  Why not?

Share your thoughts at Mindful Way of Life.