 True confessions, I woke up the morning after camp (way too early) spinning on one of the small wrinkles that came up the last day. Thus, I was inspired to remind myself (and now you) that even when things don't go as planned and sometimes seem to go way south of the original plan part of our job is not to make assumptions about the relative "success" or "failure" of our efforts. Often times we may never know the ultimate impact we have on the children we connect with at camp. Much of our work is simply mulching the soil and planting the seeds. To quote from my friends at Mindful Schools, "What we can trust is the sincerity of our intention, the integrity of our presence, and the innate resiliency of children and youth."
I was reminded consistently throughout camp of a couple of truths that highlight this awareness and the importance of Peace Village in our community. ONE- How we (teachers, staff, parents) embody our teaching, facilitating and parenting is equally as significant as the content of our words. Through a baseline of connection and presence our aim is to loosen and amend the soil for inner spaciousness so that over time kids are cultivating wide pathways to their own truth and self-connection. Simply getting out of our own way (which for me means caring for our tender spots that can get poked) and showing up with presence for whatever emerges in relationship with kids serves that purpose more powerfully than we can often know. TWO - All children have a significant need to be seen and heard. It’s that need that frequently underlies the random comments and tangents of discussion when sitting in circle with kids. We're not a listening culture and kids show up scanning for opportunities to be met in a safe space, with warmth, eye contact and the words, "tell me more". Meeting them here feeds their growth and intelligence in powerful ways beyond any lesson plan. AND, from many sources word is that camp was wonder-full this year and many of us continue to bask in the afterglow and renewed inspiration that gets invoked after a week of life within the re-villaged world we all dream of! Peace Village is on the cusp of evolving in new formats and new places that would allow us to meet kids in these ways more and more. Thank you for joining us. Stay tuned! Love, Karen
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Teacher Highlight - Neil Lofgren / AikidoThis was my family's 4th year at Peace Village, and it continues to be a highlight of our summer. Each year, my kids look forward to the wonderful classes and activities, and I look forward to sharing Aikido with so many new and returning campers.
My daughter, Sage, was especially excited this year to graduate from the Turtles and become a "real camper", so she could be one of the big kids and choose her own Village Fair classes. Her older brother, Lyle, an experienced camper now, was planning out his fair classes in advance to make sure he got a chance at all of his top choices. Both of them love the music and crafts, playing with good friends and making new ones. What I love is that they are having so much fun that they don't even notice that they're actually learning huge life lessons about inner balance, interpersonal relationships, ecology, media literacy, peaceful conflict resolution, and more. For me, Aikido is a natural part of this experience, and a perfect fit for the mission of Peace Village. I admit, it may seem strange that a "martial art" can be associated with peace, but peace has been a core component of Aikido since it was created nearly 100 years ago. The name, Aikido, can be translated as “The Way of Harmony”, and it is a peaceful approach to more ancient Japanese Budo traditions. It teaches fluid movements based on balance and positioning, blending with an opponent’s energy to redirect and render it harmless. The founder, Morihei Ueshiba, called it The Art of Peace, and said, "To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.... True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature." I love teaching Aikido at Peace village because it is a unique opportunity to introduce this art to a large group of kids and counselors over the course of a single week, and to do so in the context of the Peace Village motto: Peace Within, Peace Among, Peace Around. This year, I focused mostly on peace within and among. First practicing exercises to promote inner peace through balance, breathing, and coordination. Then using animal movements to learn ways to fall and roll without getting hurt. And finally working with other students to explore relative balance and positioning, avoiding collisions and either redirecting an attack or else letting it pass by. Each year at Peace Village is a new learning experience for my kids and for me as well. I've been studying Aikido now for 27 years and teaching it for close to 20, and I still learn new insights each time I step on the mat. Feel free to drop by my dojo in Hood River or send me an email with questions. Details and contact information can be found at www.gorgebudo.com. Peace to you |
AuthorPeace Village Staff and Volunteers share mostly during the week of camp. Sign up above to receive notifications of blog posts and you'll never miss the latest news. Archives
August 2018
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