Two Quotes Every Parent / Teacher Should Read

"We all carry wounds in us that we received as children, and taking the path of healing these wounds makes it much easier for us to relate to and understand the children in our life. Whatever we haven't transformed, we're likely to pass on to our children and to our students. Our suffering will become their suffering. This is why practicing mindfulness in our daily lives is so important. It is not just to avoid burnout; mindfulness allows us to transform in the depths of our consciousness. If you are not at peace, how can you impart peace to your children and students?"

-Thich Nhat Hanh, Planting Seeds, Practicing Mindfulness with Children

"Children who are raised by parents who are conscious, and therefore both at peace with themselves and connected to their inner joy, discover the abundance of the universe and learn how to tap into this ever-flowing source. Viewing life as their partner, such children respond to life's challenges with curiosity, excitement, and a sense of reverent engagement. Brought up to be inwardly peaceful and to know their inherent joy, they in turn teach their children to live in a state of joyful abundance."

-Shefali Tsabary, The Conscious Parent

These two quotes speak volumes! I just had to share them here because I find them so incredibly important and inspiring. What do you think?

There is one more thing I'd like to share. The Himalayan Meditation Centre in Edmonton will be offering a 10-week mindfulness class for kids aged 5-13 starting next January (2019). One or more parents are invited to attend and participate. The class will be held on Saturdays from 1-2 pm. The Conscious Kids curriculum will be used, which means that all the concepts are taught through creative short stories and fun, engaging activities for families. The course is designed to help kids develop their emotional intelligence, lower their stress, boost their confidence & improve their mood and focus. You may have guessed that I will be teaching this class, along with my kind and very gifted colleague who came here all the way from Tibet, Dr. Kunga. Openings are very limited and are based on a first come, first serve policy. For more information and to sign up, please visit conscious-kids.ca. 

Warm regards,

Lise Villeneuve

www.lisevilleneuve.com

My Spiritual Diary: Week 7

It's not very often that all the grandchildren on my side of the family are reunited, since my sister lives in Québec, my younger brother lives in BC and my older brother, well, we're still waiting for him to produce kids. :)

Anyway, it's been a fun and busy past couple of weeks. You could say it was like a giant cousin party.

I find it very inspiring and refreshing to be around children. Words are inadequate, really, but here are just a few that come to mind: 

Beauty

Joy

Spontaneity

Love 

Presence

Aliveness

Authenticity 

Simplicity

Wonder

These munchkins remind me of what's essential in life. They are still very much connected to their spiritual essence. If only we could help our children remain in that state of wholeness instead of teaching them to adapt to a way of life that is often disconnected and superficial. Perhaps our kids need to teach us how to be fully alive again! They have inspired these simple words...

Just For Today...

Just for today,
I will take slow, long, deep breaths,
and I will notice how I feel in this body.
I will discover the wonders around me through my 5 senses,
and I will gently notice when the mind wants to take over.

Just for today,
I will allow myself to gravitate towards joy
by letting my heart and intuition lead the way.
I will remember that I am deeply connected to nature,
as well as to everyone and everything around me.

Just for today,
I will wake up from the dream of this incarnation,
only to remember that I am.
My heart knows what really matters:
To Love as much as I am able to on this day.

Today is a sacred, miraculous day.
I am grateful to be alive.






Thanks for reading!

All the best,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com

What In The World Are We Teaching Our Kids?

This is my daughter Emma when she was 4. Today, she’s 11. She has good days and bad days. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed being a mom. If you have kids, I’m sure you can relate! Our children are growing up in a complex world, to say the least.

I often ask myself how I can help Emma feel secure in a world filled with daily unpredictable atrocities? How can I help her to feel grounded in a materialistic world that rewards spending time on electronic devices and in shopping malls more than playing outside? How can I help her to feel joyful and relaxed in a world that rewards productivity and performance at any cost? How can I help Emma to be loving and compassionate towards others in a world that encourages competition, power struggles and the survival of the fittest? How can I help her to feel energized and balanced in a world that has lost touch with what real food is and encourages her to take a pill to fix the symptoms of disease! How can I best prepare her for the future in a world that preaches the benefits of knowledge and education, but fails to ask these fundamental questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Was I meant to suffer or can I be happy? What is true happiness? How can I find lasting joy and peace in this complex world?

As parents, we go out of our way to sign up our kids for soccer, swimming, dancing, drama, music...which are all great, but let’s face it, something fundamental is still missing in their lives. Are we teaching them how to fit into the system so they can “win” at this game of life, or are we helping them to figure out how to be truly happy? Do we know how to be truly happy ourselves? What kind of example are we setting for them?

What I want for Emma is for her to be able to think outside the box. I want her to see beyond the illusions of this fearful world she was born into. I hope to raise her awareness so that she’s able to stop creating more suffering for herself and others and instead, she can concentrate on healing our planet. I want to teach her how to tap into her inner-wisdom. Ultimately, I want her to remember that her happiness comes from within. She’s not a victim of her circumstances. Neither are you, nor your children. But to change our perception of the world, we first have to change the perception of who we think we are. It’s time to awaken!

I wrote Conscious Kids (online mindfulness lessons) for Emma. It won’t change the world, but it’s a small step in the right direction. If you’d like to receive the weekly mindfulness lessons, you can sign up here (deadline is Feb 1^st, 2016): http://www.lisevilleneuve.com/#!consciouskids/ckgl

Blessings,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Did You Turn Into A Frustrated Adult?

In a sense, kids are our best spiritual teachers. The younger ones intuitively know how to live in alignment with their heart and spirit. They know their purpose: to enjoy life! When they are hungry, they eat, when they are tired, they sleep (most of them, anyway!). They unashamedly express ALL their emotions, despite the fact that some are less socially acceptable. If they feel sad, they cry. If they feel angry, they express their anger. When they are happy, everybody knows about it and it's contagious! Kids don't over rationalize things, they simply go with the flow and do what they love in the moment. They are unapologetic about who they are, and their self-worth is intrinsic.

It's unfortunate that society slowly teaches them to grow up and "evolve" into serious, responsible, adults who, in many cases, end up being completely disconnected from that free-spirited and happy being they once were. 

Welcome to the world of adults! Instead of honouring all our emotions, it's more appropriate to wear masks and only show a happy face even when we feel sad, depressed, anxious or angry. Instead of doing what we love, it's more responsible to keep a secure job we hate. Instead of loving ourselves just as we are, we equate self-worth with academic or professional achievement, financial success, social status, material possessions and power. Instead of allowing ourselves to play, to follow our bliss, to enjoy this precious time we have, it's more mature to be serious and lost in our compulsive thoughts. Who wrote these rules, anyway? They SUCK!

No wonder so many adults are unhappy, depressed, sick and even suicidal. We have to change our way of life! We have to go back to the way we lived when we were kids! We've really got it all backwards as adults. Do we want our children to lose this magical connection to their hearts? Of course not. Is it even possible to prevent them from becoming the typical sleepwalking, frustrated adult? Yes! The answer, my friends, is consciousness! Let's help each other wake up from the dream of this physical reality. Let's become more aware of the power of our spirits. Let's take baby steps to slowly reconnect to our inner-child. What's one single step you can take today that's in alignment with what your heart wants?

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach and Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

The Best Christmas Present...

It snowed for two days straight here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The fluffy snowflakes were dancing around the sky joyously. I had the pleasure of watching this beautiful display with my two little elves from the warmth of our living room. We listened to classical music while cuddling under a soft brown blanket. Time stopped as we lost ourselves in these precious moments together. But let's back up...

My daughter (9 years) called me from school on Wednesday shortly after lunch. She was crying over the phone "maman, je suis malade, peux-tu venir me chercher?". Translation: "mom, I'm sick, can you pick me up?" My heart immediately went out to her and I drove to her school with my son (4 years) as fast as I could. The roads were treacherous, we saw a car that had just smashed into a tree on the way there. Emma came out of school looking pale and feverish. When we finally got home after swerving here and there, Emma put herself to bed and slept for 6 straight hours until I woke her up at 9 pm to see if she wanted to have some supper. I told her I had no doubt she was really sick because it's only in these extreme circumstances that she ever wants to sleep this much! She giggled and agreed to eat something.

On Thursday, she felt a little better but still needed to rest. We cancelled my son's activities for the day (Indoor Playground in the morning, Preschool in the afternoon). Then, we let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Staring into the distance, my heart started to fill with love and gratitude. Gratitude for not having to step out into the frigid air. Gratitude for not having to drive hurriedly to be on time somewhere. Gratitude for Emma's health that was improving. Gratitude for the fun we had making Christmas ornaments together. Gratitude for the warm, delicious smell coming from the oven (apple crisp). Deep gratitude for these beautiful, inspiring, enlightened little beings more commonly referred to as "our children" that remind us how to truly live in the present. I'm so very thankful that I get to spend all this time with them, and I just can't wait to start homeschooling in January 2014! What could be more important than spending quality time with our little ones and showing them how much we love them? Nobody knows how much time we will have to offer this priceless gift to our loved ones. They deserve to know how incredibly special they ARE, regardless of what they DO / accomplish (or don't do). 

That goes for us adults too, by the way. Can we learn to love ourselves just as we are, without judging what we consider to be success or failure? Can we offer ourselves true compassion, just like the one we so easily show our children? In this whirlwind of activities before Christmas, perhaps the biggest gift we can give ourselves and our close ones is just to stop, breathe, watch the snow flakes twirl around and be at peace, just for a moment. Can we find our inner joy, just for a second? Can we let love radiate out of our beings, even if it just cracks out as a shy smile? Can we be grateful for something today? Gratitude is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Why not unwrap it in the present?

Warmly,

Lise
www.lisevilleneuve.com