Keeping Myself Light

    One of the great things about being a school teacher is the breaks that we get throughout the year to recharge ourselves.  Teaching requires a great deal of energy and we need to be sure to schedule time specifically set aside for internally recharging and keeping ourselves light.

    This past week was our school’s Spring Break.  I know that the demands of the final 4th quarter at our school are going to be staggering, so I decided to go up to the Ananda Meditation Retreat in the Sierra Foothills here in California to help me get ready. 
http://www.meditationretreat.org/

    I did a 6 day seclusion retreat which meant that I was in a wee cabin out in the woods by myself.  It’s incredibly important to take time to realign our internal self with a quiet time out in nature.  I could feel the energy flowing right to me from all the trees, wildflowers, wild life, sky, and even the rain on a couple of days. I think nature loves to share her calm beauty if we gently attune ourselves to her rhythms.  I highly recommend getting away from the demands of everyday life by yourself to contemplate the important things in life.  Then when you return to teaching in this high stress modern world you have even more to give to your students.