Do you and your youngsters have bedtime story rituals? Is reading a story to young children or allowing them to read at bedtime a fun occasion in your family?
Some of my fondest childhood memories center around bedtime stories.  When we four children were very young, Mother read to us.  We piled on one another’s beds, alternating each evening, while she read chapters from Heidi, Robinson Crusoe, Little Women, and Tom Sawyer.
Then, often during the day, we might act out these stories.  I particularly recall our pretend jaunts around the Swiss Mountains as we visited Heidi, Peter, Clara and Grandfather.
When we were …read more

Groundhog be darned, we are on final approach to spring, with March 21 just weeks away.
One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to plan for the months ahead.  I look at ways to clean up in a lot of areas of my life.  I finish up lingering projects, donate clothes I no longer wear, physically clean everything, shape up my diet and refocus my practices in hopes of making them more productive and fun.
These are my spring rituals, and when I carry them through to completion, I feel happier, more centered and at peace.  I feel as …read more

All by themselves, yoga, meditation and Pilates are what I consider rituals. Rituals of the body, spirit and mind.
I use a component of them each day to keep myself feeling well and at peace.  But there are other rituals that we all have–whether they are healthy, fun or relaxing–that can help us support our practices and grow as individuals.
I’ve been incorporating these “devotional” acts into my everyday life as often as I can over the past couple of months.  And they are feeding my practices and making me stronger and healthier on several levels.
Here’s what I add to my routine:
Scent-Each …read more