Waldorf in the Home Conference.

[aelfie]

This weekend, with a lot of help and support from family and friends, I managed to get to the “Waldorf in the Home Conference” held at the Sacramento Waldorf School.  Amazing. I had a wonderful weekend. It was just awesome to be surrounded with people who all want pretty much the same thing and have the same goals. 

Here’s some of the best quotes/statements/notes from the weekend

 “When something knocks your socks off…follow the socks!”- Rahmina Baldwin Dancy

From Nancy Poer, Keynote Speech

When describing raising 6 kids including a set of twins “Glorious Chaos”

“Kali the Great Composter”

The longing for our other half is really our longing for Spirit. Which will not be fulfilled while we are in human form.

Quoting St. Joan of Arc

She was asked by the Inquisition “Are you in Gods Grace?” Response “If I am not, may he put me there. If I am, may he keep me there.” 

Cynthia Aldinger –Life as a Curriculum

When we become mindful of our work in the Living Arts, the children are free to either participate or play creatively and call upon themselves creatively

When we clean our home we release negative energy

This material physical world is the mystery children come to penetrate matter

Your Joy will not look like your neighbors Joy.

 Regina Ryan, Becoming Mother Keynote Speech

Everyone needs to become Mother

Qualities of Mothering

1.       The ability to listen both to the winthin and without

2.       Universaility

Delight is the giving and receiving of love

3.       Creativity

Feed your art or you become dry and crusty. Art is a living prayer and it feeds your soul

Practices

1.       Seek for the Goodness of Mother in men and women

2.       Fall back into Mothers Arms. Lean back and acknowledge She’s there

3.       Work your Spiritual Path

Motherhood is re-articulating your reality and spiritual practice. Affirm it daily

The necessity is the Mother of Spiritual Practice. The parts of the spiritual path are

1.       Self

2.       Self and Others

3.       Others and Self

4.       There is only one.

Nancy Poer- Kids and Nature Session

Mother Nature is our Great Teacher. If you are having problems with children, send them into Her arms.

Mother Natures healing gifts are our children’s birthright

Better to have a broken arm than a broken soul.

 Cynthia Aldinger- How are the Children, Keynote Speech

Life is a whole, not compartmentalized

When children work, they do so playfully

“When you stand in front of another human being you stand in sacred space” –Mr. Rogers

What do we need that might help balance our lives these children of labels (ADD, ASD, NDS) need.

1.       Pace of Life-allow penetration of life itself. Giving time for play and discovery

2.       Meals together-happy communion and connection

3.       Unstructured time in nature

4.       Sleep and rest-The Big Pause, we all still need this

5.       Celebration and community-we all need time to celebrate

6.       Rhythms and routine-“Chaos is best when it is an event not a lifestyle

There should be a way to live creatively in an institutsional form

T.O.A.D (the OverAbundance Disorder)

We are not talking about materialism, but the fact that we say “Yes” too lunch. Even to the beautiful, enriching events/things. Throwing away the excess creates space to rebalance

Its not that we cannot have it all, you can as long as you are willing to do a little tossing and kissing