Good Morning!
I am so honored to be able to sit here and blog (FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER), alongside Zemirah. For those of you wondering, my name is Maurie and I am interning under Zemirah this semester as I am close to graduating with my undergraduate degree. I have always loved to write (journaling has always been one of my favorite past-times), and seeing how passionate Zemirah is about her blog (and all her followers!) I was filled with inspiration. I am looking forward to the posts we create together and separately, I hope they find you and your children in high spirits. I am happy to be here writing for many of you, and hope you find inspiration and wonder from my first post.
When I was a child, bedtime hour was always a sacred time in our family. After dinner, my brother and I would get to pick out a book from what I viewed as the “treasure chest”, but looking back now, it was just an old night stand table with a wonky cabinet door. Ahhhh, the wonder of a child’s mind! Christian, my younger brother, would usually pick out a safari type of book, or something along the lines of trucks, while I was always navigated towards fairy tales (go figure!). I loved the pictures, the magic and the wonder to be anything you wanted to be. The idea of being saved at every crucial and sad moment in my life was only seconds away and that heartbreak was only brought on and healed by none other than, Prince Charming. I would walk away from the living room, fairy tale story in hand and drift away, off to sleep, with fantasies and dreams that I was sure would come true some day.
When Zemirah and I were brainstorming blog topics for today, I was drawn to a book she had given me to review by Marneta Viegas, entitled, Aladdin’s Magic Carpet and other Fairytale Meditations for Children.
I was instantly captivated. Not only are the illustrations gorgeous, each common fairy-tale was re-written into a meditation. How cool is that?? Skimming through the entries I kept seeing, “I AM CALM”, “I AM BEAUTIFUL”, “I AM FREE”, “I AM A LIGHT.”
What an insightful and positive outlook for any child to go to bed with. Looking back at the fairy tales now as an adult, I am saddened by the messages they portray. “As long as you find yourself a Prince Charming to save you, all will be alright.” “Everything will fall at your feet with minimal effort”, “If you cry, someone else should always be there to wipe your tears.” Not very empowering and quite a shock to find out that life can be full of bumps along the way.
That’s why I found this book to be so inspiring. It teaches kids meditation in a way that refers to the beloved fairytales, and empowers their belief in themselves at the same time! Kids know the story of Aladdin, Cinderella, the Wizard of Oz, and the Jungle Book and this book ties the relaxation learning right into the story. Open it up, read it with your child, experience the treasures… and how beneficial would it be for your daughter (or son!), to go to bed with positive wishes, belief in themselves and self loving words!
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