A continuation of my previous writings as The Mindful Librarian.
Experiencing Tranquility and Nature’s Beauty at Smith Mountain Lake
Walnut Run Marina is silent and still at 6 am on this Fourth of July. The surface of the water, gray like the predawn sky, is swathed in a mist of gray tulle. It swirls seductively, enticing our fishing boat out into the heart of Smith Mountain Lake. Mark sets the course on the boat’s…
Leave Me Be. I Am Wintering
I am tired. I am hungry. I am unmotivated. Even as I type this, my fingers feel as if invisible weights are taped to each sluggish knuckle. My hair sits in a messy, unbrushed, balled-up twist; a “messy bun” if you will, which is slowly becoming my creepy, new “signature style.” As I slouch in…
Mindfulness in Nature: Fascination and Awe
I went to the arboretum near my home the other morning for a hike and to clear my mind which has been particularly busy these days. I hadn’t been there in a few weeks and the change was nothing short of amazing. At the end of April I enjoyed getting lost there amidst the green…
Aerodynamics of Sisterhood
Women. Goddesses. Mothers. Daughters. Sisters. It is the beginning of April and the vernal freshness in the air inspires action and new beginnings. Reflecting on the past month, I definitely recognize the powerful role that women have played in preparing me for a leap forward. During the “wintering” months, my energy and attentions were drawn…
Yoga: Gaining and Letting Go
Yoga?! Meh… It’s too slow to be a great work out. I could never twist around and bend like “that.” I’ll break my neck trying to do a headstand. I can practice mindfulness without hitting the mat. I’m too (shoulder slump) old… Wrong, wrong, wrong, and oh-so-very-unbelievably wrong. As it turns out, my deep dive…
To Be a Dark Horse
I am a reader. I read to expand my worldview, to expose myself to new ideas and ideologies, and to share in the experiences of other people who have journeyed before me. In short, I read to grow. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction, I read between the lines to see the motives, learn the…
Grammar for a Full Life: How the Ways We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us, by Lawrence Weinstein
So what in the world do the rules of grammar have to do with living your best life? This is likely not something you have ever asked yourself. At first thought it seems like one of those “What does ___ have in common with ___?” jokes. I was therefore surprised and delighted by Lawrence Weinstein’s…
Temporary, by Hilary Leichter: Amusing Musings about Work and Life
Coffee House Press publishes, “literary fiction, essay, poetry, and other work that doesn’t fit neatly into genre categories,” as per the blurb in the back of my latest read, Temporary, by Hilary Leichter. How fitting! The book, which kept me turning pages until my vision started to blur, had me simultaneously amused, depressed, and enlightened. …
The Beach: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire
I am often amazed at the restorative power of nature. Any metaphorical weight on my shoulders… any stress, confusion, sadness, or anger manages to lift and drift away (sometimes a little, sometimes a lot) when I spend quiet time outside. Whether I am walking, biking, kayaking, or simply sitting, a little time alone in nature…
The Butterfly Effect: Mindfulness and Our Role In a Bigger Picture
Feeling insignificant? Powerless? We all do from time to time, especially when situations large or small seem to be spiraling out of our control. Our inability to make things the way we want right now, or the helplessness we feel when reading about current events can make us feel like specks of dust being tossed…
Tricks to Enhance Your Mindful Walk: Identifying and Naming
Ah, language. Isn’t it great? Through speech and through writing we convey complex messages for infinite purposes. Words help us inform, comfort, instruct, warn, entertain, question, and commiserate. But first and foremost, it is through language that we label and name. Classification: /klasəfəˈkāSH(ə)n/ noun. The action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities…
Learning Versus Unlearning- A Takeaway from Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
I recently finished the New York Times bestselling memoir, Educated, by Tara Westover. It is a book club’s dream title, as there are multiple themes and topics for discussion. The author delves deeply into family relations, mental illness, women’s roles, off-grid living, holistic medicine, and more. Like any good book, it made me think… A…
Summertime Hygge: The Perfect Picnic
Hygge. The Danish word may not have an English equivalent, but the concept resonates strongly and wordlessly in my American soul. It’s a brilliant little term; a single word which manages to describe a mood, vibe, mindset, atmosphere, and belief system in just five letters. “Cozy” is a word often used as an English synonym,…
Progressing Mindfully: Going the Extra Mile
I love to walk in the morning. There is nothing more invigorating than a burst of fresh outdoor air to oxygenate the brain. Add the surge in adrenaline and endorphins (and with luck, a nice sunrise), and I am ready to take on the day. Usually, time permitting, I complete one or two miles. It’s…
Lucky or Unlucky? Decide for Yourself
Feeling lucky today? If so, why? If not, why? Believe it or not, your current situation or circumstances don’t matter. It is your perception that determines whether or not you are fortunate, charmed, blessed, or indeed lucky. This idea became crystal clear to me the other day when a seemingly unfortunate experience left me counting…
Writing as Magic, Pen as Wand: Unlocking the Gift
I just love language… Hey, it’s the thing that enabled our species to outlive the Neanderthals! Instead of gesturing toward a hill and frantically shouting, “Ugh!” We could point and communicate, “Hey guys! Over that hill are a bunch of great animals we can hunt and eat. Grab your weapons! And look out for the…
Raising Lifelong Learners: Fostering a Thirst for Knowledge Outside of School
“Lifelong Learner.” It has a nice ring to it, no? (I’ve always been a big fan of alliteration.) It is one of my favorite educational catch phrases, and one I admit to attaching to many of my own professional bios over the years. It implies an unending curiosity and ability to absorb information. The defining…
Cat Magic: Demystifying Their Hold Over Humans
My sister called the other day. I could hear my young nephew sniffling in the background. “Aunt Jen? We have a problem here…” I waited patiently on the line for the request for that special, crisis-averting, child-soothing nugget of wisdom she needed. The kind that can only come from an adult who is not the…
Uncomfortable Truths Revealed In Isolation
I am grateful for social distancing. This may sound obnoxious, considering the reason for this “new normal” is a wildly contagious illness. Not an inch of our spinning sphere has not been impacted. There are clearly those who have suffered and/or perished after contracting the disease. There are the family and friends knocked down by…
Riding Out the Storm
“We are all in the same boat.” Hmm…. Sounds like such a wise and profound analogy for the COVID-19 “experience,” and even for life in general. As human beings, we are all born, live, and die. No one is immune and our common experience (in this case, some type of suffering) unites us all. An…
Carrot Soup
“Want some carrot soup?” he asks. I look up from my Chromebook and laugh before making a puking sound like a five year old. “You’ll like it,” he confirms, answering his own question in spite of my obnoxious reply and saunters into the kitchen to set to work. I glance out the window from where…
Bored AND Overwhelmed? Declutter Your Life
We are now in the fourth week of social distancing here on Long Island, NY in order to stop the spread of COVID 19. As we’ve been settling into this new reality that will likely continue for weeks and maybe months, my friends and I have begun to experience a new combination of emotions: Boredom…
Cool, Calm, and Collected during COVID-19: A Strategy
One week ago today my colleagues and I sat around the circulation desk of my middle school library wondering if our district would close school on Monday for a “deep cleaning.” We chuckled at the seeming futility of such an act to prevent a flu-like illness that is transported from human to human and is…
Cathartic Creativity
Being able to express ourselves artistically is a big part of what makes us human. We pour complex thoughts and emotions into a medium for others to then experience with their senses. The result is a conjuring of similar thoughts or emotions that remind us that we are not alone… in our joy, pain, happiness,…
Osmosis
Osmosis… According to Merriam-Webster, osmosis is defined as, “a process of absorption or diffusion” or the less sciency definition, “a usually effortless, often unconscious assimilation.” It’s a sciency term most often used to describe the way tangible substances combine with and absorb one another. As a school librarian, I’ve often heard the phrase “learn by…
Walking the Walk
So here I am, back to the blog after a full calendar year, ready to reflect on the wonder of walking wordlessly a while for wellness, without wasting energy worrying about WordPress work (Ha!). I have always loved language. Reading and writing have been passions of mine for as long as I can remember, enabling…
Tech Addiction and Digital Well-being
The other day we finally had a glimpse of beautiful, spring weather. I literally pried the Xbox remotes from my sons’ hands and shoved my boys through the front door to go play with their neighborhood friends outside. In addition to recognizing their dire need for a dose of vitamin D, my concern about their…
Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes From Inspirational Folks, by Gavin Aung Than
As any teacher can attest, it is often infinitely easier to manage and “teach” our students than it is to teach our family and friends. In my home, this is no exception. I have not-so-inconspicuously left books about mindfulness around my house so that my clan might pick them up and instantaneously become enlightened, and…
Let It Go…
Mindfulness is about paying attention. Sometimes, however, when I think about mindfulness I sometimes get caught up in thinking about about it as a state of being that has to be grasped or “attained.” Even though the practices of meditation and mindfulness require practice, what I need to remember is that the mental, emotional, spiritual,…
Looking at Mindfulness: Twenty-five Paintings to Change the Way You Live, by Christophe Andre
Looking at Mindfulness: Twenty-five Paintings to Change the Way You Live I love art. We can all appreciate some type of art as it is a reflection of the things that make us human. For myself, as a person with a passion for sketching since I’ve been able to hold a pencil, I have always…
Golden Sparkles: An Introduction to Mindfulness, by Catarina R. Peterson. Illustrations by Mateya Arkova
Golden Sparkles: An Introduction to Mindfulness What ARE “golden sparkles?” As the beautiful text by Catarina R. Peterson unfolds, accompanied by the whimsical illustrations of Mateya Arkova, the reader begins to understand that “golden sparkles” describes the sensation that fills our hearts during mindful interaction with the world around us. Golden Sparkles taps into the…
Loving-kindness…
It is February, the month that many associate with hearts, chocolates, sappy cards, bouquets, and other symbols of “love.” When I was a child, February was the month that my dear ol’ dad used to buy my sister and I Whitman’s Samplers for St. Valentine’s Day which we savored. As I got older, February was…
Mindfulness: Actualized In My Library
After a long, restful, mindful holiday with my family, I am finally back to my blog! It just feels like the perfect time to reflect on my progress so far this past year implementing mindfulness in my library. As readers may know from my previous posts, my interest in mindfulness began as a personal quest…
Mindful Thanksgiving Day CHALLENGE
Maleficent in laws, impossible menus, bumper-to-bumper car trips, stress, anxiety, fear… oh my! Sadly, these are the situations and emotions that plague many of us during a holiday that should IDEALLY be marked by gratitude, bonding, serenity, and joy. Mindful living techniques to the rescue! To me, mindful living, being completely, non judgmentally engaged in…
Meditation Is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids, by Whitney Stewart with pictures by Sally Rippin
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807549088/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=themindfullib-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0807549088&linkId=4dcd61eb5ba2ce05af6c48f11fbe6862 This book is a complete gem. Even though the intended audience is K through 3, I can see using this in my collection as an instruction manual for mindfulness for my middle schoolers (as well as their teachers!). The strength of this book is the fact that it provides a variety of actual mindfulness…
Coincidence?
You wake up one morning and recall a dream in which an old high school friend, whom you haven’t spoken to in years, plays a central role. (Let’s call her Mayra.) The same morning, on the way to work, you turn on the radio and catch an old, unpopular song that you and Mayra once…
Tiny Teachers and Mindfulness Masters
This past summer, on one of the most picturesque mornings (sunny, dry, and cool), a friend and I went for a hike in Cold Spring Harbor. It was a wonderful, mindful experience. The colors of nature just popped and every hiker and runner we passed was glowing with positive energy. At the highest point of…
For Mindful Parents/Teachers: The First Days of School
The faint chill in the air, the hints of yellows and reds in the trees, the first flights of flocks of fully-grown geese… AND the push and shove of antsy parents scrambling for that last orange, plastic, three-hole binder at Target can mean only one thing… TIME FOR SCHOOL!!!! Now add the letter from…
Space Camp (Part II of II): Mindful Teachers Become Students… Communication and Collaboration
(Read Part 1, “Mindfully Embracing an Opportunity”) After arriving at NASA’s Space Camp, parting from our accompanying students, getting the grand tour, and settling into our rooms, we were ready to begin the Space Camp for Educators experience. On multiple occasions, our counselors told us to “prepare to embrace our inner 12 year olds,” or…
Mindfulness, the Ultimate “Stay-cation”
I began my personal mindfulness practice by carving out time during my day, usually first thing in the morning, for mindful meditation. From there, I discovered the added benefits of moving meditation such as mindful walking (or more specifically, “forest bathing,” which is like a mindful hike in nature). From the get-go, these activities positively…
Space Camp (Part I of II): Mindfully Embracing an Opportunity
The 9th of July had arrived. My sons and I had just returned to New York from a trip to Florida, and here I was, back at the airport with two jittery students on the beginning of our journey to Huntsville, Alabama for a week of Space Camp. The first thought that ran through my…
Mindful Flight
Are you travelling this summer? Jetting off to some exotic locale, or maybe just visiting family and friends? Whatever you are doing, if there is flying involved, chances are your thoughts and emotions about the trip run the gamut. When I talk to people in my circuit about the anticipation of the experience there is…
Beating Tech Overload
I was watching my children “watching” television the other day. The cacophony was ridiculous. The show was blasting and each of my two sons were simultaneously watching sports videos on their phones. This was the complete and utter opposite of mindfulness. Ugh… Try as I do to make my sons unplug, all too often the…
Grief and Mindfulness
The untimely death of a colleague, followed by that of a student a few days later, have been the source of profound suffering in my school district this week. This has led me to ponder the connection, if any, between grief and mindfulness. Mindfulness for me has always been associated with acceptance; acceptance of what…
The Lemonade Hurricane: A Story About Mindfulness and Meditation, by Licia Morelli
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884483967/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=themindfullib-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0884483967&linkId=57ee18e4165099f1c46d95f31acdeb7e This adorable gem-of-a -picture-book is the perfect introduction to mindfulness and meditation for the littlest learners. Beautiful, engaging artwork accompanies simple text in this book, providing for the perfect read aloud. The book invites opportunities for valuable discussion through the experience of Emma and her little brother, Henry. Emma, a mindful little girl…
Fika: A Most Mindful Coffee Break
I’ve read and written about the Danish concept of Hugge, a term for which there is no, direct English equivalent, but which translates loosely to coziness, the joy of time with friends, and gratitude for the simple things. Tapping into my inner Scandinavian, (I’m not really Scandanavian, at least not to my knowledge!) I have…
Master of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress, by Laury Grossman, Angelina Alvarez, and the students of Mr. Musumeci’s 5th Grade Class
Buy on Amazon: Master of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress Hats off to Mr. Musumeci’s 5th grade class of 2013 – 2014 (Reach Academy, Oakland, CA)! I wish I could give a copy of this book to everyone I know, both children and adults. This book, with a foreword…
Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schlitz
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763653802/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=themindfullib-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0763653802&linkId=28b0b8b2482319990072a2c83c9ddd37 Brace yourself for a terrifying ride! Schlitz’s 2013 Newbery Honor Book combines Gothic horror and Dickensian historical details to carry a dynamic cast of characters through a plot that will keep young readers biting their nails until the very last page. The characters experience grief, fear, terror, and longing, all of which are ultimately…
An Attitude of Gratitude
I have been reading and researching extensively about mindfulness (Clearly, “Mindful Librarian”). It’s everywhere! Although this is heartening on one level, it concerns me as well. We are not purely individual. We are all energetically connected. I feel that the spread of mindfulness, in the way it has been practiced by masters of old, has…
The Wheel of the Year
Tomorrow begins our Memorial Day holiday weekend, so my colleagues and I thought it a good time to sit down and go over our calendar for the rest of the year. I nearly fell out of my seat! Three more weeks of classes?? There is still so much for us to do. (Let’s not even…
Bloom Where Planted…
“But I believe one should bloom where one is planted, and now I have roots here as well.” A colleague of mine who started her career teaching art at the high school was moved down to my middle school some years ago. Next year, she is moving back up there and is absolutely delighted, as…
Mindful Reading
I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to mindful reading. Since reading fiction is a transportive experience, can this even be done? Books take us to faraway lands and different time periods. It would seem that this is sort of the opposite of “mindfulness,” for which you need to be fully in the moment.…
The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students, by Daniel Rechtschaffen
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393708950/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=themindfullib-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0393708950&linkId=b3520bd0b9e605c02d86b01d8bd5c0b1 As a reader of professional materials for many years, I have come across sources that run the gamut from containing trite theory to practical, effective strategies. The beauty of The Way of Mindful Education:Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students, by Daniel Rechtschaffen, is that the book covers every aspect of mindfulness in education in…
Walking Mindfully
Before I discovered mindfulness, I described myself as an “avid hiker.” I have always been keenly aware of the restorative power of nature, and “hiking” also served as exercise. Win, win! I have gone so far as to say that a beautiful nature trail on a sunny day (particularly in autumn) was like my “church.”…
MINDFUL LIBRARIAN?
So what is a LIBRARIAN? Well to me, it is more than a profession; it is a mindset. Allow me to explain… For some, the word “librarian” brings to mind matronly old women with bifocals and hair buns, shushing patrons and stamping books. As a librarian myself (neither old, nor matronly), I beg to offer…
Communicating Mindfully With Students
There is a distinct difference between listening and hearing. Everyone knows that. How many times have we nodded at someone talking to us without processing a single word? As a librarian in a lively middle school, I encounter students all day long with various requests that range from book recommendations, to tech conundrums. Multitasking is…
Library Hygge
Ah, hygge… The Danish term for me conjures images of a fireplace, a steaming mug of hot chocolate, the purring of my cats, and a soft blanket. I only just recently took into consideration the hygge of my library. I am truly blessed to work in an absolutely wonderful space. Looking beyond it’s functionality, I…
Discovering Hygge in Montauk
Here it is. This may be the word that changes everything for me. The word “mindfulness” seemed to work and attracted a lot of attention but the thing I have been grappling for has a different name. And that name is hygge. There is no exact, English equivalent to the Danish term. “Cozy” comes close…
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