#Earthschooling365: Day Eighty-Two
Inner Work Meditation (Heart): Today we will be meditating on another of our 12-senses – our sense of warmth/temperature. Our sense of warmth is what we use to detect variations in temperature. This goes beyond our sense of touch. For example, we can touch an object and know it is solid but our sense of warmth will let us know the temperature.
When we step outside we can feel the breeze on our skin. However, it is our sense of warmth that lets us know if this is a cool or warm breeze. Some people may categorize this as the same as our sense of touch. However, it is a distinct sense within itself. In fact some creatures even have another organ for this sense. For example, boa constrictors have a heat sensing organ between their eyes and nostrils which allows them specifically to feel heat in another body. Take some time today to think about how you experience this sense each day. What you decide to wear each day as clothing, what you decide to drink (hot tea or cold water for example) are all part of this sense of warmth. A person who does not experience warmth from others can often feel insecure or anxious. What can you do to practice your sense of warmth? Do you think your sense of warmth is active or dulled? How can you provide warmth to others around you today?
Nature Walk Idea (Head): Today as a practice in “point of view” and how we can choose to create our own reality we will play a little game during our nature walk. You will walk to a point today and then turn around and come back the same way. If you usually walk a circle then turn back half way around the circle or walk the circle twice. On the way “there” you should list ten wonderful, amazing or beautiful things you see on your walk. On the way back you should list ten disappointing, sad or unpleasant things you see on your walk. If you are doing this with children don’t let them know the second part of the assignment until you are on your way back. You want to avoid putting the negative idea in their head until you are on your way back from the walk.
Photography Notes (Hands): Today on our nature walk I saw some adorable little ducklings swimming around a pile of sticks in the creek. If you look at some of the photos I took today you can see that I tried to cut out the ugly parts of the scenery and only include the cute ducklings and the sticks. However, in the photo below I included an old cup. This is a good example of the power of photography and how much you, as the photographer, can guide the viewer’s eyes. Think about this every time you see a photo in a tourist magazine or in a newspaper. Think about what else is in that photo – beyond where the photographer chose to frame the image. Your assignment today is to take a set of photos for each photo you take today. Take one photo that shows the reality of the scene with trash, or any unpleasantness. Then, take the second photo showing only the pleasant angle or focus you want to include in the frame.
Verse: Styrofoam Cup
Copyright Kristie Burns
Styrofoam cup
Filled with vanilla shake
Topped with whipped cream and cherry
Savor on summer days under the maple tree
All gone
Sweetness so satisfying vanished slowly under the melting sun
The cup remains to remind me
It is for shakes
Not ducklings
**Mirror Cinquain: Two stanza Cinquain sequence of pattern 2-4-6-8-2-9-6-4-2
*These poems have been created for many purposes – from early childhood circle time verses to inspirational or expressive. They vary from day to day so you may find the way you use them or enjoy them also varies. If you would like to set these poems to music consider our tutorial: Creating Your Ow Waldorf Verses or Finding Your Inner Voice.
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What is #Earthschooling365?
This series takes you through an entire year of our nature walks and is part of our non-profit project #Earthschooling365 at www.Earthschooling.org. The photos and posts in this series are all copyrighted. Please do not share or re-print them. Instead, share the link to this blog with your friends.
Along the way I will be sharing our favorite photo of the day, an inner work meditation for the day, photography assignment/tip for the day, nature walk theme for the day and a short verse for circle time (children) or meditation (teens/adults). We invite you to “walk along with us” this year, take some time to use the inner work meditation, be inspired by the nature walk theme of the day and perhaps even start a photo series of your own. To join the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram please tag your photos #Earthschooling365. To receive these inspirations in your e-mail inbox daily please subscribe to our blog alerts HERE. Don’t worry about missing days – you can join us as many days as you want this year!
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Waldorf curriculum
Steiner inner work
Iowa photographer
Free Waldorf curriculum
Nature table
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