Extra Yarn is about a little girl who lives in a village that is completely devoid of color; only white, black, and shades of grey exist in her town. One day, she finds a box filled with yarn of every color. She begins to knit sweaters for everyone in town, starting with herself and her dog Mars. These acts of kindness towards everyone in the community transform both the people and the physical place in a positively beautiful way.
The Mind Move Make students successfully connected the story to their Kindness Creature creations. Kindness Creatures are meant to remind their owners of kind actions they can take in the world. Some students are choosing to keep their Kindness Creatures for themselves, while others are giving them to family members.
After our discussion it was time for relaxation. During this time I shared a story from Thich Nhat Hahn, a Buddhist monk who is a pioneer in bringing mindfulness to the West. I asked each student to imagine that he or she was a pebble that was thrown into a river:
"What would it feel like to sink through the water? Imagine the light slowly dimming as you sink farther and farther down. You are pulled this way and that with the currents of the water. Imagine the plants and the animals you might encounter along your journey. Then, finally, imagine landing at the very bottom and finding a comfortable place deep in the fine sand at the bottom of the river."
After that, we began the movement portion of class. We played Yogi Says, and three different students got to become the "yogi" and lead everyone in their favorite yoga pose! Each leader did a great job. Below is a picture of one student leading the class in Tree Pose. The students are helping each other with balance by holding hands.
Everyone was anxious to get started on their Kindness Creatures! We only have ONE CLASS LEFT after this one, so a few students are afraid that they won't finish in time. I trust that everyone will finish, and some students might even have time to create a miniature version of their Kindness Creature. Here are a few photos of works-in-progress:
