Hari Om Parents,
Today was the 12th class of Balavihar! Here is the summary of what we covered in class today:
Opening Prayers & Sloka: We started with three OMs and then proceeded with Opening Prayers - Sahana Vavatu, Vakratunda Mahakaya, Saraswati Namastubhyam, Krishnaya Vasudevaya, Ramaya Ramabadraya and Samudravasene Devi. A lot of the kids beautifully chanted the shlokas individually.
Yoga: Children did Thoppukaranam, Vrikshasana, Bhujangasana and the butterfly pose (Baddha Konasan).
Attendance: Attendance was taken, and each kid responded by saying Hari Om.
Introduction of the Next Letter: We introduced the next letter J, which stands for Japa.
Brainstorming: What is Japa? Japa is the repetition of the Lord's name with devotion. We can take the Lord's name while doing any activity and keep chanting. And by chanting God's name, we can strengthen our mind and improve our concentration.
Exploration: We explained that OM represents all the words, and everything in the world. We explained how to chant 'Om' and explained that we need to chant it three times before starting any work to help us focus better.
Bhajan: We learnt the Kathe bhi Ram Kaho bhajan and kids sang along beautifully.
Craft: We made our own Japa malas with beads and thread. We learned how to use the Japa mala to focus during our chanting of "Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare".
Introduction of the Next Letter: K stands for Kindness which means being gentle, generous and good natured. And that we can be kind and helpful to others with our actions.
Brainstorming: We discussed various ways we can be kind to each other without expecting anything in return. Kids had thoughtful ideas like "sharing candy" and
Story Time: Through the story of Prince Siddhartha and the Swan, we learned about Prince Siddhartha and Devadatta. We also learned the story of Androcles and the Lion. The moral of both of these stories is when we are kind without expecting anything in return, God will take care of all of our needs!
Activity: Kids completed the coloring sheets for J and K.
Recap: We did the Alphabet chant together until the Letter K.
We did the closing prayers and went to the temple for Aarti.
It was another very collaborative session with kids. Kids happily participated and shared their ideas and views. Have a wonderful week ahead!
There is no class on Jan 19th, our next class will be Jan 26th.
Pranams,
Shreya and Veda
