om family
role in the family play. This is unhealthy
and unbalanced and can lead to a space
where we are single-handedly managing
everything. If you relate to this, could your
inner controller let go just a little to offer
you space to breathe?Sharing is caring
It’s a great idea to find people to cover
ground that is unfamiliar to you. If there
is a strong female presence in your home
and you have boys who might need some
man-to-man time, look for connections that
happen naturally and reach out a little. As a
single mother myself, I started to feel a little
put out when my son chose to spend every
weekend with his best friend’s family. When
I noticed these feelings, I started to listen
to what he shared after his weekends away,
and what I discovered was rich and valuable
to all of us. In our home, we are just three.
However, in this busy family household of
six, important things were happening in
normal day to day life. The older son, who
was a chef, took opportunities to teach the
boys how to cook. Outdoor barbeques were
built from scratch, organic beef burgers hand
crafted, mess cleaned up and respect and
responsibility was expected. If my son was
taken out and given money, doing chores
in their family home paid it back. When the
boys facial hair became too much to handle,
a shaving lesson was offered by the Dad. I
started to let him go freely and watched as
he grew both taller and in confidence. He
now has two families who love and support
him and is always happy, tired and full of
stories on his return. In fact, he has become
quite the independent adventurer, and that
is something quite new to me.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need
it. If you are the only person your child
responds to, life will be hard when it’s time
to let go. In kindergarten, kind adults keep
your children safe. At school, good teachers
can impact their lives in a positive way. In
club activities, specialities that are outside
of your capability are shared and taught.
Older adults offer wisdom and insight. Peer
groups with varying cultural backgrounds
will expand their life experience. And while
your children are spending time outside the
home, being educated and cared for in other
ways, you get to breathe out and reconnect
with the adult who is not a parent. Put some
music on and dance or go naked swimming
in the wild and while you float drifting in
your own time and space, remember to trust
the universe, because none of us are alone.
Everything is connected; we are all part of a
cosmic village after all.we want to move in that direction instead of
being a sad and possibly lonely parent who
may have forgotten that his child was only
there for safe keeping.
It takes a village to
raise a child
Let’s look at the impact individuals and
groups outside of the family have on a
child’s wellbeing. The family nucleus is
important, but if it is not expanded, it can
create a rather insular model in the way
we raise our children. For the most part,
the village ethos has long been forgotten
which leaves us playing the ongoing lead
Siri Arti is a yoga teacher and the
founder of Starchild Yoga, which runs
regular yoga teacher trainings and
conscious parenting courses in the
UK and overseas. A five-day teacher
training, which can be taken as a
conscious parenting course or a yoga
for children course, takes place in
London on August 9-13, 2017. Visit:
starchildyoga.comYoga Courses & Sports
Massage Therapy Training
By Dawn Morse MSc
+44(0) 7887 535766
http://www.coreelements.uk.com
Yoga CPD Courses
& Workshops Include:
Anatomy for Yoga
The Science of Stretching
Yoga Science and Back PainCourses open to all including
Yoga Teachers, Students &
PractitionersPlease get in touch
if you have any questionsFINAL Om Yoga magazine 2017 Core Elements.pdf 1 18/12/2016 12:46