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Unconventional school focuses on students’ ‘Inner Being’.

By Ana Tintocalis

SAN DIEGO — A group of enlightened San Diego youngsters are practicing ancient disciplines that most people don’t discover until later in life. They’re doing yoga and meditation at a private school in La Jolla. They study traditional subjects but they also focus on their “inner being.”

Fifteen precocious kids sit cross-legged. They’re in a circle inside a bare classroom. Some fidget. Others remain still. Teacher Wendy Cotton guides them through their group meditation.

“See yourself outside on a beautiful path,” Cotton said. “Take a look at this path. Is it dirt? Is it grass? Is it rocks? This is your special journey you get to create it however you’d like.”

This ritual begins each morning at the Integral School in La Jolla. The teachers at the school strive to help kids discover their life purpose by getting in-touch with themselves.

Carla Gerstein is a mother and the school’s co-founder. She didn’t like what traditional and charter schools had to offer.

“I was actually in this meditation and it kind of hit me,” Gerstein said. “I wanted something different for my kids, and I don’t see it out there. So it looks like I am going to have to do this.”

That’s when Gerstein partnered with Dr. Prapanna Smith to open the school.

“I don’t think there is any school that is anything like our school in this community,” Smith said.

Smith is a teacher who spent time in India studying Integral Education – the practice of educating the entire child including the mind, body, soul and spirit.

The Integral School in La Jolla attempts to do that by combining regular subjects with teachings of self-knowledge. Smith says parents are searching for a more meaningful learning experience for their children.

“(The United States) is wealthiest country in the world. We spend billions upon billions on the military. Why can’t we do the same for education for our kids? We could do this (model in public education). The problem is there is no political will and there is a lack of vision.”

Math, reading, history and science are still core subjects at school, and students are tested regularly. But Smith says meditation, yoga, character development and conflict resolution are also essential parts of the curriculum.

There are some people in the education world that believe standards, testing and career pathways are the only means to success. But Smith says his research shows students can make big gains if they’re given just enough academic freedom. He also says kids are more likely to succeed if there they have a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

Only 25 students currently attend the Integral School. Tuition is about $11,000 a year. The money pays for classes like Awareness Through The Body. That class combines conscious-building exercises with physical activities. Best friends Natalie Marrewa and Kiera Fieghan-Patrizi say it’s a fun challenge.

“You have to do balance. It helps you focus your mind and senses,” Marrewa said.

“We get to sometimes do obstacle courses. Just yesterday we had to balance real eggs on spoons,” Fieghan-Patrizi added.

The Integral School has been operating peacefully for three years. Gerstein, who is the school’s vice principal, says the school is small, but more parents sign up every year. She thinks learning about personal growth is good at any age, and downplays the idea that self-awareness is an “adult issue.”

“These children can handle it,” Gerstein said. “Yes, it is at a different level. It is at their level. But my goodness, the difference it will make in their lives and their future.”

The school serves kindergarten through sixth grades. They hope to expand over the next few years to include junior and high school students. The kids already on campus say they plan to stay here. They say they couldn’t see themselves anywhere else.

I would like to relate a little story about a small boy who made a promise, kept it as an adult, and received a gift during a tragic time.  This young fellow used to go visit with his grandmother a friend of hers who was living in a convalescent hospital.  After one such visit grandmother explained that she never wanted to live the last years of her life in such a place. She asked her grandson, “If our family ever tried to put me into an old-folks home, what will you do?”  The boy replied, “Grandma, I promise you that I will never let anyone put you into a place like that.”  Years later, this boy was living in India and learned that after his grandfather’s death, his family was considering to put grandma into a nursing home.  Though he had not planned to go the USA at the time, he decided he had to make good on his promise to his grandmother, and quickly made arrangements to return to the States to do so.  As it turned out, by the time he got there, the issue was moot as the family decided to have grandmother stay in the home of a family member who would provide for her needs.

So what’s so special about this story?

Well, what I have shared so far is just the prologue.  What happened afterwards is a lesson in how the Grace acts in the lives of those who are true to themselves.  Shortly after arriving in the States, the man (and his son) met with his own mother and stepfather for dinner.  Then, just a few days later, his mom and step-dad were killed in a tragic car accident.  That he was able to see his mother before her death was truly an act of Grace.  However, without that promise to his grandmother from the boy he had been, that last dinner with his mother would have never taken place.

I share this to illustrate that Grace is something that may or may not act in our lives as we would like; but it does act, always, for those of us who are true to our selves.  For true truth of the matter is that if I had not, as a man, been true to the promise of the little boy that I was, I would not have seen my mom and her husband that last time just before they were taken from me, my family, and countless others who loved and admired them.  November 7 of this year marked ten years since that tragic day, and I still feel incredibly blessed to know that in that painful time the Grace of the Divine Mother was nevertheless active in my life.  Still, for that Grace to act, I also had to do my part.

The epilogue to this story is that my grandmother passed away six months later, in the home of family, and I was able to be at her side at the end.

The year is coming to an end and parents everywhere with children who will be turning five in 2010 are or should be thinking about Kindergarten. This can be a daunting task, especially for families where it is their first child entering elementary school. As parents consider registering their child in Kindergarten, what questions should they consider?

1. Is our child ready both socially and intellectually ready for Kindergarten?
2. What are our expectations for our child’s experiences in Kindergarten?
3. Is public or private education the right option for our child?
4. What type of teacher would we like our child’s Kindergarten teacher to be?
5. What is the class size for Kindergarten or what is the Student-Teacher ratio?

When contemplating these and, I’m sure many other questions, about their child going to Kindergarten, parents will get a variety of answers from the experts on Kindergarten Readiness. All of these answers should be weighed equally and used to determine what is in the best interest of the child.

The first place to start in the investigation of Kindergarten Readiness is parent observations. How would you as the parent answer the first question as to socially and intellectually being ready for Kindergarten? Most children who are 4 or older have had playgroup experiences, maybe taken swimming or dance lessons, and experienced a variety of family activities. All of these will have provided the parents with opportunities to observe social and intellectual behaviors.
Another consideration for parents is the date their child turns 5. Will the child be one of the oldest or one of the youngest in the class? The decision as to being the oldest or youngest may be a purely simple one for some parents but yet, again, can have its challenges.

The second place in the investigation is, if a child is currently attending Preschool, the child’s Pre-K teacher and maybe the school director. These individuals have observed and continue to observe a child’s ability to interface in an “academic” setting. They will have observed how a child does socially interacting with his/her peers; how a child does with simple academic activities; how the child problem solves and whether or not the child is self-sufficient when it comes to handling his/her personal needs.

The third place in the investigation would be contacting the elementary schools parents may be considering as an option. Each school or school district has its list of things Kindergartners should be able to do. The schools often state that these are the requirements and, if a child cannot do the majority of them, then the child is not ready for Kindergarten. A recent study in California’s Santa Clara County showed that most kindergarten teachers are not wishing for rooms full of children who can identify letters, instead they wish for children who have learned how to regulate impulses, follow through on a difficult task and have the self-control to listen to directions for a few minutes. This is very different from the “kindergrind” requirements that expect writing names, writing simple words, doing simple math, and much more that has been expressed by some elementary school principals.

Once parents have compiled their personal observations, the Preschool observations and the elementary school’s Kindergarten Readiness guidelines, they then can start to deal with the Question, “Is our child both socially and intellectually ready for Kindergarten?” If the answer is yes, then the process should focus on what options are available as to choosing the elementary school to send their child to. Parents may want to use Questions 2 through 5 above which will help parents focus on what experiences they would like their child to have as he/she starts their path in the field of education.

Certainly we feel that our school, Integral Elementary, is a excellent place to start kindergarten and your child’s path in formal education, as we offer individualized curriculum for each student.  We honor and respect the individual child, and where they are developmentally, and strive to make the school environment a joyful and successful place for all.

Also, in looking at what is important to you, here is something to use as a gauge: “Your child is about to enter first grade. You are about to write a letter to your child’s Kindergarten teacher to congratulate him/her for doing a great job. What are the three most important aspects about the Kindergarten program you most appreciated that you would share with the teacher?”

In the final analysis, parents are the ones who must decide whether or not their child is ready and what their expectations are as to the school experience for their child. The best advice is to ask lots of questions and seek input in determining Kindergarten Readiness as well as be involved every day with your child’s educational experiences.

This pumpkin cake needs no fancy accoutrement’s to entice diners. It is moist and flavorful and goes well with a cup of coffee at breakfast or dessert!

This recipe is based on my mom’s 30 year old recipe that comes from her former bridge partner, Beverly, “back in the day.” I have never seen pumpkin cake like this anywhere. I have seen pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheesecake, but never pumpkin cake. I have baked so many pumpkin treats today that my house is sure to carry that aroma into the week!

I always bake my pumpkin cake in a thin, dark coated, bundt pan. I also used this recipe today to make mini-pumpkin cake bites my using a pan with many small wells, and I also used a mini-bundt pan (with six rings in one pan) to make six individual pumpkin cakes.

My mom traditionally makes a orange glaze to drizzle on top and adds candy corns for her October version. You can also just sift powdered sugar over the top. I prefer it plain, and trust me, with no calorie or fat sifter, it’s a treat unto itself!

Ingredients:

2 cups of Authentic Foods Multi-Grain GF Flour blend (or a GF blend of your choice)
2 cups of sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp xanthun gum
1 1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not the “pie filling”)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a spoon
Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl with a spoon
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth with a spoon
Poor into lightly greased bundt pan
Bake at 350 degree F for 50-60 minutes. (takes longer for a thick bundt pan)
Cool for ten minutes in pan and then invert onto wire rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, dollop with whipped cream, or glaze prior to serving (optional)

It took only 22 minutes to bake the mini-pumpkin cake bites and about 35 minutes for the mini-bundt cakes.

I have yet to meet someone who didn’t like this! Even the non-pumpkin eaters love this gluten free cake.

Enjoy!

The saying “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder” can be applied to Art and the Preschool Child. Children love expressing themselves through art. Many times parents and adults have difficulty accepting that a Preschooler’s artwork is beautiful because it may not meet their definition of art or beauty. Parents may become frustrated that their child is not “coloring within the lines” or “coloring properly”.

But, I would ask the questions: “What is coloring properly?” “What do the lines mean when it comes to the final product?” Each of us has a definition of what proper coloring is. Each of us has a perspective of what within the lines means. Does this mean that my definition of what is proper takes precedent over another individual’s, including a preschooler?

I say, “No!!” Children are beautiful individuals whose primary purpose is to explore the world around them, to discover their path in life, what works for them and what doesn’t. As individuals, preschoolers have the right to express themselves through art the way that works best for them. It may not be “within the lines”, but to the preschooler it is his/her artwork and he/she is always proud of it. We, as the adults in the preschooler’s life, need to also be proud of the work, regardless of whether it fits our definitions of art, beauty, or proper coloring.

Art is a wonderful medium for helping the preschooler learn language, numbers, and even scientific concepts. It is a fun way for the preschooler to learn to express him/herself. When adults are critical of the way the preschooler has expressed him/herself in the realm of art, the “joy of learning”, the “joy of accomplishment”, the “joy of expression” and the simple “joy of life” is negated. Art, and school along with it, no longer become an enjoyable activity.

In order to instill the love of exploration and learning in our children, we need to provide them with positive and encouraging feedback in all their creative endeavors. By showing that we appreciate their artistic expression, we are modeling a basic social skill that all children need to learn – respect for others’ accomplishments and creativity regardless of our personal definitions or perspectives.

An article by Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman

Our children are being bombarded with candy from every direction. Chocolate bars, gum, suckers, and assorted gummy candies line the checkout lanes in grocery stores. School fundraisers sell candy bars, cookies, and brownies in the hallways during lunch hours. Every mall, skating rink, soccer complex, movie theater, and even the video store has a place to buy candy.

And then there are the holidays. Halloween trick-or-treat bags bulge with every kind of candy imaginable. Christmas stockings are topped with bubble gum and chocolate bars. Valentine messages are stamped on candy hearts, and boxes of candy are the staple of communicating love. Easter baskets overflow with jellybeans and chocolate bunnies.

Candy is everywhere, and its presence is wreaking havoc on our children’s teeth and waistlines. Children are visiting the dentist with serious tooth decay at younger and younger ages every year. Obesity in children is a national concern.

With candy universally available and regularly within sight of children, what is a parent to do? How do you combat its influence on your children? How do you lessen the influence of advertisers and get candy consumption under control in your family? How can you win the candy wars?

The following 6 suggestions can assist you in curbing your children’s candy consumption. Use them to increase the health and wellbeing of your family.

1. Begin by being a model for your children to follow.If you are a chocoholic and find yourself foraging through the cupboard for the last chocolate bar or eating an entire bag of M&Ms once it is opened, reflect on the message you are sending your children. It will be difficult for you to curb their candy consumption when they see you unable to curb your own. So model the message. Eat a small portion of candy and set the rest aside for later. Talk to your children about your desire and your willingness to stay conscious and make healthy choices about your own candy consumption. The positive images you give them on how to set candy aside will help them to set it aside themselves.
2. See candy as a wonderful opportunity to set limits with your children.As parents, we set limits around television use, computer time, video games, bedtimes, friends, and a variety of other issues and behaviors. Setting limits with candy does not mean you make it totally off limits. It means that you provide opportunities for your children to enjoy candy within some clearly defined parameters or guidelines.Children want guidelines. They thrive on structure. It is the structure provided by the adult that allows them to relax into being a child. Of course they will push and test the limits. That’s their job. Pushing and testing the limits does not mean that your children want them changed. It most often means they want to see if the structure is really in place.Set your limits early, before you go to the store, before the Easter Bunny arrives, before the Halloween bags are full, before you bring candy into the house. We will be buying one treat today in the store sets the limit. So does, “We are shopping for food today. This will be a non-candy trip.”

   Discuss with your children the rules about candy consumption before they head out to gather a bagful at Halloween. Agree on a portion to be eaten each day and a place to keep it. Do not allow candy to be taken into their bedrooms. Do not leave bags of candy in the cupboard where your children have easy access to it.

   Setting a limit doesn’t mean you have to say no. Sometimes saying yes with a qualifier helps you avoid power struggles.

   “Can I have a piece of candy?”

   “Yes, you can have one right after supper.”

3. Offer your children choices when it comes to candy consumption.
   
   Another effective way to set limits on candy consumption in your family while reducing resistance and resentment is to offer children choices. “You can choose five pieces of candy out of your Halloween bag for today and set the rest aside for a different day. Let’s spread all your candy out and look at your choices.”

   “You can choose one piece of candy now or two pieces of candy for after supper. You decide.”

   Remind your children that responsibility equals opportunity. Tell them they have an opportunity to have some candy. If they demonstrate they are responsible by honoring the parameters you have set, then the opportunity continues. If they choose not to be responsible with candy, they choose to lose the opportunity to have it available. In that instance, access to candy is removed.

   This could mean you may have to remove all the candy from the house and make it unavailable to anyone. That would include you.

4. Make the eating of candy something special.Educate your children so they understand that candy is not food. It has no nutritional value for their bodies. Candy is a special treat, and its consumption is reserved for special moments. Keep candy-eating rare and enjoyable. Once candy becomes an everyday occurrence, its specialness wears off and its presence becomes expected.Have different candy around at different times to bring attention to the special event the candy celebrates. Focus on the event and how different types of candy are significant at different times of the year. Talk about the cultural or family significance of what a particular type of candy may represent. Change the focus from mass consumption to the significance of that type of candy to you and your family.
5. Don’t use candy as a reward.When you use candy to motivate your children to perform a particular task or behave in a certain way, you make it a tool of manipulation. Using candy to get children to behave is a form of bribery and produces children who perform for a substance. You end up with a “candy junky,” someone who chases after the next “fix.”Candy should never be used as a reward by parents, teachers, or any professional working with children. Using candy this way distorts the role it should have in a young person’s life and teaches children that the reward is more important than the task performed.
6. Help your children create an inner authority.You will not always be present when your children have access to candy. You will not always be there to enforce a limit for them or give them choices. Your job is to help them internalize the ability to curb candy consumption. This control from within will develop in children if you begin consistently employing the above suggestions early in their lives.Another way to help your children build inner controls is to debrief or talk through their choices with them after they return from a place where you know candy is easily available. Help them think about and talk through their decisions. Ask them to articulate what they would want to keep the same and what they would like to be different next time. Help them create a plan to build on their successes.Your children’s inner authority is the only authority they will take with them wherever they go. Help them learn to trust their ability to decide and make healthy, responsible choices.

By following these six suggestions, you and your children can enjoy the wonderful taste of chocolate and other candies. The holidays can be filled with moments made special by candy consumption that is not an everyday occurrence. The candy wars will no longer be a part of your family life. Eating candy will change from being a weight and tooth decay issue to being a wonderful time when one can simply enjoy a sweet taste upon the pallet.

Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman are the authors of “The 10 Commitments: Parenting with Purpose“. They are two of the world’s foremost authorities on raising responsible, caring, confident children. They publish a free monthly e-zine for parents. To sign up for it or obtain more information about how they can help you or your family, visit their website today: www.personalpowerpress.com.

October always brings great excitement and joy to children as they anticipate one of their favorite holidays – HALLOWEEN! For parents, Halloween also brings lots of joy and fun as they get caught up in their child’s anticipation of the Great Pumpkin and Trick or Treating. Deciding on a costume, decorating the house, visiting a Pumpkin Patch and planning parties are all part of Halloween enjoyment.

But, Halloween also brings the trepidation of dealing with all the sweets the children may receive when Trick or Treating or attending school carnivals/parties. Children truly take ownership of everything they collect while out Trick or Treating in their neighborhood or at school sponsored carnivals/parties. Yet, we, the adults, know that all those sweets are not healthy for children and the thought of even rationing the sweets for weeks is a daunting endeavor.

Here’s a way to allow children to partake in Halloween activities and enjoy some of their goodies yet not over do it – “THE HALLOWEEN FAIRY”.  The Halloween Fairy loves candy/sweets. However, it is hard for her to get it because she can only make toys and things. So, for her to get the candy she so loves, she offers children an exchange of a gift for their candy. After Trick or Treating, children pick a number of pieces of their most favorite candy, then they put the rest in a bag and leave it outside somewhere for the Halloween Fairy. The Halloween Fairy is so thankful for the children’s gift of candy, she leaves a gift for the children as a thank you.  Children can also write a note to the Halloween Fairy as to what they would like in exchange for the candy – a toy, crayons/colored pencils, a new shirt, etc.

The Halloween Fairy is a wonderful new tradition to add to your Halloween activities. Having the Halloween Fairy collecting candy is a win-win situation – the children have fun Trick or Treating and get to pick some candy, parents don’t have to fight with children about the candy, and the candy can be donated to a local charity.

As an added way of introducing this concept,  there is a book called “All Hallows Eve: The Story of the Halloween Fairy” by Lisa Sferlazza Johnson and illustrated by Tucker Johnson. Reading the story before Halloween can prepare the children for the Halloween Fairy’s visit.

Let’s all make the Halloween Fairy part of our Halloween Traditions.

What is life about?  While there are many goals in Integral Education related to development of the whole being – body, vital (emotions and character), mind, psychic (soul), and spiritual – there is an important overall aim in this philosophy of education. This is the aim to help children discover for themselves their life-purpose and develop the skills, knowledge, and self-discipline they will need to manifest that purpose. Life purpose is much more than the choice of a job or career in life. Rather, it represents the deeper reason for those choices. If you want to become something, why do want to do so? Do you want to earn money, obtain security and comfort, develop your highest potential, serve your family or community or humanity, or seek and serve a higher truth?

In Integral Education this self-discovery is of supreme importance. The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Mirra Alfassa, who first pioneered Integral Education, conveyed to the students of the Ashram School this important value to life when She said,

Une vie sans but est une vie sans joie. Ayez tous un but; mais n’oubliez pas que de la qualité de votre but dépendra la qualité de votre vie. Que votre but soit élevé et vaste, généreux et désintéressé; ainsi votre vie deviendra précieuse pour vous-mêmes et pour les autres. (Alfassa, 1950)

“An aimless life is always a life without joy. Everyone one of you should have an aim. But do not forget that the quality of your life will depend upon the quality of your aim. Your aim should be high and wide, generous and disinterested; this will make your life precious to yourself and to others.” [Translation mine.]

There are many reasons for the choices we make in life and, according to Reker and Wong¹, depending upon our state of consciousness, our purpose can be motivated by the satisfaction of hedonistic pleasure, the realization of personal potential, commitment to social or political causes, or values related to cosmic meaning and ultimate purpose. In Integral Education, as stated by The Mother, our quality of life depends upon our aim, which ought to be directed towards higher values such as the discovery of ultimate purpose, service to others, and the manifestation of one’s full human potential.

For elementary and secondary students, Integral Education seeks to accomplish this aim by helping students become aware of their selves holistically, which is to say they must become conscious of all aspects of their being through self-knowledge, and becoming the masters of their destiny through personal mastery. Thus, program components such as regular meditation, the practice of Yoga and Awareness Though the Body, self-expression through the theater and creative arts, music, and the nurturing of culturally refined individuals become as critical to the overall educational experience as does academics. Academics and world-knowledge are important, but without self-knowledge and the wisdom it brings, such knowledge can lead to serious defects of character and cause one to do great harm in the world. Imagine looking at the academic records of Bernie Maddhof or Kenneth Delay. One can easily imagine that both excelled in academics, yet look at all the damage they wrought. Integral Education seeks to help children develop their truest and deepest potential so that they can become refined human beings who embody the highest and greatest good for themselves, their families, and their communities.  For us, for the children, this is what life is about.

¹ Reker, G. T., & Wong, P. T. P. (2008, draft). Personal meaning in life and psychosocial adaptation in the later years. In P.T.P. Wong & Fry, P.S. (Eds.), The human quest for meaning (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Kiss them. Hug them. Tell Them: “I love you”.

A father, leaving on a business trip, kissed his family goodbye. The next day, his young daughter said to her mother, “I shouldn’t have washed off Daddy’s kiss.  It will be a long time before he can kiss me again.” She thought for a moment and then said, “But it’s OK. Daddy’s kiss soaked into my heart.”

In this very uncertain world, your children must be absolutely certain of one thing – that you love them with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

Don’t let your children wonder if your love might be conditional – that you love them if they are good little children, if they get good grades, if they are the star of the play or the hero of the game, if they get into a good college, if they get a good job.

They must be sure that you love them not for what they do, but for who they are. They must be sure that you love them regardless of what they do, because of who they are. They must be sure that you will love them always and forever.

Over and over again say to them, “I love you.”
Every day – many times every day – kiss them; hug them; wrap them in your love.

A kiss and a hug have amazing power.
For a kiss and a hug are expressions of love at its closest, its sweetest, its most happy.
And all your children want, all your children crave, all your children need, is your complete, your non-judgmental, your unconditional, your unrestrained, love.
Your love – given freely and fully – delights the heart, inflames the spirit, and transforms the soul.

When there is doubt, your love brings trust.
When there is despair, your love brings hope.
When there is pain, your love brings healing.
When there is grief, your love brings comfort.
When there is fear, your love brings confidence.
When there is anger, your love brings reconciliation.
When there is shame, your love brings reassurance.
When there is transgression, your love brings forgiveness.
When there is satisfaction, your love brings contentment.
When there is achievement, your love brings celebration.
When there is triumph, your love brings jubilation.
When there is bounty, your love brings appreciation.
When there is happiness, your love brings deeper joy.

Your children are hungry for your love - the love that envelops them, and warms them, and makes them glad.
The world is hungry for love – the love that will speak to its battered heart, heal its painful wounds, bring new light to its dark places, and set it, once more, on the course towards goodness and light.

Kiss your children today, and you kiss the world.
Hug your children today, and you hug the world.
Love your children today, and you bring love to the world, for love transcends all limitations of time and place. In the words of the mystic, ” Love has seven hundred wings, and each one extends from the lower Earth to the highest Heaven.”

Love your children – unconditionally and unequivocally – this day and every day.
They are waiting.
And their world is waiting with them.

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RABBI WAYNE DOSICK, Ph.D., D.D., is an educator, writer, spiritual guide and healer, who teaches and counsels about faith and spirit, ethical values, life transformations, and evolving human consciousness.

He is the founder and spiritual leader of The Elijah Minyan; an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego; and the award-winning author of eight books, including the highly acclaimed and much beloved Golden Rules: The Ten Ethical Values Parents Need To Teach Their Children, and with his wife, ELLEN KAUFMAN DOSICK, MSW, Empowering Your Indigo Child: A Handbook for Parents of Children of Spirit.

Articles about Dr. Dosick and his books have appeared in more than 85 newspapers and periodicals; he has been interviewed on more than 145 radio and television shows; and he has spoken to more than 200 audiences throughout the country.

Dr. Dosick has taught youngsters from pre-school through college and graduate school; counseled at summer camps; directed day and supplementary schools, and youth programs; and conducted seminars and retreats for children of all ages and their parents.

He now directs The Soul Center for Spiritual Healing, home of The 17; and The Point of Essence Process — healing for Adult Indigos; and GraceLight: Weaving Harmony for the Littlest Indigos.

These spiritual healings are the project of his heart and the mission of his soul.

The children did a yoga demonstration for them during their stopover!

Check out the La Jolla Light article HERE