Hari Om Parents!
This past Sunday (Dec 4th) was our 9th class of Balavihar for 2022-2023
Here is the Summary of what we covered in the class.
1. We started the class with opening prayer. We chanted 3 OMs and Sahana Vavatu. Please encourage children to chant this every day.
2. We also chanted Vakratunda Mahakaya, Saraswati namastubhyam and Guru Brahma shlokas.
3. We sang Atmarama AnandaRamana and we completed the remaining lines in the Bhajan. Please refer to the My Prayers Book - Page 143 and have them sing to you.
4. We chanted the Guru Stotram - Verse 1 and learnt 2nd verse - Agnana Thimirandhasya. My prayers Book page 61
5. Children did some Yoga poses - Tadasana (mountain pose), Vrikshasana (Tree pose), Kurmasana(Turtle Pose)
6. To quieten the mind we did meditation. They close eyes and hear pebbles beingg dropped into a container and learn to count in their mind focusing on only the sound of pebble being dropped. Then we counted the pebbles that were dropped in Sanskrit. We also learnt to say colors in Sanskrit.
7. We went to the Ramayana story right after meditation. We did a recap of the wedding of Rama Sita that happened the previous week and the children remembered the JCHYKs giving them wedding gifts. We dived into the story of the Poisonous seed - the hunchback maid Manthara poisoning thoughts of Kaikeyi by saying how Kaikeyi son Bharata was not crowned King. Manthara prompted Kaikeyi to ask King Dasratha about the two boons he had promised her a while back. Kaikeyi decides to use the boons now - a. To Ask Bharata to be crowned Prince of Ayodhya. b. To send Rama to the forest for 14 years. Hearing these two from Kaikeyi King Dasratha swooned. He kept saying Rama, Rama, Rama and he fell ill. Whole town of Ayodhya on hearing this was very sad. Rama took leave from his mom Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi to proceed to go the forest. All the people of Ayodhya followed Rama, Sita and Lakshmana who went in a chariot. People were sad seeing Rama leave. The children were sad hearing the story.
8. We played the game - No I am Rama - where they are given a scenario and asked would they behave like Rama or behave like Kaikeyi. We explained that they need to be calm, composed and smiling and obey their parents like Rama who immediately obeyed when his father (as requested by Kaikeyi) asked him to go to the forest for 14 years. Kaikeyi on the other hand was selfish, thought about herself and her son Bharata alone.
9. We chanted Bhagavad Gita verses 1 to 4. Please encourage them to chant at home as well.
10. We handed out japaMala craft to be done at home. They can insert the beads to form a mini bracelet and they can bring to share in class next week. We can use that to chant Rama Nama.
11. Please have them color the coloring sheet for chapter 9.
12. Finally we said our closing prayers before we headed for Aarti.
Pranams
Selvi and Subha
