Apr 26, 2018

Women Who Inspire - Kajal Dharod From Your Learning Capsules - Interview Series

women who inspire interview series kajal dharod your learning capsules vitamin simple

I'm so excited to present this interview series for all you lovely readers of my blog. This series - "Women Who Inspire" features interviews of some lovely ladies that I know. I love what they do & I admire them a lot. I thought of passing some inspiration to all of you too! This interview series will give you a little sneak peek into the lives of these women.


Today, let us hear from Kajal Dharod (KD) who is the founder of Your Learning Capsules.

Kajal Dharod holds a Masters in Accounting, a Chartered Account and an MBA in Advertising and Communications Management. She worked in the Financial Software spectrum (SAP software) for about 13 years or so, and then took a hiatus. Her kids were 3 at the time, and she wanted to be based at home and not venture out until they were 5.5 and ready for kindergarten. She pondered quiet a bit on what she should be doing next, in that process she re-discovered herself as an indulged education partner. She wants to unlearn and learn and then decode learning to make it an enjoyable journey for the kids. With this intent, she brought Vitamin Simple to life in 2017.




Your Learning Capsules is her venture to introduce the concept of engaged and integrated learning. Vitamin Simple is the flagship brand of Your Learning Capsules with only one goal – to make learning Simple and Fun.

You can click to check out her Website & Facebook Group.

You can also find some of her awesome books in this blog's SHOP section HERE.



You can check out all the interviews in this "Women Who Inspire" series HERE.

K : Think back to five years ago. Did you envision this is where you would be?

KD : No, I did not see that happening over these last 5 years. However, in a very long vision I always wanted to be a part of education and be an educator. I always told people, I would retire as a teacher, never had a starting point figured out though!



K : What ignited the spark in you to start a new business venture? How did the idea for your business come about?

KD : I have twins, and I just loved being there, and as a natural mom instinct you are always educating your kids – not just book stuff, but so much from how to drink water to how to wear your clothes or be more tolerant , I mean everything ! I loved this ride as a hands-on mommy-teacher and this got me closer every day to discover a Starting Point to my life long goal to retire as a teacher, technically an educator (lol - don’t have teaching credits and don’t want to get in trouble with hard earned teachers with a teaching degree). Also, I am always haunted by creative spirits, not sure if they are white or black, but I am deeply driven to test the waters. 




K : Describe your typical day.

KD : Kuhoo, as a mom.preneur, you’d know best that the one thing we don’t have defined is “a typical day”. What I can tell you is days are very long, very tiring, and sometimes very frustrating and as in any venture your biggest investment is Time!

K : How many hours do you work a day on average?

KD : My days are balancing between kids, home and work – time put in specifically toward my venture is hard to carve out, because even if I am not on my desk working, in my mind I always am! But my days are really long, most days are a 16-hour bet and that includes weekends.





K : How do you approach risk-taking?

KD : Born and raised middle class, my virtue is conservative. To grow, I need to invest my personal finances into the business, but as much as possible I take slow and calculated risks – may not be in the best interest of the business most times.  I have a constant focus to ensure I bring the bare bones back home. It is overwhelming and taxing at times and it’s a daily mental juggle -“Are you sure this is going to work out, yes yes dreams are good, having a vision is good, yes maybe you do have it in you, but everything is a  “IF” . “

K : What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

KD : The biggest satisfaction is just the underlying fact that I am abled and positioned to pursue this venture.



K : What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?

KD : This answer is specific to my current environment and situation – and may not work as a general “for all” answer. For me the key to work is to be sincere – whether you are employed or you are starting on your own. So, the requisition is the same – employed or entrepreneur. You chose your path based on the situation, priority, interest, position and access – I was employed for all this years and just like now when I am on my own, I am all in!

Oh, one last thing, I definitely know one difference, when you are employed you are surely going to get that “fat check”, which right now in my dreams also I don’t get to see! (just kidding!)

K : Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?

KD : Well I am a Class A movie-inspired person, in my fact check sessions also some movie or character is playing at the back of my head which tells me I am going to get somewhere, I mean significant somewhere in 10 or 20 years. I better! I am aiming for Mars right now, but I am thinking at least the Moon, if not just on Earth, if nothing then better tried then not… jokes apart, I have no clue, but I do practice my Oscar speech every day, just in-case!

K : In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur
KD : Passionate!




Thank you so much Kajal for taking out time for this chit chat & I loved your witty comments! It was a wonderful talk session and I wish you good health, peace, happiness & success in your venture!

You can check out all the interviews in this "Women Who Inspire" series HERE.

Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook groupTwitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Apr 19, 2018

Women Who Inspire - Surekha Jadhav From My Dream Shop - Interview Series

women who inspire interview series surekha jadhav

I had been thinking to do this for long time & now I'm so excited to launch this interview series for all you lovely readers of my blog. This series - "Women Who Inspire" will feature interviews of some lovely ladies that I know. I love what they do & I admire them a lot. I thought of passing some inspiration to all of you too! This interview series will give you a little sneak peek into the lives of these women.


Today, let us hear from Surekha Jadhav (SJ) who owns an online store My Dream Shop.

SJ is a homeschooling mother of 2 enthusiastic kids, 12 years old daughter and 3 years old son. She has completed a degree in computer science. She holds special interest in early childhood development and has experience in working with children of different age groups. She left her career for children and recently she has started a small venture of manufacturing wooden open ended and educational toys. 

Click here to go to her Online Shop & Facebook group

Her open-ended wooden toys are also available in the shop section of this blog HERE.


K : Think back to five years ago. Did you envision this is where you would be?

SJ : No, I didn't think of doing exactly what I am doing right now but yes I wished to do something in early childhood development.


K : What ignited the spark in you to start a new business venture? How did the idea for your business come about?

SJ : I always eyed on couple of toys for my children. But because of their unavailability in India or the cost factor, I was unable buy them. Considering the benefits of toys, I thought of giving it a try to make some toys myself and it worked out pretty well! Further, I thought of selling them so that parents in India can buy them at affordable prices. This gave birth to My Dream Shop - handcrafted wooden toys.



K : Describe/outline your typical day.

SJ : This question is really hard to answer.  I start my day before my family members wake up so that I can get some me-time. I do some exercises / yoga and then start with routine chores. But yes, before I start working on my business, in most cases, I try to spend time with my children. We are a homeschooling family and I try to involve my children in work, whether its business or house work. They are keen learners and support me to best of their abilities.




K : How many hours do you work a day on average?

SJ : Now this is yet another difficult question to answer. As I am momprenuer, I work at even and odd times. Some days I work more, and on some days, I don't work at all. I just spend time with my family. It really depends of business work load. But I really wish I could have more than 24 hours.


K : Tell me about a recent setback and how you recovered?

SJ : Till now I haven't gone through any major setback. Everything is working out smoothly. I am trying to move ahead slowly with minimal risk. But if in future I get any setback, I will consider it as a learning opportunity and change my directions accordingly.

You can check out all the interviews in this "Women Who Inspire" series HERE.

K : What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

SJ : Satisfying moments have become a part of life now. Every other day, a toy reaches to a new home and feedback of those parents makes all our efforts worth it! On personal note, my family loves to see me as a working woman. We have small celebrations for every small victory. So these small and sweet moments satisfy me a lot and give me immense energy to work harder.




K : Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

SJ : No business or company as such but I admire the work of a software engineer. I love doing programming whenever I get some me-time.


K : Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?

SJ : Actually I haven't thought about it. I believe that I have to work honestly and creatively. I trust my hard work which will definitely pay off.





K : If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?

SJ : You have penned down all the questions appropriately. I don't think there is anything left!


Thank you so much Surekha for taking out time for this chit chat! It was a wonderful talk session and I wish you good health, peace, happiness & success in your business venture!

You can check out all the interviews in this "Women Who Inspire" series HERE.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Apr 18, 2018

Buy Super Affordable Grimms Inspired 7 Piece Rainbow Stacker - Waldorf Open-ended Toy


Check out this Grimms inspired wooden Rainbow Stacker at super affordable price by My Dream Shop


I recently bought a 7 piece rainbow stacker at super affordable price from My Dream Shop run by Surekha Jadhav. And I must say it's lovely! I opted for a wood finish instead of a colored one. Check the video for the 1st day play by my 3 year old.





I love this Waldorf inspired open ended toy! And if you do not have it in your child's toy collection, it is a must have!


Rainbow Stacker is amazing Waldorf-inspired multi used toy for toddlers, kids and even adults! The bold colors of this beautifully hand made wooden rainbow will help to boost child's imagination, creativity and provide hours of open ended play.

Benefits of Rainbow stacker:

  • Stimulates reasoning skills.
  • Spatial awareness
  • Problem solving skills
  • Enhance creativity.
  • Refine eye-hand co-ordination and motor skills.
  • Boost critical thinking and deep play.
  • Children learn about colors. 
  • Nesting and stacking ability.

Uses of Rainbow Stacker

There is no right or wrong way to use a rainbow stacker hence its a unique open-ended toy for very young as well as older children. The pieces can be use together or individually as bridges, tunnels, seesaws, fences, houses, doll cradles or caves. Sometimes its just used in the background of other open-ended play. It helps to sort things practicing early maths skills. It can be used to order the arcs from smallest to largest. Challenge your child to explore force and motions with your rainbow stacker by creating a marble run or two. These are only few ways we can use rainbow stacker, actually it has boundless possibilities!!!

Colors : Waters based non-toxic colors are used in this Rainbow stacker, so it is totally safe for young ones to play.

You can buy it from the shop section of my blog HERE or directly from My Dream Shop HERE or from Amazon HERE.




I also have a complete blog post on how to play with Rainbow Stackers HERE. In that post, I have featured Rainbow Roofs from Skola Toys. Click HERE to watch.




Have you got your Rainbow Stacker yet?

Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Montessori Bead Stairs - Math Exercise For Preschoolers



Montessori Bead Stairs is a standard Montessori math material in a 3-6 years Montessori classroom (House of Children). Let us see how it is used for learning numbers & how my 3 year old boy used it.


This activity helps the child learn to associate the quantities 1 through 9 with their numerals. It also introduces the child to the material used in the Teens Beads, the Teens Board, the Short Chains, the Long Chains, Addition With Bead Bars, Subtraction With Bead Bars, and Multiplication With Bead Bars.

Material

The bead stair consists of 9 segments of wire strung with one to nine beads. Every number of beads is done in a different color: 1-red, 2-green, 3-peach, 4-yellow, 5-light blue, 6-lavender, 7-white, 8-brown, 9-dark blue. The beads should be as spherical as possible so that they are equally wide as long.

You can check out the detailed presentation of this material HERE.

Ideally the end product would look something like this & the control of error is creating the triangle.

Bead Stair 10.JPG
Img Source - montessorialbum.com

But this is what my 3 year old boy did independently. We follow Montessori at home so I am not strictly concerned about the correct formation of the triangle as far as he is getting the concept right.




Material Sources

Beads 



The wooden digits are from this kit





Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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How To Prepare Toddlers To Write - Prewriting Skills - What, Why & How (VLOG)

how to prepare toddlers writing prewriting fb live tips parenting issues kids

How To Prepare Your Toddler To Write? Pre-writing Skills - What, Why & How? This article showcases the facebook live video I did on this topic recently as a part of my #TuesdayLive Facebook live series.


As an early childhood educator, it pains me to see queries from parents where the kids are not comfortable writing in kindergarten, some do not want to complete their homeworks, some do not want to color properly and the list goes on.

Let us see what the underlying issues could be & how can we as parents, help kids to enjoy writing & not dread it!

This video below talks about how a parent can prepare a child to write, about prewriting skills, its whats, whys & hows.



Share this blog among friends/communities who might be looking for any kind of help/support as far as writing & Montessori is concerned.

You can also contact me using this form.

Relevant Links Mentioned In This Video

Importance of puzzles for toddlers & how to introduce puzzles

What are prewriting skills & how to develop

Montessori inspired Practical life activities for young kids

How to set up Montessori inspired arts corner for kids

Montessori inspired shelf activities that I had setup at home

Other Montessori related blogs of mine

Alphabet tracing & prewriting for preschoolers

You can go through other Facebook live videos HERE & I will keep adding them in this archive and you can find them all at THIS link anytime in the future. You can also join my facebook page & group to follow the updates.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Apr 10, 2018

Montessori - What It Is & What It Is Not (VLOG)

montessori what is homeschooling maria fb live the k junction alternative education early learning kindergarten preschool

What Is Montessori & What It Is Not? This article showcases the facebook live video I did on this topic recently as a part of my #TuesdayLive Facebook live series.


Montessori is one of the alternative education philosophies. I have seen a lot parents being stuck to the Montessori term per say & not realizing what it is. Montessori is not just the Montessori materials and Montessori inspired toys. It is a way of life.

And then there are some parents who do not know what is Montessori at all and perhaps hearing this word for the first time!

This video will cater to all.

This video below talks about Montessori - what it is & what it is not!



Share this blog among friends/communities who might be looking for any kind of help/support as far as homeschooling & Montessori is concerned.

You can also contact me using this form.

Relevant Links Mentioned In This Video

Free Extensive Tour of authentic Montessori classroom (2-6 years)

How to set up Montessori inspired arts corner for kids

What Makes A Toy Montessori

Montessori inspired Practical life activities for young kids

Montessori inspired shelf activities that I had setup at home

Other Montessori related blogs of mine

Free Ebook - The Absorbent Mind by Dr Maria Montessori

You can go through other Facebook live videos HERE & I will keep adding them in this archive and you can find them all at THIS link anytime in the future. You can also join my facebook page & group to follow the updates.



Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Apr 9, 2018

Importance & Benefits Of Pretend Play For Kids

pretend play importance benefits kids

Pretend plays are so much fun! Kids learn a lot while pretending to be someone else. Read on to know the importance & benefits of pretend play. And look at what my 2 year old son did when he pretended to become a farmer & vegetable vendor.


Vegetable shopping anyone? My toddler has become a farmer and has got some fresh veggies from his farm. The rates are very reasonable, 2 or 3 Rs for each vegetable. Rush before the stock ends!




He sold all the veggies to me, strictly after weighing them, and put all of them into the jute bag except baby corn. That is for him exclusively, he said.


During pretend play, a child uses objects to represent something else while giving it action and motion. But this pretend play is not as simple as it may seem. 

The process of pretending builds skills in many essential developmental areas.

Social and Emotional Skills
A child experiments with social roles & relationships of life while pretending to be someone else. He has conversation to himself and others. He learns how to take turns, share responsibility, and creatively problem-solve. When your child pretends to be different characters, he has the experience of "walking in someone else's shoes," which helps teach the important moral development skill of empathy. The child begins to understand the feelings of others. The child also builds self-esteem when he discovers he can be anything just by pretending!

Language Skills
It is hilarious sometimes to listen when a child engages in imaginary play with his toys or friends? I many times hear some words and phrases I never thought he knew! In fact, I often hear my own words & phrases when my son does some kind of pretend play. Pretend play helps your child understand the power of language. 

Thinking Skills
If you think only mazes or puzzles give your child something to think about, then that is not right. Setting up a pretend play scene requires some real thinking & planning skills. They try out new ideas, new ways to solve problems, new ways to resolve conflicts and a whole variety of life skills.

Pretend plays are so much fun & enriching too!!!

What kinds of pretend play does your child involve in? Do share in the comments below.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


Read More »

Apr 5, 2018

Rentoys.in - Subscription Offer Alert - Online Toy Library For Kids - Review Of 4th Subscription Box (VLOG)

rentoys toy library review discount cashback the k junction learning resources mental blox leap frog laptop kids

Have you been eyeing upon expensive international brand toys for your kids & not able to justify a purchase because they are so expensive? Are you planning to buy new toys for your kids & thinking how to declutter the old ones? Are you a kind of parent who is constantly on a look out for sustainability, even when it comes to toys? Then this Online Toy Library Rentoys is the answer for you! And if the collection of this library was not awesome enough, I am sharing with you an irresistible deal for your subscriptions that you can order from Rentoys! Also in this post is my review on fourth subscription box that I have ordered from this toy library.



I recently discovered this awesome toy library Rentoys that has some really beautiful, engaging, expensive, international brands' toys for kids that they RENT out. I absolutely fell in love with their collection!!! I had wanted to buy so many of those toys but they are so expensive & hence I could not justify buying for personal use.

Till now I have ordered 4 subscription boxes from them & absolutely loved all the boxes. This review is of my fourth box.

You might want to check out the contents & video review of the other subscription boxes HERE.

And guess what!?! I have An Irresistible Offer

You can get 15% OFF on your first Rentoys box if you use this coupon code "KJUNCTION" , without quotes & all caps.

Visit Rentoys today & start adding your favorite toys into your wishlist!

Video Review Of Our Fourth Subscription Box



Need More Reasons Why To Go For Rentoys?


  • The excitement of a new toy box arriving every month gives me a high as a mom, lol! A child will certainly be thrilled!
  • Smart educational toys are very costly and can go for ₹5000+ a piece. Now, parents may not feel the heat if buying toys were a one-time expense. However, this is hardly the case.
  • Renting a toy saves money! Rentoys has almost all the toys that are super expensive otherwise from brands mentioned below & not affordable for middle class families like mine. 
  • Decluttering is done on the go! You do not tend to store the toys that are no more relevant to the child. You save a lot of storage space!
  • Sustainability issues are addressed. The toys are reused by so many children. We leave lesser carbon footprint on Mother Earth.
  • The collection of toys is just amazing! The variety, quality, brands everything is superb! Spoilt for choice! 
  • Customer service is amazing! I had some issue with adding toys to my wishlist & they were super quick to revert! They even called me saying one toy from the three toys that I chose, will be available after two days so they are sending the available two toys right away & will send the third one after two days. I mean why would someone call me up for this, but they did! This shows their commitment & service for the customers!

Related Reading - Step by step guide - what are STEM toys?

More About Rentoys

Rentoys is a toy rental service focusing on educational and award-winning toys. We deliver and pickup toys from your doorsteps, anywhere in India.

Rentoys is founded by parents having years of experience of managing kids. Been there, done that. They understand how children's early experiences - the bonds they form with their parents and their first learning experiences - deeply affect their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. This is why they are on a mission to help parents optimize their investments in the early years of children's lives to ensure children's future success.

All the toys at Rentoys are selected keeping in mind what they call "open-endedness" which they measure by asking questions such as in how many ways the toy can be played with, is there any rule book, and does the toy force the kids to think/create on his/her own.


Related Read - Tons of ways to play with Waldorf Rainbow Stackers - An open-ended toy


You can get 15% OFF on your first Rentoys box if you use this coupon code "KJUNCTION" , without quotes & all caps.


Check out their toys collection HEREThey deliver all over India. Do not forget to use the coupon code I shared above in this post to avail the discount!

Confused about their working? Click HERE to know how it works. And your FAQs are answered HERE.

Subscription Box Pricing

It starts with Rs 599 per month where you get premium educational toys worth at least Rs 5000 in a box! There are other plans as well, you can visit the pricing page HERE for all the details. If you are concerned about damage of toys from the library, THIS link might answer your questions. 

You MUST read this wonderful article that explains why Rentoys is into toy renting business!

Do let me know in comments below what all you have ordered from Rentoys, I would love to know!


Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post but the views shared are honest and solely mine. I believe in using the products/service myself before putting up the review or opinion about them here.

Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook groupTwitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Apr 3, 2018

Tutorial - Simple Breathing Meditation (Anapanasati) For Beginners To Do Anywhere

tutorial breathing meditation anapanasati buddhism

#SoulfulSaturdays is an attempt to put out weekly, simple to consume knowledge bits, help people understand the concepts of holistic living, spirituality, healing, meditation & the likes. In this article, let us see how to do a simple meditation based on your breath anywhere anytime. In Buddhist fraternity, it is also called Anapanasati Meditation. 


There is much written & read about the benefits of meditation but not many people practice it actually. Partly because of less self motivation, partly because of wrong information, partly because they think meditation is for old & retired people, partly because they tried a meditation practice & could not keep up to it.

Click HERE to check out the details, testimonials & registration for our very popular 10 days ONLINE workshop on SELF HEALING & CHAKRA BALANCING.

Let me tell you there are many different ways one can meditate. There are many kinds of meditation practices and all of them can really help you in focus, awareness, emotional mental & physical wellness & much more. This is a very basic practice but it does wonders & can be practiced by seasoned meditators as well.

So let us dive into it straight but before that, promise me you will try this meditation today itself & share your experience with me in the comments below!

Place 
You can choose any place you like - a quiet hall, a noisy train, sitting in an auto with honking sounds of the traffic, garden, bedroom, forest or whatever. The good news is if you are alive, you will have your much loved breath with you, and that is the only thing you need for this meditation.


Duration 
You can start with just 5 minutes of practice. Set a timer in your mobile & you are ready to go. Once you are happy with 5 minutes, you can gradually increase the duration as per your convenience.


Posture 
Sit upright with your spine straight. You can either sit on a chair with hanging legs or sit on the floor or yoga mat or even a chair with crosslegged. Put your hands anywhere you feel comfortable. It would be great to keep them in dhyaan mudra resting on your knees.


Steps 
Close your eyes & just focus on your breath. Watch it go in & out, in & out, in & out. Keep your awareness JUST on the breath. Notice how the breath is passing through your nostrils & going up till your lungs. Notice how those vibrations are. Visualize that with every in-breath, you are breathing in positive energy & with every out-breath, you are pushing out negativity from your body. Keep the breaths deeper & longer.


Hey, one random thought of your child or your spouse or your workplace came hitting your head just now! Aaah you lost the focus on your breath!!! And you think, "oh I just cannot do this thing called meditation". Trust me, I have been there done that. And still face this sometimes. Do not resist the thought and just let the thought pass through your brain or heart. Become a watcher to that thought. Now that you have acknowledged the thought came in, resume back to focussing on your breath.


I have a bonus tip for you here! Try chanting "So" during in breath & "Hum" during out breath. SoHum is the universal sound of our breath. So this way, the chances of you being lost into other thoughts are lesser because you give your mind a concrete thing to chant while you breathe. You can chant it mentally or aloud.


And hey, you will soon hear your timer go tring tring. Did you just finish your meditation session? I hope your answer is yes :) If it is, tell me in the comments below what was your experience!


Benefits
Regulates BP, calms mind, reduces stress, anxiety, depression, improves focus, mental, emotional & physical well being and much more!

In Buddhist culture, this meditation is called Anapanasati - meaning mindfullness of breathing.

If you want to know more about our 7 energy centers in the body - what are called chakras, they have been discussed individually in detail HERE.

Click HERE to check out the details, testimonials & registration for our very popular 10 days ONLINE workshop on SELF HEALING & CHAKRA BALANCING.

Hope you liked this tutorial & let me know in the comments below if you practice any kind of meditation.

You can check out all the posts in the #SoulfulSaturdays series HERE.

Drop me a message via contact form HERE or email me at thekjunction[at]gmail[dot]com if you want a consultation session (skype or phone) on chakra balancing, energy healing or meditation.


See you next week!

Love, Light, Peace
Kuhoo

This post first appeared on this group - "Our Earth & Us - Striking The Right Balance". I am gaining some good karma by sharing my knowledge & experiences with this group members.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook groupTwitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


 

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When & How To Introduce Letters & Alphabets To Kids - Alternative Learning (VLOG)

how to teach letters alphabets kids alternative learning education


I get a lot of questions from fellow parents in my Facebook community asking how & when to teach letters to kids. So this video is an answer to those parents & many more who have the same question! This article showcases the facebook live video I did on this topic recently as a part of my #TuesdayLive Facebook live series.


It is not a rare sight to see letter based activities for kids as young as 1.5 years. Is it right or wrong? Well there might not be a consensus on the answer. But in this video I am going to tell you, as a certified early childhood educator, what I think about when & how letters can be introduced to kids. It is a very personal opinion but in line with many alternative school of thoughts & some of you might disagree with it but to me. But this is the most organic way of introducing letters to kids according to me.



I hope you liked this video. Any kind of feedback - positive or negative is welcome in the comments below. I hope after this video, your perspective of looking at letters or alphabets & teaching them has changed a bit!

Share this blog among friends/communities who might be looking for any kind of help/support as far as introducing letters is concerned.

You can also contact me using this form.

You can go through other facebook live videos HERE & I will keep adding them in this archive and you can find them all at THIS link anytime in the future. You can also join my facebook page & group to follow the updates.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Learning Beyond Classrooms - Back To Roots - Cowshed Visit - Waldorf Inspired Field Trip - Kids

waldorf field trip cowshed kids

The world is our classroom and field trips are a core part of homeschooling & daily lives. As a Waldorf inspired family, I try to engage my son with the natural world whenever possible and give him real life experiences of things rather than just reading books or watching videos. At least for the things that are available to us city dwellers. We visit cowshed often, check out what we see & do there. 


We often (at least twice a week) go to the cowshed to feed the cows. Today we also got a chance to meet these little calves, the youngest one is just one month old!!! My son loves feeding the cows. He has also seen how those people milk the cows. This place also has some horses. A rare thing to see when you live in a city, but fortunately this place is near to our house.

With my son's never ending question list, we have discussed how we use milk, it's products, what cows & horses eat, why do they put horse shoe on horses' feet, how cow dung is used, why do we worship cows in India, what do they eat, etc etc. We understood what is waste for we human beings (like stalks of grains like wheat, jowar, sugarcane, corn etc) become food for cows & horses. And how the waste material of cows like urine & cowdung is so beneficial for human beings.

All this helps toddlers to know more about animals, develop love for them, understand life on a farm, about food etc by experiencing it, rather than just learning from the books.

A beautiful way to connect with mother nature on an everyday basis!

We have also made cowdung cakes & dhoop batti (incense sticks) using cow dung & other natural ingredients & these days we are using them at home to purify air. I will share its tutorial soon!

Do share with me the recent field trips you have done with your child! Would love to get more ideas!


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Apr 2, 2018

What Is Homeschooling? Why & How To Homeschool? Homeschool Resources, Community, Mistakes & More (VLOG)

What Is Homeschooling? Why & How To Homeschool? Homeschool Resources, Community, Mistakes & More. This article showcases the facebook live video I did on this topic recently as a part of my #TuesdayLive Facebook live series.


Homeschooling is a buzz word these days. Often there are questions, doubts & myths in parents who are contemplating to homeschool their children. I see so many question threads in online parenting communities about homeschooling. I myself get a lot of messages from fellow parents about it.

This video below answers the basics of homeschooling & other FAQs related to it.




Share this blog among friends/communities who might be looking for any kind of help/support as far as homeschooling is concerned.

You can also contact me using this form.

Relevant links mentioned in the video - 

Homeschooling 101 With Renuka Mahesh (Explore Kids World)
Virtual Tour of Montessori Classroom
Understanding Alternative Education (Waldorf Pedagogy)


Resources For Homeschooling

Indian Association Of Homeschoolers - Swashikshan
Facebook Page Of Swashikshan
Pune Homeschooling Group

You can go through other facebook live videos HERE & I will keep adding them in this archive and you can find them all at THIS link anytime in the future. You can also join my facebook page & group to follow the updates.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


Read More »