Sunday, June 28, 2009

choose happiness

"We rise rapidly when we fill our consciousness in such moments with thoughts evoking in us admiration, respect, and veneration for the world and for life."
-- from Knowledge of Higher Worlds and its Attainment, Steiner, chapter 1, page 11

Welcome to The Waldorf Way blog. I will tell you now that I am not a veteran scholar of Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophy, and Waldorf education. I am neither a philosopher in the formal sense of the word, although I often like to ponder stuff and try to make sense of stuff.

I will say that, despite not having previously formally studied the Waldorf way, I find that through my endeavors as an artist, musician, designer, wood worker, crafter, and home schooling parent, through my belief that education should be integrated, multidisciplinary, and developmental, and through personal explorations in spirituality, I lead a Waldorf-y life!

So why not write a Waldorf-inspired blog!

In starting out my studies as an educator in Waldorf teaching (I am enrolled in the Summer Teacher Education - Grades Track - Year One program) at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, creating this blog gives me an exciting and hopefully beneficial medium in guiding me through the intensive five week course.

What I'd like to do as I read the texts and participate in the coursework is to post on my blog and share it with you. You are welcome to leave comments, maybe even share your email if you want to discuss the topics, or you can simply follow the blogposts whenever you like. Ultimately, I hope to inspire your soul-life to do great things in the world!

Starting out with the above quote, it seems straightforward enough. As Steiner poses, if we fill our minds with positive thoughts, then we reach higher levels of being. Admiration, respect, and veneration for each other, for ideals, for truth lead to attainment of knowledge and understanding. And understanding leads to peacefulness and happiness. In chapter 1, Steiner believes that we all have it in us the faculties with which to attain knowledge of higher worlds, and for now, I will translate that as saying we have it in us to be truly spiritual beings in touch with our inner soul.

To me, it's all about choosing happiness. Think happy thoughts, and it connects you with your spirit, your life, your world.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Lovely, congratulations I'm also doing the Wadorf formation in Spain and doing a blog about it.
This is truly inspiring thank you.