Hi everyone and welcome to A Moment’s Glory.  I’m Amy and I am excited to share this platform and a bit about myself with you. I am an elementary teacher and have been for the past 22 years. I am also a certified yoga instructor and social and emotional facilitator. Please note, that while many of the topics on this site will include social and emotional topics, I am not a therapist. (If you’d rather watch a video instead of read all of this, click here!)

A Moment’s Glory is a phrase that I have loved for about twelve years.  That’s quite specific but it’s because I remember the exact moment it came to me.  I was in California with my son, who was only 2 years old at the time.  We were sitting on a bench in Manhattan Beach, he was eating ice cream and I was watching the sunset.  There were 3 palm trees right in front of me and as the sun went down behind them, it illuminated each one. It didn’t occur to me until the sun reached the 3rd tree that there was a very specific moment when the tree was illuminated perfectly, like a halo.  You had to wait for that exact moment and when it came, it seemed like time paused, but then just like that, the moment was gone.  It was in that pause where the “magic” happened…  and that’s a moment’s glory.  

Just recently I came across this quote by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, “Between the stimulus and response, there is a space. And in that space lies our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” I could not have found or created a more perfect quote or motto for this “A Moment’s Glory” platform.

A few years ago, a friend recommended a book to me, titled “The One Thing” by Gary Keller.  Like the title suggests, it’s all about finding that one thing, that one passion that makes you come alive. According to the book, finding that one thing is how you will become fulfilled in whatever you choose to do.  Well, I had no idea what mine was.  I wasn’t in the right place or in the right time or mindset to figure my one thing either.  What I did do though was create a list of all of the things that brought me true joy… photography, gardening, reading (self help books), writing, nature, meditation, yoga, running, mindfulness, feng shui, and traveling.

After I made that list, I was able to see a connection between all of them, and for me, it was the brain. They were all exercises that I practiced to keep my brain sharp and healthy.  I have always been fascinated with the brain.  I majored in psychology and contemplated social work or school psychology before I ended taking the route of an elementary teacher. As a teacher though, I looked for courses and master’s programs that focused specifically on the brain (at an educational/teacher level) but there really wasn’t much out there 25 years ago.  I found Brain Gym and became certified with that and then, life happened.  Life happened in very big ways and two of the most significant events in my life revolved around the brain.  The first one being that I lost my husband to suicide after a very long battle with depression. The second one was the loss of my mother to Alzheimer’s disease at the very young age of 67.  Despite my fascination with the power of the mind, life made sure that I had a front row seat to the horrific side that the power of the brain possessed as well.

Since the Covid pandemic, I have watched children, my own son and my students struggle. I see them struggle with their emotions. I see them struggle socially. They are expressing these struggles as frustration through negative behavior and are creating a toxic cycle.

I believe that social and emotional learning is vital to the all-around health for not only our children, but adults as well. Through my own practices and studies of social and emotional learning (SEL) I have learned that I too need it. The tools and strategies that I acquired have helped me to use proper language, keep my stress level under control and to solve conflict in more direct and positive ways.

To come back full circle, when I made that list of my joys and passions, I left off one thing and that was the one thing that actually gels them altogether, teaching. I have been a teacher for 22 years and I do truly love it. When the opportunity recently presented itself for me to become certified as a yoga instructor and an SEL facilitator through the Breathe for Change Program, I quickly found that it provided me with the missing piece which helped to bring my passions out in such a way that I can use them beyond myself.

So here I am, slowly building this platform, not completely sure where and how it will all play out, but learning and enjoying each step one by one. What you will find here are useful and practical ways to help not only children with with their own social and emotional learning, but yours as well. As adults and caretakers of children, it is so important that we are present and that we model healthy living for our children. There is no shame if we are not where we would like to be. It is an on-going practice of daily ups and downs for everyone! How can we accomplish this? Through me, I will be sharing how mindfulness, meditation, yoga, language and communication can all work for you in helping you to achieve more peace, happiness and stronger relationships in your life.

Amy