02/25/2020
Bullying has become a serious problem in schools. We’ve all seen the headlines.
We have two boys ages 13 & 15.
Recently, our younger son and a couple of his friends were mad at and another friend. In my opinion, they were being needlessly unkind.�Although I don’t like some of the things this friend does, no one deserves to be treated poorly.
The Yoga Sutras of Patajali is a great resource to navigate difficult and/or upsetting situations.
“Sutra” comes from the word “suture” which is used to close a wound in order to promote healing.💖
Even though the Yoga Sutras were written a long time ago (somewhere around 2500-500 BCE), they contain incredibly useful tools to bring about peace. When practiced, the sutras promote better relationships for all: even teens and tweens!
Sutra 1.33 is wonderful for navigating relationships: If you cultivate an attitude of friendliness toward the happy, compassion toward the unhappy, delight toward the virtuous and disregard for the non-virtuous, you will remain calm.
I told my son that it’s totally understandable to get mad at a friend sometimes. But it’s important to remember that just like you, your friend has feelings. Just like you, he doesn’t want to be “canceled,” he wants to be liked and accepted.
There’s no need ”punish him” by blocking him on InstaGram. It’s unkind to tell him that you don’t want him around.
I told my son that if he can’t work things out with his friend directly, he can stop being available to hang out with him until it’s resolved (disregard for the non-virtuous). No drama, no blocking, no cancelling.
Treat others the way you would like to be treated: with kindness and respect.
Be kind.
It goes without saying that there has been way too much violence in schools. I don’t have the answer. But treating others with kindness and respect goes a long way.
If we all do what we can to support and respect one another, perhaps the violence will decrease. It’s worth a try.
Have a very peaceful day, my friend.💕✨
