What we think and what we chant become a part of us.  Could we actually become a walking symbol of peace if we choose to chant "Shanti" and paint landscapes of peace within our internal vision?

I would love to hear how you have created more peace in your life, please share with me.

I have had the great fortune this past academic year to spend time enjoying yoga therapy with preschool children who demonstrate speech and language delays.  I discovered that not only did breathing exercises relax and focus the children, mellow mantras worked just as well.
I have a short mantra where the child can select a word to place in the middle of the chant.
                        clapping hands while chanting the children sing two oms while clapping to the right, two oms clapping to the left and three oms clapping down the middle with hands placed high, middle and low.  Once the pattern is familiar we begin to add words.       
Shiva om shiva om, om om om
Shanti om, shanti om, om, om, om.

It becomes fun when the children in the class begin shouting out each other's names and their favorite animals and my personal favorite "almost om"

Living Now has announced awards for those books in 2011 that brought quality to the lives of others.  Please visit this site to discover an array of books that were recognized in several categories.

 2011thttp://www.singingdragon.com/blog/2011/04/2011-living-now-book-awards/