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Student Portal Mindful Resources

Home About From the Heart Blog Press

Student Portal Mindful Resources

Deborah Salazar Shapiro on Perspective Nacional

Press/MediaGraphic Design InternJuly 8, 20182018

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Learning to be mindful in life

Press/MediaDeborah Salazar ShapiroJuly 17, 2018

Teaching children gratitude: why is it important and how to do it

Press/MediaGraphic Design InternJuly 4, 20182018

🏡 We feel happy and grateful to be home, safe and sound, and to see this cutie’s face.
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🐱 The first thing Thay did was to ask “What did you bring me?!” He wasn’t too happy to hear a fallen 🍂 from the Bodhi Tree. I had told him that we try to collect memories, not many things.
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Thay reported that he had a lot of mindful time and took very good care of The Compassion Room while I was away.
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He is puzzled to hear that I didn’t see that many kitties in India 🤔 (#metoo ). After some chit cat chatting 💭 , Thay said it is time for me to get back work. ✨
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#homesweethome🏡 #cat #catlife #catslife #catsofinstagram #catstock #catstuff #catlady #catpic #catsgram #ig_cats #blackcat #blackcatlove #blackcatlover #blackcatlovers #blackcatsruletheworld #blackcatsrock #blackcatsonly #blackcatsclub #blackcatsofinstagram #travellife #traveldiaries #travelgram #memoriesnotthings #mindful #mindfulliving #mindfulnessteacher #veganswhotravel #postvacationblues

😋 An unexpected flight cancellation led to discovering some delicious vegan dishes in Munich. 🙌🏼 Fried soy medallions with carrots, broccoli, and oyster mushrooms in a cream sauce. Served with spätzle, a typical noodle specialty from southern Germany.
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📷 2: vegan chocolate 🍫 mousse with strawberries 🍓.
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#thisiswhyiamfat 😂 #bethechange #compassionovercruelty #plantbasedlife
#onmyplate #heresmyfood #comfortfood #vegan #veganfoodshare
#veganeats #veganlove #veganfood #whatveganseat #vegancommunity #govegan #vegantravel #veganswhotravel #fortheanimals #fortheplanet #picoftheday #eatingfortheinsta #foodtography
#veganmunich
#prinzmyshkin #munichvegan #munichfood #munichgermany #munich🇩🇪 #germanytourism #germany

Had to do a fun touristy-thing while spending a day in Munich. Climbed 299 steps from St. Peter’s parish church tower and braved the cold to see the city center, especially the spectacular neo-Gothic New Town Hall and its Glockenspiel (cuckoo clock) chime into life. 🎶✨
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#fun #touristday #tourist_pic #touristy #touristythings #touristday #steps #climbed #climbedtothetop #old #oldarchitecture #neogothic #neogothicarchitecture #architecturepicture #streetphotography #vegan #veganswhotravel #marienplatz #newtownhall #rathausglockenspiel #glockenspiel #cuckooclock #figurines #munich #munichgermany #germany🇩🇪

🇮🇳 My special time in India has come to and end. I want my last post from here to be about the joy I felt and the blessing it was to meet wonderful people, children, and even animals. All beautiful beings worthy of receiving all the love and care in the world.
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The kids in these photographs come to this school on the pavement, every day. They are provided basic education and are fed by volunteers, and teachers while their parents work.
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India is the birthplace of mindfulness, and I thought I wanted to give back in any way I could with my little book to a practice that has giving me so much. But I ended up receiving more than what I gave.
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It was lovely to make this trip in an era of social media, where I could share bits and pieces of my journey. As you can imagine, not all the posts in the world could do justice to what I saw and experienced with my eyes, especially with the eyes of the heart. The warm smiles, the vows of reverence, the touch of the hand, the acts of generosity. Humanity at its best. I saw the suffering, too. I didn’t look away. I really saw it. I felt it in every cell of my body. This is one of the reasons I choose to travel, to learn, to stay inspired, and to be reminded of what really matters in my life, my purpose: to be of service to others.
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We can all make a difference in the world, and when we do things with immense love, even one small drop can create endless ripples.
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My heart is full knowing that “The Magical Mindful Day” is now part of these schools: Tibetan Children’s Village, Sunaayy Foundation, Alice Project, Buddha’s Smile School, The Prajna Vihara, A Bowl of Compassion, Jaipur Princess Diya Kumari Foundation; and in these cities in India: Delhi, Rishikesh, Dharamshala, Dinanagar, Kalkota, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, and Jaipur.
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May this be of benefit to all living beings. For more information about this organization go
www.sunaayyfoundation.org/
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#humanity #abettertomorrow #magicalmindfulday #mindfulness #mindfulnessforkids #kids #mindfulnessteacher #bethechange #makeadifference #childrensbooks #green #conservation #environment #activism #ecowarrior #community #savetheplanet #authorsofinstagram #love #kindness #compassion

Mesmerized by the beauty of the Taj Mahal after sunrise while taking the required photograph. What an incredible tribute to human love (and grief) that took 20,000 workers, 22 years to build, with more than 1,000 elephants being used to transport construction materials.
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As the light varies during the day, and particularly when there is a full moon, the color of the Taj Mahal appears to vary as well. There is a belief that this color change is like the changing moods of a woman. 😌
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#mesmerized #beauty #love #mood #sunrise #tajmahal #worldwonders #mausoleum #architecture #marble #agra #authorsofinstagram
#vegan #veganswhotravel #vegansofinatagram #getyourspiritout #mypixeldaily #travelgram #streetphotographyindia #coloursofindia #everydayindia #india #ig_india #india_clicks #thisisindia #indialove #indiaphotography #indiapictures #india_gram #incredibleindia🇮🇳

🌎 As I approach the end of my travels in India, I am getting excited to get back home to continue my work planting seeds of love and compassion to benefit all living beings at this Earth Day event at one of my favorite places in San Diego: The New Children’s Museum!
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Date: ‪Sunday, April 28th‬
Time: ‪9:30-11:00 a.m.‬
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Come and support me (and the museum 🎟) and together let’s make Earth Day every day! 🙏🏼✨
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#grateful #MagicalMindfulDay #diamagicodemindfulness #earthday2019 #thinkplaycreate #childrenmuseum #mindful #mindfulmama #mindfulteachers #mindfulness #mindfulnessforkids #socialemotionallearning #teachthemyoung #childrensbooks #homeschool #green #love #empower #conservation #environment #ecowarrior #community #savetheplanet #authorsofinstagram #sandiegomom #socalmom #allthingssd #sandiegofamily #sandiegolife

🤲🏼 Open hands, open heart. 💗
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#hands #heart #openhands #openheart #goldendoor #mehendiart #mehendilove
#jaipur #citypalacejaipur #jaipurpalaces #jaipurdiaries #pinkcity #rajasthan #rajasthandiaries #travel #travelindia #vegan #veganswhotravel #travelcommunity #blue #bluedress #ritukumar #sunday #sundayvibes #indiapictures #thisisindia #india #indialove #incredibleindia🇮🇳

“Study me as much as you like, you will not know me, for I differ in a hundred ways from what you see me to be. Put yourself behind my eyes and see me as I see myself, for I have chosen to dwell in a place you cannot see.“ —Rumi
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#bliss #happiness #twirling #jaipur #citypalacejaipur #jaipurpalaces #jaipurdiaries #pinkcity #rajasthan #rajasthandiaries #travel #travelindia #vegan #veganswhotravel #travelcommunity #blue #bluedress #blueroom #ritukumar #sunday #sundayfunday #indiapictures #thisisindia #india #indialove #incredibleindia🇮🇳 #rumi #rumiquotes #rumipoetry

🐅 He Is Worth More Alive.
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Best day ever. 😭
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#worthmorealive #cats #bigcats #cubs #tiger #tigers #tigress #tigersofranthambore #savethetiger #savethetigers #savethetigerindia #nature #naturephoto #allnatureshots
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #wildwatch #wildlifeofindia #veganswhotravel #rajasthan #ranthambore #ranthamborenarionalpark #india #indiantiger #indiagram #indialove #indiawildlife #conservationist #protectourplanet

😋 Presenting my favorite Indian Vegan food, the dosa. 🙌🏼
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This southern Indian dish is a crispy crepe made of fermented rice and lentil flour. It comes with a side of sambhar (a tangy lentil soup) and various chutneys; red (🍅), white (🥥), and green (🌱coriander). The filling of the dosa is usually made of 🥔 with spices.
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In India they cook a lot with ghee and/or butter, but I always ask to make these using only a little bit of oil to make my dishes completely vegan.
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Have you ever tried one of these?
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#thisiswhyiamfat 😂
#dosa #dosas #dosai #onmyplate #heresmyfood #indianbreakfast #comfortfood #vegan #veganfoodshare
#veganeats #veganlove #veganfood #whatveganseat #vegancommunity #govegan #vegantravel #veganswhotravel #vegansofindia #fortheanimals #fortheplanet #picoftheday #eatingfortheinsta #foodtography #foodtalkindia #southindianfood #chutney #jaipur #jaipurdiaries #incredibleindia🇮🇳

Evenings under the Bodhi Tree.
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Bodh Gaya —you were Magical. ✨ I will be back.
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#peace #joy #love #gratitude #buddha #buddhalove #enlightenment #buddhism #buddhist #pilgrimage #sangha #dhamma #dharma #meditate #mindfulness #mindfulnessteacher #bodhgaya #bodhgayaindia #bihar #tree #bodhitree #mahabodhitemple #vegan #veganswhotravel #vegansofinstagram #india #indialove #travelindia #thisisindia #incredibleindia🇮🇳

My heart is full of peace and joy to be sitting here, near the Mahabodhi peepal tree in Bodh Gaya, paying reverence to the place where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. This is a site of unparalleled energy, beauty, and harmony.
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What I admire about the Buddha is that he didn’t claim to be anything other than an ordinary human being. Asking his students to refrain from believing him blindly, he encouraged them to practice his teachings and judge for themselves whether they rang true. He provided a clear path to end human suffering and was very connected to the natural world. History tells us that The Buddha was born under a tree, became enlightened under a tree, and died under a tree. The Bodhi tree, or “ficus religiosa,” here in Bodh Gaya, is believed to be a direct descendant of the original Bodhi tree where the Buddha sat and reached nirvana (enlightenment).
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On this special day, I sat here with the strong aspiration that my heart and mind be cleansed of impurities for the benefit of all living beings.
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And from this sacred and magical place I send you all lots of love and light. ✨
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#peace #joy #love #gratitude #buddha #buddhalove #enlightenment #buddhism #buddhist #pilgrimage #sangha #dhamma #dharma #mindfulnessteacher #bodhgaya #bodhgayaindia #bihar #bodhitree #mahabodhitemple #vegan #veganswhotravel #vegansofinstagram #saturdayvibes #mayitbeofbenefit #india #indialove #travelindia #thisisindia #incredibleindia🇮🇳

Young beautiful Buddhist nuns.📿
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#beauty #beautiful #beautifulgirls #nuns #buddha #buddhalove #buddhism #buddhist #buddhistnuns #pilgrimage #sangha #dhamma #dharma #mindfulnessteacher #bodhgaya #bodhgayaindia #bihar #vegan #veganswhotravel #vegansofinstagram #streetphotography #mahabodhi #mahabodhitemple #india #indialove #natgeoindia #travelindia #thisisindia #incredibleindia🇮🇳

Thank you, Buddha. 🙏🏼✨
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#thankful #happiness #buddha #buddhalove #giantbuddha #buddhism #buddhist #pilgrimage #sangha #dhamma #dharma #mindfulnessteacher #bodhgaya #bodhgayaindia #bihar #vegan #veganswhotravel #vegansofinstagram #streetphotography #india #indialove #travelindia #thisisindia #incredibleindia🇮🇳

When I learned of a school in Sarnath called Buddha’s Smile, I knew I had to make a visit.
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The children who attend come from ‘untouchable’ and refugee communities, segregated in urban slums, village huts, and a leprosy community (I was able to visit one of these communities and families after school).
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After their morning of annual examinations the children were happy to receive me and “The Magical Mindful Day”. All the kids wanted to pose sharing their exams as they radiated so much pride.
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The founder of the school, Rajan Kaur Saini (in the first picture with me), is really a saint and a gifted teacher. There are no words to describe the amount of love, care, and dedication I saw in this school that Rajan runs in her house and basement. I had a mini tabla concert given by a graduate student (and his music teacher). The kids even made gifts for me!! To top it all off I was invited to have a delicious meal at their family restaurant, called Sarnath Cafe. It was truly a magical day that helped me see and feel the Buddha nature in all of us.
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To learn more about the school and how to contribute, visit:
www.buddhas-Smile-school.org
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#humanity #abettertomorrow #magicalmindfulday #mindfulness #mindfulnessforkids #kids #mindfulnessteacher #bethechange #makeadifference #childrensbooks #green #conservation #environment #activism #ecowarrior #community #savetheplanet #authorsofinstagram #love #kindness #compassion #vegan
#philanthropy #sarnath #varanasi #buddhassmileschool #indialove #incredibleindia🇮🇳 #maythisbeofbenefit

Though I’ve spent many wonderful Sundays at Deer Park in Escondido, California, practicing meditation, today I had the incredible opportunity to spend the morning meditating at the original Deer Park where Buddha taught.
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The stupa (dome-shaped structure) you see in the first photograph, called Dhamekh, is the spot where Buddha gave the first sermon on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to his five disciples after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.
A stupa usually contains relics associated with the Buddha and is used as a place of meditation.
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The park is so peaceful that even Arianna felt like meditating. .
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#buddha #buddhateachings #buddhadharma #buddhapark #buddhalove #buddhism #buddhist #siddhartha #dhamma #dharma #sangha #deerpark #stupa #dhamekhstupa
#pilgrimage #homage #meditation #meditate #meditated #meditationteacher
#tree #grateful #peaceful #blissful #peacefulplace #veganswhotravel #varanasi #sarnath #incredibleindia🇮🇳

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” —St. Mother Teresa.
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I traveled to Kolkota mainly to visit where Mother Teresa lived and served humanity. Growing up my mother taught me from a very young age about she and her work, so Mother Teresa has always been a great inspiration -for her embodiment of compassion in action and love.
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It was quite special to walk through the small and peaceful house, especially to see her tiny room (no photography allowed) which is under the kitchen. There was a note saying that despite the location of the room, she never requested a fan (Kalkota is hot)! Seeing Mother Teresa’s humble existence and how she had a worldwide impact through her service was very moving.
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#stmotherteresa #motherteresa #motherteresaquote #service #love #lovelovelove #loveothers #loveoneanother #kindness #empathy #compassion #compassioninaction #warmheartedness #purpose #altruism #change #bethechange #leadbyexample #lifeofservive #inspiring #beyondreligion #interconnectedness #weareone #spiritual #spirituality #pilgrimage #missionariesofcharity #calcutta #incredibleindia🇮🇳

I never thought that India could get more colorful than what I’ve already seen. So glad I was wrong.
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🎉❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🎉
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Happy Spring and Happy Holi for those of you who celebrate!! Hope the hues of the festival spread the message of peace, love, and happiness to all living beings. ✨
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#holi #holihai #holilook #holicelebration #holi2019 #hapyholi #festivalofcolors #smile #spring #colour #colors #white #festival #festivalvibes #people #moodiegrams #inspiredtraveler #colorsofindia #storiesofindia #india_gram #indiapictures #travelrealindia #yourshot_india #ig_calcutta #calcutta #kolkata #tasteofcalcutta #inctedibleindia #india

So loved learning about the fashionable and giving Sikh community and their marvelous Golden Temple. ✨
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I walked into the gentleman with the purple turbant as his Guru was teaching him the proper way to wrap it. The 4 men then struck a pose for what is going to be one of my favorite experiences and photographs ever. 💜
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#lifelonglearner #sikh #sikhcommunity #sikhtemple #sikhmodels #sikhmodel #sikhbeard #sikhfashion #sikhworld #sikhbeardclothing #sikhstyle #turbant #purple #gratitude #peace #tolerance #community #oneness
#bethechange #authorsofinstagram #vegan #veganswhotravel #amritsar #punjab #goldentempleamritsar
#india #indialove #incredibleindiaofficial #incredibleindia🇮🇳

© 2018 Deborah Salazar Shapiro, MSW | Created by Casey Altman Design Inc. | Photographs: Jennifer Regnier, Catherine Hatfield, and Seth Mayer