Dancing on the Beach

Max and I went over to the beach at Corona del Mar for the second time in a week. Although we've been there several times since we moved out here, Friday was the first time I noticed this little hidden cove, we usually go to the main beach but this little part was hidden on the other side of some big rocks.
I only had the stroller that day, so today I brought the Bjorn and we went on a little exploration. I hiked around the rocks and got over to it, no one was there! It felt like a private beach! One day when Max can walk we will have fun splashing around and playing in the little coves. In the Bjorn, I can't really tell when Max spits up, so I had to take pictures to see if there was anything wipe-able.
Actually, two people pointed out that he had spit up on him just in passing, it was pretty bad. Before making the trek back to the car I stopped at a grassy area with some shade near the main beach. There was a group of kids there at what looked like a little play group/preschool. The teacher, Miss Jody, was passing out T-shirts that said this;
I intially thought it said Earthroos Field School but when I Googled it I discovered it was actually Earthroots Field School. But I thought Earthroos sounded cute, you know the kids could say "I'm an Earthroo!" haha. Most of the parents looked very "Earthy" dreadlocks, cargos, sandals, you know. It was such a cute little gathering. This is what their website said about them.

"Earthroots offers creative learning environments that nurture the whole person and their connection with the natural world.

We offer classes year round for toddlers, homeschoolers, teens, adults, private and public schools and summer camps. Outdoor “classrooms” include local organic farms, gardens, wilderness areas, kitchens, national parks, beaches, creeks and more. This school is an exploration of our natural world and extends into our connection with all things"

I really enjoyed watching them and so did Max! After class was over, the kids put on their shirts and just started running and dancing around. Max watched them go back and forth on the grass. One girl was pretending to be a bird running and flapping her wings, another boy was skipping. It was such sweet, innocent, natural movement of children. Reminded me of my creative dance classes as a child and the methods of teaching children dance course in college. When I was teaching, I spent so many lessons trying to teach my Jr. high kids to move in the natural way that they used to as kids. Isn't it interesting how our bodies naturally run, jump, skip and leap as children and then suddenly Jr. high hits with puberty and insecurities and we forget? I really had to re-teach these tweens to do the natural things they did as kids. It really brought me such joy to see my students re-discover their bodies and the pure joy of movement, even through their awkwardness. I recently saw this quote on a friends facebook:

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."
-C.S. Lewis.

I hope all souls, young and old can feel this kind of joyful movement and some time in their life, even if they never take a dance class.