December 25th, 2023 Greetings, Fostering Meditation, Subscribers: Welcome to December's Newsletter, and Merry Christmas. I just wanna take a moment to highlight the consistency of these newsletters all year long, and to thank YOU for following my journey with building FM. Lord knows it isn't easy to be teaching full-time, to grant write, to manage our social media, to fundraise, and all the other hats I wear because of my work, as I am also on my personal healing journey. However, there is nothing in the world I'd rather be doing than to be building up the next generation of leaders and helping them nurture their meditation and yoga practice so they can be part of the change the world desperately needs. For those who are new to the FM journey, I have all the previous newsletters below so you can see how far we have come, and our trajectory for 2024. Please read along for some cool updates! In Service, Demetrius T. Napolitano CEO / FOUNDER |
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One of my goals of 2024 is to begin to transition from teaching all the classes I teach, to building up my students to run their own classes. I have to honestly say, watching Sayuri, who is currently in foster care, lead her Five Finger Breathing Pose, is one of the most proudest moments I have had as a teacher. If you look closely, you will recognize her from a few of our previous news clips, and from being all over FM's Instagram page with her two sisters. I call them my three amigas, and they call me their big brother. To know I am making such an impact on their lives, as they don't have any other positive male figure in their lives, so they lean on our relationship more, fills my heart with the deepest joy and inspiration to keep going. Sayuri practiced an entire hour to get this meditation perfect, so I hope you enjoy it and keep this small practice in your back pocket. |
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For those who are new to FM, please check out our former Newsletters from 2023 |
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February 2023 Greetings, Fostering Meditation Subscribers: It is a great pleasure to have you now part of my journey of bringing Healing & Peace to the foster care world and beyond through Fostering Meditation's Five Steps 2 Wellness: Meditation, Yoga, Expressive Writing, Community, and Nutrition. At the end of every month, I'll send you our Newsletter to inspire you with the transformative experiences our students (and myself), experience through practicing our Five Steps 2 Wellness, and to share important updates about the growth of our nonprofit. As FM's CEO and Founder, it has truly become my greatest joy to have taken my personal journey through foster care and to have turned my pain into a new calling, one filled with Hope, Inspiration, and Healing not only for myself, but for all of the students FM serves. I hope that you, too, will be inspired to develop a personal practice of inward healing, for the world needs us all to foster Peace within to prevent further chaos without. Thank you, in advance, for joining me on this path of Healing & Transcendence. Please read along to hear some inspiring stories about FM's work!From Detention Room to FM's Healing Room |
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March 2023 Greetings, Fostering Meditation Subscribers: Welcome to March's Newsletter! This past month has been beyond inspiring with FM's Five Steps 2 Wellness classes. Between a segment by CBS, redesigning our next locker room, to new partnerships, the FM movement is beginning to take greater shape! In a time where violence, war, mental illness, and anxiety are pervasive, there hasn't been a more significant moment and need to teach peace, stillness, and methods to de-stress for our nation's most vulnerable youth. I hope our work of healing inspires you to continue to build your inward practices so we can all counter the rising evils and chaos of the world with peace, love, and gentleness. In Service, Demetrius T. Napolitano Fostering Meditation, Founder/CEOCBS SPECIAL ON FOSTERING MEDITATION |
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Below is a powerful testimony from a parent who has three students at P.S. 108 between the grades of 1st - 4th. Ms. Craig speaks specifically about her third grader, Ariana, who has speech problems and challenges with her anger, however, she has noticed since Ariana has started meditating, she is learning how to control and re-direct her energy through yoga poses and meditation. Also, Ms. Craig shares how in the New Year she wants me to do private classes with her and her three children so they can build the practices into their home before spreading it to other members of the family. All three of her children I know very well, and have taught them for several years, working intentionally patient with them because I know their challenges, and therefore am working daily to help her two daughters and son nurture their emotions so they can become masterfully mindful and self-controlled adults. |
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Morning Yoga Video for Christmas |
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Here's a 30 minute yoga / meditation video I just completed here in St Lucia where I am in solitude within a forest for the holidays. I'll be uploading videos every Sunday going forward so you can continue to develop your practice into 2024! |
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I have some personal big plans for FM for 2024. As I mentioned earlier, one plan is to fully develop our FM Fellows Program, where I'll be staying after school twice a week at 108 to teach a group of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders how to lead their own yoga and meditation classes so they can instruct the younger grades how to practice. Another goal is to develop more wellness rooms. When we return from break, we will begin transforming the other locker room on the other side of P.S. 108 so the special needs children part of P.S. 138 will have their own meditation room. I'm super excited to see how a Wellness Room helps these children on the Spectrum learn how to re-center when crisis strikes. One other goal is to develop Fostering Meditation into being a meditation and yoga school, with a full curriculum, so we can expand into other jurisdictions as I have some contacts in California, Atlanta, and Miami who are interesting into bringing FM to their locations. So, as we end this amazing year we had, big thanks to everyone who supported us in 2023. You have seen, heard, and now know that my work with building FM is truly revolutionary and desperately needed. I personally ask that you continue to support me and FM as I am, for the moment, doing all of these things alone with some structural and financial help from my Board, but most of the weight falls on me. I believe in 2024 I will raise enough capital to hire help but until then, I will carry forwards so please donate and help make the 2024 plan successful. With my deepest gratitude, Demetrius T. Napolitano |
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Supporting Fostering Meditation |
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FM is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, our EIN number is 13-2612524 Checks can be made payable to FM's fiscal sponsor: The Fund for the City of NY Attn: Dina Runcie, Fostering Meditation 121 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10013-1590 Thank you, in advance, for your support of our Revolutionary work! In Service, Demetrius T. Napolitano Fostering Meditation, Founder/CEO |
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"It is easier to build strong children, than repair broken men." -Frederick Douglass |
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