YOGA DAY BENEFIT - SUCCESS!!!

Namaste beautiful yogis,

Yoga For Life - Yoga Day Benefit for Breast Cancer was a wonderful success. I would consider the event a success even if one person showed up to support Breast Cancer research and a healthy yogic lifestyle. I am pleased to say that more than one person showed their support for the cause, the event and all together we raised $86 for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer benefit taking place this weekend - April 12 & 13.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning for yoga in the park. A cold front had blown in the day before and dropped the temp to a chilly 50 degrees and I wondered if anyone was going to be able to handle practicing the next morning. Usually, 50 deg. at anytime of year is not something to really give any thought to, but when practicing yoga in a park, outside and exposed to the elements while trying to convince other people to participate, 50 deg. can suddenly make all the difference. Thankfully the Universe was smiling upon us Saturday and the early morning’s chilly winds passed into a perfect afternoon.


We lightly touched based on some Jnana yoga discussions, bringing in elements of teachings I have had that seemed to tie into not only our reasons for attending that morning, but also the little bits of converstations that were passing around before our session. Some revisiting of the yamas; with rememberances of non-violence towards ourselves and others, truthfulness with the few of us who thought about skipping that morning and had to re-evalute our motives, non-stealing of our time and dedication, abstinence from our usual lazy, Saturday morning behaviour, and non-hording of our personal funds.

Our yoga session for the day, however, was largely dedicated to our individual practice of Karma yoga. As Swami Vivekananda says, "Helping others physically, by removing their physical needs, is indeed great; but the help is greater according as the need is greater and according as the help is far-reaching. If a man's wants can be removed for an hour, it is helping him indeed; if his wants can be removed for a year, it will be more help to him; but if his wants can be removed for ever, it is surely the greatest help that can be given him."

And, of course, we continued our steady practice of Hatha yoga. With the weather being slightly chilly at the beginning, we chose to go through a more thorough psycho-physical session to warm-up our muscles, joints, ligaments, organs, and all the rest. We followed that with a lovely hour of asanas; starting with a couple surya namaskars, facing east then west for each series.

With the consent from everyone, we followed then with some supported shoulder stands and inversions. There were a couple ladies who wished to not go into to full shoulder stands. I momentarily debated whether I should cancel the sequence because there wasn’t 100% inclusion. The grass we were practicing on was so cushiony and soft, I felt it was too perfect to pass up. Half of the students had already shown interest in supported shoulder stands before, I was just waiting for the right timing. This seemed as right a time as possible.

So instead, I showed the two ladies (and everyone else) the modifications for the series. As the class rolled back and lifted themselves onto their shoulders, everyone else wishing to do the modifications laid back into Viparita Karani. As we went from Sarvangasana to open V-legs, to Halasana, the modified poses went from Viparita Karani to open V-legs, to either knee-to-chest or back to Viparita Karani. When everyone rolled up into sitting possition with a smile on their faces, I guessed it was the right timing after all.

After our meditation time in Savasana pose, I took everyone through a little introductory practice of Trataka. Some of the students wore glasses, some didn’t. Just like the asanas, these eye practices benefit everyone. We took the last 10 minutes to touch base on some of the practices and philosophies of Trataka and I ended it with some resource info. Reminding them that I, too, am a student of the practice and to further their studies they would do best to find a seasoned practitioner.

I am so thrilled to have shared this time with all those lovely yogis and I hope to have many more classes with them in the future.

Namaste :)

KIDS YOGA CLASS

At the beginning of this month I teamed up with Michelle who runs one of our local yoga studios- Yoga Studio of Corpus Christi- to start a new yoga class for kids. With the exception of a Family Yoga class on the Navy base, it is the only kids yoga class in the city.

With having two little ones of my own - 5 & 8 -, I have become quite familiar with the attitude and energy of children while practicing hatha yoga. My kids are cute as a button, but I don't pretend to think they're anywhere ready to practice the other paths of yoga yet. Not in any serious manner. Because, after all, what 5 year old can honestly be called "serious".

Our smallest class consisted of just my two little ones. Our largest class included mine, three sisters and our most loyal follower Adare. She's 3 years old and absolutely divine. When Michelle and I set up the class, one of my specifics was in the age limit; 5-12. Under 5 yrs. old and it usually turns into a glorified babysitting session. Over 12 and a lot of kids are ready for the adult classes. Usuall because they've been practicing hatha yoga for a while by then, they know what's going on and their bodies can handle the more intense class time. And if/when the classes get too big, the kids are split into two sessions 5-9 & 10-12.

However, just like a lot of things in life, the age limit is more of a guideline than a set rule. Take Adare for example; she's 3, but she is by far more focused in class than my own 5 year old. Part of that, though, could be because I'm the Mom and my kids see me in a different light than the others. Right now, because of the newness of the class, the other students still see me as a stranger and haven't had the time to develop any kind of relationship with me. That comes with time.

I've come to find out that teaching kids yoga makes for a great practice in patience and all of the yamas.

Kids are beautiful, crazy little soft balls of massive energy; free flowing, wide-eyed and above all new. Everything is new to them, even the things they've heard a million times over, it's still received as new information needing further processing. They come into the class bouncing around with their favourite mats underarm trailed by their far more subdued moms.

So far, I've left it up to the parents (all moms so far) to decide whether they wish to sit in on the class or wait out front. My philosophy is that they know their kids better than I do and every child is different. Heck, every human is different. And if they feel that sitting in the back of the class is the better choice, then go for it. Their kids will understand what they need to -whether it be patience, independence, flexibility, or confidence - in their own time. All I ask is that the kids and parents alike give me a chance to capture the attention of the kids before they feel the need to jump in and help. Help, funny enough comes in many forms; helping their child into a pose, helping them show-off their mom's cool inverted pose, helping me with runaways.

The best and most difficult part about teaching hatha yoga to children is that I never know what to expect from one class to the next. It really is all up in the air. The same philosophy can also be applied to any adult class, but there is an expectation of decorum, layout and reserve. It all varies from class to class, but not nearly to the extent of a children's session.

For example:

The class where we had the three sisters show up. The last 15 minutes were spent trying to get the kids to not run over each other as they animatedly performed their favourite poses. I realized I was losing my audience and the moms in the back were looking a little worried so I took a mental moment (no more than a breath's worth) and decided to just flow with the kids in their sea of seeming chaos. I could tell, however, that what was coming out as chaotic banter and actions harbored an underlying current. They were all trying to best one another with showing off their yogic abilities. So I went with it.

I said "OK, guys, if everyone can get onto their own mats, you will each have a chance to show us all your absolutely, most favourite yoga pose. If you know the name share it with us. If you don't, I'll tell you what the name is in as many laguages as I can remember." That did it. The oldest girl went first and we just circled around from her. It ended up being my personal favourite of all the classes so far.

Then at our last class, it was my two kids and Adare. The A/C was not working and it was around 80 degrees outside. There are no windows in this studio so it's not hard to imagine, I'm sure, just how hot and stuffy it got in there. Thank goodness the previous instructor didn't leave any insense burning. It just would have been too overwelming.

My kids had agreed that they were going to attend this class and with that they knew they had to stay in the studio area and not run in and out from the front room to the studio. Well, sure enough, between the ever increasing heat, the wind-down of late afternoon and hungry tummies, my two munchkins couldn't keep their attentions on me for one second. We weren't even 5 minutes into class and my son excused himself to the front, followed shortly by my daughter. Adare was absolutley not into the idea of performing anything by herself that day and very politely, and repeatedly, told me so. I brought out every trick I had to try and keep her attention on the excitement of hatha yoga, but to no availe.

It also didn't help that my daughter kept running in and out telling me how her brother was bothering her and how he stole her chocolate (I didn't even know they had any on them) and on and on. In and out of the bathroom for one thing or another. To say the least, I was losing my cool. We ended class 5 minutes early that day. Mostly because there were no more students left on the mats. At least no one was crying. I've been very fortunate to not have an injury or a crying session in class. Yet ;)

As much as I raged in my younger years against the idea of having children and the absurdities of procreating in this day and age, my favourite people in this world are children. They live in an envious state of love and acceptance. They move from spirit to dream, dream to reality without boundaries. Children absorbe everything in their path and all they want is to play and be happy. And because of that they're the happiest beings I know.

I spend every waking moment trying to reaquaint myself with my former child-self. It's a blissfull place to be and a wonderful way to live. My own children have helped raise me as much as I've been raising them. They and their friends remind me how life is truly a simple thing and the ultimate goal is know one's self and simply BE.

Yes, I am fortunate enough to live in a great place where I'm allowed to excersize my own personal freedoms. Say what I please without fear of persecution. Study what I wish and become my own person.

.... and I'm taking every advantage of that freedom that I can to hopefully one day find samadhi.