In Mondays’ class, during snack children talked about their dreams and also what yoga they had practiced during the week. Many used breathing, to calm down anger or fear. Many did the sun salutation. Seems to be the most favored yoga at home!
The kids wanted to start with relaxation again, as many seemed tired after school. I am fine with this, considering how over-scheduled and stressed kids are. Jean-Jacques the pirate introduced the Muslim story of Mohammad and the Cat and the theme of kindness. I had children imagine a favorite path to walk on, then lie down in a favorite place on that path to relax. Up in the big sky was a blue bird. I asked them to think kind thoughts to the bluebird, kind thoughts to the sky, ground beneath them. Then I told the story. We slowly got up, and started some warm ups. The Prize winning warm up, with lots of lunges and switching legs quickly. I’ve noticed that children of this age, at least all children below age 11, no matter how many times you tell them knee over the ankle for alignment, they fail to remember it. I don’t have a problem with it. It bolsters my theory that children’s yoga at this age should always be fun. We don’t’ expect alignment, we present body mind connection. The alignment we present, but don’t make it too technical and focused, lest we lose their interest. All I want is for children to get in their bodies. While I believe in helping children who cannot seem to grasp the pose at all, I will remind children only about the knee subtly, rather than continually correct them. I think this sets it up to be too technique focused, heady, and boring. I find the only necessary prop in children’s yoga is an eyebag. I ask children to bring in clean socks, a washcloth, or a beanie baby to cover their eyes. This cuts down the distraction a lot, as kids are still wound up and unable to lie still much of the time. Another child led the sun salutation chant. We did many poses, focusing on kindness to our bodies, not straining into the pose, kindness in the thoughts about oneself. We did the cat/cow pose, balancing poses, such as tree and eagle. The class still seemed to have focus issues, as one boy continues to wander. I had him sit in rock pose, but he wandered away again. We had to go through the rules, and my Lalita puppet helped. The one boy with behavior problems last week, after the parent call, his behavior turned around immensely. I will have to call the other boy’s parents, but he turned his behavior around at the last minute and I prasied him for it. I believe also that he should be more engaged in showing kids poses, etc. as he is older and perhaps needs the role.

The Storytime Yoga sun salutation chant is catching on in popularity! You can hear it in the background of Fox News about yoga and schools. http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4778319&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.5.1

The First E-Course wrapped up last week. It was an incredible experience, and I love the connection. Many of the participants are continuing on for Part II this November or January, as the momentum continues toward full Storytime Yoga training, culminating in a train the trainers live training with me here in Boulder this August.


I will also be offering a special Teleconference and E book about putting on a Holiday Class. My intention is that our culture return to community, celebrating together to mark the rhythms of nature, that are within us. To focus on the spiritual gifts and giving and experiencing joy, love, friendship and the gifts of each other and nature, rather than consuming a holiday. I believe the time is ripe that people are turning away from the propaganda of consumption and capitalism, self-indulgence and self-gratification that plaques the American consciousness. Following this path has only led to depression, self-destruction, isolation and loneliness. We truly seek the gifts within, that joyously radiate without. By returning to ritual, the body, nature, yoga and community, we can have peace on earth, because there is peace within each and every one of us.

In my storytelling classes, I have been giving each child a finger puppet and they must come up with a name, where it’s from, what its problem is, what happens next, and how the problem is solved. The elements of the story. After each child told, all the children renacted the story out with their bodies. We used some yoga, but more dramatic play, of wild animals, sad emotions, etc. This was done to bring the body in, and also to accommodate the overactive boys in the group. I also brought photos of my ancestors and told a family story. About how my Bohemian ancestors lived in St. Louis and had a painting company. My great-grandmother would marry off the women cooks to her nine sons. Word got out in the newspapers, and girls from all over the world would contact the family to try and get hired as a cook, so that they could be a bride. I urged kids to ask their parents to tell them a story about their ancestors, or where their name came from, or a funny story about when they were a baby, or a funny story the parent can remember from their own childhood.
Afterwards, the children drew a part of their story, and wrote down words about it. Then they took them home to tell the story to parents.

As for my own practice, I am enjoying taking classes with Richard Freeman at his studio here in Boulder. I go Sunday mornings, it’s like church to me, for his Level 1 class. I enjoy this pace, starting over, aligning with breath and finally understanding my own alignment. I’ve always been a slow learner. Richard repeats everything over and over each class, and things sink in slowly. My dear friend, Yoga Teacher Dennis Tenney, is an amazing yoga therapist, and has given me work to do for my back pain. Yikes! It happens! I discovered about my pelvic tilt, using inner spiral more, and moving the energy more in my pelvis, sacral area, as well as my feet and ankles. I see a profound improvement in my energetics, groudedness to the earth and connection. I love yoga, yoga therapy and stories!
Love,
Sydney