Ahimsa and the symbol for OM

This week we talked about Ahimsa (non-violence) with our Red Monkey Yogis.  This 7 week session is titled "Making Yoga Connections" and we'll be learning about the Yamas and Niyamas as a way to bring yoga into our everyday lives.  What a bright group of kids this is!!  They brainstormed several ways that they can practice ahimsa everyday-using kind words, helping people in need, walking away from someone who isn't being nice were among the list.  We also discussed how important it is to listen to your body when it's trying to tell you something.  If something hurts, you need to back off and make sure your alignment is correct.  If your stomach is full, you probably don't want to keep eating.  Lori and I learn so much from our class with these kids.  They are so open to the teachings and so willing to connect what we do on the mat to how they live.  We did some fun poses and a great partner pose called "elevator".  Ask your child if they'll teach it to you.

With our Yoga Oasis group, we learned about the symbol for OM.  We read a great book and talked about how OM connects all of us together.  That's why we begin each and every class with 3 OMs.  We asked the kids to put their hands on their chests and feel the vibration of their heartbeats.  Then we talked about how each one of us has a heartbeat; it may beat differently than everyone else, but it is common to every living being.  Each student got an OM symbol on a piece of paper that they got to disguise in their own creative drawing.  We had OMs inside tshirts, inside robots, and more.  

We worked into bakasana (crane pose).  The kids love this because it takes strength and concentration.  They really cheered each other on and enjoyed watching each other try the pose.  

We'd love to hear from you and your child.  Please send us any posts you'd like us to put here at yoga4youthtucson@gmail.com. 

Namaste!

a new session begins

This week we began a new session of Yoga 4 Youth at Yoga Oasis.  What a great group of kids, and very excited to be doing yoga.  We talked about Surya and the power of the sun.  We read a short story about Surya and how he rides a chariot drawn by 7 white horses across the sky every morning.  The kids really liked the story and liked moving on their mats.  The highlight of the class was getting them into partners so that they could ride like Surya around the room and be BRIGHT like the sun!  It was great to watch them take turns being the sun or being the horses.

We also began learning our Salutation to the Sun Poem.  Here it is in case you'd like to practice it at home!

Salutation to the Sun

I make a mountain on my mat,

stretch up high just like that.

Now I fold and touch the floor,

Take a breath and fold once more.

Jump back and walk the plank,

lower to my belly like I sank.

Place my hands nice and wide,

curl up to cobra and move side to side.

Tuck my toes, send my hips up high,

that’s down-dog where I stretch and sigh.

Looking forward, I bend my knees,

Jump to my hands as easy as you please.

Push down through my feet to rise,

A sun salutation right before your eyes.

Written by Nancy Gutierrez

There are still a couple of spots open, so please go to www.yogaoasis.com to sign up!  

As always, we are honored to teach all of these kids.  Thank you all for supporting us!

Nancy and Lori