New Session

Hello Yogis,

Well, Lori and I were thrilled to have 15 yogis at our latest session of Yoga 4 Youth at Yoga Oasis!  These kids were a happy and fun bunch!  We spoke about how yoga helps us learn that we are more than we think.  We are more than our personality or emotions.  We did some fun poses, learned our Sun Salutation Poem and played a "Who Are You" game.

Lori and I are very excited to be offering a summer camp this summer at Yoga Oasis!  We are calling it The Namaste Project.  We can't wait to spend 5 days in a row of diving into great poses, breathing techniques, art work and meditations.  We'll be talking a lot about how to recognize our own "bright light" within and seeing that same light in others. That is the spirit of "Namaste".

We are also looking forward to being at Fenster Ranch Summer Camp the week of June 4.  We'll be helping all of the campers stretch and strengthen through yoga.  I've been at the camp for a few years and it is always a fun time.

If you haven't checked out our new website, please do.  It's at:
www.yoga4youth.net!!

blessings,
nancy and lori

making connections

Hello Yogis,

Yesterday in Yoga4Youth we were talking about connections.  We asked the kids to tell us how they feel connected to nature, to people in their families, and to people they don't know.  We did all of our poses in a circle in order to feel our connection to each other even more.

The kids all enjoyed the different room set up.  The younger group thought it was a crack up when we did a group utkatasana (chair pose) and all sat on each other's laps in a circle.  As they laughed, some of us hit the floor!

The older group was much more contemplative about connections.  In a teachable moment, we took time to stop and ask the girls (middle schoolers) how their connection to their own yoga practice has made a difference in their lives.  Lori and I were almost in tears by the end of our discussion.  They talked about how they know how to let go of their anxiety now.  They can take a deep breath rather than act out when someone is unkind to them.  Another girl said that she is better able to stay in the present moment and appreciate who she is right now rather than live in the past and hold onto what she used to be able to do.  It was profound.  These girls were so willing to open up to us and the group and share how their practice has improved their lives.

I shared that I wished I had been able to learn those lessons at their age.  Maybe it would have saved me from many migraines and stomach aches throughout school.  The best part is, that now that they have a practice, it's theirs forever!  I love that even though we are their teachers of the actual poses, they are their own teachers.  They will further their connection to themselves from now on.  It's truly amazing and makes Lori and I realize what a gift it is to share our love of yoga with these girls, and to learn from their journey.

many blessings,
nancy

New Offerings

Hello Yogis,

We have 2 new offerings coming up to share with you.

We will be doing a short session of Yoga 4 Youth at Yoga Oasis.
Wednesday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 16  from 4:15-5:15pm
The cost is only $45 for the session.

We are offering a SUMMER CAMP the week of June 18.
We will meet from 2-4 each day.  The cost is only $110 for the week.  Please go to
www.yogaoasis.com for more details!

We love teaching your kids!

Nancy and Lori

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

First Session of Yoga 4 Youth at Yoga Oasis

Our first session of Yoga 4 Youth is complete at Yoga Oasis. It was a monumental week for a number of reasons. The most exciting reason is that it has been a dream of mine and of Nancy's to teach kids yoga for a long time. But not only are we teaching it, we are teaching it at our home, Yoga Oasis. It makes it a little more special!

           

Every new group that we start with there is a conversation in the parking lot after class between Nancy and I. It goes something like this, "Whoa, that was intense. Do you think we will be able to teach them how to act in a yoga class?" Then a short seven weeks later, we are thoroughly amazed at what amazing yogi's they have become! During our last class, we created a circle and had a lot of discussions. First the kids told us what they had learned in yoga. It is amazing how insightful their responses are. These are 5-9 year olds, and their responses make more sense than an adult's response to the same question. It is very black and white, very clear to them.

           

Next, our students determined what their favorite pose was and drew a picture of it. The art teacher in me was very excited to see their drawings! We then played a round robin game of name your favorite pose and everyone does it together. How could I forget? In the middle somewhere, we played "Freeze Dance Yoga." We turn on some fun, happy music and the kids do yoga poses. Some are actual poses and some are very creative poses from the mind of a five year old! When we stop the music, whatever pose you are in, you hold! Great fun!

Nancy and I are so proud of our students and their ability to connect with themselves. But not only connect with themselves but also verbalize some of that connection. For those who could not verbalize, perhaps they could draw the connection. For those who could not verbalize or draw their connection, they could show us with their bodies. Whichever way the created the connection, hopefully the connection was made! As I say often, I only wish I had been given a skill like learning to connect to myself at such a young age!!

We have a new session beginning at Yoga Oasis on February 29th and one at Red Monkey on March 5th. Hope your kids can come join us!

Here are some of the responses we heard when asked what did you learn from yoga?

• When I am frustrated and angry I can breathe to calm down. I don't have to get embarrassed at school because I can breathe.           Emily
• Yoga can help you calm down.                      Trinity
• Yoga makes you stronger and more peaceful.            Ava
• I learned that I can do yoga. I can do crow pose even though I did not think I could. It was hard the first time then I did it!              Miles
• I learned to trust myself and to trust other people in partner poses.              Tillie
• I learned to have confidence because I can believe in myself. I know what is right because of yoga.          Diamond
• I learned to trust myself. When I am frustrated I can breathe.          Saige
• Yoga makes you relaxed and peaceful.          Caleb

Here are some of the pictures our students drew of their favorite yoga pose.

From our students...

Hi, my name is Asha; I am 14 years old. I first found out about the Yoga 4 Youth program through Red Monkey Studio and decided to give it a try. I began taking classes from the summer and continued through the rest of the year. I have currently been taking this class for about 7 months, and I have enjoyed every second of it! The instructors, Nancy and Lori, are so encouraging and sweet ;I am so grateful someone finally started a youth yoga class! Trust me, it isn't anything like "do superhero", and "now do the bunny pose". They tell you the sanskrit name, the derivative, and what it means to you. I have found myself to become more confident through my flexibility and also my confidence in other places. When you practice something you really love, you find that you and everyone around you is lifted and happier. So grab a friend and welcome yourself to serene new world! Namaste!