YogaBuddies - Yoga For kids

YogaBuddies - Yoga for Kids - Opportunites at YogaBuddies

2011-12-08T15:57:00.001-08:00

Opportunities at YogaBuddies

YogaBuddies offers several opportunities for individuals who would like to become more involved in teaching yoga to kids:

Parents, Teachers & School Counselors take Module 1 to learn the basics of kids yoga!
Want to become a YogaBuddies instructor and teach in schools for us? Module 2 is for you!
Interested in having your own business and bringing yoga to your city? Become a Certified YogaBuddies Business Instructor
Join our marketing affiliate program.

Training Schedule and Offerings:

Module 1: For Teachers, School Counselors & Parents
* 5.5-hours training teaches kids yoga basics
* Tips for teaching YOGA to kids
* 42 yoga poses
* Breathing Techniques for kids
Date: January 13-14, 2012
Time: Friday 7:00-9:30pm & Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm
Module 1 Fee: $195. Register by 12/17 receive 15% off $165. Register by 12/31 receive 10% $175.

Module 2: For those who'd like a position with YogaBuddies company
* 13 hours of thorough instruction in the YogaBuddies program & the opportunity to teach for YogaBuddies
* Tips for teaching YOGA to kids
* 85+ yoga poses
* Mindfulness training for children
* Yoga games for kids
* Breathing Techniques for kids
Date: January 13-15, 2012
Time: Friday 7:00-9:30pm Saturday & Sunday 9:00-3:30pm
Module 2 Fee: $395. Register by 12/17 receive 15% off $335. Register by 12/31 receive 10% $355.

Location for all trainings: Hermosa Beach, CA

Reserve your spot with the included $100 non-refundable registration fee. Contact us info@yogabuddies.com for registration form.

Certified YogaBuddies Business Instructor
January 13-16, 2012 (Los Angeles)

A Certified YogaBuddies Busines Instructor is offered the opportunity to license the YogaBuddies trademark name and program. Individuals will be trained in the YogaBuddies teacher training program as well as YogaBuddies business model so that they are able to operate a yoga-for-kids program in their local area.

Contact us if you're interested in attending or learning more about our training and certification program.

YogaBuddies will come to you! If you'd like to bring YogaBuddies to your town we can hold a training there. Contact us for more information about our Licensing Training program at 310-503-6952.

What YogaBuddies' teachers have to say?

"I believe when yoga is taught to a child it has the potential to manifest into something much greater. Teaching classes for YogaBuddies is a gift because I get to watch my students grow and learn new skills that will soon blossom into something absolutely radiant." – Ms. Virginia

"Teaching for Yogabuddies gets better each year! I’m grateful to teach children yoga. To watch them smile, laugh and demonstrate poses that they have learned in class makes me feel proud! The excitement, LOVE and happiness they demonstrate makes me smile and reminds me that life is GOOD." – Ms. Lori

Gloria and Lois meet!!

2011-06-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Two of our licensees met up on Memorial Day weekend!
Lois took a trip to Boise, Idaho to see some family and while she was there she took some time to meet Gloria and talk YogaBuddies! They shared this picture with me that captured the moment. It certainly made me happy!

Healthy Living Festival 5-15-2011

2011-05-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great event yesterday at Growing Great's Healthy Living Festival. We enjoyed sharing our booth again with Kitchen Kid. Always fun to hang out together.
We were thrilled to have so many friends come by. Thanks to Logan & Carey, Max & Jennefer, Mirabella, GiGi, Audrey-Alice, Sophia, Mia and a YogaBuddies DVD guest star appearance from Lucy.
Here's a few pics we took while we were there.

Pose of the Month - Elephant Pose

2011-04-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Elephant Pose

For Elephant Pose, start by standing with your feet hip distance apart. Lean forward as if you are trying to reach your toes, clasp the hands together and then slowly sway from left to right using your lower back (not your arms). This will create a nice stretch in your lower back. Knees can be slightly bent. Stay in the pose for a several breaths.

Kids- to have a little more fun, you can pretend to fill your trunk up with water, then lift your trunk (arm) up and spray your back.

We felt Elephant Pose was appropriate for Earth Day focused newsletter, since we learned the Asian Elephant is on the endangered species list.

The topic for this month Respect.

2011-04-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

As we discuss this word with our students, we explore with them the myriad of opportunities to practice "Respect" in their world. Number one, of course, is self-respect. We talk about how important it is to respect our

bodies by taking care of our health, exercise and nutrition; our minds through education, reading, writing, positive thinking and affirmations; and others, including our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, doctors, and police. We also discuss how we can respect our environment. Compared to 7 years ago when YogaBuddies began, students are much more privy to all the various ways we can Respect the earth. I often find them making statements with their clothing, like one of my students on Wednesday wearing a bright yellow shirt that stated in bold letters "Reduce, Reuse, Respect, Recycle, Restore."

It wasn't until I started practicing yoga 12 years ago that I really began to learn to respect my Self and my body; I also started to take an interest in what it meant to respect the environment. Both of these interests started to shape how I thought about life, how I treated my body, others and the world around me. In yoga classes this is what teachers refer to as taking yoga 'off the mat.' For me, taking yoga 'off the mat' turned into a passion for the environment and has become an intrinsic part of how YogaBuddies does business. I do my best to have YogaBuddies be as 'GREEN' as possible. A few examples include: we use recycled paper; our mats are PVC free and eco-friendly; our CDs and DVDs are made with recycled materials and can be recycled.

My philosophy is similar to a quote on the bottom of the cereal box I eat, "Treat the earth well. It wasn't given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children." -a Kenyan Proverb. So for me it is in YogaBuddies' best interest to think of our earth first, because the earth is where our children and our children's children will grow.

Please check out the Buddies session below for small steps you can take towards practicing respect towards the earth. If you have a great idea, please share it with me!

Love and Respect,

Danay

12 Ways Kids (and you) Can Respect The Earth

2011-04-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Our word this month is Respect. Respect means to hold someone or something in high regard or honor.

We can practice Respect with our moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, teachers, friends, police and firemen, doctors, our environment and ourselves. Here we will focus on ways to practice respecting the Earth.

Here's what YOU can do to make a difference for the EARTH:

Pre-Cycle:

♥ Pre-cycling is the step before recycling. This is the process of making a conscious choice to purchase or use products and services, which will have a less harmful effect on the Environment, such as recycled paper and products with less packaging.

Global Re-Leaf:

♥ Plant a tree, grow a garden or wildflowers.

Recycle and Reuse:

♥ Recycle plastic bags by reusing them again at the store or purchase cloth reusable bags.

♥ Recycle water by reusing it to water plants.

♥ Many of our students create Recycled art using items put in the recycling bin.

Conserve and Preserve:

♥ Turn off lights and appliances right after you finish with them.

♥ Take shorter showers or take baths instead of showers (you use less water).

Don't throw it all away:

♥ When you no longer need a toy or clothing, give it away to someone who can use it.

♥ Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Use cloth towels instead of paper towels.

♥ Computers pose an environmental threat because much of the material that makes them up is hazardous. A typical monitor contains 4-5 pounds of lead. Find a Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection place in your community to dispose of these items. They take old make up, old paint, disinfectants, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, herbicides, e-waste (cell phones, computers, televisions, etc).

Great Ideas for School

♥Take your lunch in a reusable lunch box, or cloth bag instead of paper bags.

Pack a cloth napkin instead of paper one. You can reuse it!

♥ Recycle any packaging in your lunch box.

Info from PLANETPALS

Fascinating Facts about the Earth:

Approximately two million species of animals, plants and other organisms have been identified and named; it is estimated that approximately 50 million species have yet to be identified.
Each person throws away approximately four pounds of garbage every day.
Most families throw away about 88 pounds of plastic every year.
14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year.
We each use about 12,000 gallons of water every year. 1/3 of all water is used to flush the toilet.
Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees.
Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.
The amount of wood and paper we throw away is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
It takes 90% less energy to recycle aluminum cans than to make new ones. The energy saved by recycling just one aluminum can is enough to power a television set for three hours.
84 percent of all household waste can be recycled.

Here is an example of how long it takes garbage to break down:

plastics take 500 years
aluminum cans take 500 years
organic materials take 6 months
cotton, rags, and paper take 6 months

Pose of the Month - Peacock

2011-03-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Peacock Pose

For Peacock Pose, start by sitting on the floor, extend one leg straight out and to the side, keeping the other leg bent in. Reach the arms up and then fold the arms and the body toward the extended leg. Doing it this way will stretch your side.

For another version, you may also reach both hands towards the extended foot taking the head towards the knee. Hold for a few breaths and then switch sides.

The topic for this month Caring.

2011-03-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

With all that's happened in Japan and the quick connection of media allowing us to be a part of it, I am in awe of the outpouring of care that we as human beings extend to each other. I find it moving. This is what brings about this month's topic, Caring. I don't find it needs much of an explanation. It seems an automatic human response when someone is in need we show our care for them. When we discuss caring with our students, they are quick to give examples of how they show caring by helping friends out who've hurt themselves on the playground or how they are extra quiet or helpful when mom or dad is not feeling well. Caring is easy to practice with our family members and friends. But what about strangers? There are three ways I believe we can show we care to strangers. One, give of our time. Volunteer with an organization that calls to our heart. Second, we can give money by donating to a cause that we feel would benefit from extra funds. Last, we can send our prayers, positive thoughts or as I learned in my Spiritual Psychology program, we can send Light. We all have our own way, our own version of what we call it. When we see the news, pictures or videos we can use it as an opportunity to take a few moments to close our eyes and send our thoughts to the situation. We'd love to hear from you if you have other examples.

This month we are extending our Caring to help one of my friends (who was born and raised in Japan near where the earthquake and tsunami hit) with several yoga fundraisers she is holding. See details below.

Peace and love,

Danay

6 Tips for Kids to Practice Caring

2011-03-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

Caring is giving from your heart to another person to let them know you care.

We can practice Caring with our moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, pets, extended family, teachers and strangers such as military or victims of a disaster.

Here are a few examples from students in our classes for how you can practice Caring:

♥ Help a family member or friend who doesn't feel well.

♥ Do a chore for your mom or dad. (Examples from our students is help them cook, make your bed, & help them clean.)

♥ Listen to a friend's problems.

♥ Give someone a hug.

♥ Do something nice for someone.

♥ Send a letter or picture to a person in the military.

Pose of the Month - Cobra Pose

2011-02-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

Cobra Pose

To start Cobra pose, lay on your stomach with legs straight, tops of feet are on the floor. Place the hands, palms on the floor and fingers spread wide next to the chest, near your underarm. Then as you inhale, gently push up from palms to arch the back slightly lifting the chest and part of the abdomen off the floor, elbows slightly bent. Keep your shoulders down and back. The legs and feet stay on the floor. Stay here and take a few deep breaths. Slowly lower down on an exhale.

Cobra is a heart-opening & spine strengthening pose.

The topic for this month Love.

2011-02-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

I find Valentine's Day a holiday similar to Thanksgiving in that the focus of each, love and gratitude, can be practiced every day, not just one day a year. So this month we focus on Love. In our YogaBuddies' classes, we do our best to bring the concept of love and gratitude to our students in each yoga class. For example, while they are in a pose they may be holding for a few breaths we'll ask them to think of all the things they love about their life. Or think about all the people in their life they love. Or think about what they love about their body! Just like grown ups, the latter is not always easy. This is why I like having them recognize (at a young age) we all have something we can love about our bodies so those negative body images don't stick with them into adulthood.

I was not taught as a young girl to look at myself physically or characteristically at what I loved. It wasn't until adulthood that I looked in the mirror and really loved the person I was looking at. Learning to love ourselves can be a process. Start simple with features or characteristics you love about yourself first. Also, try looking in the mirror, looking into your own eyes and telling yourself you love yourself. It can be a heart-opening experience. I suggest saying it to yourself every time you look at yourself. When we learn to love ourselves first, it opens us to truly loving others.

Peace and love,

Danay

4 Tips from Kids Practicing Love

2011-02-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

Our word this month is Love.

Love is a strong attachment or warm affection toward another person. We can practice love with our moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, pets, aunts, uncles, cousins, and teachers.

Here are a few examples from students in our classes for how you can practice Love: ♥ Help with chores. ♥ Put away toys when asked. ♥ Give cards and presents to your parents.

♥ Give hugs and kiss to your parents.

Here are a few more examples for practicing Love:

♥ Tell someone you love them.

♥ Do something nice for someone.
♥ Write a note or draw a picture to someone you love.

♥ If your grandparents or other close family members live far call them or skype with them.

PINK TEES

2011-02-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Just as our instructor couldn't resist taking this picture, I couldn't resist sharing it.
Here our students at Buckley with their matching pink YogaBuddies t-shirts!

Pose of the Month - Mountain Pose

2011-01-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Mountain Pose

To start Mountain pose, stand with feet hip distance apart. Arms are by the sides of the body, with the palms facing out, fingers reaching for the floor. Stand very tall and confident taking several deep belly breaths.

Options while you are in Mountain, to loosen the shoulders, is to inhale shoulders up and exhale shoulders down several times. Or try shoulder rolls forwards and backwards.

Mountain is a centering pose. It is often the starting pose in a yoga class and one where, with eyes closed, you set your intention.

The topic for this month is Intention.

2011-01-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

The definition I like most for intention is "to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim". I learned about creating and setting intentions from my practice of yoga and through my Master's program in Spiritual Psychology. It is common in many yoga classes that the teacher will ask you to set an intention for your practice, a positive thought to "direct the mind" and use it while you're in the poses. In my Master's program I gained greater facility with intentions and began creating ones for my day, phone calls, meetings, and trips. I find most of my intentions have to do with a way of being. For example, the intentions I set for my day, a meeting, or a class range from being present, powerful, enthusiastic, gentle, loving, kind, fun or grateful.

Setting intentions is an easy way to focus the mind on a positive approach and outcome to anything you want to create in life. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Peace and love,

Danay

4 Tips for where kids can practice Intention

2011-01-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

Intention means to direct your mind in a positive way toward something you would like to accomplish.

When we practice intention we are thinking of a positive outcome and telling ourselves how we'd like something to turn out. You can do this at the beginning of your day, before a test, giving a report, doing homework, or before a game or performance.

Here are a few examples of how you can practice intention:

For your day:
♥ Think of a positive thought you'd like to keep in mind throughout your day. One example might be, "My intention is to have a fun and happy day".

In School:
♥ Think of a positive outcome you'd like before a test or giving a report. An example would be, "My intention is to be calm, breathe, and do my best".

Family:
♥ Intentions of being kind, loving, helpful, caring could be used with brothers, sister, parents, cousins and grandparents. A great one for your siblings would be, "My intention is to be kind and loving to my brother/sister".

Your Health:
♥ Good thoughts about our body and our health actually help to keep our body healthy. A healthy intention could be, "My intention is to eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and practice my favorite exercise".

Video Example #2

2010-12-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

We wanted to share another video example of a pose you could use for Share A Pose for YogaBuddies. This is Maggie demonstrating Cow and Cat pose.

After Maggie shared the pose with her friends, she would have her mom share with us either here on the blog or on Facebook...1) who she shared yoga with, 2) the name of the pose(s) and 3) where she shared the pose (city/state).

Pose of the Month - Tree

2010-12-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

Tree Pose

Tree pose is a balancing pose, so it is important to find a focus point before starting this pose. It is good to find a spot on the floor or straight ahead that is not moving. Continue to use the focus point while in the pose.

Arms and hands start together at the heart. Standing on one foot, lift the other foot to rest onto the calf of the standing leg. Once feeling balanced, raise the arms and hands up over the head. Sway the arms back and forth like the branches of a tree.

To modify, rest the toes on the floor and place the foot next to the ankle of the standing leg.

To add challenge, lift the foot to rest on the inside of the thigh. Be careful not to rest the foot onto the knee. It is not safe for the joint of the knee.

Be sure to do both sides.

One of our students, Max, created Christmas Tree Pose by putting his arms up over his hand touching the tips of his fingers together making an upside down V shape. If you're feeling festive, give this a try. I'm going to see if I can find a picture of Max to share.

The topic for this month Sharing.

2010-12-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

The topic for this month Sharing.

Sharing is something we learn to do as small children. We are taught to share with our friends, brothers, sisters and cousins. We are taught that it is nice to share our things. Yet as we grow older, life becomes less and less about sharing things and more about sharing our time. The holiday season provides multiple opportunities for us to share our time among family, friends and holiday gatherings. This can become tiring, exhausting and sometimes frustrating.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of my sister's wedding. (That is a picture of she and I on her wedding day.) We included time with my husband's family in our 10-day trip to the east coast too. I've found the key to peace while traveling (and in life) is balance, being present in the moment and consciously sharing from my heart.

In regards to balance, I find if I can carve a little quiet time for me whether it is yoga, meditation, playing a game on the phone or reading I am able to keep my energy balanced and more easily able to share of myself when I am with friends, family or social gatherings.

When I am out and about sharing my time with others I have found the moments that bring me the most joy is when I am able to connect heart to heart with another person. Sharing a story, a laugh or a hug. This, to me, is what sharing is about. When we genuinely share from our hearts we establish deep connections with others. I was told by a healer just this week that when we have those heartfelt moments with family and friends it raises our immune system and PH levels. So sharing has an added bonus for our health.

To your health and happiness this holiday season!
Peace and love,

Danay

5 Kid Tips for Practicing Sharing

2010-12-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Sharing means to use, participate in, enjoy and experience with others.

We can practice sharing by sharing our toys, books or games with our friends. But we can also practice sharing from our hearts. This means sharing our love. We can practice this by telling our moms and dads we love them and giving them hugs. We can practice this with our friends, brothers or sisters when we spend time playing together. Next time notice when you feel happy, look and see, you are probably sharing your love, laughter, or a quiet moment with another person.

Here are a few ways you can practice sharing:
♥ Give someone you love a hug.
♥ Tell someone a story.
♥ Share a joke - make another person laugh.
♥ Share your love by drawing a picture and giving it someone you care about.
♥ Share a yoga pose (and then tell us about it!)

Share a Pose for YogaBuddies Experiment!

2010-12-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

We are super excited for December.
For the month of December we want to see how many people we can share yoga with!!
We're asking you, our newsletter readers, as well as our students, and our Facebook and Twitter fans to share a yoga pose with another person (family member, friend, classmate).
Then we want you to share with us via Facebook*:
1) Name of person you shared yoga with
2) Name of the yoga pose you shared
3) What city, state and country (we know some of our readers are from another country) you did the yoga pose.
BONUS: Share a picture or video of you doing the pose.
*If you're not a Facebook person you can comment here or email us at info@yogabuddies.com and we'll post it for you.

We will give a prize to whoever shows the most people.

Here's a video as an example demonstrating Child's Pose.

Pose of the Month - Child's Pose

2010-11-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

Child's Pose

Start Child's Pose by sitting on your feet. Lean forward and rest the middle of your forehead on the mat. The arms can either lay by the sides of the body or stretched out in front of the body. The hips are back sitting onto the heels. Take big, full, deep breaths in and long, full breaths out.

Modification: Stack fists together and rest forehead onto fists.

This is a resting pose. It is a great pose to create Peace within. It is a wise one to do before doing homework or when you need a quick rest.

The topic for this month Peace.

2010-11-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

The topic for this month Peace.

There is a new "conscious hip hop" band called the Luminaries and they have this great song I like to play in our classes called "Peace". The best part is the catchy chorus phrase, "peace worldwide starts from inside". A message similar to our quote for the month. We wish each other peace over the holidays, we see the peace sign again throughout our culture, but to truly have peace we must cultivate it inside of ourselves before we can be peaceful with others or have peace on earth.

So the magic question is how do you cultivate peace within yourself? It lies within all of us. It is a matter of silently checking in, taking the time to allow it to come forward. This could be done anywhere you can have a moment to yourself.
- Taking some deep breaths
- Being in nature
- Meditate
- Pray
- Yoga
- Sitting still
- Looking up at the stars
- Listening to calm, soothing music
- Watching a child sleep
- A big long hug from someone you love

When we can take a moment to bring peace to our lives we are more easily able to bring that peace to the events and people around us. May you be filled with peace this upcoming holiday season.

Peace and love,

Danay

8 Kid Tips to Practice Peace

2010-11-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

Peace is a state of being calm and quiet.

Sometimes when we are busy with school, homework and after-school activities we forget to take time for ourselves. Practicing peace, even if it's for just a minute or two, allows us to be calm, centered and focused. When we make time to find peace within ourselves we will notice that more things seem to go our way. Finding time for peace allows us to think about things that are bothering us, before reacting in a way that could get us into trouble. Giving yourself time for peace can also make you feel good about yourself! When we take the time to find peace within ourselves, we will be able to bring peace to the world around us.

Here are a few ways you can practice peace:

♥ Use your words to solve conflicts.
♥ Practice patience. Try not to get upset when things aren't moving as quickly as you would like.
♥ Be helpful. Random acts of kindness create more peaceful communities.
♥ Help and encourage someone if they are having a hard time with a task or a sport.
♥ Sit and enjoy being quiet with someone you love.
♥ Give someone a hug.
♥ Lay in Savasana and practice long, deep breathing

♥ Or do our pose of the month!

Funny Friday

2010-11-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

In class this week I asked the students to share one thing they were grateful for. One girl replies, "I love cheese". Boy asks, "what kind?" She says, "all kinds" and then starts naming cheeses, "muenster, cheddar, swiss..." Boy interrupts, "what about blue cheese?" She replies, "sure, I like them all." He asks, "do you know what the blue part is?" She says no. He says, "it's mold". Another boy says, "I thought it was food coloring."She says, "well, I don't eat that one that much."

This is the kind of conversation that happens in a KIDS yoga class!!

Pose of the Month - Airplane

2010-10-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Airplane Pose

To start Airplane pose, a balancing pose, find something on the floor to use as your focus point. Step one foot forward, grounding it firmly into the ground, being mindful toes stay flat (not crunched up). Slowly lift the back leg, so you are balancing on one foot. Stretch arms out by your sides, they can be straight out or slightly behind you. Palms of the hands are facing the floor. Try to make your body parallel to the floor. And BREATHE! If your foot comes down or you fall, just come back into the pose.

After a 5-10 breaths, switch sides. Keep using your focus point to help you with your balance. Hold the next side for 5-10 breaths.

In our yoga classes, we will sometimes challenge our students to see if they can hold it for a minute. See if you can too!! Remember, TRUST your body!

The topic for this month: Trust.

2010-10-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

In the practice of yoga trust is an important facet. You have to trust that your body can do the pose, and in some cases trust that you can hold and relax into the pose for the length of time you're being instructed. Balance poses and inversions (poses where you put the body upside down) provide opportunities for building trust both in the body and mind. Through regular ongoing practice we learn to trust our bodies are strong enough, flexible enough, and capable.

Taking the lessons we learn on our mat and into the world becomes the true practice of yoga. In our classes when we teach our students these character building words, like Trust, we call it Sharing Yoga with Your Buddies.

Trust takes practice, perseverance, and courage. Through learning trust with our body on the mat we gain trust within ourselves, with our teacher and the other students in class. As this trust grows we build confidence and self-esteem that filters into everything we do. When we are able to place faith or trust in ourselves or others we are able to live harmoniously, accomplish tasks, set big goals, and allow others to support us along the way. So why not, trust a little? Or a lot?! See the Kids Tips for examples of how to practice Trust.

Peace and love,

Danay

5 Kid Tips for Practicing Trust

2010-10-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

But perhaps the most important person to trust is you! If you have a test in school that you studied for, trust that you will do well. If you have to speak in front of your whole class, don't be nervous, trust yourself; you can do it! When you trust yourself, other people will trust you and you will trust them too!

5 Ways to practice and build trust:

♥ Be yourself! People will trust you more if you are true to yourself and not changing to fit in with others.

♥ Practice balancing poses, like Airplane or Tree to build trust and confidence in yourself.
♥ Be honest. Trust will build between you and others if you are honest to each other and do not lie.

♥ Stick to your word. If you say you are going to do something, do it.
♥ Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Pose of the Month - Sun Greeting

2010-09-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sun Greeting Pose

Start Sun Greeting by standing with feet double hip-distance apart and toes pointing at 10 and 1 o'clock. Inhale arms up over the head bringing hands together. On the exhale bend the knees so the legs are in a squatting position at the same time bend the arms and bring the elbows towards the waist. Palms are facing up toward the sky - greeting the sun! On the inhale straighten the legs back to a standing position with arms reaching over the head. Repeat this flowing pose several times to warm up the large muscles in the body.

This is an energizing pose and a nice pose to do in the morning. That's why you'll find it on the Good Morning CD!

5 Kid Tips for Practicing Gratitude

2010-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Gratitude is being thankful and appreciative to someone or for something. When we practice gratitude and give thanks to the people we love or the things we have it makes us feel happy.

Here are a few ways you can practice gratitude?

☺ Write in a gratitude journal. Write down at least 3 things you are grateful for either at the beginning of the day or the end of the day.

☺ Share one or two things that you are grateful for at night (or in the morning) with a parent(s).

☺ Send thank you notes or pictures to grandparents or other relatives who live far away.

☺ Do something nice for someone.

☺ Give hugs!! And say thank you!!

Bhakti Fest

2010-09-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

I went with a friend to Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, CA. It was filled with kirtan, yoga, great vegetarian food, love and the desert sun. Perhaps next year YogaBuddies can play a role at the kids pavilion. A few pics of Bhakti love!

The topic for this month Gratitude.

2010-09-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

When we teach gratitude to our students some will comment the time we are to practice it is at Thanksgiving. This is certainly true, we tell them, however, practicing gratitude is not just for one day in November. It is a practice we can do everyday.

Did You Know? Gratitude helps to better manage stress. Grateful individuals report higher levels of life satisfaction, optimism, greater energy and connections with people. Growing evidence indicates that the expression of gratitude can also improve one's physical health and immune functioning.

During my Master's program I took on this nurturing practice of writing down at least five things I was grateful for in my journal before I went to sleep. Nine years later I am still writing what I'm grateful for at the end of every day, but my list has expanded beyond five things. More recently, I started to practice gratitude in my morning meditation and find this habit of gratitude serves me all the time. I've sometimes been called Pollyanna for having such a positive attitude. I'm okay with that, especially with the facts stated above. I figure gratitude keeps me healthy and it certainly makes me feel good!

What are you grateful for? To get you started, I'll share some of the things our students tell us they are grateful for: parents, friends, pets, having a roof over our head, yoga, our teachers, school, learning, love, being smart, and being a kind person.

I am grateful for you- my family, friends, clients, customers, instructors (past and present)! Thank you for being in my life, being a part of YogaBuddies, helping us grow and make a difference for kids worldwide!

Peace and love,
Danay

PS- I learned that September 21 is World Gratitude Day! Guess what word we'll be talking to our students about next week?!

Facts from two online articles: "Boost Your Health with a Dose of Gratitude" and "Gratitude at Work"

Vacation

2010-09-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a little down time. I am happy to report I just took 5 days with my hubby camping, hiking, being in nature and celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary in Zion National Park. We had a wonderful time. We have been going almost every year for eight years. Here's a few pics.

YogaBuddies Junior at Yoga Loft

2010-08-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

YogaBuddies Junior plays at Yoga Loft in Manhattan Beach in July and August 2010.
We had some regulars weekly students and many other friends who dropped in and joined our fun classes just for kids ages 3-6. Yoga Loft has a beautiful space in Manhattan Beach with an ocean view and a view of the MB pier.
Here's some pics of our little yogis and yoginis.

We've been CAMPING!!! part 2

2010-07-28T14:27:00.001-07:00

Here are the students in Arts Unlimited camp striking their poses.

We've been CAMPING!!!

2010-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

That's right, we have had 5 weeks of fun at 3 of Chadwick School's summer camps: Arts Unlimited, Minis and Camp Chadwick. The kids have ranged in age from 4 years old to 18 years old!! Here are the Minis striking a pose!!

Mentor Institute Speaking Event 6-5-2010

2010-06-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

I was honored to have spoken to approximately 100 participants in this weekend's Mentor Institute's Leadership Conference. I shared about the benefits of teaching yoga to kids, taught 16 yoga poses and 2 breathing techniques. Feedback later said my part was helpful and would be utilized in the classroom. YAY!

Unfortunately cameras did not want to work in the theater. Luckily we caught one of Lore and I outside.

5 Kid Tips for Practicing Adoration

2010-05-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Adoration means to regard another with respect and love. You can practice adoring others or your Self.

How to practice Adoration:
1) Find one thing you like about another person and tell them.

2) Write or draw a picture with a compliment to someone you adore.

3) Spend time with the person you adore.

4) Find one positive thing you like about your Self and tell it to your Self over and over.

5) Find one positive thing you like about your Self, write it down and put it somewhere you can see it everyday.

The topic for this month Adoration.

2010-05-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed the effect praise or adoration can make toward another person, whether a child or adult. Adoration is considered an act of homage (translation of homage: something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another). I like to think of it as a priceless gift.

We are great about speaking about things we like such as restaurant or a movie. Maybe it is our fear that if we were to express our adoration or acknowledgment that it would not be reciprocated or received. However, that is not why we would express our adoration of another. It is the feel good factor as to why we do it. When we practice adoring or acknowledging another, not only does it make the other person feel good, but it makes us feel good too. It releases Oxytocin, a feel good hormone often called the "cuddle hormone". Oxytocin is released when we feel love, trust and comfort.

Practicing adoration or acknowledgment of another can be as simple as saying, "I like your shirt" or "I like your hair". Or it can be towards a behavior such as, "I like when you speak quietly"; we use this in our classes. Or "I love when you bring me flowers". We can be specific with our praise or adoration by saying, "You are a really special person to me and I am so grateful you are in my life." And last, don't forget to adore yourself. For example, when you look in the mirror tell your Self, "I love you" or "You look fabulous"!

Our time here is short, share with the people you know and care about how grateful you are for them and why. It truly is a gift.

I adore you!

Peace and love,
Danay

Pose of the Month - Roly Poly

2010-05-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Start Roly Pose by laying on your back and pulling your knees up towards your chest. If you can wrap your arms around your knees to give yourself a big hug. You can rock from side to side or forward and backwards.

Maybe while you are in Roly Poly pose you can think of one thing you like about yourself or your body and thank yourself for that part of you that makes you unique!

Healthy Living Festival

2010-05-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Healthy Living Festival on Sunday in Manhattan Beach. We had about 25 kids come by to try out yoga. We also enjoyed sharing our booth with our friends at Kitchen Kid. We are looking forward to participating again next year.

St. Anthony's class wraps up with a Buddy Day

2010-04-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

We had 5 Buddies join us for the last day of our winter session at St. Anthony's school. We taught our friends yoga poses, the students showed off their yoga collage and then shared some tasty treats.

Practicing Flexibility

2010-03-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

The topic for this month is Flexibility.

When we ask kids to describe why we should do yoga, besides hearing it helps calm us, relax us and make our muscles strong, we hear it helps make you flexible. In our classes we discuss that is not just our bodies that yoga helps to become more flexible, but also our minds. Being flexible with our minds reminds me of the phrase "choose your battles wisely".

Our ability to be flexible can help us with how we deal with the situtation. Many times we have expectations for how we want something to go, it could be a meeting, a conversation with a friend or family member, a date, or a vacation and then something happens that we did not expect. We can practice being flexible by taking deep breaths, taking a moment alone, being okay with the situation not going our way, communicating our needs (vs. wants) and seeing a bigger picture.

I've mentioned before, being a breast cancer survivor, nothing "bad" compares to having had breast cancer. Things that may seem inconvenient or a bother aren't such a big deal when compared to having to face a diagnosis of cancer. In those moments I remember my yoga practice and I remind myself- life is here to be enjoyed, appreciated and lived to its fullest.

May you appreciate the fullness of each day!

peace and love,

Danay

5 Kid Tips for Practicing Flexibility

2010-03-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Flexibility means being able to bend, adapt or change.

Examples of when you could practice flexibility:
- things aren't going your way
- someone says something or does something you don't like
- your schedule changes

How to practice Flexibility?
* Take some deep breaths
* Be okay with having what you wanted be different
* Look for the good in what has happened
* Take a moment alone
* Remember a yoga pose that reminds you to be flexible and practice it

We're excited for our upcoming Teacher Training

2010-03-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

TEACHER TRAINING AND LICENSING
Want to teach for YogaBuddies?
Learn our unique and very popular program at our next Teacher Training -- April 10-11, 2010. Register by 3/27 and receive 10% off the tuition.
Want YogaBuddies in your city?
License YogaBuddies program and bring yoga to the kids where you live. For more information on the training and licensing contact Danay 310-503-6952

Pose of the Month - Stingray

2010-03-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Stingray Pose

This is legs open, seated, forward-fold pose. Start in a seated position, separate the legs out wide. Then fold the body forward toward the floor, hinging at the hips, thus keeping a straight back. This makes sure the folding forward is happening at the hips and not the spine. The body can be supported by placing the elbows on the floor and staying here, or by resting the forehead on the hands on the floor. If your body doesn't want to go that far, use a pillow(s) or blanket(s) to rest your body on.
Stay here for 5-10 breaths. As you breathe, see if you can allow your body to move closer to the ground. Try to relax and breathe into the areas where you feel tension.

Modification: Bend the knees or sit on an elevated surface, such as a blanket.

A Photo Shoot at Laurence School

2010-02-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

To help promote after-school classes at Laurence they asked us to take some pictures, our students happily obliged!

Lululemon event was a success!!

2010-02-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Our class at the El Segundo Lululemon on Sunday was a great success!! We had a little over 20 kids who all had a lot of fun!!! Here are some pics!Starting class in Namaste.

Getting ready to explode in Volcano!

Letting go in Lion pose

Greeting the Sun!

Taking a rest in Child's Pose

YogaBuddies' Event

2010-01-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

YogaBuddies' Event

Where you can find YogaBuddies in the South Bay this week

FREE KIDS YOGA CLASS
Sunday, January 31, 2010
9:30-10:30am
Open to kids ages 4-10
Lululemon - Plaza El Segundo
2008A East Park Place,
El Segundo, CA 90245

Kids can stretch, strengthen and have fun YogaBuddies' style with Danay DiVirgilio while parents stretch in a partner yoga class with Shelley Williams and Page Sieffert from the Pilates Room and Yoga Lounge. Parents, Shelley and Page promise this class will leave you feeling connected, grounded, relaxed, and balance.

Extending Compassion

2009-12-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

The topic for this month is Compassion.

Several years ago I learned a concept that has helped me see people with compassion, and I would like to share that with you when considering your interactions with people in your life - friends, children, parents, teachers, even strangers.

First, start by thinking back to a time when you were walking down the street or at a party and someone gave you a dirty look for what you felt was no reason at all. Many times, our first reaction is to make that look mean something about us or about the other person. But what is often really happening is that the person is not responding to you; they are responding to their personal insecurities, thoughts and opinions that are going through their head. We've all done it. We've all been quick to judge or jump to conclusions about other people.

It takes practice and conscious thought to consider what might be going on for the other person when they snap, get angry, give a dirty look, yell or cut us off in traffic. It could be the guy that cut us off is racing to be by his wife's side for the arrival of their first born. Or the woman who cut you off is late for her first doctor's appointment after finding out she has cancer. Or it could just be they are a reckless driver or on their phone. The grumpy woman checking us at the grocery store could be working her 2nd job or recently lost a loved one. The list goes on and on. The thing is we become so wrapped up in ourselves and our own lives that we do not think about others and what could be going on in their lives. Practicing compassion means stepping outside of our own world, our own thoughts to imagine with kindness what someone else is experiencing.

As a teacher for YogaBuddies, and I know my instructors all feel this way, we never know or assume to know what is going on with our students. We have an advantage using our Emo cards and allowing them to share with us how they are feeling, which is often when we learn they got into a fight with one of their friends, or their brother is having an operation, or their dog just died. It is our goal to practice what we teach, therefore we bring compassion to them. We allow them to feel how they feel without fixing or changing it. We provide them with breathing techniques and yoga poses that ground and calm them. We listen and we give them love.

There is a lot happening on our planet now and we can all bring a little peace to it by giving each other the gift of compassion for one another.

Have a wonder-full holiday!!

peace and love,

Danay

Pose of the Month - Reaching for the Stars

2009-12-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

Reaching for the Stars Pose

Stand with feet hip distance apart. Inhale reach the left arm up, stretching it up overhead fully to feel a stretch on the side of the body. Unlike our picture demonstrates, the right arm stays hanging by the right side of the body. Exhale bring the left arm down. Inhale switching sides and reach the right arm up getting a full stretch on the right side of the body. The left arm hangs by the left side of the body. Keep feet firmly planted on the ground. Stretch several times on each side.

This pose feels really good in the morning when you are just waking up!

5 Kid Tips for Practicing Compassion

2009-12-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

Compassion means having affectionate care or concern for another person. When we practice compassion we imagine with kindness what someone else is experiencing.

Examples of when you could practice compassion:
- if a friend's pet died
- a friend, sibling or parent has been in an argument
- someone is not as fortunate as you
- your mom or dad are in a bad mood
- a friend gets a bad grade on a test or project

5 Tips for How to Practice Compassion?
* by being quiet and listening to the person's upset
* giving a hug to a friend or family member when they are upset
* sending loving thoughts to the person
* writing or drawing a picture for the person
* telling them you love & care for them

Healthy Choices

2009-10-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

The October Theme is Choice.

By now, everyone knows October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the media reminds us to be aware of breast cancer. The irony for me is I celebrate the anniversary of my being cancer-free on October 4. This year I celebrated 4 years! I find the month of October a reason to celebrate and an opportunity to remind my family and friends not about awareness but prevention of breast cancer. While awareness is important from a community perspective, what really matters individually is prevention! It is prevention that has me here today! It is doing breast-self exams every month, eating healthy foods and exercising, steering clear of parabens in cosmetic and body products and avoiding bisphenol A that will help prevent breast cancer. I'll be the first to admit choosing to do breast-self exams can be scary, but the alternative of letting it go is worse. We have a choice in how we treat our bodies-- what we drink, what we eat, how often we exercise and what type of products we put on our bodies.

The root of why I started a kids yoga company was prevention. I felt it was important to instill and provide children with the healthy habits and benefits of yoga at an early age. It is my hope that in learning they have a choice in how they treat their bodies it may help them avoid dis-ease in their adult lives. I find over and over again when I share with people what I do their response is, "I wish I would have learned yoga at a young age". Those who say this seem to know the calm, peace, strength, openness and awareness that practicing yoga brings. It warms my heart when I have a parent share with me that they have found their child in their room taking deep breaths or doing yoga poses to calm themselves down (without being prompted). It's magical! So I feel, at YogaBuddies, we are teaching kids the earliest form of prevention. I join the YogaBuddies instructors and licensees who believe it is an honor and a privilege to be able to give to kids in this way. We thank you parents, school administrators, friends and family for believing in us to keep making that difference.

peace and love,

Danay

4 Kids Tips for Practicing Choice

2009-10-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Choice is considering all your options and then freely making a selection. Better said by one of our students, "you get to pick what you like best".

You can practice Choice with how you feel, how you act towards other people, what you say, and what you do.

If you practice choice in...
- how you feel, see if you can choose to change your mood or attitude from negative to positive.
- how you act, towards other people have your actions be kind, caring, and loving.
- what you say, have your words be kind.
- what you do, make good decisions like doing your homework before you play a video game, or choosing to eat a fruit or vegetable rather than chips or cookies.

Poses of the Month - Cow and Cat Pose

2009-10-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Cow Pose and Cat Pose

Cow and Cat are separate poses, however they are often used together flowing from one to the other.

For Cow pose, start on all hands and knees, make sure knees are aligned with the hips and wrists are aligned with the shoulders. Inhale; curve the back, bringing the tummy down towards the floor. Raise the crown of the head and the tail toward the ceiling.

For Cat pose, keeping the integrity of hand, shoulders, hips and knees, begin to exhale, arching the back, tucking the chin into the chest and bringing the tummy in towards the spine.

Alternate between the two poses several times. Breathe in Cow, breath out Cat.

"To err is human, but to forgive, well that's right on!"*

2009-08-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

This month's theme is forgiveness. An act that we often forget about, but makes the biggest difference in our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Practicing forgiveness means releasing unwanted hurts, grudges or judgments from the past, providing freedom, love and peace in the present. When we think forgiveness we often think of other people, but the practice of forgiveness is most important with ourselves. We often react and say things or do things we do not mean and later make ourselves wrong for it. We forget that we are doing the best that we know how each moment and we can only learn from those moments to better ourselves.

The same goes for those you may feel hurt you in the past. They were only doing the best they knew how with the resources and knowledge they had at that time. The reason we may not want to forgive is because we’re holding onto anger, resentment or personal pride. When we forgive another person for harm we feel they caused we are not accepting the behavior we are just no longer allowing the anger and resentment towards them rule our life. The person we may feel a grudge towards does not feel our anger, often they do not even know we are holding the grudge. The anger or grudge is something we hold inside our bodies and causes stress to our systems, so when we forgive it releases that tension and anger allowing greater health in our bodies. Practicing forgiveness with another does not necessarily mean that we need to speak with that person. Rather it is something we do on our own either silently or through journaling.

Practicing forgiveness is an act of self-love. Here's what it takes to practice forgiveness and open your self to greater love, peace, healthy and well-being:

1) open heart, 2) open mind, 3) willingness to let go, 4) desire for mental, emotional and spiritual freedom, 5) letting go of the judgments we hold towards ourselves or another.

*The quote is from Starsky & Hutch movie (2004)

Pose of the Month - Owl Pose

2009-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

Owl Pose

Start sitting cross-legged with a straight back. Place the left hand onto the right knee, then take the right hand and place it behind the back on the floor, twisting the body to the right and looking over the right shoulder. Be sure to keep your back straight and shoulders down. Take a few breaths. Then switch taking the right hand onto the left knee, place the left hand behind the back and twist the body to the left looking over the left shoulder. Take another few deep breaths. The close the hand is to the tail the straighter the back and deeper the twist.

Tips for Kids - Practicing Forgiveness

2009-08-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Forgiveness is letting go of pain or hurt we feel toward ourselves or other people.

You can practice forgiveness when...
* Your brother, sister, friend or cousin breaks or takes something of yours
* Someone says something mean to you
* Your mom or dad get angry and it hurts your feelings
* You have done something you weren't supposed to
* You get a bad grade

How you can practice forgiveness:
Say this to your self when you want to forgive your self for something: “I forgive myself for thinking ______.” Or “I forgive myself for saying ______.” Or “I forgive myself for doing ________.”

Say one of these to your self to forgive another person: “I forgive ______ (mom, dad, friend) for saying ______ or doing ________. “ Example- “I forgive my brother for taking my favorite game and breaking it.”Or "I forgive my mom for getting angry with me."

YogaBuddies at Camp Woodland Hills

2009-08-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2009
We taught to 70 kids, two separate yoga classes for Camp Woodland Hills. Both groups were very sweet and LOVED the yoga class! Compliments even came after from 8 and 9 year olds, "I've gone to yoga classes before, this one was fun!" We love that!!

All we need is just a little patience...

2009-07-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

It’s summer, and not only are temperatures rising but so can tempers. With summer comes family vacations, trips to theme parks and trips to visit other family. The saying “patience is a virtue” could never be truer.

Things requiring our patience include: waiting in a long line; traffic; visiting family; waiting for an important call or email; waiting for a late friend or business associate for a meeting; waiting for a delayed plane, train or bus; waiting for a child to express what they want or finish what they are saying; and managing a child that does not want to go to bed or take a bath or eat their food.

Research supports patience is not something we are born with, rather it is something we learn.

Yoga has been a tremendous vehicle for me to learn patience in my life. I still remember my first yoga class- my feet, hot and sweaty, were slipping on the mat in a yoga pose in which I was trying to look good. As I followed the instructor’s many verbal cues: “square your hips, turn your back foot at a 45 degree angle, make sure your front knee is not over your ankle, reach your arms up... and breathe”, I really wondered when I was going to experience the calm everyone talked about!! After ten years of practice, I feel I’ve come a long way and I still find patience is the key to my practice.

I find the patience I practice in yoga follows me off the mat and in the grocery line, in traffic, waiting for someone to get back to me or even teaching a yoga class with several chatty kids.

Here are some ways to practice Patience:

Take deep breaths.
Count to ten.
Practice patience in small increments (either by time such as 5 minutes, the drive from home to office (one day), and/or standing in a line). As you reach those milestones you can gradually build on them.
Practice empathy. Depending on the situation, imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes. This is a good one to practice with family.
Notice how your body feels when you are not experiencing patience as well as when you are. Use this information as cues to practice patience.
Resist the impulse to finish another’s sentence. By listening fully we show our respect and let the other person know they are worthy of our time.
Give yourself plenty of time to get somewhere.
Read a magazine instead of watching the clock when at a doctor’s appointment.
Only do one thing at a time.

Patience is a change in attitude and without patience we experience frustration, become easily annoyed, bothered, irritated and angry. With patience, we become more accepting of what is and we experience ease and a sense of peace.

Pose of the Month - Clam Pose

2009-07-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

For Clam Pose sit with legs extended out in front of the body and feet are flexed with toes pointing toward the ceiling. Try to have a straight back and inhale the arms up overhead, slowly exhale pulling the chest toward the knees and reaching the fingers towards the toes, if able, grab onto toes.

This pose requires patience as it is not one most people can easily do. As I say in class, "we are reaching our fingers TOWARDS our toes, if we are only able to reach our knees, that's okay!" The key in this pose is to use the breath ti take you farther, releasing and relaxing into the forward bend and allowing the back of the legs (the hamstrings) and the lower back to stretch. Try holding the pose for 3 breaths (long inhales and exhales), then 5, and 10 breaths. See if you can practice patience in moving farther in the pose.

5 Tips for Kids to practice Patience

2009-07-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Patience means keeping peace when something is not moving as fast as we want it to. Practicing patience helps you to be calm and peaceful. Times and places you can practice patience: - With a younger brother or sister - Waiting in line at a theme park - Waiting to hear back from a friend - With a parent, grandparent, cousin, friend, pet, or teacher - Leaving to go somewhere - Driving or flying somewhere you are excited about.

Ways you can practice patience: (tips from students in YogaBuddies classes)
☺ Taking deep breaths
☺ Sing or hum a song
☺ Look at or read a book
☺ Find something else for your mind to think about
☺ Talk to someone else

Mom Blog Giveaway provides cute video!

2009-07-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Not So Average Mama blob is doing a giveaway for YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories DVD. They have reviewed the DVD on their blog and has a posted a very cute video of her kids doing yoga to the DVD. Check it out http://tiny.cc/tdayB

YogaBuddies receives front page coverage in the Daily Breeze

2009-07-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

We are super excited to have received front page coverage in the Daily Breeze on Monday, July 6, 2009. The article shared about our classes, our newly released DVD and the benefits of both.
Here is the link to check out the online version and some extra pictures! http://bit.ly/jFzZE

YogaBuddies on the front page of Yahoo!!

2009-07-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

If you were a Los Angeles South Bay local you could see "Youngster Yoga" in the headlines on the front page of Yahoo's news on July 6, 2009!! This was an article written about YogaBuddies in the local paper!

And the winners are...

2009-06-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories DVD.

We'd like to announce the winners for our pre-order raffle.

Congratulations to our five winners receiving an Envirosax Kids Bags
1) Julie Nemeth
2) Michelle Bryson
3) Elissa Scheckowitz
4) Marissa Kivett
5) Adi Levy

Congratulations to Kathryn Bury, the winner to receive one set of Lunch Skins (reusable, washable lunch bags) from 3 Green Moms.

Winners were chosen by random.org

YogaBuddies Release new DVD!

2009-06-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The moment has arrived!! We are pleased to announce the release of YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories DVD.

Help your children prepare for a restful sleep.

YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories DVD includes three bedtime stories incorporating yoga poses to help kids unwind, stretch and relax as they prepare for a night of restful sleep.

Follow along as five yoga buddies demonstrate calming yoga poses while listening to bedtime stories read by YogaBuddies founder, Danay DiVirgilio. YogaBuddies is a leader in providing creative yoga programs for kids of all ages.

See the preview or just purchase the DVD

The Practice of Non-Judgment

2009-06-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Each week we teach our students a character building word. When we do this we remind them that these ideas are to practice. They're ideas to try out and see what happens.

Non-judgment is definitely one of those character building words that requires practice. Practicing non-judgment means we no longer judge others OR ourselves.

A great concept and tall order to fill because judging is a part of being human. We can credit our egos for this instinct. We don't begin each morning say "I'm going to judge everyone I see today", but we instinctively do it none the less. Our egos look for what is wrong or different. We judge what other people wear, what they say, how they look, how they drive, how they spend their time or not spend their time. We judge strangers, new people we meet and our own family. The biggest victim of our judgments - ourselves. We often don't even recognize that we are doing it but for most of us it begins the moment we wake up and look in the mirror. We judge our bodies. We judge how we look, how we don't look. We judge what we say or don't say, what we do or don't do, how much money we spend or don't spend and what we have or don't have. We call ourselves names like dumb, lazy, fat and ugly. These harsh words are not healthy for our bodies.

The key for practicing non-judgment begins with becoming aware that we are doing it. This is the practice. Usually the awareness occurs after the judgment has happened. If I recognize I have been judging someone there are several things I might do: 1) try to think of one thing about them I like, 2) I'll send them a blessing in my mind, 3) think of them as a child or 4) (this one takes extra work) look at where the judgment comes from within me and practice forgiveness. By becoming aware of the judgments we can then begin to change how we treat ourselves and others. Remember judgments typically come from a belief that someone or something (a situation, a characteristic, parts of our body, etc) should be different than the way it is. When we are aware of the judgments as a belief we have made up and can practice acceptance, compassion and forgiveness we empower ourselves to live happy and peaceful lives.

Ways to pracice non-judgment:

Practice acceptance with yourself, others and situations
Practice compassion (you never know why someone could be in a bad mood)
Practice forgiveness
Look in the mirror and tell yourself you love your SELF, especially love the parts you're not as fond of

Pose of the Month - Swan Dive into Forward Fold

2009-06-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

For Swan Dive - Forward Fold start standing with feet hip distance apart, hands are together at the heart. Inhale hands up over the head. Exhale as arms float down, hinging at the hips and the upper body bends forward. The fingers are reaching for the floor. If if feels uncomfortable in the back of your legs or your lower back slightly bend the knees. Hang here either with your fingers reaching for your toes or hold onto your elbows and let gravity work its magic. Allowing your upper body to relax and feeling the stretch in your legs take several long, deep breaths in and out. Come up slowly to a standing position.
This pose will increase flexibility in your legs and release tension in your lower back.

3 Tips for Kids - Practicing Non-Judgment

2009-06-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Non-judgment is the practice of not judging yourself and not judging others.

When we practice non-judgment it is similar to when your parents or a teacher have said don't judge a book by its cover. Another way of putting it, is get to know someone before you decide you don't like them or want to play with them. Remember that everyone is different. Not one yoga pose looks the same and neither does each snowflake that falls from the sky. We are all still learning about life and doing the best that we know how to do (even your parents!)

3 Ways to practice non-judgment:

Try to find one thing you like about someone
Look in the mirror and tell yourself you love your SELF
Give someone a compliment

New DVD: YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories

2009-06-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

Help your children prepare for a restful sleep.

YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories DVD includes three bedtime stories incorporating yoga poses to help kids unwind, stretch and relax as they prepare for a night of restful sleep.

Follow along as five yoga buddies demonstrate calming yoga poses while listening to bedtime stories read by YogaBuddies founder, Danay DiVirgilio. YogaBuddies is a leader in providing creative yoga programs for kids of all ages.

Learn more about the DVD and pre-order bonuses.

Practicing Ahimsa

2009-05-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

I was taught growing up "to treat others the way you would like to be treated". That concept is sometimes how we explain what ahimsa means when we are teaching one of our character building words in class to our students. Ahimsa is a sanskrit word that means nonviolence or to do no harm. For our students we explain that when we are practicing ahimsa it means we are practicing kindness in our actions and our thoughts to ourselves and other living beings. It's a hard rule to grasp as a kid, at least it was when my sister made me mad or a friend said something that hurt my feelings. As I have gotten older and as I have studied yoga I have learned the depth of love and peace that exists when I can remember to be kind to myself and others. I am by no means perfect, compile a long day, traffic or stress and being kind to others is quickly forgotten. And it is unfortunately unleashed on those I am closest to.

I find it is equally opportunistic practicing on others as it is practicing on ourselves. I believe the gold in practicing ahimsa is when we practice it on ourselves first. Because doing so makes it easier to practice on others. When we do not feel good about ourselves, when we are mean to ourselves, we often take it out on others. How does it look when we are NOT practicing ahimsa with ourselves? We make ourselves wrong, we talk negatively thinking we are fat, stupid, lazy, ugly, no good, a bad _____(spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, etc). When we think or internally talk to ourselves we are being violent to our mind and emotions. When we can remember to practice ahimsa, we practice kindness to ourselves, we are loving ourselves, encouraging ourselves. This practice allows and opens a deeper space of love and peace within. When we are loving and kind to ourselves it is much easier to love and be kind to others.

Ways to pracice ahimsa:

Look in the mirror and tell yourself you love your SELF
Forgive yourself for your negative thoughts and replace with positive ones
Give someone a compliment
When frustrated or angry take a few deep breaths before responding
Try to remember how you would like to be treated

Pose of the Month - Sunflower

2009-05-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Stand with feet double hip distance apart. Inhale stretching the arms up overhead. Exhale bend the knees, hinge at the hips and take the body forward bringing the arms down and sweeping the floor with the hands. Inhale straightening the legs and reaching arms back up over the head. This is a flowing pose and is best to do several times. Focus on breathing in when you come up and breathing out as you go down.

*This pose can be used to warm up the body.

5 Tips for Kids - Ways to Practice Ahimsa

2009-05-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ahimsa means nonviolence. It means kindness in our actions and our thoughts to ourselves or to other living beings.

Sometimes our emotions can have a huge affect on how our day goes. If we get a good grade on a test or if we make a new friend, then we will be happy and cheerful. On the other hand, if we get a bad grade on a test or a friend doesn’t want to play with us at lunch, then we may get in a bad mood. No matter what situation arises, practicing ahimsa creates a more peaceful life. Although it may be easier to practice ahimsa when things have happened to make us happy and cheerful, but it is especially important to remember if we have had things happen to make us feel sad or angry.

Why should we practice ahimsa? Well, think about it this way, we can handle a negative situation in one of two ways: 1) Get angry and yell and scream and throw a tantrum, or 2) Try looking past what makes you angry by staying calm, peaceful, and loving. It takes a lot of work to practice ahimsa. It is important to stay strong so that we learn handle situations in a better manner.

Ways to practice ahimsa:
* Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

* Do long, deep breathing when you feel angry or sad.

* Do your favorite yoga poses, or teach them to others.

* Do something nice for those around you.

* Practice ahimsa on small living creatures. When you see a bug in the house, help to take it outdoors instead of killing it.

WholeFoods sells Good Morning Good Night

2009-05-11T23:53:00.001-07:00

It's exciting to see the Good Morning Good Night with
YogaBuddies CD set on display at the WholeFoods in
El Segundo, California.

Exciting Bedtime Stories video news

2009-05-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we sent the YogaBuddies Bedtime Stories video and artwork content to our production folks and wanted to share the DVD cover with you.

Stay tuned - more info on the DVD release coming soon!!

5 Tips for Earth Day

2009-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Since we have so much happening this month, I am going to keep this part of the newsletter short with 5 easy tips for Earth Day.

1) Change the margins on your printer - Changing printer margins from 1.25 inches to 0.75 inches on all sides reduces the amount of paper you use by almost 5 percent. We could save 6,156,000 trees if everyone in the U.S. made this single change.

2) Put a few tennis balls in the dryer - That’s right, your clothes will dry faster and use less energy by adding tennis balls or ‘dryer balls’. By keeping the clothes from sticking to the sides of the dryer clothes they will tumble more and dry faster. Or, try the old-fashion way of drying them on the line.

3) Drink tap water - Did you know 38 billion water bottles end up in landfills each year where they sit for an average of 700 years before they decompose? Those 38 million bottles require 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture. One last fact, studies have shown that one fourth of bottled water is tap water. Tap water is free! And, you can buy a filter if you’re worried about the quality of your water. I use a Brita faucet filter, which even has a program to recycle the filters when you’re done! The best reusable water bottles are SIGG or Klean Kanteen.
Sigg Traveler Classic Water Bottle (1.0-Liters)
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles

4) Use Earth911 - http://earth911.com - This website has great info on how to recycle or get rid of almost everything from wire clothes hangers, batteries, electronics, make-up and eye glasses.

5) Try Freecycle - http://www.freecycle.org - This is a great place to get rid of things Goodwill won’t take. All you need to do is post your item, wait for someone to respond, and then schedule a time for them to pick the item up from you. No money is exchanged. My husband and I have freecycle’d three-ring binders, half-used paint cans, DVDs and a paper-shredder.

Peace and love,

Danay

Why Earth Day Is Now One of My Favorite Holidays

2009-04-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

When I moved to California in September of 1998 I told myself I would check out this yoga thing. As soon as I was settled I checked out a class and was immediately hooked. I loved the way it made me feel. I wanted more and tried out lots of different classes and took my first training within 3-4 months of moving to California.

Yoga philosophies resonated with my beliefs and I quickly realized that what I put into my body and mind impacted me. As a result, I found myself paying attention more to the world around me. Combined with the experience of living by the ocean the environmentalist in me began to surface. I began recycling, I started picking up trash rather than walking past it, and I started spending more time outside - hiking, walking on the strand, and at that time rollerblading.

My love and passion for the earth continues to grow. I’m now a real ‘tree hugger’ and often cry when I see a tree being cut down. But my commitment is more than that. I no longer use toxic cleaning products, I scrutinize the ingredients and production practices of all of the body products we use, I eat mostly organic food, run all my errands at one time and purchase recycled paper products for YogaBuddies.

Yoga teaches balance through postures, meditation and pranayama (breathing). I’m finding this month I am exploring balance. I like studying Chinese medicine and am fascinated by how it teaches balance through Yin and Yang.

Yang is activity, heat, fire, brightness, excitement, stimulation, the father or masculine energy.

Yin is rest, quiet, completion, fruition, receptiveness, the mother or feminine energy.

Neither is better than the other. In fact we need both – in balance. In our go, go, go and do, do, do (Yang) society we often need to remember to take time to rest, relax, and just be (Yin).

Finding something (healthy) that allows you to let go is very important. Being in nature is often a great way to acknowledge the Yin in your life and (often very quickly) helps keep us grounded.

In honor of Earth Day my recommendations for finding balance in nature are:

- Taking a walk

- Going on a hike

- Sitting under a tree

- Walking in the grass with bare feet

- Smelling a flower

- Sitting at the beach (or near any body of water)

- Standing still outside to listen to the sounds around you

- Gardening

- If you aren’t able to get in nature, close your eyes and visualize a place

YogaBuddies is now on Twitter

2009-04-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

You can now connect with YogaBuddies on Twitter.

For a great overview of what Twitter is try watching this two minute video.

Pose of the Month: Around the World

2009-04-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Around the World

Start standing with feet wide apart, arms stretched up above the head and fingertips reaching for the ceiling. Slowly lean the upper body over to the left, bend the left knee, circling the arms toward the left and coming down, sweeping the hands on the floor (make sure knees are bent). Then continue circling the arms up on the right until you have made a circle. Do this several times to the left then switch and circle around several times on the right.

This is a free flowing movement.

10 Tips - Ways for Kids to Celebrate Earth Day

2009-04-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

What is Earth Day? Earth Day is like a birthday! Just like a birthday is a special day to celebrate a person, Earth Day is a special day that celebrates the Earth.

Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, in San Francisco, California. Every year, America and over 100 different countries join together in the celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd. Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide. On Earth Day, we remember to appreciate nature and learn ways to protect our environment. (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/kids/earthday.htm. )

Here are some ways that you can protect our environment:
1. Don’t be a couch potato. Turn off the TV and play outside!
2. Not all trash is junk. You can make crafts out of old milk cartons, toilet paper rolls, scrap paper, and other things.
3. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
4. Pick up trash.
5. Help the Earth by planting trees, flowers, or other plants.
6. Use rechargeable batteries. They keep going and going.
7. Walk or ride your bike instead of going in a car.
8. Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth.
9. Save water by taking a quick shower instead of a bath.
10. Use a reusable bag for your lunch.
(http://library.thinkquest.org/6076/New%20Pages/KidsDoEnvtips.html )

Check out these awesome books about the environment and Earth Day:
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Earth Day Birthday by Patty Schnetzel
Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons
Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel

Good Morning Good Night now at iTunes

2009-03-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce that the Good Morning Good Night CD set is now available for digital purchases at iTunes and at nationwide distributor CD Baby.

Save the Date - YogaBuddies 5 Year Anniversary!

2009-03-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

YogaBuddies is going to be celebrating its 5 Year Anniversary in May! We will be having pre-celebrations at several Lululemon locations. We would love for you to join us as we celebrate this milestone. Check out the details below. Click on the store locations for maps and addresses.

Lululemon Events:
Plaza El Segundo - Saturday, March 21 9-10am
Irvine Spectrum - Saturday, March 21, 9-10am
Glendale Americana at Brand - Saturday, April 25, 9-10am
Lululemon Santa Monica - TBD

5 Year Anniversary Party Details:
When: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Time: 1:00-3:30PM
Where: Virginia Avenue Park
2200 Virginia Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Who: Everyone!

Practicing Acceptance

2009-03-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart." - Marcus Aelius Aurelius

Our theme for this month is acceptance. Life presents many opportunities to practice this concept. Looking at my own examples of when I have practiced acceptance, I'm reminded of the big things like my mom's death and being diagnosed with breast cancer, to little things like how I want to hang the kitchen towel is different than how my husband wants to hang it. The list goes on. There's practicing acceptance of how we look, what our bodies look like or don't look like, how much money we have, what our kids or spouse do or don't do, how are relatives act or react, our job situation, and on and on.

Sometimes when we think of acceptance, we may think it means to give up what we want or to surrender. This may be easier said than done in some cases. Sometimes our ego becomes so tied into that idea that it becomes harder to let it go. There is more meaning into letting go and accepting something for the way that it is. We like being "right" about our position or our belief and we don't want to look bad if we let that idea or belief go. Which is why there tends to be suffering involved when we hold our position about an idea or belief. We want to hold onto that belief even though reality may be completely different.

But I have found when I practice acceptance something magical happens. That idea or belief I had that was annoying me about my friend or relative disappears. And oftentimes that person no longer does that annoying thing. Or when I practice acceptance about my body I find I look better when I look in the mirror or I receive a compliment from someone. Or my husband does the dishes without me bugging him. I feel more peaceful and life becomes just a little bit happier when I've practiced acceptance.

How to practice Acceptance:
-Breathe
-Letting go of a belief or idea that you have about something or someone
-Finding one thing you like about yourself in the mirror
-Doing things that make you feel good
-Practicing yoga and holding a pose

6 Tips: Ways for Kids to Practice Acceptance

2009-03-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Acceptance means being gracious or kind when the outcome is different than expected.

Accepting Situations
When you practice acceptance, this means you handle situations in a calm, kind manner. Imagine working really hard on a project and not getting the grade you thought you deserved. Instead of being mad at your teacher, pay attention to any comments she has about your project. Chances are she may have some tips that will help you improve on any future projects. Sometimes you might not be allowed to go to a friend's house or go spend the night. Instead think of all the fun things you can do with your family, by yourself, or what you can do next time you visit your friend. Always look on the bright side of any situation, because you never know where that will lead you.

Accepting Your Self
There are over 6 BILLION people who live on the planet Earth and everyone is different. We all lead different lives and are faced with many different situations each day. Think about your friends, family, and other people you may know. How are you the same? How are you different? What is important to remember is that even though you may look different or sound different than your best friend, you are still you, and that's what makes you special! If everyone was exactly the same, imagine how boring the world would be. It's our differences that make us unique. We all have special talents and gifts that we can share with the world around us!

Ways to practice acceptance:
☺Look on the bright side!
☺Use a situation that could be disappointing as a learning experience.
☺If your parents don't let you go to a friend's house, find something fun that you can do at home, like practice yoga!
☺If you get a bad grade, don't feel bad; just remember to try extra hard next time.
☺Make a list of all the things you are good at and make you happy.
☺Look in the mirror and find something you like about yourself.

Pose of the Month: Down Dog

2009-03-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Start on the hands and knees, make sure the palms of the hands are flat on the floor and the fingers are spread wide. Tuck the toes under and lift the tail up into the air, pressing the hips away from the hands, and straightening the legs. The arms are shoulder width apart. The legs are flexed and strong, with the heels are reaching toward the floor.

CD Set featured in Time Out Chicago

2009-03-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

Judy Sutton of Time Out Chicago recently did a review of the Good Morning Good Night CD Set. Check it out here!

Seven Tips: Kindness for Kids

2009-02-17T23:45:00.000-08:00

Kindness means being nice to the people, animals, and world around you. It is important for us to be kind to the people and the world around us. It's not only good for them, but it is good for us too. Sometimes the people around us might be feeling sad, lonely or mad. By doing something simple, you can cheer someone up. It can be as easy as sharing a smile, sharing your toys, or teaching a yoga pose. Simple things can help to brighten a person's day. You will notice that if you practice doing random acts of kindness, that you will feel better about yourself too. Here are a few ways you can practice kindness:
* Smile at people you recognize * If someone drops something, pick it up for them * Give a compliment to at least one person each day * Do a chore before your parents tell you to * Hold the door for the person behind you when you go through a door * Give someone an extra hug * Pick up trash to be kind to our Earth

Pose of the Month: Roly Poly

2009-02-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

To practice roly poly, lie down on your back and pull your knees up to your chest. Roll gently on your back from left to right and back and forth.

This is a fun pose, massages the spine and helps release tension in the lower back.

Love and Kindness

2009-02-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Love is often the topic and focus for February because we celebrate Valentine's Day. This month we're diving into one aspect of how we can show love, through acts of kindness.

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. -- Mother Teresa

Last week I was talking to one of my classes about how we show love. The children expressed several great answers; one child said be helpful to others, another said you can give hugs, and a third child said be kind to a friend or family member.

The last student's answer reminded me of conference I had watched given by Dr. Wayne Dyer, author of several great self-empowerment books. Part of his talk was about random acts of kindness. He shared some statistics that grabbed my attention. He shared that a receiver of an act of kindness has their serotonin levels increase as well as their immune system strengthened. The giver of an act of kindness has the same increase in serotonin levels as well as their immune system strengthened.

The part I found fascinating was, an observer of an act of kindness experienced an increase in serotonin levels and a strengthened immune system. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that acts as a chemical messenger and believed to affect psychological functions. It is the feel good or well-being feelings we experience. The more serotonin you have the better you feel. It is also what many anti-depressant drugs try to stimulate.

By practicing random acts of kindness you make yourself feel good psychologically, but also physically! These acts of kindness could be as little as a smile.

Other random acts of kindness to increase your feel good chemicals and strengthen your immune system are:
- Giving a hug
- Giving a compliment
- Letting someone over in traffic (instead of racing ahead)
- Giving someone change
- Acknowledging someone for their effort
- Giving a gift, flowers, or a 'thinking of you' card
- Inviting a friend for coffee, tea or lunch
- Calling a friend or relative you haven't talked to in awhile
- Sharing a positive thought or quote
- Picking up litter
- Volunteering

To your health!

Eco Child's Play reviews Good Morning Good Night

2009-02-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

We're proud of the positive review that YogaBuddies' Good Morning Good Night CD received yesterday from Eco Child's Play.

DVD News

2009-01-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

The YogaBuddies team just completed filming Bedtime Stories with YogaBuddies and is currently in post production. The team used a great private studio in Torrance, CA called Ears and Eyes Mediaworks.

In addition to the post-production video work that remains, during the next several weeks the team will be working on the background music as well as a variety of animated pieces to support the filmed scenes.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Five Tips: Courage for Kids

2009-01-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

Reflecting on the earlier post about courage and I thought it would be useful to share some tips that kids can use to conquer their fears.

Courage is doing something even though you might be afraid. Everyone has certain things that they are afraid of. Some people are afraid of the dark. Some people are afraid to raise their hand in class to answer a question, in case their answer is wrong. Others might be afraid to say no when other kids are trying to pressure them to do something wrong. Whatever your fears may be, it takes courage to try and conquer them. Here are a few ways you can practice courage:

1. Stand up for what you believe in, even if other people try to get you to change your mind.

2. Practice looking people in the eye when you are talking to them or they are talking to you.

3. Try something new! When you go out to a restaurant, order something you have never had before.

4. Try doing something that you are afraid to do. If you are afraid to sleep in the dark, try it one night. If you have a hard time, don't worry, try again tomorrow!

5. If you are wrong about something, admit it.

The best way to show courage is to do your best to overcome your fears. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but if you keep practicing, you will soon realize your fears have been conquered!

Pose of the Month: Superman

2009-01-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

To get into the Superman pose:

Lie on your stomach and stretch your arms out in front by the ears.

Slowly, lift the arms and legs up toward the sky keeping the legs straight. As your arms raise, the chest is lifted and the shoulder blades squeeze together. As your legs lift, the muscles in the back, around the tailbone and legs, contract.

The head is looking slightly forward and down.

Courage - Happy New Year

2009-01-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we stop to look fear in the face. We must do that which we think we cannot. -- Eleanor Roosevelt

This is one of my favorite quotes. I have a copy of it on my desk, in my phone and a few other places to remind me that even though I might feel afraid, I must do the thing I think I cannot.

At the beginning of each New Year, many people create resolutions. A few years back I decided rather than making resolutions I would create a theme and intention for the year. My theme for this year is trust and I am finding that with the intention of trust comes courage.

Life gives us many opportunities to practice courage, no matter what our age. We need courage to overcome our fears. It takes courage to know that we can achieve our goals even though other people might not believe we can or agree with what we are doing. We use courage to speak up for ourselves or to stand up for what you think is right. It takes courage to fall in love, to be our true self, and to achieve our dreams.

The trouble with courage is that its counterpart is fear. Do you ever notice how sitting and thinking tends to make things much bigger or more dramatic than they really are? It gives the mind more time to come up with reasons and excuses for why we should wait, put things off, or just not do it. The one way I found that works best to overcome fear and use courage to its fullest potential is to be in action. The mind is welcome to continue to worry or come up with ways to stop you, but if you continue to just be in action, those things you want most become attainable.

I hope all your wishes come true for 2009.

Seven Tips: Peace For Kids

2008-12-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Peace is a state of being calm and quiet. We often get so busy with everything that we need to do - wake up, go to school, do our homework, practice sports, eat dinner, go to bed. We don't find the time to be at peace with ourselves.

Yet, when we make time to find peace within ourselves we will notice that more things seem to go our way. Finding time for peace allows us to think about things that are bothering us, before reacting in a way that could get us into trouble. Giving yourself time for peace can also make you feel good about yourself! When we take the time to find peace within ourselves, we will be able to bring peace to the world around us.

Here are a few ways you can practice peace:
1. Be helpful. Random acts of kindness create more peaceful communities.
2. Practice patience. Try not to rush to a judgment or action.
3. Give someone a compliment if they do something good.
4. Help and encourage someone if they are having a hard time with a task or a sport.
5. Use your words to solve conflicts.
6. Sit and enjoying being quiet with someone you love.
7. Lay in Savasana and practice long, deep breathing.

Pose of the Month: Child's Pose

2008-12-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Child's Pose is a wonderful pose to rest in and one we tell our students to rest in if they need a break.

To get into Child's pose kneel onto the floor, touch the big toes together, and sit back on the heels. The knees can be hip distance or a little further apart, finding whichever position is most comfortable.

The forehead is resting on the floor or yoga mat. And the arms are lying by the sides of the body, palms facing up. You may also stretch the arms out in front of you laying them on the floor.

Be mindful of the breath and take long inhalations and exhalations. This resting pose can be held for 30 seconds to several minutes in length.

You can also try this modification: Stack your fists together and rest forehead onto fists.

Ten Pathways To Peace

2008-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Being a child of the 70's I've always been a fan of the peace sign and am surprised to see it everywhere when I step on school campuses. Kids are wearing the peace sign in all its forms on their backpacks, clothing, and jewelry. Peace seems to be the new fad.

We wish each other peace in our holiday greetings and we wish for world peace. It's a great thought and a wonderful wish, but how often do we sit to really cultivate that awareness of peace inside of ourselves.

On my bathroom mirror I tape the following quote from German mystic Thomas Kempis:

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. -- Thomas Kempis

I don't feel I can teach peace without practicing peace and being peaceful myself. I can quickly tell the difference in the days when I start off taking time to be peaceful and the days I don't.

So the magic question is, how do you keep peace within yourself? It lies within all of us. It is a matter of silently checking in, taking the time to allow it to come forward. It can be done anywhere you have a moment to yourself.

Here are some helpful reminders:
1. Taking some deep breaths
2. Being in nature
3. Meditation
4. Prayer
5. Yoga
6. Sitting still
7. Looking up at the stars
8. Listening to calm, soothing music
9. Watching a child sleep
10. A big hug from someone you love

When we can take a moment to bring peace to our lives we are more easily able to bring that peace to the events and people around us. May you be filled with peace this holiday season.

Pose of the Month: Airplane

2008-11-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

Start the Airplane post by standing. Find a focus point on the floor to look at and use to help you in keeping balanced.

Open the arms out to the sides and slowly fold the body forward, at the same time lifting one leg up into the air.

Palms should face the floor and the toes of the lifted leg point toward the floor. Try to keep the neck aligned with the spine. Your aiming for a straight line from head to heel of the lifted leg. Keep looking at your focus point, breathe and hold for 20-30 seconds. Then switch legs.

When you practice see if you can build on the length of time you hold the leg in the air.

Five Tips: Trust For Kids

2008-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Trust means to place faith or confidence in yourself, another person, or a situation.

Trust is something that we share with important people in our lives. You trust your mom and dad because they are your parents and you know they want what is best for you.

You also trust that your teacher will help you learn everything you need to know before you go to the next grade in school. You trust that your doctor will make you feel better when you feel sick.

But perhaps the most important person to trust is you! If you have a test in school that you studied for, trust that you will do well. If you have to speak in front of your whole class, don't be nervous, trust yourself; you can do it! When you trust yourself, other people will trust you and you will trust them too!

Here are a few ways you can practice and build trust:
1. Be nice and helpful to other people
2. Be yourself! People will trust you more if you are true to yourself and not changing to fit in with others.
3. Be honest. Trust will build between you and others if you are honest to each other and do not lie.
4. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
5. Stick to your word. If you say you are going to do something, do it.