Mentor Institute Speaking Event 6-5-2010

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.

Healthy Living Festival

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.

A Photo Shoot at Laurence School

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

Pose of the Month - Clam Pose

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.

Pose of the Month - Swan Dive into Forward Fold

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.

Pose of the Month - Sunflower

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.

Pose of the Month: Around the World

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.