The Right to Know
As I sit to write this I am grinning ear to ear because my heart could not be more full of love, joy, pride and awe. This morning, I was honored to have two of MY girls (and when I say My I mean students of mine) for over four years teach a full on yoga class to a group of 14 students at the Ivivva Store In Dunwoody Village.
From contentment,
Highest happiness is obtained
Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs
Are invited to explain….
Consider us each a chakra
An energy gate of sorts
That we open, clean and balance
For optimal support.
Work on passing through
The seven chakras {or gates}
In order to visit the underworld
And ascend to blissful states.
Let’s begin in MOUNTAIN with SLEEPY,
Awaken abundant roots.
Stand with both feet straight
Ground heavy in your boots.
Each time you inhale,
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HERE.
Each time you exhale,
Root your feet a little deeper.
Reach up high with outstretched hands
FORWARD FOLD and touch the ground.
Prepare to balance GRUMPY
Who needs some healthy bounds.
Whenever you breathe in,
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL.
Each time you breathe out,
Circle your hips like a water wheel.
Step your right foot back
Into a STRAIGHT LEG LUNGE
Here we balance DOPEY
Soak up power, like a sponge.
Each time you take breath in,
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO ACT.
Each time you release breath out,
Stretch your belly with great tact.
Step your left foot back
Press hips up into DOWNWARD DOG
Open up to HAPPY
Melt your heart free from smog.
Receive your in breath and
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO LOVE.
Give your breath out
Feel Unworthiness? Get RID of!
Shift forward into PLANK
So BASHFUL can get clear.
Soften your throat back
And open up your ears.
Each time you breathe in
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK WORDS.
Each time you breathe out
Say, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD.
Lower knees, chest and chin
GRATITUDE for SNEEZY’s insight and vision.
Draw back of eyes toward back of head
To focus on decisions.
Each breath in
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEE.
Each breath out
Cross your eyes to a degree.
Stretch your crown forward and up
To balance DOC in SNAKE
Straighten legs behind you,
Connect to what’s awake.
Each time you breathe in
Think, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW
Each time you breathe out
Stretch from head to toe.
Lower back down
Prepare to pose in reverse
Remember your rights
Remember to immerse.
SNAKE back to GRATITUDE
Breathe into your poses
Up PLANK to DOWN DOG
Your rights are like roses.
STRAIGHT LEG LUNGE to FORWARD FOLD
And back up to MOUNTAIN
Keep moving and grooving
Till your rights flow like fountains.
When we know our rights,
And pass through chakra gates~
We develop a sense of contentment
And more deeply relate.
Happiness is indeed obtainable.
When we follow the path of contentment
Accept the ups and the downs
of our very own presentment.
May we be content with GRUMPY work
Or no work at all~
DOPEY or HAPPY states
BASHFUL or baseball.
May we be content when SLEEPY
Or wide awake~
SNEEZY or Doc
It’s our right~For Goodness Sake!
It seems obvious that teaching yoga requires flexibility, right? You have to be physically able to do most poses to teach them and to have credibility as a teacher. You need to have flexibility in your lesson plans to be able to teach to the level of the students in your class. And, in my experience teaching children’s yoga, you need an additional level of flexibility. You need to help the parents feel comfortable.
I teach in several different locations, and most parents are thrilled to send their children to yoga. However, living in the South on a very conservative side of town, I run into parents who are concerned about the practice of yoga. On several occasions I have had to answer the common question, “is yoga a religion?” No joke, I have even been told that I practice yoga; therefore, I am going straight to Hell. Years ago, I had a lengthy phone discussion with DeAnna Smothers, co-founder of Yaweh Yoga, a….
Last week President Obama visited College Heights Early Childhood Education Center where I teach yoga to 1 year olds and up since last year. When I asked my students several questions regarding the time they spent with President Obama, my passion for the importance of teaching yoga to preschoolers was completely validate.
Practice yoga poses according to various reoccurring themes in your Harry Potter film of choice.
If you enjoy watching Harry Potter and need to get moving and breathing, try this fun, in house, yoga workout circuit. Challenge yourself and try and watch all the movies and jazz up your yoga routine at the same time. Invite your friends.
You’ll need mats, yoga pose cards (hyper link) healthy food and beverages. I made posters for easy viewing.
Try Grounded innovative yoga poses or create your own. Remember to move with your breath. Practice good alignment when sitting between poses.
