Grounded Yoga at Refuge Coffee ~ Clarkston, GA
Hi, I’m Lillarose Hardin… You may remember me from my last post here. April 28 was my 11th birthday. I asked my mom if I could celebrate at Refuge Coffee in Clarkston, GA by teaching yoga and running their fun run race. When my mom asked the owner, Kitti Murray if I could teach she said yes! So, the next step was to gather friends who would like to teach with me because teaching with friends makes it more fun. My mom asked Lead Homeschool students if they would be interested. The class is on the Quest of Elevation and so a community class was the perfect idea. When everyone agreed the next step was planning a lesson. I found out on my actual birthday Refuge Coffee was hosting their 4’th Annual Coffee Run. Perfect! So, at 8:15 AM on a Saturday morning my friends and I lead a grounding yoga practice for the community.
Supporting Our Community
While We Explore Our Feet And Light Up The Streets.
“Place one hand on your heart and your other hand on your stomach.
Close your eyes and prepare to explore more while we lead with our feet.
Take a deep breath in to prepare and exhale when you hear the chime.”
-Lillarose, age 11
My mom taught the Solid Ground Flow…
This is me! We offered a 30 minute class, so I was checking the time. Perfect for waking up our feet!
“For Three Legged Dog come into Downward Dog. Close your eyes if you feel comfortable and choose what kind of dog you are for today. When ready, bring one leg up to the sky and breath in. Lower your leg to the ground and switch out legs by lifting your next leg. If you feel up for it, bark!”
-Pippa, age 13
“Please go down into Forward Fold and step one leg back into Lunge. From here go into Downward Dog and take your right hand and place it on your left thigh. Stay like this for 3 to 5 seconds and then put your hand back down into Downward Dog. Rest for a second then take your left hand and place it on your right thigh. Stay like this for 3 to 5 seconds and then put your left hand back down on the ground. Step one leg forward into a lunge and then put the other leg forward into Forward Fold.”
-Alex Benton, age 13
“Put both hands on your heart and then put them above your head and back on your heart again.
Put them on your knees and back up to your heart.”
To prepare for Get Up pose stand with your toes pointing out, then squat down and touch the ground with your spidey hands.
“Breath in and stand up. Breath out and sit down’
– Ian Rose, age 11
“Everyone please gather in a circle and put your hands up. Connect hands with your partner. Take a deep breath in to relax, then exhale and greet your neighbor. Close your eyes and tune into the energy of your friends around you. Without speaking send out a wish into the community…
“Allow your entire body to relax by breathing in. Hold for the count of 5. Exhale when you no longer hear the chime.”
-Lillarose, Age 11
“May you have peace in your thoughts.
Peace in your hearts
And peace your words.
Namaste”
-My mom, Kelley Sue
We all have a limited, contracted, outer surface. Yoga teaches us to dig deep into our center to know our true, authentic selves. Yoga Teacher Barbie was gifted to me on my birthday and I have chosen to Ground her and help her to expand her consciousness. All of my students are gifts; yet this is my first one who was born in Indonesia and had a non-existent childhood,. No wonder she has restricted knowledge.
Sedef Dion who teaches a Pre-Grounded class at Springs Yoga shared with me the story of a four year old girl who in the cutest way mistakenly called Savasana….Lasagna. This inspired me to write a Savasana visualization with a Lasagna theme that Amy and I recently used to connect with our Fernbank Elementary Yoga Club students. After we did our practice complete with the Lasagna Savasana, one of our students..the Principal’s seven year old daughter said…”that was so relaxing…this could help me fall asleep at night”. Since it was her birthday that day, we wanted to put together a recording that her parents could play for her as she lays her head down for a good night rest after a long day.
Found: This Fear escaped from a very Grounded 9 year old’s first chakra. Her thighs were rooted and her connection to the earth was solid. She faced her fears, and actually whispered to herself, “I have the Right to be Here.” After the Fear escaped she felt even more Grounded and Elevated and aware of where she was in space.
