Local Grounded Teachers Heart Bursts Open with Pride

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.

This is an offshoot of Lululemon stores for girls and they too offer free yoga classes to their community of girls 5 and up.  I along with a lot of my other Grounded friends have taught there over the last several months as our little city is used as a test site for this store.  When I taught there several months ago I had the thought, now this is a place where my White Bandana girls could actually teach. I contacted the store manager and she was on it.

I reached out to the parents of the girls and they were a bit unsure but I assured them that their girls were ready.   So a few nights ago I went over to their home to help them plan a class. They, along with some pose cards, chips and posters sat and wrote a great sequence for back to school. As I sat and listened to them brain storm and write down laughter poses, milkshake laughter “ because it is everyone’s favorite”; breathing poses, because those “are great for school days when you are feeling stressed”; Solid Ground flow to keep them moving, Bring it on for the challenging days and Nice to meet you because you never know who will end up in your classes! I was astounded.  And, in the days that followed, I thought less about the class than even when I teach! They had it down pat.

When I arrived at the store, they were there along with their mom and 3 friends in tow in case no one showed up.  They had already set up the mats in two rows, their mats and had their lesson plan stationed just so.  I offered them pose cards just in case they got nervous and needed them, but Kendall the older one shook her head and said, “I really don’t think we will need it. “ She told me she was nervous;I told her I was too and we smiled at each other.

As the clock struck 10 and we were ready to start, there were 14 eager girls ready to move.  I did a brief introduction telling the participants that these were my students who were 9 and 12 and they were going to teach the class. You could see the perplexed faces and crooked smiles; the uneasiness was palpable.   I glanced at Kendall and Keira to see if they were ready and got an affirmative nod. That was the end of me helping them. Their Back to School lesson plan went off without a hitch. They tag team-taught and helped each other when necessary, adding useful information when needed.  They demonstrating when necessary, adding jokes and adding in some laughter to break up the tenseness you could feel. They were quick on their feet and with their wit and wisdom.  They even offered in a game to get the students moving and had extra poses ready if they needed.

Keira, the younger of the two. has a very gentle and soft voice normally. When she first started coming to me, she used to ask her sister to tell me what she needed or wanted.  Today you would have never guessed it. Her voice was clear, thoughtful, there were no ums , or uhs, or long pauses. Everything she said and did was so well thought out. She even led them in the final Energy Circuit, which is normally her least favorite pose.  They asked everyone to feel the energy in the room and that is when my heart just leapt. These girls get it. They get that there is a purpose in this, they get that we are more than these bodies and that there is an energy that supports us all. They offered themselves so brightly today you honestly could see a glow around them when they were done.

The girls that took class loved it. It was not until after class that Mom told me there were tears since I saw them a couple of nights ago and again this morning. But her thought was, they needed the adversity, they needed to rise to the occasion and do what was asked of them because she knows that they have a lot to offer. The grins, the hugs, and the love that were there today after this class is what yoga is all about. This connection, this unity – it does not matter what age you are – you can participate. It does not matter how old you are – do what you love and it will show!

Namaste,

Natalie

More to Explore

  • Seuss Sutra 1-1: Big Picture Play of Consciousness

    Look at me!
    Look at me!
    Look at me NOW!
    It is fun to have fun
    But you have to know how.

    The enlightened sage, Dr. Seuss, in the revered text The Cat and The Hat, teaches us how to tune into our Highest Self, listen to our small, limited, fears and even invite them out to play with each other. My intention and desire is for us to value and understand this text in the highest spiritual sense. May this process lead us to a higher capacity for insight, for revelation, for learning at a deeper level, so clarity about our Self become possible.

    Cat in the Hat begins on a cold and wet day at the house of two sad children stuck inside with nothing to do, until the Cat in a Hat shows up, transforming the dull day into an adventure. As he steps in on the mat, we can relate the action metaphorically to Yoga Sutra 1.1. Now, the teachings of yoga. As he begins to express his philosophy to the children, their pet fish begins to express his hesitation and fears. The Cat reassures him with a simple “Now! Now!” That answer is an important teaching in the whole text, because it teaches us to let go of our old social order, and enter the present, which is new. “Now” in Sanskrit is “atha”, signaling the value of what you are about to dive into. “Atha” is also the first spoken word of Yoga Sutra 1.1, its entirety being~

    1.1 Ātha Yogānuśāsanam The teachings of yoga, have been presented. You don’t need to wait until the sun comes out, an authority figure is watching, or your fear is gone. All that it (Yoga) requires of you is a YES. In essence, then, The Cat in the Hat, just like Patanjali ,is telling his students to get ready to receive the knowledge on the subject of “yoga”.

    The fish in the tiny bowl represents our limited, concealed self, and our karma mala. He is fear, limiting our ability to act. The cat is a wise trickster. He questions authority, encourages enthusiasm, seeks new experiences, while destroying our old way of thinking. He is our Big-Picture Play of Consciousness. He is our Highest Self.  Your higher self is consciousness. Your higher self is the real you. Your higher self is the more complete you.

    Shiva Sutra 1-1 Chaitanyam ātmā. Consciousness is the self.

    The children were still able to recognize, the fish’s concern. Fear is natural; it’s an adaptive instinct. Don’t try to squelch it down or ignore it. Without fear, we wouldn’t have courage. Without courage we wouldn’t be brave. The Cat in the Hat was able to listen to the fish, listen to his fears, and playfully act upon them.
    “Have no fear!” said the cat
    “I will not let you fall
    I will hold you up high…”

    Introducing three Tricks to greet your Higher Consciousness (HC)…ie Cat in the Hat  and Small Fish (SF)  i.e Karma Mala, Fear.

    1.Listen

    Close your eyes. Breathe in through your heart and out through your third eye. Continue to follow your breath. Listen to your heart. Sometimes HC sounds like the whisper of a wise old man. Sometimes HC sounds like a voice you recognize that is playful, friendly, and compassionate.
    The voice of your SF is usually scared or angry. It’s probably much louder.

    2. Look

    Invite C to sit with you and have a conversation. Ask questions. When the answers sound wiser or more knowledgeable than usual, you’re probably talking to your C. Just keep talking to this manifestation of your higher self until it feels like you’re talking to someone else and the answers you’re getting don’t seem like they’re coming from your own head. What does C look like? Invite F to the table as well. What do you see?

    3. Feel

    The cat in the hat starts at your spine and goes up to the crown of your head and beyond! Feel your cat getting taller with each breath.

    Sit!
    Sit!
    Sit!
    Sit!

    Root your left sitting bone to your left heel and your right sitting bone to your right heel. Thing 1 begins in the lowest part of your left belly. Thing two resides in the lowest part of your right belly. Lift Thing one and Thing Two, both lowest bellies, up like a kite. Most everything conspires to drop low abs. The trick is to keep lifting thing one and thing two) The game is don’t spill energy, must be a conscious effort to Feel!

    A Thing is defined as some entity, object, or creature that is not or cannot be specifically designated or precisely described: anything that is or may become an object of thought: things of the spirit.
    things, matters; affairs: a fact, circumstance, or state of affairs so the trick is to LIFT Your Things! Lift your entity, being, matter, act, deed, event, material object, body, being, assembly, council, suit, matter, suit, plea, concern while keeping your sitting bones rooted to your heels. Try this in different shapes~standing, forward folds, backbends, twists, supine..Notice the difference.

    Reponses received from kids~
    “Thing 1 and Thing 2 teach me I can do it!” Ella, age 7
    “My little baby tiny weeny self is in my head. My Huge, humungous ,, big giant Self is in my heart and body.” Claire, age 9
    “My High Cat knows I can do big things” Madeline, age 5
    “My Highest Self stands up for the world. My small Fish gets angry at myself and others.” Lauren, age 6
    “My High Self is beautiful and colorful.” Emily, age 6
    “My Highest Self tells me my gift is seeing the future in my sleep.” Hunter, age 7
    “My Fear is in my foot. My Highest Self is upside down now. It’s telling me to pay attention.” Dodge, age 9
    “Higher Self is standing up for myself. My Little Self is always looking around at others.” Amelia, age 8
    “My Fear is sliding down a pole. I see that picture (of the pole) any time I get scared.” Sarah, age 9
    Once you’ve tuned in to your C, you’ll be able to get some key information about why you’re here and where you should go, and who you should go with. Your C is watching over you and helping to steer you in the highest direction. This playful practice is for each one of us to embody the deep empowerment, the authenticity, and the fullness of who we are.
    Please share how it goes. Now~ You’ve got to have fun, but you have to know HOW!

  • Meet Keira and Kendall

    Hi, my name is Keira and I have been doing yoga for 4 years. It has been a great experience. Yoga has helped me calm down when I’m mad. Yoga makes me feel peaceful. Practicing yoga has helped me a lot by calming me down and making me more flexible. It’s fun learning new poses and helping others earn their bandanas. I wish I had started earlier. I had fun earning my bandanas, and if you do yoga, I hope that you’ll have fun earning yours.

    Kendall Kiera
    Hi! My name is Kendall, I’m 12 years old, and I have been doing yoga for four years. In these four short years, yoga has become a huge part of my life.
    From taking a deep breath before yelling at my mom or sister, teaching friends for my green bandana, to even making up flows of my own, I love every part of yoga. I especially enjoy the way I feel after class and the feeling I get from helping younger kids earn their own bandanas.
    Yoga has been a steady part of my life, always helping me through a difficult week, a bad grade, or friend and family problems. I hope to continue to practice and learn as I get older.

  • Salutations

    TerrificCharlotte’s Web is a celebration of the quiet virtues. It reminds us to keep a soft tender heart, accept our true nature, and value the unique gifts of our friends. The two main characters of Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte and Wibur, highlight the awareness of our own unique inner story.

    Charlotte, the spider, represents our highest self who provides wisdom and help from above. She reminds us that we are never alone. She provides a higher, bigger perspective from her vantage point high up in the rafters. She brings a calm wisdom into an anxious situation, bolstering Wilbur’s self image by spelling out his best aspects. She represents our INHALE.

    Become sensitive and aware of your breath.

    Wibur, the pig, represents our vulnerable self that is at the center of our awareness. Wilbur is consistently caring and engaging. He forms a bond with Charlotte because he sees her beauty. He is accepting and compassionate and joyfully celebrates life. He represents our EXHALE.