WHO Everyone has the right to invite the bell and invite others to stop and practice.   WHAT An invitation to sound the bell. Inviting instead of striking is more sacred, more of a nonviolent attention. WHEN Beginning of the day, end of the day, and transitions. Before meals. Whenever someone doesn’t feel grounded or…

Say Yes to Brightness,
To Certainty, To Health
Say no to dullness,
To doubt, to filth.

Say Yes to Careful,
To Enthusiasm, to Aim
Say no to Careless,
To Backsliding, to Lame.

Say yes to activity,
To Attention, To humility.
Say no to Heedless,
Inertia, Instability.

How to say NO
To such 9 Disturbances?
Create a “no” prop
To play interference.

A block will work wonders
To impede interruptions.
Place between your hands
To help with deductions.

Press your hands in
To fire your inner shoulders.
Breathe your arms up
And become a beholder.

Keep pressing in
To activate what’s dull.
Reach the block up high
As well as your skull.

Hold a block in one hand
Lift up your opposite knee
Tilt to block side
Finding freedom is key.

Place the “no” block
Right between your thighs.
I know it is awkward
May your enthusiasm rise!

Press your thighs back
Keep your shins fixed.
Fold Forward, touch the floor
Breathe steady while betwixt.

Step back into Downward Dog,
Bend your knees a lot.
Press your block up and back
Notice your train of thought!

Shift forward into plank
Lower down flat like a pancake.
Keep shins pressing down
Lift thighs up with a mandate.

Stretch your belly and heart forward,
Hips back toward your toes
Open your shoulders
Like a polyphonic prose.

Press back to Down Dog
Come down to table.
Remove your block
Keep hands and shins stable.

Prepare to find freedom
With boundaries no less.
In this grounded pose
We call “No Table Yes”.

As you stretch right leg back
Exhale Yes to Higher Aim.
As you bring knee to forehead
Inhale No to Lame.

Your spine arches and curves
As you continue 5 times
Try it fast, Try it slow
Switch sides
Cause it’s prime.

Sit is easy pose
Tune into your frame.
Each inhale in
Think Yes to high aim.

Each exhale out
Think No to Lame
May this help you
Up your game.

Last month I finally broke open my Pose Chips from Grounded Yoga. Okay, now how to use them, I thought. It just so happened that I was launching a new class that night called, “Girls Night Out” (8 – 12 years) and that I had a full house of 18 (some of which Iʼd never met). One of the main intentions for this new class was to create a space for girls to come together and connect. So, what a perfect opportunity to use the Pose Chips as a tool to do so. As the girls were arriving, I came around and placed a pose chip on their mat. I asked them to keep it safe for the whole night. Once everyone arrived, I introduced the “Pose Chip Icebreaker – Get To Know You Game” and hereʼs how it works:

It’s summer break for College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center in Decatur where I’ve been teaching Pre-Grounded Yoga classes to the entire school, ages 1 – 4. Being the official yoga teacher is an honor, very rewarding, and a whole lot of work. Stephany Fair (co-creator of Pre-Grounded) and I agree that being the very first person to introduce yoga to someone is a priveledge we hope more people willexperience. Here are some practical pointers based on my time teaching little ones to breathe, meditate and move their bodies in such a way that they are grounded, connected and peaceful. {“video”:”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NCqkJx3-SE&feature=youtu.be”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″}