Dinner Table Discussions

At dinner tonight, I had one of those deep insightful conversations with a friend over yoga in general. He has known me for some time, in fact he knows me very well. The questions he raised were genuine and triggered something inside of me that really just set me off on a very positive rampage. I hope this doesn’t come across as hostile towards him or any of the questions, topics, or our general conversation. I am completely grateful for these conversations, and I hopeful they’ll forever come up. These talks are the moments I thrive on! 

I’ve recorded much of the conversation we had tonight (hours later when I arrive home and ran for my computer), and overtime I’ll write little pieces on the topic and individual questions that I did my best to answer. Here’s the first for starters: 

Friend: So where can I find that “centeredness” you refer to? Why not in running? Rock climbing? What is the difference and how can you differentiate between what people take from each?

Myself: What I take form yoga today and what I took from it 5 years ago are worlds apart. I don’t put either of those individual practices above any other; it is all a part of the greater learning experience. As a past runner and gym-timer, I can answer honestly by saying that yoga is what lead me to be in touch with my deeper spirit, my deeper sense of self. While running a trail, thoughts wonder high, low, past, present and future. I laugh out loud at the sudden memory of a black eye at the age of 10; and a sudden deep breath arrises at the anxiety of a test awaiting in the week to come. While my body is moving, working and warm, my mind is dancing with shifting thoughts, like the changing scenery as my feet take me mile by mile. Versus yoga, where my mind is directed inside. I am aware of myself entirely: my body, my movement, my breath and my connection to each of these aspects with emotion; rising and falling energy. This is where I get more personal than I’d typically like, but when I leave a yoga class, after having the complete practice I’ve just mentioned, I find myself in a complete state of bliss. Words cannot describe the true feelings. After spending some substantial time in the day, connecting movement and meditation, I walk out of the class smiling from head to toe. I’m centered. And after the time I just spent focused on nothing but myself, I am lucky enough to now know myself truer, and deeper, and with even more appreciation. Where a yoga practice can take you, I highly recommend it :) 

How to get there: Start small. I began simply by focusing on my breath, and often use this same technique. This is a tool for drawing awareness inside. The body moves with breath; there is literally not a single moment in any one person’s life that we are able to find complete stillness; this is the gift of being alive. So focus on that life force from with in; visualize your inhales as it lifts you higher, expands across your chest, and creates a little bit more space from within. On the exhales, feel your tendency and ability to relax; let go of any tension you hold tightly to. As your mind takes off and wonders from the focus of breath to the dancing images and ideas the day brings, acknowledge those ideas, greet them, and let them pass. Bring yourself back to your breath, and repeat this as necessary, bringing yourself back to you.   

Nothing Beyond Her Reach ~ An article from the Art of Yoga Project

The Art of Yoga Project

Non-Profit or Education (non-religious)
Palo Alto, CA
The Art of Yoga Project

Teen Girls, Yoga, Meditation, and Jail

4/17/09 2:46 PM
Users have rated this: Inspiring (19) Useful (2) Funny (0) Total views: 300

You see those four words and it’s not hard to figure out which one doesn’t belong. To me, they all fit together perfectly. That’s my work. It’s a non-profit 501(c)(3) called The Art of Yoga Project (theartofyogaproject.org) and the way it all went down is a story indeed.

I am a family nurse practitioner. I had been working for several years in family practice. I treated many young women with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and other self-harming behaviors such as self-cutting and unsafe sex. I often felt that the medical approach fell short in its scope of treatment. I realized that unless a girl had a reverence for herself and her body, she was unlikely to change her high-risk behavior. In other words, prescriptions and health education only went so far. I wanted to work on a more fundamental level---her very thought patterns. I felt that a girl would not “just say no” or practice safe sex or perhaps even take the medication I carefully prescribed unless she had developed three things: self-awareness, self-respect, and self-control.

I targeted the program to the girls I felt needed it most—those within the juvenile justice system. And believe it or not, after just 3 years, The Art of Yoga Project (AYP) has earned the support of key decision makers within the system — Judges and Chiefs of Probation! That’s because our programs are profound, powerful and effective. We have a problem with overcrowding in our California prisons. The Art of Yoga Project has an innovative solution!

Today, we serve over 500 girls a year in 3 San Francisco Bay Area County detention centers as an integral and mandatory part of their rehabilitation program. Our vision is to guide these young women toward life-long accountability and wellness.

Today AYP is thriving; our business now requires program development, strategic planning, marketing, operations, and fund development. We have a strong team of professionals and dedicated volunteers; board members with expertise in law, educational policy, management, and institutional fundraising, a Harvard doctoral graduate led research team, a diverse pool of certified yoga, creative writing and art teachers. The Art of Yoga Project where Nothing is beyond her reach!

“Before I participated in the program, I didn't care about my life… (AYP) made me realize I am doing all this stuff, and I could end up dying from it. It makes everybody else suffer... It showed me how to care about my life." ~ AYP participant


Advice for others:
The curriculum I created combining health education, yoga practice, meditation, breathing techniques, creative arts and writing is the cornerstone of our work. We use it as the basis to expand nationwide through our Affiliates network. We offer a portfolio of classes to bring our services beyond the juvenile halls to our community. These initiatives strengthen our organization by providing a revenue stream to supplement our funds from donors, foundations and the communities in which we serve.

This link to find published article by The Art of Yoga Project:

http://community.intuit.com/contests/aV6DDYFoKqllvkab8P4pmk

www.theartofyogaproject.org

Hope Yoga with Developmentally Disabled Adults

Yoga Stretch with Developmentally Disabled Adults

I first began working with disabled adults at HOPE Center in Aptos in early February. I am now at my 10th week in working with them, leading them through a 45 minute yoga class once a week. The first two weeks I was there, we didn’t do any yoga at all, I just hung out with them, worked on puzzles and led games of bingo. I needed some time to really get to know them, to see where they were at both physically and emotionally, so that I could build class sequences and be fully prepared to guide them through a successful yoga practice.

Looking back on our first class together and comparing it to our class yesterday, WOW is not enough of a word to describe how far we have come together. What I learned by the full time staff on my first day, was that with this group, they are often challenged by changes in their daily schedule. They look forward to what they know lies ahead in the proceeding hours of the day. They had been practicing with an easy, AM Yoga video for quite a while, and seemed to really enjoy it. In order to ease them through the adjustment of doing yoga by video to doing yoga with me, the first day I let the video play. I laid the mats out for each of them, and started the video. Through the next hour, I was on my feet the entire class, moving from mat to mat, demonstrating proper form, adjusting alignment, communicating and encouraging, which is especially important with this group.

Over the next few weeks, I stayed with this video, and acted as an assistant to the yogi their eyes were attached to on screen. In order to shift their attention, I turned the volume of the video down, and led them by my voice. They had the sequence memorized, and as I slowly worked to integrated new stretches and movements, it took a lot of direct attention around the room to the individuals that had a tendency to sit and watch at first.

I was nervous the first day that I came in with my own music, and my own sequence built for them. As usual, they hurried to the floor area where we set up for class and I brought the CD player out. I started the beautiful, peaceful playlist I had come up with for the class, and I had the whole room’s attention. Usually there are about 4 or 5 that are very much into their own magazine, or sewing pattern, or puzzle. With the music, and seeing me set up ready to lead the next 45 minutes of Yoga Stretch, all eyes were on me, and the first day occurred where nearly all of them were following along and thoroughly loving every minute of it.

As I lead them through easy stretches, and very basic core exercises, I take the time that I have to wander through to give one-on-one, hands-on or verbal attention where it is needed to guide them into proper placement for each asana and stretch.

This group that I teach is given the option of participating in the Yoga Stretch class, and I usually have about 5 or 6 on the floor, on mats with me, and anywhere from 2-5 in their chairs following along as best they can from their seated chair position. In developing the basic sequence that I use, I went through each section of the class and came up with alternate options for those in their chairs.

The rewards of the teaching this class have proven to be endless. The greatest by far, is the expressions of pure excitement that comes to their faces now when I walk in the door, and the wide smiles and applaud that I receive after they sit quietly at the end and I tell them ‘namaste’ and thank you for joining me in Yoga Stretch. Their playful energy is infectious, and their gratitude towards each other, the staff and myself is sincere and heart warming.

My Learning Experience:
Working with this group has been the greatest learning experience for me as a new yoga teacher in so many ways.

As much as I am able to, I am moving around the group with hands-on, assisting them where they are having trouble following by demonstration. The entire sequence that I have created for them is as basic as possible, so that they understand and can replicate with out getting frustrated and discouraged.

My biggest challenge by far, is the fact that all eyes are on me, constantly. When I am done at the front of them room with my initial demonstration, and I get up to help someone more directly, every head slowly turns to follow me, and see where I am going, what I am doing. This just takes verbal encouragement to stay focused on themselves, their bodies and their breath. I remind them that they can still hear me, no matter where I am at in the room, and I instruct them to stay with the stretch, taking deep, complete breaths. I’m hopeful that with time, they will get used to me floating around without having to follow me with their eyes. At the beginning of the class, I direct them to sit comfortably with their eyes closed, and this along takes some time and continued encouragement. It seems as if they may be worried about missing something if they don’t have their eyes on me. Eventually, by seeing me demonstrate, and my repetitive cue to take deep full breaths, quiet their thoughts, and turn their attention inside, most of them eventually give in to the moment to truly relax.

This group of developmentally disabled adults at HOPE are reminded daily of where their own space is, and to limit their tendency to reach out to touch others to a simple hand shake. Upon first being introduced, each of them had the perfect hand shake down, and as a relationship grows between us, they often want to reach out for a hug. At this point, I’ve learned to remind them of our rules at HOPE that hand shakes are ok, or single arm side-hug. Having spent the first couple of weeks with this group without diving into a yoga class helped me to understand this, and I am able to be adequately prepared to react with ease when they begin to go too far, or come too close.

In guiding them through the Yoga Stretch class, verbal communication is very important for the above reason. In order for them to get the most out of our class together, it is necessary that I move from mat to mat and often hands-on assist in guiding them into correct alignment. I bring myself to face them first, make sure to have eye to eye contact, and clearly explain my intentions in hands-on adjustments, and make sure that their approval is clear before I move ahead to help them further.

Yoga-Stretch Sequence Example:

Begin quiet, soft, peaceful music and direct them to sit comfortably with eyes closed.
Soft, gentle neck rolls
Easy parsvottanasana arms behind back (seated)
Shake/Move shoulders and wrists
Cat-Cow with variations
Bado Konasana
Easy Garudasana arms (seated)
Easy Core Work
Easy Twist, knee to chest from back
Seated Side stretch
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimotanasana
Savasana