The Yoga Year In Review!

Happy New Year!

It was a great year yoga for me. Looking back it's hard to believe all the things I did. There is a lot to say, but I 'll keep it brief.

January
I jumped off the year teaching at Shambhala Yoga & Dance Center and I became an official teacher at Hip Dhamma. I stayed at Shambhala for a couple of months, but Hip Dhamma became my yoga home for the year.  Big shout to Rachel for making that happen and giving my first official yoga job.

February
I attuned my fourth student to Reiki Level I. Congrats to my girl Po-Hong!

This month I started teaching for the little people at Little Sun People daycare in my neighborhood with my girl Desiree. I was a little nervous, but I immediately said yes to the idea.  The kids were amazing and they really surprised me every week with what they remembered and how much they enjoyed it.  That was a wonderful experience that took me through June. [LSP Blog : http://bit.ly/1m5rYm6]

May
This month Po-Hong and I hosted the first of three blaKbüshe Wellness Days for the year.  It was a great success and we had a lot of fun!

July
My friend Monique teaches yoga at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City in the summer time. She was a way for a few weeks on an artists retreat and asked if I could cover her classes. I said yes of course and that was also a wonderful time. The park is right on the water, which was a blessing on those two hot Saturdays that I taught.  I biked from Brooklyn to Queens those days. It was a trek and one week I nearly melted on my bike, but I would do it all again!

September
On the Fall Equinox I hosted my second and final blaKbüshe Wellness Day of the year.  I am so thankful to Julie Brown and Dayanara Marte who came out to speak to the people and all the practitioners who volunteered their time and gave the gift of healing.  I also want to thank Freebrook Spaces for opening their space to me.  We will be doing more wellness days in 2014.  Stay Tuned!

October
I had an idea so I ran with it. Yoga for Unlocking Your Inner Creative. I put together a daytime yoga workshop and evening show in Philly at my girl Malika's Soft Illusions fine Art Gallery.   I shared an bill with my girl M'Balia and it was an all around amazing weekend.  I can't wait to bring the workshop back to that city.  It was a big push and not without its minor snags, but all in all everything from the weekend was well received.  Looking forward to the next one!

November
I was offered a position to teach yoga with the NYC Parks and Recreation Department at St. John's Recreation Center in Brooklyn! I just started and it's going well!

December
As I closed out the year so did Hip Dhamma.  As I said before, I am so thankful to Rachel for giving me a place to teach and practice this year.  Although Hip Dhamma is gone form 375 Stuyvesant I don't think it's over. I'm sure we will see Hip Dhamma in another incarnation very soon.

I also attuned my 5th student to Reiki Level I. Congratulations Peta-Gaye! 


2014
As I stated above I was offered a position to teach yoga for the Parks Department, which began on Jan. 5th. I'm really excited to see where this leads and the best part is that it's right down the street from my house! I will be there Sunday-Wednesday and I will leave all the times below. You must be a member of the gym to come to class, but the prices are the best in town. A One Year Membership is $150 and 6-months is $75

I am also going to begin teaching at Third Root Community Health Center in Flatbush/Ditmas Park beginning January 15th.  I will be teaching Every Wednesday Morning at 11:15am-12:30pm. More details below.

Finally I am excited to be offering Private Yoga called Yoga for Unlocking Your Inner Creative based on my October workshop.  The practice is designed specifically for creatives who are facing blocks or those how would like to reignite their creative passions.  If you or someone you know are interested in private yoga please email me for pricing and availability.  I am also open to working with other specific needs. Please inquire.

Happy New Year Everyone!  It's going to be a great 2014!

Jai!


St. John's Recreation Center
1251 Prospect Place b/w Troy & Schenectady
Brooklyn, NY
Open/Beginner Level Classes (all classes 1 hour):
Sunday & Monday 10am
Tuesday 6:15pm
Wednesday 7pm
Fore more information:
http://on.nyc.gov/1m0xcCz

Third Root Community Health Center
380 Marlborough Road
Brooklyn, NY
Open Level Class:
Wednesday 11:15am-12:30pm
By Donation
www.thirdroot.org

Yoga For Unlocking Your Inner Creative 
Private Yoga Pricing & Availability
Please contact me at sovereignhands@yahoo.com

The Kids Are Alright: Yoga at Little Sun People

Yoga is for the Kids!

This yoga journey continues to take me places that I never thought I would land.  When I went to school last October I really just thought that after graduation I would find some willing grown ups to take my classes and call it a day. I had no intention at all of young teaching children.

I don't have any kids of my own and as much as I love them, I know they can be tough.  What I mean is that kids are honest. So if you are not doing something correctly or to their standards they will let you know with the quickness.  LOL! 

Soon after graduation my friend Dez approached me about teaching yoga with her and her sons pre-school in Bed-Stuy.  I was hesitant at first, but I remembered what my teachers Devarshi and Megha said when I was at school. When you are asked to teach, say YES!  So I did just that.

It took about a month or so to get things going, but last week Dez and I jumped it off. Neither of us has specific training to do yoga with children, but yoga is yoga.  So I started asking other teachers who work with children on how to approach it.  I got some good tips here and there and then Dez and I just dove in the water.

One saving grace is that Dez's son is at the school so she no stranger to the kids and teachers. That helps A LOT.  The second saving grace is just the kids themselves.  They are really amazing! I am learning so much about what children can and cannot do and they are just full of love and hugs every time I walk though the door. You can't be mad at that. 

We are teaching ages 2, 3, 4 & 5.  My first thought was, what in the world am I going to do with a 2-year old?  Do they really even need yoga? Kids are so good at taking care of themselves and making it really clear what they are feeling unlike adults who are all knotted up inside and out. Also would they be able to follow directions? Will without getting into too much detail I will say that I am shocked at how well my 2 and 3-year olds are doing. Not not all of them can sit still, but they do follow directions. It's sort of amazing to see. They breathe in when I tell them too, they do Downward Dog, Mountain Pose and more.  I later found out from another friend whose son is in my class that he came home and showed them his poses. Yes he's 2!  He'll be 3 in the spring, but really?? Amazing! I knew my 4 and 5-year olds would surely understand me and most of them are so excited. Others are getting there, but all in all I'm just wowed by them.

It's a challenge sometimes to get them to understand that yoga is about being quiet and going in, but some are right there.  We have even gotten them to do savasana.  Did I say I'm amazed?

This is only week 2 and we have the rest of the semester to go.  Dez and I are still getting our sea legs so to speak so if you have any advice out there please pass it along. I have always been the type of person that will take a risk or jump into the deep end before looking to see if there are sharks in the water so bring it on! I ain't scared! Well...maybe a little. LOL!

After being with them for two weeks I understand why Airborne was invented. Snotty noses everywhere!  So I'll keep my immune system up and keep spreading the joy of yoga to the kids.  Who knows, maybe I am part of raising a more peaceful, balanced, happy generation of kids.  Who knows...

Jai!