The best part about summer...

 

Alluem Kids Superhero Camp (ages 6-8yrs)

Be a SUPERHERO!!! At Camp Alluem Kids, children will enjoy a week of yoga for strengthen not only their bodies, but also their minds and their hearts, too! Being a superhero means being strong and peaceful at the same time. Superheroes need to take care of their bodies through yoga, being creative, eating right, and learning to relax (after all, superheroes need rest, too!).
(4 yogi minimum, 16 yogi maximum) $240/child~includes yoga classes, crafts, journal, snacks, tee-shirt...and cape!

Off the Mat Kids Camp (ages 9-12yrs)

This summer why not learn how you can make a difference in this world. Off the Mat Kids Camp will teach the young yogi more about service and taking their yoga OFF the mat. Yoga is more than just the poses...it's about finding peace, giving back when you can and being the example to help make the world a better place. 

(4 yogi minimum, 16 yogi maximum) $240/child~includes classes, journal, snacks, tee-shirt and lessons to last a lifetime! 

Register online:

www.alluemyoga.com - workshops tab 

Never Give Up.

I've never seen a 5 year old try so hard to get herself into pose. Peacock is not a pose I've ever taught to anyone under 10, but while waiting for class to start, she began trying to make herself float! You go!!

"Fall down 7 times, get up 8." - Japanese Proverb

Embody Love Movement

Since attending the Yoga, Purpose and Action Intensive with Off the Mat Into the World in 2011, I have been continuously inspired by the Off the Mat community. Every leader and beautiful soul that emerges from this community never ceases to do anything but amaze me...each with his or her own story and light. I had not known Melody Moore at the time, but her story, that I read in an online article a couple years back, really hit home. I was captivated by the Embody Love Movement she spoke of and was thrilled to hear that the integrative treatment approach of psychotherapy, yoga and nutrition for eating disorders was being combined into one facility. Having gone through my own recovery process using the same treatment means, I could not even begin to imagine how wonderful it would be to head to one center where I could feel safe and understood and where all my needs could be met. What a gift this is for girls who struggle the same.

Most recently, I had the honor of meeting Melody and attending the Inner Beauty Shop Facilitator Training which was held at the Embody Love Center. The training offered me something I didn't know I had inside of me...and that was a voice for change. I had immersed myself into this weekend long training where I would leave feeling empowered and completely prepared to be part of this revolution Melody and her team are creating. The vision of unconditional love and acceptance and living a life of meaning and purpose that Melody has set out to bring to her clients, is now spreading to the people she is training to share the Embody Love Movement to thousands of girls across the nation. I am honored to know Melody and to be part of this movement!

I am even more excited to be bringing the Inner Beauty Shop to Alluem Yoga next month for girls ages 11-12! Space is limited so sign up today on the website: www.alluemyoga.com (click on the workshop tab and scroll down).

Registration is open for the Fall Session!

Hoop Yoga!

Hula Hooping is a great tool for connecting with your body, which is what we strive to do in yoga! Grounding your feet into the earth for stability, being mindful of your surroundings, utilizing core strength, and feeling the hoop rotate the circumference of your body - all aids in achieving body awareness. And what better way to teach a child about body awareness then through play! The Alluem Kids had a great time hooping it up at this year's Hoop Yoga Workshop!

Sea Shell Yoga

What better way to celebrate the summer with than with Sea Shell Yoga! 

It was a fun filled hour and a half of under the sea themed yoga inspired by Eric Carle's book, "A House for a Hermit Crab" - exploring the challenges of growing up, facing change and the practice of non-attachment...just like hermit crabs! Throw in some Crab Tag, a Sea Glass Meditation and some shell painting and you've got Sea Shell Yoga!

Down Doll Yoga

Grab your favorite doll and decorate a mini yoga mat for her! Prepare to practice side by side with her! Learn partner yoga poses that you can practice at home as well as bitty balances, tiny twists and mini meditations to do with your doll! Top it off with a Tea Party and Down Doll Yoga is complete! 

Off the Mat Kids Camp

Another amazing week of camp at Alluem Yoga!

This camp for 10-12 year olds is based on the Yoga in Action program through Off the Mat into the World (www.offthematintotheworld.org) - using yoga to inspire change and growth through awareness of the world around us, consciousness of what's going on inside of us, support of community - locally and globally. We take an inspirational look into how the little things in life - a smile, a kind word, a simple deed - can help change the world in a big way...encouraging the Alluem Kids to be strong in body, mind and heart!
I must say...this group of girls was absolutely AMAZING! The theme of the camp was being brave...brave in recognizing our strengths and our limits, brave in offering to support and positive communication to friends and family, brave in finding a sense of community and brave in opening our eyes to what is going on in the world.
The girls were even brave enough to show what they've got - their favorite yoga poses, best dance moves and shining personalities! Enjoy our music video (Sara Bareilles would be so proud)!!

Be Strong

When someone tells you to be strong, what do you think of?

Do you think of a strong body...exercising, eating healthy, drinking water, getting plenty of sleep?

Do you think of a strong mind...thinking positively, honoring your feelings, having confidence?

Do you think of a strong heart...being compassionate and kind, doing the things you love, standing up for what you believe in?

Being strong is all of these things, but most of all I think being strong is knowing yourself - body, mind and heart. And when you know yourself, you know your strengths, you know your limits. Part of being strong is knowing when to ask for help. It's good to recognize when things may be too big so you can ask for help from a family member, teacher, coach or someone you trust...someone you can draw strength from. 

Introducing the Tree of Strength:

Trees draw strength from the sun, the land, the water - all things that help them grow and stand strong. Think of yourself as a tree - your body is the trunk encasing your heart and holding your head up, your legs are the roots, your arms are the branches reaching up. 

What are the things you do to keep yourself strong? Is it doing yoga, playing sports, dancing, running, bike riding? Is it eating healthy foods and drinking plenty of water? Is it getting enough sleep or taking time to just sit and relax? Is it doing things you love like writing, drawing, reading, being creative?  Is it doing things that make you smile - being with friends, laughing, playing, singing, or just being silly? There are lots of ways to keep your body, mind, and heart strong! And often times it is the people in our lives who help keep us strong - mom, dad, grandparents, coaches, teachers, mentors. After all, we are all here to help each other!

Keep your tree handy. Hang it up! Often times we forget that we are capable of doing all sorts of things to stay strong or that we have so many people in our lives who are there for us. Knowing that  you are never alone, no matter what happens in life, will always make your heart smile! :)

And by request...

The Alluem Tween "Be Strong" Playlist:

- Stand Together - Hayley Reardon

- This is Me - Demi Lovato

-Stand By Me - Majors & Minors

- Brave - Sara Bereilles

- Sunshine & City Lights - Greyson Chance

- Shooting Stars - Owl City

- Live Like a Warrior - Matisyahu

- Living in the Moment - Jason Mraz

- Better Together - Jack Johnson

-The Climb - Hannah Montana

- Tribe - Hayley Reardon

Spring Break

Happy Spring Break!

 NO Alluem Kids Classes this week (3/25, 3/26, 3/27, 3/28, 3/31). There WILL however be Storytime Yoga this Thursday, 3/28. All are welcome! $5 drop-ins! 

In the meantime...enjoy some Yoga Bunny!

Haiti Beads

"The warm midday sun is shining in the clear blue sky and the Haitian school kids, dressed in matching uniforms, are walking home from school down the dirt roads. Some kids walk for up to two hours just to get to and from school. Every day is a half day for school kids in Haiti. The schools are so over-crowded because there are so many kids and so few school rooms to fit them. There are no organized after-school activities like clubs, scouts, dance or gymnastics. Some play soccer with a ball made out of rags in an open lot. Some play cards or dominoes if they have them. Many will sit around in the street and entertain each other with stories or songs acting as each others TVs...that's only if there is no work to be done at home...but there is always work to be done.

The house always needs water so that mother can cook and clean. There is no running water, so kids will carry a 5-gallon bucket to the nearest pump and fill it for their mother. Then they go back to the well with another bucket and carry it home, usually on their heads, so that they can bathe that evening. You stand behind your house, behind a bush to take your bath from a bucket. Many folks bathe out in the open with a pair of shorts. You rinse, you lather, you rinse again, and then dry off…then change into dry shorts. You can also find kids working in the gardens or chopping wood for the fires. If they have the chance, they will watch a tradesman while he does his craft to learn tips and tricks so that they may be an artist one day. Being an artist in Haiti, is like being a doctor or a lawyer in America. It is a well respect job to have that takes talent and skill. It is how most Haitians make their money. Sometimes when money is tight, which is almost always the case, and you don't have a trade to rely on, parents may chose to take their kids out of school, because in Haiti you must pay to go to school. It's a tough decision to make, especially if you want to get an education. So some kids learn a craft early on. One of the most popular...bead making. It is a great way for Haitians to use their resources, whatever they have around them or found on the streets...used cereal boxes cut up into strips and a stick to spin a bead.

There is a boy named Eddie. He is 14 years old and in grade 4. Eddie says, "I enjoy school and am getting good at English. I have one brother and two sisters. We live with our mother in a tent. Since our father left, it has been hard for my mother, so I am grateful for the chance to make some beads and sell them to help support my family. I love my mother more than any other person in this world."

There is a girl named Duprene. She is 11 yrs old and also in grade 4. Duprene says, "I am excellent in English and recently got an award for my English writing. One day I would like to become an interpreter. I live in a tent with my mother and three sisters. One of my sisters is disabled, and my father past away when I was five. I am working hard to make beautiful beads to raise money for my mother. Some days we cannot eat when there is no food, so any money I make helps."

Doing what you can with what you have is sometimes the only way for Haitians to survive - to fill their bellies, to keep a roof over their head, to keep clothes on their backs. And while they may have very little, they have strong spirits and big hearts. They do the best they can every day. That's all any of us can do."

After sitting in meditation, visualizing what it might be like to be a child in Haiti, thirteen of Alluem's young yogis between the ages of 10 and 12 came together to learn how to make beads out of cardboard, just as the children in Haiti do. I was able to share this trade with my students after my visit to Sonje Ayiti on my December Trip to Haiti with The Village Experience. I met a group of teenagers who welcomed me and my group into the new chicken coup, serving as their temporary studio, where they were diligently working on beautiful pieces of art made from up-cycled materials - beads, jewelry, ornaments, bags - truely amazing work. The teenagers were patient enough to teach us just how these pieces were made. With patience and persistence, I got the hang of spinning the cardboard into small beads and I absolutely loved it!! I knew I would have to share it with my students when I returned! 

As I watched my students take the time to sit and listen and learn about the culture and artistry of Haiti, I saw them gain a little more awareness and focus. They were determined to sit and try to spin the beads over and over. Some catching on right away...other struggling a bit, but not giving up! By the end of the hour and a half, I could see a sense of accomplishment on their face, a feeling of peace in their hearts and an awareness they may never forget. 

A great big THANK YOU to my friends at Sonje Ayiti! They are doing amazing work to empower their community and improving living standards of children and families through solidarity! Click here to learn more: Sonje Ayiti

Summer Yoga Camp!

Summer Yoga Camp dates are here and registration is open!!! 

Register online- www.alluemyoga.com - workshops tab 

$180 per kid

(ask about our sibling discount!)

Alluem Kids Camp (ages 7-9yrs) - July 8th-11th - 2:30-5:30pm

At Camp Alluem Kids, children will enjoy an afternoon of yoga, meditation, breathing and relaxation techniques in a safe, nurturing, non-competitive atmosphere. This summer allow your child to learn about taking their practice off the mat and into the world. As we strengthen our bodies on the mat, we strengthen also our minds and our hearts. Yoga is more then just the poses - it's also about giving back - to ourselves, to each other, and to the world. Let them connect with nature by the river, with each other through partner poses and games, and with themselves through journaling, crafts, and of course yoga! $180/child~includes classes, crafts, journal and tee-shirt! 

Off the Mat Kids Camp (ages 10-12yrs) - July 22nd-25th - 2:30-5:30pm 

This summer why not learn how you can make a difference in this world. Off the Mat Kids Camp will teach the young yogi more about service and taking their yoga OFF the mat. Yoga is more than just the poses...it's about finding peace, giving back when you can and being the example to help make the world a better place. (4 yogi minimum, 10 yogi maximum) $180/child~includes classes, journal and tee-shirt! 

Winter Schedule

Hey Alluem Kids & Teens! Winter registration is open! 

Sign up online - www.alluemyoga.com - workshops tab

Alluem Teens (ages 12-17): 

 Wednesdays - 4:45-5:45pm - starting 1/23 

 Alluem Tweens (ages 10-12): 

Sundays - 11:15am-12:15pm - starting 1/20

 Mondays - 3:45-4:45pm - starting 1/21 

 Alluem Kids (ages 7-9): 

Sundays - 12:30-1:30pm - starting 1/20 

Thursdays - 3:45-4:45pm - starting 1/24 

 Alluem Little Kids (ages 4-6): 

Sundays - 10:00-11:00am - starting 1/20 

Tuesdays - 3:45-4:45pm - starting 1/29

 NEW - Boys Yoga (ages 8-12): 

Wednesdays - 3:30-4:30pm - starting 1/23 

As requested, we've added a new class just for the guys! 

 Please note: Boys are not exempt from our regular class schedule. 

All fees and packages are non-transferable, non-exchangeable and non-refundable. Any classes not used in the duration assigned are forfeit. Kids may make-up missed classes in another class of their age group only. 

Teens may make-up in any Beginner class on the schedule.

Fall Registration is Open!!

This weekend at Alluem!

Click to enlarge!

CIRCUS YOGA!

Here's a little behind the scenes action from the Alluem Kids...  

Run away and join the circus this summer!

CircusYoga, created by Erin Maile O'Keefe and Kevin O'Keefe, blends the consciousness of yoga with the communal celebration of circus. It is the human art of play that builds connection & community through playful practice. Practicing circus and yoga proves to be a powerfully transformative experience, developing learning skills, self-confidence and communication skills! Here is your chance to go on TWO Circus Yoga adventures at Alluem Yoga!

Mark your calendars... 

Family Circus Yoga with Sam & Toni 

 Saturday, July 28th - 12:45-2:15pm 

(Open to kids ages 7-87 yrs with parent/s.)

Register online - class tab 

and 

Circus Yoga with Sam & Karen

Wednesday, August 8th - 3:00-4:30pm

(Open to kids ages 7-12 yrs)

Register online - workshop tab 

To learn more about CircusYoga visit:  

 http://www.circusyoga.com/site/about.html

Peace Love and Lemonade!

Join us on Saturday, April 28th for our PEACE, LOVE & LEMONADE Stand! Cranford will be holding their annual "Town-Wide Lemonade Stand" in support of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and the Alluem Kids will be setting up a stand outside The Mill! The stand will be up from 9:30am-2:30pm. Be sure to stop by!

One Day Without Shoes

One Day Without Shoes is the day we spread awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life by taking off our own. Why? Millions of children live without proper footwear, exposing them to injury and disease every day.

8 Limbs of Yoga Obstacle Course

Yoga is not just about the poses - it's a way of life! The 8 Limbs of Yoga are guidelines on how to live the best life we can live. They teach us about ourselves, others, the world we live in and how we can connect with it. They teach us awareness, control, balance, focus and health. The Alluem Kids mastered the 8 Limbs of Yoga - one limb a week for 8 weeks!

We celebrated with an 8 Limbs of Yoga Obstacle Course!

Music by: Grace Jeanette - This is Me

The 15 Day Gratitude Challenge!!!

What are you grateful for? What are the things in your life you most appreciate? The people in your life that you most love? The feelings in your life that make your heart want to burst?

When you sit a group of kids down and ask them what they are grateful for you may often hear the usual toys, dolls, or the latest piece of electronic entertainment. While hearing that they appreciate these things is nice, it's even bigger when children can look deeper and find gratitude in more then just the material.
After a class of moving down our bodies being grateful for every part of us - our eyes that can see the beauty in the world, our arms that can reach out and hug the ones we love, our hands that can lift up a friend when they fall, our core that houses our important organs that we need to take care of to keep us healthy, our legs that help hold us up, and our feet that take us where we want to go. When we appreciate our bodies for all it does for us, we want to take care of it so that we can continue to do the things we love and go the places we want to go. The Alluem Kids know that when they come to yoga class they are doing just that. Taking care of themselves so they can be the best kid they can be!
After class, the kids were introduced to the 15 Day Gratitude Challenge! Over the Alluem Kids Thanksgiving Break, the kids are challenged to take their yoga off the mat and think of one thing every day for the 15 days of Thanksgiving Break that they are grateful for.
Day One was completed in class and I'm proud to say they have shown me that they get it.
Some examples:
- "Yoga. It helps me to find peace in my heart." (Why I Practice)
- "My house. Some people, like the people in Haiti live in tents." (Hope for Haiti Day)
- "My home. Because it's still standing after the flood." (Natural Disasters)
- "My Mom." (Bonding through the Tween Years)
- "My Best Friend." (Fall with Friends)
- "My bed." (Time for Bed)
- "My shoes. Some people don't have shoes." (One Day Without Shoes)
- "Peace in my life." (Create Peace Project)


I told the kids I would also be taking the 15 Day Gratitude Challenge and posting each day on the blog! So for the next 15 days...15 things I'm most grateful for!!
Please note, during the Alluem Kids Thanksgiving Break, the following classes are canceled for Kids, Teens and Babies:
- Wed, 11/23 - Alluem Little Kids - 3:45-4:45pm
- Wed, 11/23 - Alluem Teens - 6:00-7:00pm
- Thurs, 11/24 - Alluem Kids - 3:45-4:45pm
- Thurs, 11/24 - Storytime Yoga - 1:30-2:00pm
- Fri, 11/25 - Baby & Me - 11:30am-12:45pm
- Sun, 11/27 - Alluem Little Kids - 10:00-11:00am
- Sun, 11/27 - Alluem Tweens - 11:15am-12:15pm
- Sun, 11/27 - Alluem Kids - 12:30-1:30pm
- Mon, 11/28 - Alluem Tweens - 3:45-4:45pm
- Tues, 11/29 - Alluem Kids - 3:45-4:45pm