Off the Mat Into the World

A-MAZ-ING!

Last week I had the privilege of making 46 new friends! What an amazing community!

I'm STILL processing from all I've learned about myself, my community, my practice and my world. This life is such a journey...constantly growing, forever changing. There is only one word to sum it up - amazing.

On my way! Everything's A-okay!

As I sit here packing my belongings for what will most likely be one of the most amazing weeks of my life, I can't help but think about how much I will miss being at the studio with the kids and the rest of the community! I haven't been away for this long since we've opened! (Btw, our 2 year anniversary is coming up soon!) Tomorrow I will be leaving for a week long intensive at the Omega Institute with Off the Mat and Into the World:

In Off the Mat, Into the World®, yoga experts Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling guide us through an intensive transformational process to uncover our deepest passion and motivation. This personal work is the first part of our yoga practice.

Another vital part is interpersonal. It has to do with the yoga of our relationships: to other people, our environment, and all living beings. Defining and knowing our purpose is the compass that guides us to live on point, with richness and community.

This intensive is an opportunity for us to discover the connections between the yogic path and the way of divine service. We combine asanas, meditation, process work, and ritual with the practical tools of communication, organizing, and collaborating to help us become more effective leaders and agents of change in the world.

I am so excited for what I am about to learn about myself, my practice, the world of activism and how I will be able to better combine all three! As you may know, Alluem has already been working so closely with this organization, raising money for the Global Seva Challenge, through which Gina will bare witness in Haiti empowering those in need. All participants must raise $20,000 by December and thanks to the Alluem Community we are already at $13,600! Off the Mat has been a huge part of our lives over the past year, and after this week, I know it will continue to hold a huge space in my heart!

SO! Until I get back:

- 8 week Summer Session has ended and the Fall Session will begin the 2nd week of September. FALL REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

- Storytime Yoga is cancelled this week.

- There are still spaces left in the Alluem Kid's Camps:

- Ages 8-11: July 25th-28th

- Ages 4-7: Aug 1st-4th

- Check out the new workshops coming up this August:

- Aug 8th - The Art of Yoga (ages 8-12)

- Aug 24th - Sea Shell Yoga (ages 5-10)

- Aug 11th & 25th - Mindfulness and Meditation for Kids (ages 7-12)

For times and descriptions and to register visit the website: www.alluemyoga.com

Back to packing! I made sure to bring my Sesame Street "It's All Good in the Hood" tee shirt. I hope the other attendees like it! The Alluem Kids sure do!

Bringing Mindfulness to Children

The Omega Institute in Rhineback, New York has to put together an amazing faculty of leaders in child development for this summer's upcoming Mindfulness and Education Conference - Grades K-12. This conference is open to teachers, administrators, childcare providers, family therapists, and parents who want to bring inner calm, awareness, balance, and a sense of well being to the children in their lives.

"The new field of teaching mindfulness in our nation’s schools is a profoundly beneficial development for the education of children from grades K through 12. Research shows that mindfulness decreases stress, attention deficit issues, depression, anxiety, and hostility in children, while benefiting their health, well-being, social relations, and academic performance. Children can easily learn these techniques, and when learned young, they become lifelong tools."

I'm proud to share that one of the presenters at the weekend conference will be Little Flower Yoga for Children founder and director, Jennifer Cohen. She has experience teaching students from pre-school to high school and working with children with physical handicaps, and developmental and learning disorders. Through the Little Flower Teacher Training, she has taught me everything I know in the field of children's yoga and for that I am forever grateful!

The Omega Conference on August 6-8 is going to be amazing!