Boys Yoga: Ashtanga

The energy that comes out of a boys yoga class is amazing! Boys yoga can be loud! Boys yoga can be wild! Props can become weapons if you turn your back and when you see the smallest yogi in the class being dangled by his feet, "I was just helping him with his handstand!" is not an acceptable answer. Boys can also harness that energy and find focus when given the opportunity in a safe, nurturing, non-competitive environment. 
Introducing Ashtanga...introducing control without force...introducing discipline without yelling...introducing challenge without threat...introducing self-reflection without judgement. The boys in yesterday's class took to the Ashtanga practice like I've never seen before. Ashtanga, founded by K. Pattabhi Jois, is a set of 26 poses based on "99% practice and 1% theory." Improvement is shown in the body and the mind as you move through the same series week after week. It even becomes very meditative once the body's muscle memory kicks in and you know where to go. We started by watching a demo video of Ashtanga master David Swenson, doing some pretty extreme poses. The boys mouths were all agape and eyes were wide. We talked about how yes, some people are naturally flexible and can throw themselves into a pose with ease. But while they're there, their minds may start to lose focus and their minds may start to wander...what's for dinner? They need to stay centered and keep working to go even further. Then we talked about how the majority of the yoga world has to work towards achieving these poses, even David Swenson! They have to practice week after week to gain flexibility and strength. They have to remain focused in the pose to check in with their bodies to see if they can go further or if they need to ease up. They remain engaged in what they are doing to stay in the present moment. This is the practice of yoga.
After a couple rounds of Sun Salutations and a modified Ashtanga practice, the boys settled into a deep Savasana (final rest). No squirming, no giggling, no poking their neighbors. Just rest. I was so proud of them. They all stayed so focus, figuring out how to get into each pose, following breath instruction, not getting frustrated, but accepting where they were and challenging themselves to go further. This yoga is a practice. We don't know unless we try and we'll never get there unless we keep trying. Way to go, boys!!! Best class ever!!!

BONUS!: For the rest of the month, I will be covering the adult Ashtanga class. 

Come practice with me Tuesdays from 6-7:15pm!

Easter Yoga with the Alluem Kids!

Easter is a time of faith, hope and new life. It's a great time to go outside and see the world as it wakes up from a long winter nap  - the leaves starting grow on the trees, the flowers blooming, the warm spring breeze and the birds coming back to greet us with the morning sun. It's also a great time to notice a spring change in yourself....
-Start in Child's Pose - rounding your spine with arms alongside your body - shaped like an egg. It's tradition at Easter Time to decorate and dye eggs to make them festive and fun. Imagine yourself as a painted Easter Egg. What color would you pick? Would you have a fancy design? Stripes, spots, tye die? Would you have glitter, sparkles or glow in the dark? Or maybe your comfortable just being plain? (Have you walked down the Easter themed aisles in the supermarket recently? Glitter Magic, Sand Blast, Rockin' Designs, Neon and my favorite - 3D Eggsplosion! What happen the normal every day solid colors and a wax crayon?? Sure, these kits are fun, but where has simplicity gone?)
I find that often times we treat ourselves like Easter Eggs. We decorate ourselves with the latest clothes or latest hairstyles. Carrying around the latest iGadget into the pockets of the latest style of jeans. Maybe trying to be cool for our peers at school - trying to fit in and be accepted. We forget that sometimes we can be more comfortable just simply being who we are.
-As you sit in Child's, imagine trying to crack out of your shell - your shell representing what you try to be for other people, forgetting that's what's inside matters most. Take a few moments to connect to your breath. Your breath is the thing that grounds you, calming you inside. Gently start to breathe deeper, stretching your arms out in front of you, grounding your palms and as slowly as you can coming up to hands and knees. As you move through Cat n' Cow, recognize how good it feels to just be and move in the body you were given as it is, still connecting to your breath, the breath that is always constant.
-Continue to move into a practice that awakens the body getting you ready for Spring!

The Alluem Kids had a great time celebrating the season! 

What's Easter Yoga without Bunny Ears?!

While the Alluem Tweens hunted for eggs filled with Yoga Poses written on Jelly Bean Shaped Cards, which they later sequenced together for a nice flow that they proudly named and taught the class...

The Alluem Kids were climbing Easter Mountain, searching high and low for eggs filled with Yoga Poses...

...pausing only to mindfully listen during Egg Shake (a game modified from Yoga in My School's "Sounds Right" game) bringing focus and concentration in the midst of all this fun!

And speaking of all this fun, the Alluem Little Kids had nothing but fun trying out some Partner Bunny Poses...

And taking time to relax with our Breathing Buddies. Floating our Duck Bunnies on our bellies riding our breath. So peaceful.

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!

Alluem Kids and Teens 8 Week Sessions start the week of Sept. 11th!
Alluem Teens (ages 12-17):

Wednesdays - 6:00-7:00pm

Alluem Tweens (ages 10-12):

Sundays - 11:15am-12:15pm

Mondays - 3:45-4:45pm

Alluem Kids (ages 7-9):

Thursdays - 3:45-4:45pm

Alluem Little Kids (ages 4-6):

Sundays - 10:00-11:00am

Wednesdays - 3:45-4:45pm

$96 per 8 week session (ask about our family rates!)

Email alluemyoga@verizon.net to learn more about our Therapeutic Yoga for the Special Needs Child

Register today! Space is limited!! Sign up online: www.alluemyoga.com - workshops tab

All fees and packages are non-transferable, non-exchangeable and non-refundable. Any classes not used in the duration assigned are forfeit. Make-up classes are allowed during the current session in the age appropriate space.

The Creative Yogi

Whether you believe it or not, YOU ARE CREATIVE! We all are. Humans are creative by nature - in the way we speak, the way we move, the way we dress, the way we play and do our work. We are constantly coming up with new ideas and new ways to move through our days. That makes us all creative beings!!!



I recently came across an article on using Yoga Nidra ("Yogic Sleep" - a meditative practice including body scanning, breathing, and guided imagery to calm the central nervous system) for Creativity. When we are in a completely relaxed and open state of mind, our creativity levels naturally rise leaving us to better think, write, draw, paint, sculpt, build, etc, etc. When we are relaxed and free from stress and anxiety we can detach ourselves from the outcome of our projects and create moment by moment working from the inside out. This practice also works wonders in children and was tested on a school in Satna, M.P., India:
http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2006/isep06/yncre.shtml
The Alluem Kids equally responded positively to the practice as they were hesitant and held some self criticism during the Quick Draw before Yoga Nidra, and were relaxed and free, creating intuitively after Yoga Nidra! It is really something to watch children slowly let go of judgment and hesitation and truly come into their own!

As seen in the video of our workshop....
Drawing the Breath:
Drawing the breath is simply that - place the point of a crayon on your paper. As you inhale drag the crayon up. As you exhale drag the crayon down. Continue this constant zig-zag line all the way down the paper. Play with the breath. Short lines for quick breaths. Long lines for deep breaths. Use different colors. Admire your work.

Quick Draw the Poses:
Grab a friend and pick a pose. Keep your hand loose - DRAW! Keep looking at the pose and looking at your paper - notice the shapes and lines of the body! Scribble scribble until the pose appears on your page! Don't worry about how silly or sloppy it may look. Just let go! Admire your work.

Creating Intuitively:
Embrace how you feel in the present moment. Take a piece of water color paper and pick a color of paint that best represents how you feel right now after practicing yoga and yoga nidra. Listen to what is inside of you. With an option of paint, markers, crayons, pastels, or collage - create freely. Don't not think of the outcome, just take it one step at a time. Admire your work.

Growing to Love Our Bodies

Without question, yoga and body awareness go hand in hand for both children and adults. Personally, when I first found yoga, it was for that main purpose - to embrace myself in the body I am in today. More and more I am seeing how extremely crucial finding a positive and healthy relationship with your body is becoming for children and teens. The article below, put out by CNN this morning, stresses this now more then ever in children as young as 7yrs old.

"The Scary Trend of Tweens with Anorexia"
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/08/tweens.anorexia.parenting/
"-- A 7 year old announces that she's become a vegetarian because she loves animals. Then she starts eating less and less of her food. When her parents bring her into treatment, she is emaciated but pinches a tiny amount of flesh between her thumb and forefinger to illustrate "how fat" she really is. She is a full-blown anorexic.

-- A 10-year-old girl, newly back in the U.S. after her missionary parents return from overseas, feels guilty about the abundance of food she finds here when children in other parts of the world are starving. She cuts her food into smaller and smaller bites and eats fewer and fewer of them. Her parents have no idea she's anorexic until a pediatrician notes that though the girl has grown taller, she hasn't gained weight in more than a year.

-- An 8 year old whose parents are involved in a very messy divorce is frequently too upset to eat. The less she eats, the more concerned her parents become about her health. Soon the fighting virtually stops, transformed into a shared fear for their daughter. The family dynamic has shifted away from the divorce, and her parents have inadvertently reinforced the girl's eating disorder.

Stories like these alarm experts. Eating disorders are dangerous at any age, but when one isn't recognized in a child, or when treatment comes too late, the effects can be catastrophic."

What saddens me is that children are pounded with media images of "the perfect body". They hear parents or older siblings criticizing their bodies and talking about the latest diet fads. They become uncomfortable in their ever changing bodies and don't know how to react. And while we can't control what is being tossed in the faces of our children, we can give them skills to deal with these obstacles and teach them ways to love themselves for who they are.

"It's important for kids with eating disorders to learn to feel connected to their own bodies, as well as to identify their particular stressors and find ways to cope with them in ways that don't involve food. In therapy, the kids at Remuda Ranch (a residential treatment facility for eating disorders in Arizona) also learned to be critical of media messages, and through art, journaling, horseback riding or yoga, they worked to break the cycle of negative thoughts and develop the kind of self-esteem and overall wellness that will be a buffer against recurrence of the disease."

Through yoga we move and breathe in the bodies we are in today. I can't stress enough to my kids to listen to their bodies - do only what feels comfortable and breathe deep. I tell them the only body they should be concentrating on is the body on their own mat. Every body is different, so in yoga there is no comparing. Forming that awareness at a young age is so crucial in today's world. Luckily, through yoga that awareness becomes a FEELING - a feeling of self-love, self-confidence, self-respect, self-appreciation of body, mind, and spirit. When you FEEL something through your body in a relaxed state, it stays with you. It stays in your muscles, your tissues, your subconscious, and your heart. You embrace it, you make it your own, and you grow with it. That is the beauty of yoga.

All the World

I saw the cover of this book and immediately fell in love. Not only is it titled, "All the World" by Liz Garton Scanlon, but the cover art, created by one of my favorite children's book illustrators Marla Frazee, was absolutely captivating. LOVE!

In an article I found, Marla Frazee stated, "Illustrating a book titled 'All the World' was a daunting proposition. I mean, it’s supposed to be about all the world. I was totally overwhelmed. Then I considered the times when I’ve felt the most connected to the world at large, and remembered that none of us ever inhabit all the world but merely our own small place in it. So I focused on one of the places I love the most—the central coast of California—and set the book there. Many of the illustrations in All the World are inspired by grace notes in my life. The grandfather under the oak tree is an homage to my own immigrant grandfather, who had enough patience and faith in the future to grow oaks from acorns—trees he knew he would never live to see taller than himself...I drew my zippy orange 2007 Honda Fit, and my faithful dog, Rocket, in its front seat, pulling out of the farmer’s market. The tulips, the Mediterranean architecture, the pink house, the purple-and-yellow sunset, the beach ball—all of it means stuff to me. I hope that readers will find many things in All the World that mean stuff to them, too. I love Liz’s text because it celebrates the small things, the big things, children, and grown-ups in equal measure. And I love how it is all mixed up and jumbled together and interconnected and personal and universal." I couldn't describe this book any better then that.

I gave the Alluem Kids this opportunity for a brief visualization after reading this book. Sitting tall, eyes closed, we thought about all the places we have been in this world. (Recently I've noticed how some of my students are more travelled then myself! Good for them!) These places could be local - in our own backyards, or global - foreign countries we may have vacationed to. Then we thought of which place in the whole world made us FEEL the best. We asked ourselves questions - why did it make us feel so good? What did it look like? What did it smell like? Sound like? Feel like? Who were we with? What were we doing? Capturing the image in our minds again, I asked them kids to sit in stillness with that image and those feelings. Knowing they could access this image at anytime - whether it is a time they are upset, sad, angry, or just want to relax and feel good. Before losing that image, I asked the kids to gently open their eyes and capture this image onto their sketch paper...I witnessed some of the most beautiful images appear on their papers - beaches, forests, parks, Disney World, Paris, Grandma's House, and...yes, I'm being biased - my favorite...Alluem Yoga:

For more incredible ways to use this book in your classroom, visit: http://www.lizgartonscanlon.com/PDFS/All%20The%20World%20TG.pdf

Girl Scouts - Try it!

Girl Scouts in need of a badge?? Try it!

Live the questions...like the L M N O Peas.

"We are peas - alphabet peas! We work and play in ABCs.

We're acrobats, artists, and astronauts in space.

We're builders, bathers, and bikers in a race.

We're painters, poets, plumbers fixing leaks.

We're pilots, parachutists, we're peas and we're unique!

We're weavers, wishers, and x-ray doctors, too.

We're yogis in a pose, and zoologists - that's who!

We are peas from A to Z.

Now tell us, please...who are you?"

"Who are you?" When I came across Keith Baker's book L M N O Peas, I immediately used it in a lesson with my Alluem Little Kids, asking the children - "Who are you?" With adults, this question often brings on a pinch of anxiety, but with kids - they embrace it! They love this question as they are continuously exploring everything around them. What do I like to do? What do I like to play with? Where do I like to go? Who do I like to be with? What makes me happy? What makes me feel loved? What brings me peace? What brings me joy?

As I approach the 30th year of my life, I discover that I am still on my way to finding my answers to those questions, as I believe the questions never stop. That is the beauty of life. We live the questions. This Friday, September 10th, brings me closer to living that very question that I have been asking for quite sometime now. Who am I? Having graduated from college with a BFA in Illustration and spending much of that first year post college trying to self-promote as a freelance artist, I struggled. Finding a part time job with a major retailer and quickly moving up the ladder to the corporate ranks, I still struggled. Commuting in and out of New York City everyday for the past 5 years living the corporate life, I continued to struggle - constantly asking the who am I question and all the questions that follow.

On September 10th, I will be trading in my 6'x8' cubical with the 5th Ave window for a 2'x6' yoga mat with endless possibilities. As the students and teachers at Alluem Yoga celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the studio, I am more then honored to celebrate with the growth and expansion of the Alluem Kids program. In addition to the current Sunday classes, we will be adding 4 weekday opportunities for the Alluem Kids to grow their practice, along with welcome new and younger yogis to the studio! Here you will find fun and exciting workshops and events for kids, like the upcoming Soccer Yoga Workshop on 9/24 and free lessons at Cranford Musicfest on 9/18. You'll even run into Alluem Kids at your local Barnes & Noble for the upcoming Yoga for Students and Educators on 9/11-9/12. And you may even find me in your classroom for Yoga in my School lessons this school year. The list goes on and on!

I am unbelievably grateful to be so supported by the community, my friends, my family, and by Alluem as I make this transition in my life. Yoga is a practice in which we constantly grow, constantly change, constantly discover new things about ourselves and those around us. When I started practicing yoga 8 years ago under the loving instruction of Clarissa Alliano, I never would have believed it would have brought me to where I am today. I can not thank her and my classmates enough for planting the seed of possibilities of where this practice could take me. After going through my first year of teaching children's yoga, every time I'm greeted by a studio full of students, my heart goes out to the most amazing children's yoga organization, Little Flower Yoga, of whom I trained with. Founder, Jennifer Cohen, and director, Kate Reil, have been such a light to me and so many of the trainees that have crossed their paths. They will touch more lives than they will ever know. And given the opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge they have provided me with, would not have been possible without the dream of Gina Pachkowski, owner and founder of Alluem Yoga. I am very lucky for our paths to have crossed just as her dream was taking form in the beautiful Old Mill on the Rahway River that has become such a sacred space and sanctuary to so many adults and children alike.

I feel so blessed to come to this point of my life as I live the questions and learn to embrace them. My mother often reminds me that everything happens for a reason. With the love that she and my father have instilled in me and the strength that they both show everyday, I am encouraged and ready for each new day with all it has to offer. Everyday will bring a new outlook, a new challenge, a new opportunity. I believe I am at this point in my life for a reason and I welcome this opportunity to grow with open arms. And of course, I will continue to live the questions...just like the L M N O Peas!

Ms. Karen, can you teach us how to float?

Pose of the Weekend...

Lifted Lotus Pose

"Ms. Karen, can you teach us how to float?"

I was kind of taken aback by this one! Maybe after years of practice with an intense amount of concentration...maybe. For now, Lifted Lotus is probably about as close as we were going to get to floating, kids!

Bubble Fun

Bubbles are a staple of summertime fun. Give a child a bottle of bubbles...endless fun. Luckily bubbles also serve as a great tool for teaching deep breathing. Taking a deep inhale and a slow exhale through the wand is the way to form the perfect bubble. This week for Poolside Yoga at the Cranford Swim Club, we broke out the bubbles...taking long peaceful breaths filling our space with bubbles.

As the class came to the end it was time for savasana. Savasana is the last and most important pose of a yoga class - total relaxation. Arms fall to your sides. Legs relax completely. This is also a good time to check in with your body. See how you are feeling after an asana practice. I usually remind the kids to do a body scan checking in with each muscle from feet to head. And then quiet the mind and relax the body. Put those two things together and what do you get...

Bubble Savasana!

The kids LOVED it! As they laid back relaxing on this hot summer day, I showered the kids with bubbles. Eyes shut tight, their faces held ear to ear smiles as bubbles fell all over them. What a great end to a wonderful summer class!

Summer Bonding

2 yoga mats.

You and your kid.

A shady spot in the yard.

Spending quality time with your child no matter how old, can mean the world to them. I came across this video on YouTube of Yoga Instructor Ally Hamilton and her son, Dylan. It is the sweetest sight to see - little Dylan letting go and having fun right along side Mom doing Sun Salutations. What a wonderful time this must have been for the both of them. Take time this summer to spend sometime together with your practice. Let yoga be your bond. Doesn't matter if your child is doing all the poses "correctly"...just let your child be! Namaste!!

For the Love of the Game: Yoga and Soccer

World Cup frenzy has taken over! When you think soccer, you think about the intensity of the players on the field with one thing in mind – getting to the goal no matter who is in the way. When you think soccer you think about the cheering fans whooping and hollering…and if it’s this year’s World Cup – oh, those horns! One rarely thinks about peace, calm, and relaxation when they think about soccer – so what would yoga have to do with this sport that so many are focusing on this summer??

Plenty! Since this 1,000 year old practice that we call Yoga actually means to yolk or unite joining mind, body, spirit, there is nothing more an athletic team should be doing then coming together as one unit. And each player comes to the field with their own physical skill, focus, intensity, and love of the game. Step into any yoga classroom and this is exactly what you’ll find. Yogis (or those who practice yoga), develop the physical by practicing asanas (poses), develop mental concentration by practicing meditation and pranayama (breathing), and all come to their mats for the love of the practice and being in the moment. In my opinion, yoga is one of the best compliments to soccer, or any sport for that matter! Having a plethora of soccer players amongst the Alluem Kid’s classes, I knew bringing in a soccer twist to our yoga studio would be a blast for all involved!

Start with the breath. Steadying the breath before a game can be very beneficial for your endurance throughout your time on the field. Nerves can produce shallow breathing. Shallow breathing reduces the amount of oxygen that can travel to your brain causing anxiety, dizziness, and low energy. That will tire you out fast! Practice taking full, deep inhalations and exhalations before a game or practice, filling the belly first with air and then the lungs. Want to go further with you breathing? Practice alternate notstril breathing. Bring your hands together and extend the middle fingers on each side of your nostrils. Use the finger to close the left nostril and inhale to the count of 4 through the right. Close both nostrils and hold for 4 breaths. Release the left nostril and exhale to the count of 4. Repeat. Inhale right. Hold. Exhale left. This alternate nostril balances the hemispheres of the brain which will help with concentration and balance. Hey, you never know- maybe your left shot will be as good as your right!

Focus on flexibility! Flexibility increase endurance, because the more flexible you are the less likely you are to cramp up during play. Remember to breathe into each stretch. Oxygen will help the muscles to relax, allowing you to stretch deeper. Below are only a couple of poses that will benefit soccer players – lengthening the quads and groins for taking shots on goal, opening the shoulders for throw-ins, strengthening the ankles for stop and go action. Need a prop – skip the blocks and straps and use the soccer ball for a new dynamic!

-Bound Angle Pose: Place the ball between the soles of your feet and let your legs fall to the side. Lean your elbows and gently press your legs towards the floor. Fold foward. After a couple of breaths, remove the ball placing soles of the feet together and see if your legs can move even further to the ground. With both hands on the ball, stretch forward elongating the sides of the body. Roll the ball left and right to stretch the sides while in Bound Angle.

-Extreme Staff Pose: With legs extended straight out in front of you, raise your heels and place the ball under your feet. Being careful not to hyper extend, take a forward bend, reaching for your toes, leading with your heart.

-Supported Bridge Pose: Laying back with knees bent, feet flat, and arms along the sides, raise your hips to the sky bringing your chest towards your chin. Slide the ball underneath the base of your spine. Allow yourself to be supported on the ball while getting a gentle backbend.

-Plow Pose/Candlestick: Laying back place the ball between your feet. Raise your feet over your head towards the floor while holding on to the ball between your feet. Allow your hands to support your back as your feet and ball touches the ground over your head coming into Plow Pose. Bring your feet back up and straighten your legs towards the sky moving into Candlestick. Squeeze the ball between your feet or ankles or try to balance the ball on top of your feet!

-Bow Pose: Laying on your stomach, bend your knees and take hold of your ankles. Open up your shoulders and simultaneously lift your chest and your thighs off the ground coming to balance on your stomach stretching the entire front body including the quads. Just for fun place the ball in the crook of your back and see if you can balance it there!

-Wide-Legged Foward Bend: With feet much wider then hip width apart to give the legs and ankles a challenge, place two hands on the ball in front of you on the ground. Lengthen your back and then gently bring your head towards the ball. Move your hands to the floor and rest your forehead on the ball, or go deeper and roll the ball through your legs behind you bringing your head to the floor.

-Tree Pose: Variation 1 – Standing on one leg, place the ball against your inner thigh and bring your foot up as you would in a traditional Tree. Press your foot against the ball into your leg opening up the knee to the side. Raise your arms to the sky. Varitation 2 – Standing on one leg in a traditional Tree Pose or in Standing Half Lotus, raise the ball over head stretching side to side to challenge your balance.

Games:
“Bounce-a-Pose” is a game of communication and memory. Write a variety of poses on each of the octagons on a soccer ball. Simply two hand bounce the ball from one player to the next, saying their name first (communication is important on the field!). Be sure each player is ready to receive in a goalie stance - feet a little more then hip width apart, knees slightly bent, hands up, fingers spread. Goalies are always ready! As a player receives the pass with both hands, take note of which octagon the right thumb lands in. The player now must demo whatever pose is in that space. Be creative, because the ball must not be put down- incorporate the ball into the pose!

“Over Under - Side to Side” is a game to increase flexibility down the back body. Standing in a line for the 1st round the first person passes the soccer ball over head, arching back to the next person. The next person bends forward passing the ball between their legs to the person behind them and so on. The last person sprints to front to start over. For the 2nd round simply twist side to side - working and stretching side body passing the ball from one person to the next.

“Boat Pose Ball Pass” is a game of balance, strength, and focus. Come into a seated circle with plenty of room between each kid. Have everyone turn 90 degrees to their right. Practice Boat Pose to refresh – balancing on the seat, extending arms forward, heart open, and legs extending at a 45 degree angle. Start with everyone reclined back and the ball between the feet of the first person. Come up into to Boat Pose and pass the ball from feet to hands. Recline back down with the ball in hand passing to the next persons feet. Try to keep arms and legs straight and use your core to lift! Move slow and with control! See how many times the ball can be passed around the room without dropping it!

Writing Activity:

"Give and Go" To keep a balanced field of play during a soccer game, it is ideal for 2 players to support the player with the ball at all times. This is best done in a triangular fashion - 3 players, 3 points - giving the player with the ball passing options to aid in obtaining a goal. When the player sees a passing opportunity with one of those 2 players, it is called a "Give and Go". The player passes or gives, and then moves to become a support for the new player with the ball. Support is what teamwork is all about.

Think about 2 teammates or people in your life who have supported you in the past. Write down their names and think of a way you could possibly support them. Even the littlest acts of kindness make a great impact.

Relaxation: Recling back in preparation for savasana, close your eyes and start to relax. Check in with your body. It is key for athletes to be aware of what is going on in their bodies - do you feel energized or tired? Do a body scan starting with your head, moving down arms, torso, legs, feet. Is there any pain or soreness anywhere? Pay attention to those spots. Breathe into them and relax. Notice your heart rate. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Take a couple long deep breaths and notice how slowing down the breath automatically slows down the heart rate. As you drift off into savasana, imagine yourself in the greatest game of your life. Clear blue sky above you, soft green grass below you. Teammates on the field by your side. Family and friends on the side line cheering you on. You, standing strong, heart open, head held high, full of joy. All for the love of the game.

Yoga and Soccer Workshop coming soon to Alluem Yoga!

Hoop Yoga

They come out for picnics, birthday parties, and backyard summer fun. The hula hoop - one of America’s oldest fads predating the 1950s – are now sneaking their way into yoga studios!

Hoop Yoga recently made it’s way to an Alluem Kids class at Alluem Yoga in Cranford, NJ. The kids grabbed their hoops and started hooping it up! Hula Hooping alone 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!

Read the rest of my guest post article at www.yogainmyschool.com!

I Think, I Am

Louise Hay has been spreading the word that "Your thoughts create your life!". Through her books, she has been shaping the lives of adults since the 1970s. Her first book "Heal Your Body", discussed the mind body connection long before it was a hot topic. She introduced positive thought patterns to replace negative emotions, healing yourself body and mind. I presented her children's book to the Alluem Kids this weekend, I Think, I Am. We discussed the meaning and power of affirmations and there is no better book to discuss this topic with kids then Louise Hay's. Kids are introduced the difference between negative thoughts and positive affirmations. It's filled with examples on how to make the change from negative thoughts into positive actions. After reading the story, I had the kids come up with their own affirmation and make a little sign that they could take home and hang on their mirrors, over their beds, or on their doors. Repeating an affirmation over and over again can promote change. And that's exactly what they did during their 3 minute and 30 second meditation. Adding some play to the lesson, we put together our own Affirmation Web. The kids passed inspirational affirmations around a circle using a ball of twine. Taking hold of one end and rolling it from child to child as the twine criss-crossed it's way around, we came up with a web of affirmations - perfect for practicing Spider Pose in!

Another way to see...

The Alluem Little Kids and I have been working on our 5 senses over the past few weeks. The first sense we worked with was sight and this past weekend we worked with touch. We read from a collection of pet storybooks such as Extraordinary Pets and my favorite Dr. Seuss Touch & Feel Book Wet Pet, Dry Pet, Your Pet, My Pet. We discussed how all living things, pets, plants, and ourselves, need to be handled with care.

This past weekend, I pulled it all together and learned my lesson...after class I took nap. About 20 minutes into my nap I woke up with a sharp pain in my eye...my contact had adhered itself to my eye, a problem I've had before. In a rush to relieve the pain, (warning: not for weak stomachs), I ripped my contact out of my eye, tearing my cornea right along with it. Needless to say, I did not handle with care and for the next 4 hours I cried as I sat waiting for the doctor to see me in the Emergency Room. Since the pain was too much when the lid passed over the eye, I held it closed with a cool compress. When the doctor finally came to exam my eye and forced it open, I found my perfect opportunity to practice my deep breathing through the tears and tremors. Inhaling to the count of 4, exhaling to the count of 5. Long deep breaths helped slow down my heart rate and calm me down. Thank you, yoga. The doctor confirmed I had a severely torn

cornea in my right eye and sent me home with a patch and drops. For the next couple of days at home, it still hurt to blink, even with the patch helping to keep my eye shut...so I left both eyes closed the majority of the time. In all honesty, I have a new found respect for the blind. I could not imagine what it would be like to permanently be without sight. We often take these things for granted - seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting. It shouldn't take a torn cornea for us to slow down and appreciate what we have...I really don't recommend it!!

To bring this appreciation of sight to our children, I recalled one of the most beautifully illustrated children's books - The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen. In this book the Emperor of China has a daughter who has been blind since birth. Her father wants nothing more for her to be able to see, so he offers up an award to anyone who can make that happen. He is surprised when a ragged old man approaches them with his Seeing Stick - a stick in which the old man has carved the saga of his travels into. When he explains how you do not need only your eyes to see, but can use your hands to feel, another way of seeing is revealed. It is a beautifully written story that goes right to the heart. And as the young girl grows, she shares her gift of sight with other children just like her.

Gum Ganapatayie Namaha

A mantra for new beginnings- Gum Ganapatatyie Namaha. The new session has taken off with a blast! With 14 brand new Alluem Kids this weekend, the studio was packed with new life and shining faces filled with anticipation for what yoga would bring to them. For many of the new students, it was their first yoga class in a studio setting. Most of them have been exposed to yoga whether their parents practice, they were introduced to it in school, or they've rocked a few poses on the Wii Fit. The kids were excited to be in an actual yoga studio in a class just for them. They are often proud of the fact that they have their own mats and their own space to stretch, breathe, relax, renew, and have fun!

So why yoga for kids?

The world continues to change and children are exposed to and have to deal with more issues then children have had to deal with in the past. To have peace with all that goes on around them and remained focused takes a lot of work. Through yoga, one can learn to get in better awareness of their bodies and their minds despite what is going on around them through asanas (movement), breath, and meditation. A children's class includes all of this, but is brought to them in a less serious, playful mode. We play games, we laugh, we have fun. Is that yoga? Yes. You will often hear laughter coming from the classroom. You will often hear the kids cheering on each other during a Yoga Game. You will often hear random statements or conversation taking place during the class, as kids freely express what is on their minds. All of this is okay. Kids will be kids and that is exactly how they should act. And there is no safer place to do so then in a yoga class where they will be loved and accepted for who they are.