Creating Connections: Día de los Muertos

by Meredith Paterson

Happy Halloween! What are you doing tonight to celebrate?

A skeleton does half-lotus-- look ma, no muscles!

 This past weekend, I had the great treat of being in downtown San Antonio and taking part in some of the Día de los Muertos festivities that were being held at El Mercado.

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and around the Southwest on November 1 and 2 and is a celebration of the lives of friends and relatives who have passed. It is a regional version of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day celebrations that take place around the world.

Offerings, ofrendas, on an altar at Mi Tierra
restaurant in San Antonio.

During these days, graves are cleaned and decorated, and beautiful altars are created in homes and public spaces to honor the deceased. The altars include offerings, ofrendas, such as marigolds, sugar skulls, favorite foods and drinks of the person, objects that the person may have loved, and poems and stories in honor of the person. Families and friends get together to share memories and stories of loved ones. 

"People go to cemeteries to be with the souls of the departed and build private altars containing the favorite foods and beverages as well as photos and memorabilia of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed...

A large altar built on a truck in the
San Antonio Farmers' Market Buiding

Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or "the little angels"), and bottles of tequila, mezcal or pulque or jars of atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto ("bread of the dead"), and sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased.^[2] Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrendas food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. In many places, people have picnics at the grave site as well."  from Wikipedia

I love this holiday for so many reasons. Though death is in its title, it is a celebration of life, beauty, creativity, and art. Most importantly, it is time set aside to consciously remember those who are no longer with us in person, and to remember them with humor and full-spirited love. The holiday embraces all aspects of our existence, the light and the dark. It gives us permission to be something other than somber as we reflect on and send out prayers for those who have passed.

 Here is a recipe for pan de muerto for your Día de los Muertos celebration.

Together at the Table: Happy (Healthy) Halloween!

by Meredith Paterson

The countdown is on! Just a few more days until one of my favorite holidays of the year. I'm still putting a few finishing touches on my costume. Check out our monthly Yogiños newsletter for more fun Halloween tips!

Halloween is definitely a holiday to be celebrated with gusto. I am a former raisin-giver (I have since repented) who tried foolishly to impose health-at-all-costs on the poor, unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. Now, I'm just looking for a little more balance. Gusto doesn't have to mean excess, and celebrations don't always have to end with tummyaches. There are now so many more environmentally-friendly, healthy options out there for what you can hand out to trick-or-treaters. Look at the bottom of this post for ideas.

Like I tend to write in so many of these Together at the Table posts, one of the best things you can do as a family is to have a thoughtful discussion about how to have a mindful holiday that doesn't actually become a pain in the belly.

Here are some of our favorite Yogiños yoga poses for keeping your digestion running smoothly, even through Halloween.

More ways to have a mindful Halloween!

"Eek-o-friendly"  tips and ideas from Green Halloween.

A great online resource for vegan Halloween treat options.

Allergy-friendly Halloween treats. (Be sure to read labels as ingredients may change from year to year.)

How do you make Halloween a mindful celebration in your family?

Poised for Possibility: Off the Mat and in the Museum

Me and the OHMazing™ Meredith Paterson!
Meredith is the Director of Yoga Trainings
and Austin. She also is my dear friend,
an incredible colleague, and dedicated yogi.
Mere: NAMASTE!

by Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D.

One of the best and most unexpected opportunities for me and Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® is our OHMazing™ partnership with Crow Collection of Asian Art.  Seeds were planted during the planning and filming of our first, award-winning DVD, The Story of Ganesha, when Director Amy Hofland curried two sculptures to South Texas from Dallas for content for the DVD. Blossoming since fall of 2009, the partnership has been mindfully nurtured and carefully sculpted to include the filming and production of a second DVD, Vishnu's OHMazing™ Journeys, yoga trainings, tours, a staff position, gallery guides, and even a new mission of the museum to embrace body, mind, heart and art.

Our most recent journey together was in collaboration with YogaVibes. "YogaVibes makes yoga accessible to anyone by offering classes of various styles, intensity, and duration. No matter your schedule or location, the benefits of yoga are as close as your computer," states members of the team.

On October 1 we filmed 4 classes: The Courage in Me, Lakshmi: The Heroine of Generosity, Super Friends, and Mudras.

During the filming of Vishnu's OHMazing™ Journeys, Ahila instructed me on padma mudra.

Mudras: In this free yoga video, we explore some of the Hasta Mudras that are associated with the Hindu deity Vishnu and his beautiful consort Lakshmi. Designed for ages 4 & up.

From Ahila Gulasekaram, Instructor with Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®, Dallas, TX:

"Mudras, specifically Hasta Mudras (Hasta is Sanskrit for hand) are widely used in both yoga and Indian Classical dance. There is a tremendous flow of energy in our hands and each finger is said to represent one of the five elements. The thumb is agni (fire), the index finger is vayu (air), the middle finger is akash (ether), the ring finger is prithvi (earth), and the little finger is jall (water). By curling, crossing, stretching, and touching the fingers and hands, we can lock or guide the energy flow to certain parts of the mind or body. Hasta Mudras are also found in Hundu and Buddhist works of art."

We hope you enjoy this free video of hand postures in the museum and beyond!

Elizabeth "Beth" Reese, Ph.D., RYT, RCYT, is the founder and CEO of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® is an OHMazing™ interdisciplinary curriculum in English, Spanish, and Sanskrit. We weave together the 8 Limbs of yoga with original art, music, games, stories, and other sensory-integrated activities to promote flexibility, strength, balance, collaboration, civic and social responsibility, mindfulness, nutrition, and wellness both on and off the yoga mat. Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® is endorsed by Andrew Weil, M.D., in partnership with the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, and in cooperation with prAna. Beth is a teacher with over 20 years experience with preK-12 grades in art, yoga, windsurfing and skiing. She also has taught art museum education at the University-level. A yoga practitioner for over 10 years, Beth completed an Anusara Immersion and teacher training with Christina Sell in 2009 and currently is working toward Anusara-Inspired Certification. Beth is the mother of three OHMazing yogis under the age of 12. Her oldest daughter, Jordan, is the inspiration for Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® as she learned to navigate challenges associated with Sensory-Integration "Disorder" through practicing all 8 Limbs of yoga.

Integrating Journeys with Schools, Museums and Beyond

The first CCISD/Yogiños Teacher Training was
part of a 3-school Pilot Program.

 by Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D.


It brought tears to my eyes. And when I say tears, I mean the streaming ones with trembling, smiling lips.

In a PE class at a Corpus Christi elementary school last spring, about 40 kids took their new journey to begin PE class. Singing and practicing the Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® sun salutation, Toco el Sol, it looked and sounded like they had been doing this all year. When the music player stopped suddenly, it didn't stop them; with only 4 days of this vinyasa shining in their lives, they kept the light flowing.

This team of PE teachers were part of a 3-school Pilot Program implementing a sample, 5-week Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® curriculum into their existing program. The Story of Ganesha, featuring a poster of the hero from the Crow Collection of Asian Art and our award-winning DVD with the same name, empowered teachers to weave original art, music, games, stories, and other sensory-integrated

Youth in the Pilot Program participate
in a casual exit-interview

activities to promote flexibility, strength, balance, collaboration, civic and social responsibility, mindfulness, nutrition, and wellness both on and off the yoga mat. This Pilot Program reached over 600 elementary students and about 275 middle schoolers.

With State of Texas Fitnessgram pre- and post-tests, we did see an increase in physical flexibility. "What I like best about Yogiños is that I feel more flexible....  not just here in PE, but everywhere," shared ine 5th grader.

In the 2010-2011 academic year, test results indicate that CCISD 3rd-5th graders average between overweight and obese, and that 48% fall below the National Fitness Zone. Let’s say YES and transform this health crisis into an OHMazing™ opportunity to teach youth how to make healthy choices for themselves, others and the environment!

Current brain, academic and cardiovascular research provide scientific evidence that practices related specifically to yoga and breathing techniques offer:

~ 27% increase in GABA levels (calmness, anti-anxiety);

~ Improved academic achievement through learning how to improve focus and handle stress;

~ Increased academic interest through providing integrated movement in traditionally sedentary, academic settings;

~ Interactive experiences with team-building, cooperation and tolerance.

This summer 80 PE teachers in CCISD spent 2 days in a
Yogiños workshop. Here they practice many elements
of yoga, including asana and pratyahara, in mirror tree pose.

Workshops and Programs provide training and techniques for teachers, faculty, staff and administrators of schools and organizations to integrate aerobic, strength, flexibility and rejuvenation activities into the daily lives of students and families. YES promotes the success of Coordinated School Health and fitness test programs. Customized workshops, trainings, and retreats are available for schools, museums, PTOs, after-school groups, and other organizations and businesses ready to integrate wellness in safe, healthy, engaged, supported and OHMazing™ ways.

Since the completion of the Pilot Program last spring, Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® facilitated our basic training with 80 PE teachers from CCISD last summer and is now in a full-school integration with Corpus Christi Montessori School. Here we are conducting scientific-based research investigating the impact of weaving the program into the school's curriculum. The study includes research with both students and teachers.

Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D., RYT, RCYT, is the founder and executive director of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. She is a teacher with over 20 years of experiences leading learners of all ages in creative problem solving, self-reflection and empowerment. With her doctorate degree in art museum education, Reese is the visual arts columnist for the Corpus Christi Caller Times, a visiting instructor at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi, and the author of several articles and book chapters as well as co-author of the book, Experience Art: Teaching and Learning through Works of Art. Her teaching credentials also include windsurfing and skiing.

Online Yogiños Classes Now at YogaVibes!

by Meredith Paterson

Today, we are so excited to announce our collaboration and partnership with YogaVibes.

Yogiños: Yoga for Youth classes are now available on YogaVibes so that you and your family can take a class anytime, anywhere. 

Download the classes and have a yoga party at your house!

These unique classes were filmed in partnership with the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, and each class weaves together art, storytelling, yoga, music, love, and loads of fun!

Here are descriptions of each of the classes:

Ahila demonstrates mudras.

Mudras:
In this FREE yoga video, we explore some of the Hasta Mudras that are associated with the Hindu deity Vishnu and his beautiful consort Lakshmi. Designed for ages 4 & up.

Lakshmi: The Heroine of Generosity:
Join kids and families of all ages on an adventure about the greatest form of wealth: the art of generosity. Learn mudras, breathing, poses and cultural narratives inspired by an original work of art of Lakshmi who is known for bestowing wealth, prosperity, and abundance of knowledge, kindness and generosity. Music credits: "I am OHMazing" by Hunter James (words by Beth Reese and first verse of Upanishads); "Jai Ma" by Donna De Lory; "Ganapati Om" by Donna De Lory; and "Toco el Sol" by Albert Del Rio (lyrics by Beth Reese). (48 mins.) Designed for families with yogis of all ages.

Beth and the Yogiños discuss Ganesha's vehicle
in the "Super Friends" video.

Super Friends:
Reflect on people and pets who are special. Learn about several heroes and their companions or vehicles. In Sanskrit, a vehicle is called a vahana. Surrounded by original works of art, we will meet several heroes and heroines - Shiva, Parvati, Lakshmi, Vishnu and Gansha - through sight, sound, breath, and poses or asanas that reveal how friends and pets are special to us and how we are special to them.  Music credits: "Toco el Sol" by Albert Del Rio (lyrics by Beth Reese). (47 mins.) Designed for ages 4 & up.

The Courage in Me:

Meredith discusses the courage in our hearts.

Learn one of the ancient stories of Garuda, half-man, half-eagle, and the heroic tasks he had to take on moments after his birth. Inspired by the works of art surrounding us in the galleries of the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, we use breathing, asana (yoga poses), and partner work to look inside our own hearts to find the courage we need to face difficult situations. Music credits: "Toco el Sol" by Albert Del Rio (lyrics by Beth Reese). (35 mins.) Designed for ages 6 & up.

Hero at Home: Create an OHMazing™ Day

by Beth Reese

In Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® we spend a lot of doing yoga off the mat. In fact, I was happily surprised when I learned that yoga is a way of life not "just" poses or asanas. Asanas are 1 branch of the yoga tree. The overarching philosophies pf yoga are known as the 8 Limbs:

Meredith encourages yogiños to cultivate pratyahara
by carefully looking at this sculpture of Vishnu as Varaha
in the Crow Collection of Asian Art.

Yama :  Making good choices for others

Niyama :  Making good choices for yourself

Asanas :  Body postures or poses

Pranayama :  Breathing exercises

Pratyahara :  Cultivation and control of the senses

Dharana :  Concentration, focus, inner awareness

Dhyana :  Meditation

Samadhi :  Union with the Divine within yourself

Sometimes at first it may be hard to imagine practicing yoga off the mat. In this week's Yogiños in Your Home we offer a short film showing Remy and one of her OHMazing™ Days.

Be a hero at home and share yoga on and off the mat!

Beth is the mother of three OHMazing yogis under the age of 12. Her oldest daughter, Jordan, is the inspiration for  Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® as she learned to navigate challenges associated with Sensory-Integration "Disorder" through practicing all 8 Limbs of yoga.

elizabeth@yoginos.com

Together at the Table: National Food Day

by Meredith Paterson

Monday, October 24, 2011 marks the first National Food Day! 
How do you plan to celebrate?
Keep reading for links to recipes and resources below.

All across the country, friends and families will cook and eat together; farmers' markets and local food organizations will host parades, parties, gardening demonstrations, cooking classes, and more-- all in the service of raising awareness about access to healthy, affordable, sustainable food. And sustainable food is food that supports the earth, the growers, the harvesters, and the consumers.
Find food day events near you and as well as nationwide events.

The old saying is true. We ARE what we eat. The food we consume becomes the energy our bodies use to think, move, create, and love. So we need to start with clean, healthy fuel for our bodies. In Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® classes, we often discuss the effects of the food choices we make and how important the food we eat is to the health of our bodies, our families, and our earth. Let's work together to make sure that everyone has access to healthy food that sustains the planet.

"Food Day's goal is nothing less than to transform the American diet—to inspire a broad movement involving people from every corner of our land who want healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. In other words, we want America to eat real. We want to get Americans cooking real food for their families again. We want fewer people at drive-throughs and bigger crowds at farmers markets. We want to celebrate fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains—and to support the local farms and farmers that produce them. We want all Americans—regardless of their age or income or geographic location—to be able to select healthy diets and avoid obesity, heart disease, and other diet-related conditions. "

The Food Day website offers curriculum and other resources for teachers to use in their classrooms as well as resources for throwing your own event and talking with your family about the importance of the Food Day goals.

Free Food Day recipes from chefs like Kate Sherwood, Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, Dan Barber, and Rick Bayless. Jaime Oliver 's Food Revolution is sponsoring Food Day events and posting recipes on its website.

Like Food Day on Facebook.

How will you celebrate Food Day? Comment below or let us know on Facebook.

Love the way nature serves us

by Damla Eytemiz

 A sunny Friday… Wind comes and goes… Definitely a good day for outdoor activities…

I love the nature and I love the way it serves us… However, I believe we should give something back to it if we want this world to last long.

I am reading a lot about ways to save the world and to go green. Today I am going to share five ways how to save the world.

1-    Share the car: We are all producers and consumers. So let's think more about the earth and be more gentle to it so that all the generations will enjoy at least as much as we do. Why don’t we start sharing cars? You can share your car with your wife, husband, kid or a friend or neighbors. It won’t only mean the total mileage will be less but maintaining one car instead of two will certainly be less expensive and will require less energy. With the money you save, it is possible to make many OHMazing choices. There were an estimated 255 million registered passenger vehicles in US in 2007.

2-    Electric Companies: If you can, choose an electric company that offers energy from renewable sources. Then, you will help the earth to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that is due to fossil fuels; coal, oil, natural gas.

3-    Avoid buying too much: Don’t buy things that you will want to get rid of quickly. We all go to malls, shops and come with things we really don’t want to buy. All the advertisements and all the marketing make us buy the things we actually don’t need or it is not on the priority list. When you do grocery, if you know you can’t consume a lot, please think twice. Eggs, milk, vegetables, meat, fruits are all perishables. So, excessive amount of buying will end up putting the items in trash in a couple of days.

4-    Go for Organic Coffee: If you are a coffee drinker, go for organic coffee. US sales of organic coffee were $89 million in 2005 and the number is increasing more each year. If you are not a coffee lover, you are more than welcome to skip #4 giving yourselves a high five.

5-    Check the chemicals: Our laundries, kitchens, bathrooms are all full of chemical products whether we see or not. Please check the products you use and read the content labels whether they are harmful to the environment or not.

6-    Keep up with Yoginos…. Do Yoga…. Make it an inseparable part of your life.

Damla Eytemiz is from Turkey and she is trilingual in Turkish, English and German. She started Yoga in 2010, and she has been doing Pilates since 2007. She loves sports and thinks kids should put “Yoga” in their lives so that they can readily work through life’s challenges and be happier kids. 

Drinks with Problems

During the first Yogiños Instructor Training in Corpus Christi,
Damla and Claudia practice double boat pose.

by Damla Eytemiz

Nowadays… We are either watching our weight, diet or we all just want to be healthy. Yesterday I came across a game online, called FATWORLD.  It is a video game about the politics of nutrition. It explores the relationships between obesity, nutrition, and socioeconomics in the contemporary U.S. The game's goal is not to tell people what to eat or how to exercise, but to demonstrate the complex, interwoven relationships between nutrition and factors like budgets, the physical world, subsidies, and regulations. For more information, please check fatworld.org. Weighty topics section provides more information related to nutrition, exercise, diet and meal plans, obesity and other health concerns, children’s nutrition and etc.

I am a bookworm, especially when it comes to health and nutrition books. I enjoy everything I read especially if it is something I can bring to action. After starting working at Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®, I can tell that I felt so much healthier physically and emotionally. Yoga made me search more about health and nutrition and each day I started to do better in picking what I should eat and drink and what I should avoid. However, I met a lot of people who thinks a healthy body is only related with eating healthy food.

I call on people to realize that eating and drinking are sisters or brothers. One shouldn’t be considered separate.

I want to share with you some information from about the drinks we should avoid drinking and/or be more concerned about. The following four drinks with problems are form a recent posting by Andrew Weil, MD. 

Coffee drinks with full-fat dairy, artificial flavorings, and extras such as chocolate sprinkles. These can pack as many calories (and fat) as a meal. A better option is a plain coffee with soymilk or, better yet, antioxidant-rich green tea.

Frothy summer cocktails. Whether it's a margarita or a pina colada, sugary drinks pack a double dose of calories due to alcohol and sugar - some can top 800 calories in one drink.  A better option is a glass of red wine (60-100 calories) or a light beer (about 100 calories).

Non-juice "juice drinks." Before buying juice, read the label and make sure it is 100% juice (not just "made with" real juice) and check for added sweeteners and calories. Many of these products are no better than drinking sugar water.

Soda. There just isn't anything nutritious about soda, whether it's diet or regular. If you're a soda addict, break the habit by eliminating soda as a treat, and stop reaching for it automatically with a meal or as a thirst quencher.

Next week, I am writing about WATER and how it is important for our life. Keep up with us ogiños: Yoga for Youth®  lovers ! And be the change of your life.

Poised for Possibility: Off the Mat Svadhyaya – Self study

Meredith Paterson, Jennifer Buergermeister, and I celebrate
the Second Instructor Training at CuraYoga last June.
We will have another one in June 2012.

by Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D.


Last Friday I had the pleasure of dining with my dear friend and colleague, Jennifer Buergermeister, in Houston. We have shared a pot of tea, a morning cup of Joe, but never a dinner. Like any good gathering over savory foods, we savored sharing our memories and experiences and, in turn, grew in both our professional and personal relationships. 


With a photo-shoot with a dozen OHMazing™ Yogiños on Monday,  Meredith came to Corpus Christi to direct the event (many thanks!). Mere is consuming very

Meredith assist Yogiña Molly in
Estrella/Triangle/Trikonasana.

selective and specific foods right now. While the rationale is hers to share, I can share my observations of a friend and colleague who is illuminating her path with self-love and exploration. 

Listening to her challenges and the grace with which she navigates what, when, and where to eat, I ultimately see a person who is cultivating and practicing yoga with every bite. Literally, through careful selection of foods and beverages, Meredith is practicing one of the limbs of yoga, Niyama or personal observances, and one of its elements, Svadhyaya.

Sva means "self'" and adhyaya means "inquiry" or "examination". Any activity that promotes self-reflective awareness can be considered svadhyaya.  When we intentionally cultivate careful reflection and responses in our activities, we also can learn to embrace our limitations.

With years of experience with these kids (lol), Jeaneen
carefully orchestrates culinary techniques like
carefully slicing scallions and tearing spnach.

In my house tonight, I find myself struggling between wanting quiet at dinner time with watching my kids find joy in preparing a meal with our dear friend, Jeaneen. Of course the fact is, the idea alone that the Texas Rangers are in the World Series automatically increases the volume... thank goodness!


"These are asparagus. They can bend and also break, just like us. Let's wash them carefully," advised Jeaneen.

"This is cheese. Let's slice it mindfully like when we make decisions about whether to do this, or that. Stay with these friends, or go with that group." 

As the evening goes on, my kids (ummmm and I?) abandon bedtime bewitching hours in favor of assisting Jeaneen and learning about food sources and how they make us more aware of ourselves—or more adept at engaging with Svadhyaya. Accordingly, I become more likely to remember and respond to what a dear friend and mom once advised me, "there's more to education than school."

Whether over spring rolls and corn polenta cakes, buckwheat cereal or Corpus Christi couscous, we can choose to mindfully reflect and respond to what we consume and share in more ways than one.

 The name for this dish is still debatable but I like
Corpus Christi Couscous!

Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D., RYT, RCYT, is the founder and executive director of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. She is a teacher with over 20 years of experiences leading learners of all ages in creative problem solving, self-reflection and empowerment. Her teaching credentials also include windsurfing and skiing. 

A yoga practitioner for over 10 years, Beth completed an Anusara Immersion and teacher training with Christina Sell in 2009 and currently is working toward Anusara Inspired Certification. Beth is RYT-200 and a Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT). Beth is the mother of three OHMazing yogis under the age of 12... and we all LOVE Corpus Christi Couscous!

Journey in the Rain

Sandra and her youngest son Jeremiah work together
to create "My OHMazing™ Space" at the
Corpus Christi Montessori School.

by Sandra Golaszewski

South Texas is one of those corners that does not get a lot of rain during the year. So when it does rain, we fully embrace this natural occurrence and as a family we have always done it. You have too, especially down here in south Texas. Rain is considered nourishment for mother earth and the water of life. It makes us feel calm, it washes away our worries and thus starting over fresh. It is essential that we show our children, that rain is good for us and should be enjoyed. Nowadays many parent do not want their children to go out and get wet, out of fear that they might get sick. Well, do not spend endless hours in the rain. If you feel you are getting cold do not stay, just make your way inside into the warm tub and afterward a warm tea. This is how we harden up, strengthen our immune system, by being exposed to mother nature.

There are many ways to enjoy a stroll in the rain:

1. Jumping in puddles

2. Singing in the rain

3. Dancing in the rain

4. Exploring the gutters/drains – finding out where it travels to

5. Making paper boats and have them travel in the puddles

6. Going through the mud, and talk about the feeling of mud on your feet

7. Pitch a tent and listen to the rain drops on the tent – very soothing

This weekend we spent some time together playing outside in the rain, since it has not rained in “months”, literally. We ran through the puddles, jumped and danced in the rain. Had fun feeling the mud on our feet and explore how the rain was flowing through the gutters and where it eventually takes the rain to. We also did ‘Yoga of the Mat’ by walking barefooted and feeling mother nature on our feet, as well as the mud. 

Sandra Golaszewski is a Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® Inspired Instructor. Originally from Berlin, Germany, Sandra is bilingual in German and English. She started Yoga in 2010, and has since been very interested in varies forms of Yoga and also is a Reiki I practitioner. She has 3 children that are being homeschooled using Montessori and Waldorf philosophy and she includes Yoga almost every day. Sandra believes that a child should be treated as a 'whole'.
 

Creating Connections: Yoga Rocks the Butte!

by Meredith Paterson

Mark your calendars now because this February 10-12, 2012, Yoga Rocks the Butte will be happening in the insanely gorgeous Crested Butte, Colorado. If you haven't visited Crested Butte before, go go go! Beth and I were there this summer for a Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® training at Yoga for the Peaceful, and it is not an overstatement to say that we both fell in love-- the people, the yoga, the mountains, the food, the people. We immediately scheduled our next trip.

Yoga Rocks the Butte includes yoga from luminary teachers such as Shiva Rea, r.r. Shakti, Twee Merrigan, Shannon Paige Schneider, Micheline Barry, Monica Mesa, and more. Plus there will be music from Dave Stringer, Govindas and Radha, Steve Gold, DJ Drez, and many others. And as if that's not enough, there are packages that allow you to combine yoga with skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing. Throw in spa time, excellent lodging, organic food, and breathtaking scenery, and blend to create your own potent elixir! (I think I want to schedule a couple of weeks there now.)

Yogiños: Yoga for Youth will be there offering workshops and kids' and family programs so that you can bring the whole family for a weekend of winter wonder!

Check out the event page on Facebook for the latest on the schedule of events and additions to the lineup.

Together at the Table: New Research on Eating Together

by Meredith Paterson

These Saturday Together at the Table blog posts are intended to start or sustain a family dialogue about food, cooking, and eating, and we'll be sharing recipes, food-related research, food events, and other fun food-related tidbits.

This week, I came across newly-published research about the benefits of eating together as a family. This research confirms that preparing and eating meals together nourishes us as people and families on so many levels. Mealtimes may be the only times carved out in our busy days where we actually get to focus on each other.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found the following correlations between infrequent family dinners and alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse among teenagers:

"Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are almost four times likelier to use tobacco; more than twice as likely to use alcohol; two-and-a-half times likelier to use marijuana; and almost four times likelier to say they expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners VII, a new report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA Columbia).

The CASA Columbia family dinners report revealed that teens who have infrequent family dinners are likelier to say they have ready access to alcohol, prescription drugs (without a prescription in order to get high) or marijuana. Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners, those who have infrequent family dinners are more likely to be able to get alcohol, prescription drugs or marijuana in an hour or less. In contrast, teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to report having no access to such drugs.”

And the benefits of eating together go way beyond reduced substance abuse. Eating together can help improve vocabulary, it is a predictor of academic success, and it is a predictor of overall health and well-being.

The Mommy Dietitian has a wonderful list outlining the many many reasons we should take time to eat together along with some great mealtime tips and recipes.

I love this article and photo essay from the New York Times about family dinners and the art in each family's traditions and rituals. It's not about being fancy-- who has the time for fancy?-- it's just about being together.

How do you carve out time for meals together?

Poised for Possibility: Off the Mat

by Damla Eytemiz 

Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® changed my life and I think it can change the world, too.  Last week I was reading "Bringing Yoga to Life" by Donna Farhi and she writes, 

Andersen finds joy in asana off the mat.

"Regardless of what stage of life we're in, Yoga practice should serve to bring forth our unique skills, strengths, and talents. It should help us live with greater ease and acceptance. If we mold our practice into some idealized form based on an external standard that is irrelevant to our own destiny, our Yoga practice will only fortify a false sense of self. In this light, always consider your practice in terms of how it can balance and serve the rest of you life. The practice should serve you: you are not a servant to the practice." 

Skills, strengths and talents… That is what I feel after each Yogiños class. Every Tuesday, I teach yoga at Mi Casita Montessori School and whenever I get out of gate, I find myself so relaxed, more focused and I feel the freedom from fear inside me.

I started yoga in my home country, Turkey, but, at that time I wasn’t interested in it so much. When I came to the US, I started to see more and more people each day, practicing yoga. All of them were under the same umbrella... All were more positive, more willing, more free, more independent, more and more…

Students and teachers at Corpus Christi Montessori School
explore opening hearts to team-work during our
whole-school integration program.

When I spend time with Beth Reese, I enjoy it so much. And I feel the same joyful moments spending time with Meredith Paterson, Yuko Wolf, Sandra Golaszewski… There should be a common point, I thought. And not difficult to figure out… All of us are meeting under the Yoginos umbrella.

Yogiños and yoga are not only learning how to do a butterfly pose, downward dog pose and the rest… It is for sure more than that…

I learned so many great lessons on the mat… Next week, I will be happy to write you the lessons on the mat… Please keep up with me…

At La Palmera Mall this past Tuesday,
Yogiños used kind hands to practice gently
touching the earth or in Spanish,
toco la tierra.

Before I forgot, let me give you great news…First Tuesday of every month, we will have hour class at La Palmera Mall 10:00am – 11:00am. Please bring your kids and join us. Tuesday October 3, 2011, we had our first class there and all the kids were OHMazing™! We had a great time with Beth.  As usual she was so energetic and positive. She was spreading her positive vibes all inside the mall. November 1st, we will be there again… And will be so happy to see you among us.

 

My OHMazing Journey: Musings on Museums and Journeys

by Amy Lewis Hofland

If you’ve been paying attention to art museum education in the past two decades, you know how much has changed. Gone are the sleepy galleries, dark after five, the tour guides who are “walking and talking,” and the inescapable hush of a silent space. To be sustainable, museums have had to repurpose, redefine, validate, and re-invent, or in Dallas Museum of Art terms, Ignite the Power of Art. It has been the greatest kind of journey. Now, museums are the new coffee houses: places where people meet and return often, ideas are exchanged, and art changes lives—lots of lives. In this spirit, the Crow Collection of Asian Art recently adopted a new mantra: Body, Mind, Heart and Art. We are a place where you can grow in these important aspects of your lives.

Filming Vishnu’s OHMazing™ Journeys in the
galleries of the Crow Collection of Asian Art

Body: For thousands of years, Eastern philosophy recognized the importance of attending to a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are studying the Analects of Confucius or the teachings of Buddha, body and mind are interconnected. Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® explores yoga both on and off the mat. This fall the second DVD with yoga and art instruction for children was unveiled: Vishnu’s OHMazing™ Journeys. In our galleries, you will find classes, lectures, tours, and wellness programs, all through the lens of art, history and language. A bright new partnership with the Dallas Yoga Center presents a broader, multi-disciplined range of teachings.

Vessel, China, Qing dynasty,
Qianlong period (1736–1795).
Nephrite. The Trammell &
Margaret Crow Collection of
Asian Art, 1975.1

Mind: Did you know a knowledge of jade helps you with a knowledge of people? Our next installation in the Jade Room explores how we are like jade. Confucius wrote in the Book of Rites II (Zhou Dynasty, c. 1050–256 BC, transl. Legge), “Anciently superior men found the likeness of all excellent qualities in jade.” Moral aspects of virtue, faith, and duty were taught through a study of the visual and physical properties of jade, and these teachings were requisite of any gentleman or official in training. Our curator, Caron Smith, explores these teachings through a selection of works from our collection with a hope, like Confucius, that in the end, we are all better people from the study of jade.

Heart: In September 2009, in a hot studio in Shanghai, I met Qiu Anxiong, the artist presented in this fall’s exhibition by Melissa Chiu of the Asia Society Museum. Huge canvases lined the walls of a space generous by Shanghai standards. In a contrast of experiences (customary in China), he pulled out his Apple computer and presented one of his video works. Six or seven of us crowded around his computer. Time suspended, we watched over an hour of his animations: virtual “flip-books” of digital stills of his paintings present an emotional landscape of the histories of China. Qiu collaborates with Chinese composers to lure the senses into a place where your heart stops and nothing else matters. I find his works arresting in every sense of the word. Starting on October 15, we will present Qiu’s new work in video format alongside several paintings, sketchbooks, and drawings. This is Qiu’s third U.S. exhibition, and my favorite Shanghai souvenir. Your heart will thank me later.

Children discuss and sketch
a relief of Ganesha

Art: Perhaps at the core of what keeps our body, mind, and heart in motion is art. At the Crow Collection of Asian Art you can find it throughout the fall—in the inventive studio projects designed by our creative museum educators, in the Crow Collection After Dark programming and in the curiosity and wonder-driven exhibitions. Hundreds of programs offered this October through Art in October, in collaboration with the Dallas Arts District, remind us of the power of art and its vital place in our lives. In Asia, art and life are interwoven; one is not separate from the other.

Join us for a journey exploring how rewarding a life coupled with art can be!

Amy L. Hofland

DIRECTOR

The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art features a variety of spaces and galleries with changing exhibitions of the arts of China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia spanning from the ancient to the contemporary. Just 12 years in operation, this lovingly curated free museum offers a serene setting for quiet reflection in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.

The Crow Collection continues to grow in art and service to the Dallas- Fort Worth community with an emphasis on shared learning and fun. New initiatives include the development of an Asian physical and mental wellness center endorsed by Dr. Andrew Weil as well as an Asian Sculpture Garden slated to open in the fall of 2012. The garden features traditional Japanese landscaping, new Asian art acquisitions and additional works from the museum’s collection. For more information, please go to crowcollection.org.