I am OHMazing!

Elizabeth Reese, PhD

A major facet of Pantajali’s Yoga Sutra is an eight-limbed path that forms the structural framework for most yoga practices. These theories and practices also form the foundation of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. Using the 8 limbs of yoga not only teaches youth to have respect and awareness for self, others and the environment, but also encourages participants and families to weave yoga into their daily lives both on and off the yoga mat.

In brief, the Eight Limbs, or paths of yoga, are as follows:
Yamas: good choices toward YOU 
(There are 5 Yamas.)
Niyamas: good choices for ME
 (There are 5 Niyamas.)
Asana: body postures
Pranayama: breathing exercises and control of breath
Pratyahara: control of the senses
Dharana: concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
Dhyana: devotion, meditation on the Divine
Samadhi: union with the Divine

For simplification, we call practicing the Eight Limbs of yoga on and off your mat being “OHMazing!” We teach youth and families this powerful philosophical concept by defining OM as all things are interconnected, or, as stated in the first verse of the Upanishads, all is OM. We then discuss the meaning of amazing: cool, super cool, really great, and so on. From here we share that when we make “super cool” and positive choices being mindful that all things—including us!—are interconnected, that is OHMazing.

During Yogiños classes we discuss that as humans we are OHMazing, along with the fact that we must consciously practice making OHMazing choices. When we make amazing choices for ourselves, others and the environment, that is OHMazing!

Kids are encouraged to cultivate their light by exclaiming, “I am OHMazing!” Youth offer friends and classmates support by cheering on one another with “you are OHMazing!” We share and practice how working together is important, high-fiving after a partner or group pose exclaiming, “somos” (“we are” in Spanish) OHMazing!

While we incorporate the 8 Limbs and OHMazing into every class, participants also are prompted to reflect and respond on the positive ways they help themselves, others and the Earth at home, during school, in sports, with friends and in other spaces and places. Our short film, Remy’s OHMazing Day, illustrates some of the OHMazing choices youth can make every day. This video also is available in Spanish.





This article was originally posted on Elephant Journal.

Elizabeth “Beth” Reese, Ph.D., E-RYT, RCYT, is the founder and executive director of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. A yoga practitioner for over 13 years, Beth is the mother of three OHMazing yogis under the age of 13. Her oldest daughter, Jordan, is part of the inspiration for Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® as she learned to navigate challenges associated with Sensory-Integration “Disorder” through practicing all 8 Limb yoga. elizabeth@yoginos.com

Yoga Room Management

Teaching 60 students at a school can be more successful
when the kids know what is expected of them. Here they demonstrate
Mariposa/Butterfly/Bassha Konasana with Flower Power
breath to start each class.

by Elizabeth Reese, PhD



Having a solid plan—as well as a back-up plan or two—is a critical component to teaching yoga in any environment. Some of the places we teach our classes include in school classrooms, yoga studios, after-school programs, art museums, libraries, festivals, conferences and more. While things like weather, holidays, testing and nutrition can affect the energy of your kids and space, developing some consistent practices is highly beneficial.

Preschoolers find Mariposa Dormida/
Sleeping Butterfly/Supta Baddha Konasana
near the end of class as part of a consistent routine.

Here are a few tips to keep handy and practice:

• Be warm and helpful to the teachers and staff where you teach.
• Use eye contact. Speak with confidence.
• When you see a parent, always approach him/her with confidence and introduce yourself.
• Establish rules at beginning of every class for at least a month: eyes and ears open, use kind hands and words, stay on your mat; 
• Instructions: short and precise. Remember that kids hear the LAST thing you say so be aware of your order. Don’t run in the street = …run in the street. Stay on the sidewalk = …on the sidewalk.
• Know you "chaos level": acceptable energy, movement and sound levels vary from teacher to teacher. I suggest knowing yours and planning accordingly.
• Establish a routine at every site. For example, at a pre-school we do this EVERY week: socks and shoes off with socks tucked in shoes and lined up neatly (that’s an OHMazing™ choice); sit with mat; when I call your name bring your mat; unroll where I invite; sit in mariposa/mariposa dormida so I know you’re ready. Closing is similar.
• Wear comfortable but yoga-professional attire.
• Be prepared and flexible. Arrive early to set up; have time to clean up so you are not hurried.
• Use positive reinforcement instead of critical language or “that’s wrong.” If I have a child who wants to do other poses, I might say, “Tom, WE are in boat pose. Please join us.” I praise the kids who are following directions and try to give them my attention.
• Change the  tone of your voice to get attention: when their voices get louder, I purposefully get softer.
• A sense of humor goes a loooong way.
• Have fun. ;-)
  
  
  
  
  
  Elizabeth “Beth” Reese, Ph.D., E-RYT, RCYT, is the founder and executive director of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. A yoga practitioner for over 13 years, Beth is the mother of three OHMazing yogis under the age of 13. Her oldest daughter, Jordan, is part of 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: A New Winter Snack

by Meredith Blanks Paterson

Today I want to tell you about my rather unholy obsession with... dun dun dun... kale. I love it. I used to hate it, but that was because I didn't know how to prepare it. It can be a finicky little green, but when it's treated well, it becomes so tasty, and I can feel it healing my body. I'm actually craving it daily now.

My latest trick-- you may be far ahead of me on this-- is kale chips. Kids will love helping out with these! There is a very special moment when the kale actually changes color in this recipe.

There are lots of great recipe variations out there. Experiment with different seasonings and let me know what you come up with.

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or less--to taste)

Supplies:
cookie sheet
parchment paper (optional)
large bowl
salad spinner (optional, but very helpful)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Kid-friendly: Wash the kale thoroughly. Separate the leaves from the tough stems.  Kids will love ripping the leaves off. I like to save the stems for juicing or to put in long-cooking soups when they'll have time to soften substantially.
3. Kid-friendly: Dry the leaves in a salad spinner and/or with towels. They need to be really dry. Kids are the perfect salad spinning assistants.
4. Kid-friendly: Put the dry leaves in a big bowl and take a picture (mental or with a camera). Pour in the olive oil and use your hands to mix the oil and leaves. Notice how the leaves turn a beautiful bright green when they've been massaged.
5. Kid-friendly: Spread the leaves out in a single layer on the cookie sheet. You may have two batches, depending on the size of your kale bunch.
6. Kid-friendly: Sprinkle with salt.
7. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes. I suggest checking after 8 minutes. The aim is for crispy but not brown or burnt.
8. Let them cool and enjoy them with your favorite holiday movie! (Perfect popcorn replacement!)

(vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free)

Mindful Holidays

Damla plays in double boat/barco doble/navasana with variation.

by Damla Eytemiz

While holiday events may encourage us to eat, drink, and be merry, we can be mindful about how we participate. Moderation in all things is necessary. Here are some of my reflections on how to have a great healthy holiday. 

Exercise regularly. Eat well. Holiday doesn’t mean you have to cut your exercise time, change your schedule or eating habits. Instead, try adding more activity in your life to cope with holiday stress. Exercise helps you to relax and reduce your stress. Plus, if you do attend more gatherings with delicious foods, the added activity will help prevent possible seasonal weight gain.

Connect the season to your activities: dance to your favorite carols, walk around the neighborhood and marvel at the decorations, make snowballs, work with your kids to make healthy holiday snacks and teach them how to make OHMazing choices no matter the season.

Oranges are examples of "candy from the Earth."

At a recent class in La Palmera mall for the TideTurner's event, Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® founder and CEO, Beth Reese, and I passed out clementine oranges reminding kids to eat "candy form the earth." Fruit has sugar in it, too! The difference is the sugar is natural and the pulp and fiber in fruit forces our body to digest the sugar more slowly than in foods with added sugar.



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.  

Poised for Possibility: Strike a Pose to Rock the Butte

Meredith (right) and I have tons of fun transforming
traditional asanas into playful partner poses!

by Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D., RYT, RCYT

It's no secret that I love to practice yoga-off-the-mat: brushing my teeth, waiting for coffee, in-line anywhere, traveling.... you name it! I also enjoy traveling to new places to meet new friends and experience yoga, like Yoga Rocks the Butte Festival for all ages including FAMILIES in February!

Try this pose with your family and friends then SEND ME PICTURES to enter a drawing to win a pass to YOGA ROCKS THE BUTTE!

One of my favorite poses to play with is Arbol/Vrksasana/Tree. We offer instructions in English and Spanish to extend our limbs to as many friends as possible.

• Start in Mountain Pose with feet strong (think about your four points of contact)
• Reach forward to grab your right ankle. Put bottom of right foot against upper left thigh

  

  Teachers play "Mirror Tree" pose to extend the
  asana into pratyhara or cultivation of the senses.

• Keep a firm foundation while tightening hips & belly for strength
• Place hands on hips & lengthen your body.
• Hands meet at heart center in Anjali Mudra.
  
• Comienza en pose de Montaña con los pies fuertemente plantados en el piso (piensa en tus cuatro puntos de contacto)
• Estírate hacia adelante para agarrar tu tobillo derecho. Coloca la planta del pie derecho contra la parte superior del muslo izquierdo.
• Mantén una base firme al mismo tiempo que tensas las caderas y la panza para obtener mayor fuerza.



Andersen, my 4 year old Yogiña, sports
Vrksasana almost anywhere, anytime!

• Coloca las manos en las caderas y estira tu cuerpo.



Middle school yogis play in Arbol and add a ball or sandbag
to turn the pose into the OHMazing™ game, Tree Toss.

• Las manos se encuentran en el centro a la altura del corazón para Anjali Mudra.

Our Teacher Training in Crested Butte found us hiking and
striking Tree pose along the way. Join us at Yoga for the Peaceful
in June for another Teacher Training among the mountains!

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.

Together at the Table: Allergic to the Holidays

by Meredith Blanks Paterson

Holidays are fraught with emotion for everyone, and those emotions can be particularly heightened around the subject of food. Holiday celebrations revolve around food, and the preparation and eating of the food is a ritual sacred to many households. 

When you or a family member has food sensitivities, food allergies, and special dietary needs, the weight of those traditions suddenly becomes more apparent, and you fear doing anything to disturb them. I play the zero-sum game with myself each time. Which is worse, getting sick or calling attention to myself with my special food? Typing that question makes me sad, but I consider it at each social meal.

Gluten-Free Easily is hosting an
extravaganza of allergy-friendly holiday recipes
to help create new traditions.

If you have a child with food allergies, the holidays mean well-meaning relatives offering spoons to lick and handfuls of treats at all hours of the day. You worry that hyper-vigilance won't be enough, and that maybe staying home is always the best option.

Several online resources have helped me handle both the emotional side of social eating-- the fear, the shame, the anxiety-- and the practical how-tos of what to bring when I go out to eat or to a friend or family member's house. These resources have also helped me realize that there are so many things that I can eat instead of focusing only on what I have had to remove from my diet. They make me feel excited about food again.

If you need a place to start, this post from Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom really resonated with me and made me realize that making myself sick was not worth it.



Here are some resources that I have found helpful. Most cover multiple food allergies and sensitivities. Lots of great recipes and advice in each link.

Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom
Elana's Pantry
M.A.G
The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
Gluten-Free Easily

What are your tips for handling the holidays on a special diet? Share with us any resources and recipes you have found.

Together at the Table: What's on Your Plate?

by Meredith Paterson
I wanted to write today about two OHMazing™, tenacious activists who were curious about something and set out to find answers. And they were only 11 years old.

Sadie and Safiyah, © Aubin Pictures

In the documentary What's on Your Plate?, produced and directed by Catherine Gund, Sadie and Safiyah, two friends in New York City, set out to get answers about where their food comes from and how it gets to their tables. They interview people from many different aspects of our food system. They go to grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and school cafeterias as well as to farmers' markets and farms-- all in a quest to determine how our food system works and why it has gotten to the point of our food being "trucked over 1,500 miles before we bite into it. And seeds are engineered to die out after one season in order to ensure corporate control of the food chain." (Catherine Gund)

This is a can't-miss film, an incredible opportunity to talk about food with your family and to look at the system together so that everyone can make educated choices about what they put in their mouths.

"Kids need to know the full benefits of local food: more energy-efficient production,
more prosperous farmers, healthier communities, longer lasting and better tasting
fruits and veggies. Kids need to know that their food doesn’t only come from the
supermarket or the factory, but from nearby farms, trees and the ground. Adults
need to be empowered to share this information with the next generation. . . .

These days, when I tell my kids to eat their veggies, I also have to tell them that I am
willing to fight for their opportunity to do so. This film represents a part of that
work. . . .

The film culminates with a delicious local meal cooked by the girls and
friends they have made along the way. Sadie and Safiyah formulate sophisticated
and compassionate opinions about urban sustainability, and by doing so inspire
hope and active engagement in others." (www.whatsonyourplateproject.org)

Filming at the Union Square Farmers Market
with eco-chef Bryant Terry © Aubin Pictures

The film's website has lots of resources for kids, parents, and educators including blogs, recipes, curriculum guides to go with the film and more.

A reader-submitted recipe to the website for a your What's on Your Plate? movie night.

Super Cauliflower-tastic 

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• Water
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (more if, less if)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt & Black or White Pepper to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste

1. Trim cauliflower stalks and separate florets. In large stockpot, add cold water and 1-2 garlic cloves. Place cauliflower in large steamer basket and place into stockpot. Bring to boil, about 10 minutes.
2. When cooked, remove water and toss boiled garlic in with the cauliflower. Remove the strainer. Return pot to low heat and add olive oil. Mash all with potato masher.
3. If you don’t have a potato masher, use the back of a heavy spoon or fork.
4. Taste and add salt and experiment with the use of white or black pepper seasoning. Use crushed red pepper for garnish for to spice up the dish.
5. Serve warm - tastes great cold too!
*Adding your favorite fresh herbs bring a different taste thrill - try dill or oregano. Try a lemon squeeze over a bite-ful for a tasty zing...