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.