In his first State of the Union address last night, President Obama proudly announced his wife Michelle’s intention to champion the cause of combating childhood obesity. This is great news for the children of our nation whose physical education programs continue to be cut and who suffer from lack of access to nutritious food in [ Read More ]

Part Two of a series of 5 posts on teaching mindfulness to youth. These techniques are geared especially for youth ages 11-15 years.
“The obstacle is the path.”  ~ Zen proverb
This well known old Zen riddle becomes sparklingly clear when teaching mindfulness to youth. Ask young people to sit still and pay attention to [ Read More ]

Part one of a series of 5 posts on teaching mindfulness to youth. These techniques are geared especially for youth ages 11-15 years.
Mindfulness is described as “allowing things to be as they are, resting in awareness, and then, taking appropriate action when called for” (Jon Kabat Zinn). Introducing adolescents to the practice of mindfulness requires [ Read More ]

A film crew from Australia, headed up by Kate Clere, came to New Roads Middle School today to film our yoga classes. They are making a documentary on women and yoga. Kate wanted to interview teen girls who practice yoga.
As always, I was impressed by my students who spoke so articulately about their yogic experiences.
The [ Read More ]

To build context and develop the meaning of peace, I often use inquiries to prompt discussions with students. I’ve used the simple question, “What does peace sound like to you?’ for years in yoga classes with children and youth. Here are a few of my favorite answers:
~ “The garbage truck.” Diego, 4
~ “My mommy’s voice.” [ Read More ]

On September 11, 2001, I was set to teach a yoga class to young children ages 3-6. Horrified by the mornings events, I called the studio, Yoga Works, to find out if we were still having classes. I had hoped the answer would be ‘no’ because I was not sure how to approach the days [ Read More ]

Our moods effect our movements and likewise. Think about how your body moves when you are tired. Maybe your feet drag and your shoulders droop a bit. Now, remember how your body felt the last time you were excited about seeing someone you love and had not seen for a while. Remember the spring in [ Read More ]

Scientists and leading educators are building a movement to encourage more emotional support in the classroom. As a yoga teacher, I could not be happier about that! Yoga, by it’s very nature, bolsters emotional awareness and aids in emotional regulation. Yoga provides an opportunity to become aware of our emotions, as well as tools to manage [ Read More ]

“Peace is, like, when you can just take a moment to breath.” Ella, 7th Grade