WSR Creative

Yoga teacher and New Roads School faculty member Abby Wills has teamed with the filmmakers at WSR Creative to create a visually inventive Yoga DVD program that captures the visual aesthetic of young, hip, urban cool. Wills has drawn on her background and training in Yoga and childhood development to create provide engaging instruction for breathing and meditation practices and guide the shanti warriors – the students on screen.

The introductory screen combines images of youth with a background evocative of shanti (Sanskrit for peace). Available features include a library of poses to review technique, “Choose your Path” which provides a variety of practices, “Breathing Room” with breath instructions, the “Self-Connection Room” featuring meditation techniques and short interviews with the students.

Themes include: creating happiness, choosing peace and energy amplified. The practices are taught in a choice of English, Spanish or Japanese, making the same disc suitable for a wide range of students and situations.

Beyond asana (posture), Self-Connection offers Wills’ guided meditation instruction to help students “relax and connect to their source of power in any situation.”

The segment, Meet the Peacemakers, features interviews with the diverse group of students who practice on screen: Dante, Gyasi, Janely, Kaya, Kimberly, Kyoko and Starlight. They reveal the superpower they’d like to have, why they started Yoga and what it does for them and they all express their joy in sharing what they know with others. Clips like shots of Dante skateboarding can be a tool to convince young people of the cool factor or to showcase images of a relatable peer group.

Throughout, Wills emphasized safety and self-awareness as cornerstones of the practice, reinforcing the uplifting message of self-empowerment and community involvement. Join the Shanti Warriors for a DVD release party at Yogaglo September 12. shantigeneration.com

-FMT

Author: LA Yoga Magazine
Publisher:  LA Yoga Magazine
Source: http://www.layogamagazine.com

Shanti Generation – Yoga Skills for Youth Peacemakers is smart, informative and cool, with five comprehensive asana sequences, a library of poses, and separate portions on breathing and meditation. Shanti Generation Co-founder and creator , Abby Wills leads the students in on-camera introductions and off-screen instruction. You won’t find bright colors, pop music or a bubbly tone here. Wills’ approach is calm but serious, and the camera’s focus on the student (not the instructor) connects the at-home viewer to the peacemaker’s experience.

The Shanti Generation DVD is as comprehensive as any yoga DVD I’ve seen. I really appreciate the introductory explanations to each chapter, as Abby respectfully speaks to her pre-teen and teen audience in a tone that could be heard in any adult studio class. The students on screen describe their individual connection to yoga in a special chapter called “Meet the Peacemakers,” a particularly important feature for teaching the benefits of yoga to this age group.

Although the asana sequences at times move fast, and perhaps don’t explain every pose in detail, any teen can follow this DVD and will easily learn the techniques with repetition or the help of a more experienced yogi, teacher or parent.

In a market saturated by younger kids’ yoga products, it’s a treat to find an enticing and valuable yoga resource for this age group. Ms. Wills calm yet present voice and her ability to connect with the audience provides the perfect opportunity to build healthy habits and life-long wellness among older kids.

Author: Amy Bevan
Publisher:  The Kids Yoga Resource
Source: http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com/2010/01/shanti-generation-takes-kids-yoga-seriously.html

James and I were at the recent Global Mala event in Los Angeles and we bumped into an old friend Abby Wills of the Shanti Generation.  It was a warm day, amplified by the heat coming off the tarmac but for a very enjoyable forty-five minutes, we hung out with Abby and watched a part of her new yoga DVD for kids, The Shanti Generation.  We loved it.   But it is much more than a DVD.   Here’s more on Abby and the inspiration behind it all:

What is the Shanti Generation? It is a movement to empower youth with peacemaking skills.  What we do is produce educational media that bring together ancient and modern practices to young people, with the help of young people.  We are a platform where their wisdom is heard.

How did you first become involved with yoga? I was in an Eastern Philosophy class at my freshman year at the University of South Alabama.  One of the assigned readings was from the Upanishads, which I found enthralling.  I found it matched my own innate sense of life.  From that point onward I immersed myself in Eastern thought and traditions.  I took my first yoga class in 1995 in Los Angeles and it is now part of my everyday existence.

When did you first want to teach yoga to kids and why? I first starting teaching dance to young children when I was 16 years old and continued to teach throughout my undergrad studies.   I did my first yoga teacher training at the Sivananda Yoga Vendanta Center in India in 1997 and transitioned over to teaching yoga.  In 1999, I was doing the Yoga Works teacher training and Maty Ezraty invited me to teach the children’s classes there.

I love working with children because they seem to have direct access to the spiritual aspects of yoga.  I’ve worked with many youth who have faced major troubles and trauma and seen how yoga helps them to develop their resilience.  It’s so inspiring.  My hope is that they take these skills to adulthood and allow the consciousness of yoga to permeate everywhere – in the environment, politics, finance and relationships.

What is your biggest challenge? I would have to say the sustainability and depth of programs that teach yoga to kids.  Some great programs have closed due to lack of funding or organizational structure.  Also its really hard for institutions to find qualified teachers of yoga for children.  Sometimes when a teacher leaves a program, it fades away until a replacement is found. Also many studios offer only one or two classes a week for kids and there’s a catch 22.  It’s hard for studios to add more classes when those classes are often not full.  Parents can place a higher priority on other things like soccer or dance.  It’s understandable as kids’ activities that offer opportunities for community interaction are important for families.  What’s good though is that there’s more all ages yoga events happening.  Commitment will grow as the programs grow.

What inspires you? My students.  I want to share yoga with as many young people as possible.  I decided I could reach more youth this way than driving around LA like a maniac!  With the DVD, we are offering yoga to kids who don’t have access to a yoga studio or in-school yoga programs.  I also want to share this DVD with other yoga teachers of children.  Ideally, this DVD is a ‘text-book’ so kids can practice at home.

What is your long term vision of the Shanti Generation? Ultimately, it is to contribute to social justice, equality and planetary healing by empowering youth to make choices steeped in consciousness.  We have a Youth Peacemakers Training program that teaches young people how to teach yoga to their peers.  We have an amazing list of guest teachers on board, including Dr Chris Chapple, Julie Kleinman, Felicia Tomasko, Hala Khouri with Yogaglo hosting.  We also offer facilitator’s trainings to guide teachers and parents to create Youth Peacemaker Circles in their own communities.  I jokingly say we want to be the Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts of the consciousness movement!

How can people get involved? There are a number of ways!  Buy our DVD and pass it on to young people.  If you don’t know any, buy it as a gift to a school or library.  Inspire and mentor youth to get involved in a Youth Peacemakers Training.  Be a participant in our Facilitator’s Training.  Join our team as a volunteer in admin, legal consultation, promotions or outreach.  And you can spread the word – our DVD is translated in Spanish and Japanese.  Tell your friends and ask your yoga studio to carry it.

Author: Yoga Tribe And Culture
Publisher:  Yoga Tribe And Culture
Source: http://www.yogatribeandculture.com/blog/index.php?p=197

I’ve spent the past week watching and exploring the Shanti Generation: Yoga Skills for Youth Peacemakers DVD. It is fabulous! Abby Wills has created a wonderful tool for teens to discover yoga and peace. With all poses, exercises and sequences demonstrated by teens, along with Abby’s calm narrative and guidance, and a grovin’ soundtrack, this DVD is a tool all teens can use to discover and practice yoga.

I especially liked Abby’s verbal cues while the teens do the poses. She provides gentle but specific instructions that guide and deepen the practice bringing awareness to the body and mind. There is plenty of variety here from active sequences to calming ones which is useful for teens to be able to choose their workout according to their personal needs on any given day. The teens themselves are wonderful and perform the poses properly, with intention and joy.

On the DVD you’ll find:

• Pathways -5 different 30 minute yoga routines
• Library of Poses – 18 mini sequences
• Breathing Room – 5 breathing exercises
• Self-Connection – 2 awareness practices
• Interviews with the teen yogis
• Spanish and Japanese translations

From packaging to the underlying message this DVD is designed to respect nature and promote peace. It’s wonderful to see a DVD made specifically for those aged 10-15. The vocabulary, set, teen models, and concepts are age appropriate but also can apply to adults, which makes it ideal for parents/teachers and pre-teens/teens to do together.

I will be recommending this DVD during my workshop Yoga for Teens as a tool parents, teachers, youth leaders, and counsellors can use to practice yoga with youth. Thank you Shanti Generation for creating such a wonderful resource. It is desperately needed and will be well used.

Author: Yoga in My School
Publisher: Yoga in My School
Source: http://yogainmyschool.com/2010/01/20/shanti-generation-dvd-a-winner-for-teens-teachers/

Author: Yoga Chicago
Publisher:  Yoga Chicago
Source: http://www.yogachicago.com

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