November Yoga-Snack in MS. Forzaglia's class/Brown School, Natick, MA

We started seated in a wide stance butterfly pose (feet not pulled in close to the body) and then relaxed over our legs. Focusing on our breath and with each exhale, allowing the breath to accumulate three fingers below the belly button (a great place to store breath energy)

Class today was centered on finding balance in the crazy holiday season. Things that were mentioned: The setting back of our clocks, which changed the amount of daylight hours, and how that can affect your mood and energy level.; Eating varied foods and eating at different times which can upset your intestinal balance; The desire for certain gifts/the wanting can be unsettling; Changes in the household when guests visit; vacation time and finally because of the colder weather less time out doors and maybe less physical activity.

All of these things can lead to unbalance and the beauty of yoga is that is a very simple way we can bring balance back into our lives. The poses, the breathing, the meditation will help us relax or energize.

Sitting up, we tucked our feet under our bottoms and sat between the two heels (big toes crossed) stretched our arms behind us and pressed our finger tips into the floor-which lifts and opens our chest and opens our hearts for a burst of energy.

Then a modified opposite nostril breathing exercise:
1. Close of the right nostril with the thumb of your right hand.
2. Breath in and out with just the left nostril; repeat but this time on the exhale imagine a murky, swampy green color leaving through your left nostril (good bye to greed and envy); repeat
3. Now let go of right nostril and close off your left nostril with the ring and pinky finger of right hand.
4. Breath in and out with just the right nostril; repeat but this time on the exhale imagine a watery red color leaving through your right nostril (good bye to anger and hate); repeat
5. Let go of both nostrils.
6. Breath in and out with both nostrils; repeat but this time on the exhale imagine a dark, smokey grey color leaving through both nostrils (good bye to the dull, foggy sleepy mind); repeat

"You should now feel light, happy and aware" "Try putting a smile on your face and just see how that makes you feel better"

Cow (inhale) moooooooo to Cat (exhale) Meoooowwwww (hands under shoulder and knees under hips)
Plank (shoulders right over wrists; strong bellies; drop tail)
Side Plank (and for challenge try tree pose leg)
Plank
Down to floor and hissing up and moving spine-Cora Pose
Repeat whole sequence and do side plank on other side
Downward Facing Dog
Walk hands back to Standing Forward Bend back to Downward Facing Dog
Standing Tree Pose-variations of arms
Star Pose to Warrior 1 (I am courageous!) to Warrior 2 (I am Brave!) to Dancing Warrior (I am amazing!) to Extended Side Angle pose (use a good in breath to start to come out of the pose and finish with an exhale). Repeat fro Star Pose and sequence on other side.

A-E-I-O-U Meditation:
Sitting cross legged; pointer finger out and using thumb to hold other fingers curled
I am happy; I am good. I am happy; I am good (Shake pointer fingers)
A-E-I-O (hands together at the belly button) ; A-E-I-O (hands together by the heart) ; A-E-I-O (hands together by the forehead); U (hands reaching up to sky).
Ha-ha-ha-ha (hands together by the forehead) ; He-he-he-he (hands together by the heart) ; Ho-ho-ho-ho (hands together at the belly button) ; Hooooooo (pronounced "who" hands reaching our by the knees).


Sequence:
2 times out loud
2 times whisper
2 times in head (continue hand movements)
2 times whisper
2 times out loud

Namaste! Ole!
Eve

Yoga-Snack in Ms. Forzaglia's class #2

This was my second time bringing my Yoga-Snack program into Ms. Forzaglia's fourth grade class and I felt the kids' energy right from the beginning. They were all psyched to see me when I came into the class and we pretty much got started right away (well we start class but then have to take a break for the Pledge and for school announcements).

I have been reading up a lot on the Fight or Flight Response in conjunction with my Warriors At Ease program that I am involved in (Warriors At Ease is  a yoga program that is geared to the military community that I am becoming certified in. I will be teaching a class at Edwards Church in Framingham MA) and it came naturally into the beginning of today's class as we discussed that yoga helps us reduce the stress in our lives.

We began sitting comfortably on the floor and for an exercise in changing our habits, I had each student notice which way they originally crossed their legs (making that their natural criss-cross position) and then had them switch the cross, just to feel the difference (Yoga is a great way for us to notice our habits and change them). We did three belly breaths and I explained that for good yogic breathing, when we fill our bellies with air on our inhale to think of a beach ball and if you press down in the center of it, the two sides would lift around your hands).

Next we play a right brain/ left brain game called The Nose Knows (slap legs two times, clap two times, grab nose with right hand and reach across with left hand to hold right ear; slap legs two times, clap two times, grab nose with left hand and reach across with right hand to hold left ear. Repeat trying to get faster and faster-a great brain balancing activity).

With some music, we did three modified A series: mountain pose, arms up for high mountain, breath in and drop your head back and gaze at your hands, breathing out, folding forward, breathing in 1/2 way lift, breathing out to plank: here we did knee to nose, before melting down to the floor, then breathing in, cobra pose, hissing up and down making our bodes move like a snake, then with a good out breath, pressing up into downward facing dog pose. Here we lifted our legs for three legged dog and let out a few woofs and barks.

Resting in child's pose and then getting onto hands and knees, we did table top balance pose (right hand off floor and left leg stretched back, then switching sides).

Star pose to triangle to side angle stretch to warrior 2 for a short flow sequence.

Lastly, I went for an all time favorite, Yogini Went to Sea which is a yoga song with movement that I use (created by my dear friend and mentor Shakta Khalsa of Radiant Child Yoga). This song is actually a way of getting children to mediate by focusing on the song only and breathing well during the movement and singing along.

Savasana to end class.

¡Ole Namaste!

Eve

John Steven Gurley comes to Brown Elementary School, Natick, MA

Today I volunteered for the Cultural Arts Committee at Brown Elementary to sit in on the visit by John Steven Gurney, the illustrator for the A-Z mysteries and writer/illustrator of other books Dinosaur Train (and to our delight we discovered he has  also illustrated games such as "Guess Who? and jigsaw puzzles.

Mr. Gurney began his presentation by telling the students the many different projects he has illustrated, over 120 books now! He told them how he came to be an illustrator and an author. He talked about his childhood love of drawing and how that grew and expanded as he became an adult. I liked that he said "pictures tell a story". He explained that first he reads what an author has written and then using his imagination, he draws his own artistic interpretations. This is his form of communication and he notes that a good picture should tell you what you are looking at but a really good picture keeps revealing more details each time you look at it.

His Power Point presentation began by showing one of his illustrations and his talking about his use of symbolism to communicate what the picture is representing. He explained he needed to think of colors, lighting and character design for each illustration. I liked that Mr. Gurney showed the children an interesting career path and he allowed that many paths can come from a love to draw and that this was only the path he chose and that going to college helped him make wise career choice. He used beautiful strong words, such as imagination, originality and inspiration (both loving to inspire and to be inspired).

He explained when he illustrates that he has to ponder some points:

1. What is the illustration going to be used for?

2. Character Design

3. How to get the characters in the illustration to relate to each other

For a book cover, consider:

1. Main Characters

2. Not to give the ending away, but show what the book is about.

3. Make the reader curious!

The best part of the Power Point was his layout of the rough draft to completion of the book he both authored and illustrated "Dinosaur Train". It was very informative and gave a real slice of life of the journey he took.

 I really enjoyed this presentation especially in connection to the fact that the third grades' next monthly book project is "making a book jacket for a book they have just read. Mr. Gurney is soft spoken, but had the children listening to what he had to say. Even at times when the kids began to squirm, he found a way to pull them back in. I was impressed at how focused this whole group of 3rd and 4th graders were. I recommend his visit especially for the 3/4 grade level as I can see how pertinent his presentation was to their curriculum.

The event ended with some fast and fun group drawing activities that had the all the kids (and me) laughing and collaborating and enjoying themselves.

His website:

http://www.johnstevengurney.com/  (check school visits section)

The following is an excerpt from his website:

The main focus of my presentation is the thought process involved in the creation of an illustration.  I discuss my background and my creative process as an author and illustrator. I touch briefly on the business of publishing. I show a PowerPoint presentation that focuses on my own development specifically, and generally on what makes any illustration an effective device for telling a story (it should be noted that because of the nature of my work, many of slides are quite funny -but don't tell the kids that, let it be a surprise), I demonstrate with volunteers from the audience how I have kids pose as models for my illustrations. In closing I  draw an 18 x 24 caricature of someone from the audience. If we can get the kids some clip boards with paper (or their notebooks) I can lead them in some fun drawing activities.