Youth Yoga Update for January/February 2014: Chakras, Prana Vayus, Koshas, Mandalas...Colored Markers!

Youth Yoga Update for January/February 2014



Monday night youth yoga, held at Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA has been going strong now for two years. I really enjoy the class because with this group anything goes. We are all really happy to be together on Mondays, whether it is sunny or cold and damp...we all just want to be there.












For the past two months, coloring has been a really big thing for us. There is just something so relaxing and focusing about coloring, and friendship building, that we have found a nice rhythm coming to our mats, practicing our yoga with poses, breath and meditation, and then hunker down for some group coloring time. It started with pictures of bare trees and we wrote affirmations in the roots and branches, to fill our trees up with positive statements and observations. That moved onto focus wheels, with the center circle stating "I AM" and then the external circles embracing our qualities of goodness, trustworthiness, warmth etc. I then came across a nice coloring book of Mandalas and off we went, coloring mandalas. Relaxing in their overall affect.

This past Monday, I came in with a picture I had created that integrated the Chakras, the Prana Vayus, and the Koshas. We started class with an exercise that was inspired by Edna Reinhardt of Yoga Education Resource's marble adventure (I had meant to bring my marbles but forgot them, but luckily I had all my colored markers with me). We started by all taking Baddha Konasana (butterfly pose), I dropped all the markers in the center of our mandala shape and we went to it, sorting the markers and adding them to open spaces that our feet had created. Releasing this pose, we then divvied up the markers in color families: green/grey/black, blue/purple, pink/brown and yellow/orange/red. We each created shapes with our markers, whatever inspired us. This led us to seeing that we each possessed certain colors that lead to a creation of an earth, grass, flower, sun & sky picture. Which then naturally led to the creation of a waterfall, complete with all our socks, which somehow were all greeny/bluey colored, as a water fall at the end of our rainbow.

This was such a nice focusing activity to start class. We then talked about different uses for breath and practiced using Ujjayi breath and also to feel the relaxation of our throats (I had them imagine they were yawning with their mouths closed to give them the effect of an open throat). I was able to then jump right into a series of poses, while at the same time taking about the Chakras and feeling our colors, with a special focus on the throat chakra-which is blue-and again noting that we were all dressed in variations of blue, so it seemed so appropriate to focus on this. In each pose I reminded them to pay attention to their throats, to allow the flow of energy there and to release the tension so as not to be constricted.
Class flowed beautifully, Savasana at the end with lovely lilac filled eye pillows. Soft flamenco music played throughout the class.

¡Ole Namaste!
Eve



What is a Mandala?
The meaning of mandala comes from Sanskrit meaning "circle." Mandalas are geometric designs symbolic of the universe that are used as an aid to meditation.
How to use a Mandala?
1.Set your intention for your practice/life (An intention is a promise you make to yourself and a way of putting logic and beliefs into action. One way to set your intention is to focus on something you are grateful for. You can also set it based on a quality you want: spontaneity, flexibility, peace of mind, inspiration, concentration...)
The design of the mandala is meant to attract the viewer visually, so much so that the mind becomes absorbed by it. The design’s hypnotic effect relaxes the mind. With a relaxed mind, the individual is able to focus his attention inwards rather than focusing on life’s usual distractions. In this state, imagination flows which in turn increases creativity, sympathy, and self respect.
2.Focus on the mandala. Let your eyes take in the radiance of its designs. Release your mind. Recognize when your mind wanders back to your list of choirs or your concerns and simply bring your attention back to the beauty of the mandala. Let the mandala absorb your attention. In time, you will begin to feel luminous and fresh and spontaneous thoughts may arise. Relax and allow these thoughts in. If at any time you begin to feel lost, uncomfortable or distracted, re-focus your attention back on the mandala. Everyone’s experience will be different but meditating with the mandala can be relaxing and you can come away with a clarity concerning the intention that you set at the beginning of your practice.

Winter-Spring 2014 Youth Flamenco & Yoga Classes with Eve Costarelli

Winter-Spring 2014 Youth Flamenco & Yoga Classes with Eve Costarelli

Mondays:
Youth Yoga (Ages 8+)
4:30-5:30PM
Open Spirit, 39 Edwards St., Framingham, MA 
Wednesdays:
Youth Flamenco (Ages 5-16)
4:00-5:00PM (Ages 5-10) Level 1
5:00-6:00PM (Ages 11-16) Level 2
Dance Complex, 536 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA 
Thursdays:
Youth Yoga (Ages 8-14)
3:00-4:00PM (please call to inquire 617-566-9642)
DownUnder Yoga, 1052 Beacon St., Brookline 
Youth Flamenco (ages 4-12)
4:30-5:15PM (Ages 4-7)
5:15-6:15PM (Ages 8-12)
*Brookline Location TBD; please call or email to inquire: 617-5216-1643; AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com

• Bring The Birth of Flamenco to your school or community event. Discover the fiery art of Flamenco, a creation of the Roma (or Gypsies) who fused dance from Spaniards, music from the Moors and song from Sephardic Jews. Through movement, music and words, Eve Costarelli traces the origins of this emotive form from India to Andalusia. In addition to Flamenco’s rich history, students will learn about compás (rhythm) tacaneo (footwork) and the communication between dancer and guitarist. They’ll join in the performance using palmas (clapping rhythms) and jaleo (calls) and volunteers will be called upon to learn a few moves!
  
  Please contact Jason Rabin at Young Audiences of Massachusetts for more information and scheduling questions. Workshops available. scheduling@yamass.org or call 617-629-9262 
• Eve is available for private/semi private/ family lessons, birthday parties for all ages, performances.

Contact Eve Costarelli 617-216-1643 or AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com; www.AlwaysBeDancing.com

Breath Easy Through The Season: And above all dance flamenco!

Thanksgiving is surely a time to be thankful for all the good graces that are in our lives, but truth be told it can also be a stressful time. All ages, kids to adult, have to combat overeating, stress, sadness, lack of exercise and imbalance.

I like to make sure my students have a few good things  in their tool box of way to cope with these feelings.

Remember if things do get stressful:

1. Breath: inhale though your nose and out through your nose. Try to elongate the exhale to calm you.

2. Do a simple inversion: forward bends, which can be done leaning forward onto a chair if the floor is just too far away. Yoga poses like forward bend and downward facing dog raise your blood pressure enough to trigger the body's natural calming mechanisms (do not do inversions if you have high blood pressure-the best thing here to do would be to sit and rest your head on a table).

3. Do heart opening poses to combat depression: cobra, bridge, bow, wheel, locust, fish, camel. Simply you can sit on a chair, place your hands by your sides, lift up your chest and feel you back arching up.

4. You can tame feelings of fear and instability by doing twists, hip openers and side bends. These will help balance your emotions: butterfly, child's pose, 1/2 lord of the fishes, simple lying twist and dimple seated twist (on the floor or in a chair).

5. DANCE FLAMENCO! Above all let your hearts be free, it will help you digest your food and you will feel great!

Here is a past post of mine called "Smell The Roses In Your Poses" 

http://alwaysbdancing.blogspot.com/2012/11/smell-roses-in-your-poses-thanksgiving.html

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

¡Ole! ¡Namaste!

My yoga classes of late....

Recently, my yoga classes have been based on the idea of subliminal messaging that is found in ads, movies etc. By adding affirmations subliminally to each pose/pranyama/meditation (in the descriptions), these subliminal messages will in turn affect the "yogi" to feel a certain way...these are the affirmations I am basing my affirmations on : happy, lucky, grateful and peaceful (these branch out to trusting, trustworthy, rooted, grounded, brave etc...love my thesaurus).

For art work, we have been making pictures of trees and in the branches and along the roots we have been writing our own affirmations. Also, focus wheels, with the center circle stating "I AM" and then the external circles embracing our qualities of goodness, trustworthiness, bravado etc...

I have also created a sound track for my upcoming Brighton High School classes:

1. Transform by TJ Rehmi (sorry no YouTube for this one)

2. Om Namah Shivaya by Sheila Chandra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiN6lX4RPMM

3. Sleep Tonight (Jr Boys Remix) by Stars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXbxbMUZUsE

4. The Sun Can't COmpare by Larry Heard ft. Mr White http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN0dsZOBQec

5. The Garden by Cut Chemist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHhlaspXVgo

6. The Rain Falls And The Sky Shudders by Moby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dMhGBXj6MU

7. Rock On Hanuman (Omstrumental) by MC Yogi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4bCMqGmjAU

8. Give Me The Sunshine by Leo's Sunshipp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svpLLvctiY0

9. Lost Ine The World by Chamberlain (Kanye West/ Bon Iver cover) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pK1dcCdY-0 

10. Raga Madhu-Kauns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zy-ZFYn7R0

Using nesting dolls to explain the koshas

Yoga for kids can be geared to teach them the meaning of yoga but with lightness, lots of levity and tons of exploration. Recently, I have been thinking of how to teach the koshas to kids. I have found that studying and teaching Esoteric Anatomy informs my practice and teaching in a beneficial way. The study of the subtle body’s energies and structures supports my true nature. Focusing on the energy inside your body is a great way to notice tensions, relaxation, and a great way to focus inside rather than just externally. I love feeling that the inside of me is just as powerful means for change as the outside.


In yoga, you can describe the functions of the perceptible (corporal) body and you can also describe the functions of the subtle (implied) body. The subtle anatomy of the humans is divided into five energetic sheaths known as ‘pancha kosha’. Pancha, meaning five and kosha, meaning layer or sheath. To explain these layers, I got out my Winnie The Pooh nesting doll-which by luck has exactly 5 layers. The outermost layer is Pooh, then Tigger, Eeyore, Owl and finally Piglet.

1. (Winnie the Pooh Body) Annamaya Kosha (Food Sheath/Physical Body)- This describes the physical body composed from the five elements but mainly from food and water. With this layer you experience awareness of sensation. Imbalance can be experienced by: muscle tension, too much or too little body weight, obsession with appearance. To balance: Eat a simple diet, rich in organic foods and unprocessed food and do twists.
   
2. (Tigger Body) Pranamaya Kosha (Pranic or Energy Sheath)-The Pranic or Energy Sheath, comprises the prana vayus*, nadis** and the chakras***. Prana, the vital breath which man lives by, is the bridge between the gross and subtle bodies as well as between the other koshas. Imbalance: nervous stress, anxiety, shortness of breath, depression, ADHD, exhaustion. Balance: pranayama, foreword bends for anxiety, backbends for depression.
   
3. (Eeyore Body) Manomaya Kosha (Mental or psycho-emotional Sheath)– Consists of thoughts and emotions. Expressed by ego and personality. Imbalance: fear, vengefulness, clinging attachment, mental illness. Balance: visualization, meditation, mantra chanting, inversions.
   
4. (Owl Body) Vijnyanamaya Kosha (Intellectual Sheath)– Governs intuition. Created by instinct. Imbalance: lack of trust, arrogance, lack of empathy, malcontent. Balance: walking and sitting meditations, solitude, spiritual study, and headstand.
   
5. (Piglet Body) Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Sheath)- The ‘bliss sheath’ is the seat of the inner essence or self and is where we metabolize our experience of Samadhi or a higher level of concentrated meditation. The mind is said to rest in its intrinsic natural state which is pure bliss. In reality (or spiritually) there are no imbalances at this level as the mind is free from ‘chitta vrittis’ or mental confusions and distractions; yet…Imbalance: ungrounded, unfocused, suicidal thoughts. Balance: use all strategies.
   

*Prana is the force/energy that is in our body which brings forth life. Vayu means winds. Prana viyus are energy winds inside the body.

** Nāḍis are the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual science, the energies of the subtle body are said to flow. They connect at special points of intensity called chakras.

***Chakra means “wheel” or “circular motion”. They are the psychic centers located in ascending order along the shushumna nadi (the spine) and are part of the nadi (“little rivers or streams”) system of yoga.

We started class lying in constructive rest, hands on belly, just noticing breath. I gave an intention for the practice which was that we were going to give our yoga practice our wholehearted attention-training the mind to regain its ability to be undistracted. This will help them to remain aware and conscious throughout the practice. I also began to explain how to do Ujjayi breath or Victory breath. With breaths in and out through the nostrils, I first had them imagine that the breath was coming from the soft spot directly in the middle of their collar bones, at the base of their throat. I explained the sound was audible only to themselves but it should have a soft oceanic pulse. Imagine they are really Darth Vader but they do not want anyone to know so making Darth Vader breath “silently”. From constructive rest, we moved on to an easy twist, something I learned in Svaroopa yoga, which I like a lot. Standing, breathing up and down from Up Mountain to Bent Over Forward Bend using the inhale to lift us and the exhale as we descended. This establishes a coordination of breath and movement. High lunge on both sides ending with Downward Facing Dog. Of course we had to try 3 legged dog with some leg wags and barks! As we began to use our breath more, I encouraged them to try their Ujjayi breathing. I also reminded them of our class intention, just a few subtle reminders and they kept on track. We then did Triangle, Tree and then Half -Moon, even going for a foot hold, which some people call Sugar Cane Pose...I just call it “Wheeeeee”! Sitting back down, Bound Angle Pose, to Revolved Head-to- Knee Pose, with Karate Chop action...taking the opposite arm, lifting it high by your ear and then bending over and karate chopping towards the pinky toe side of the extended leg to a simplified version of Marichyasana III. Of course, I threw in a number of Child's Poses throughout.

What came next was unplanned, but grew into the perfect activity to tie in the koshas. We lay the yoga blocks out in a pattern, like stepping stones. As each person began their trail, they would take the first block with them and then add it to the end of the trail, reshaping the shape. To make this an exercise in concentration, I first had them say “So” “Hum” as they walked, one syllable for each step. We then internalized this and it became a silent walking meditation. They had to pay attention to their feet or they wold fall off the blocks. The shape moved around and ended up heading into the kitchen, where after each block placement, they would walk around the kitchen island and back to the head of the trail. The shape slithered through the kitchen, back out again and across the floor, to the supply closet, where the carefully placed each block back in place and then quietly went back to their mats for Final Relaxation. This unplanned activity lasted a good 15 minutes. They all worked together, silently, and the joy and happiness radiated from within.

I love yoga!

¡Ole! ¡Namaste!

Here are some Baboushka coloring pages and crafts:

CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES FOR EVE COSTARELLI SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES FOR EVE COSTARELLI SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013


CLASSES:
Veteran’s Yoga (Mondays 6:15-7:15) Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

• This yoga class is free for all veterans, family members and providers. This class focuses on the specific needs of veterans. Experience the benefits of yoga to relieve stress, recover from trauma, focus the mind and heal the body. All veterans welcome regardless of age or physical ability. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Mats and props are provided. Please wear comfortable clothing and avoid eating at least one hour before class. (Classes are co-taught with Michael Thomas and Lynn Stoller)

Yoga for Tweens and Teens (Mondays 4:30-5:30; starts Monday September 30) Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

• Yoga is the perfect complement to all activities as it promotes flexibility, strength, friendliness and calmness. Students will learn yoga postures to work the body, breathing techniques to increase the flow of oxygen to the body’s tissues and meditation to calm the mind.

Youth Flamenco (ages 4-16) (Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 (ages 4-9) & 5:00-6:00 (ages 10-16)

The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

• Youth I (Level 1/2), ages 4-10

This class includes basic technique and technique to improve flamenco dance to include correct posture, hand, arm, and foot placement. The student will become familiar with basic flamenco vocabulary. The course will include exercises that will develop and improve the clarity of the students’ footwork, develop their upper-body to lower-body coordination as well as stamina and endurance are included. Basic castanet playing exercises are practiced. Basic to medium level footwork and choreographic variations are taught. Repertoire will be taught. Required attire: leotard or fitted top, castanets, flamenco shoes and skirt for girls. Castanets and flamenco boots for boys.

• Youth II (Level 2/3+), ages 10-16

This class offers Flamenco technique to improve posture, hand, arm, and foot placement. Exercises that will improve clarity of the students’ footwork, upper-body to lower-body coordination as well as stamina and endurance are included. Medium to complex footwork and choreographic variations are taught. Repertoire will be taught.

Required Attire: Flamenco shoes, flamenco skirt, leotard or fitted top, castanets. Castanets and flamenco boots for boys. Other dance accessories may be required such as Spanish hat, mantón and fan, when necessary.

WORKSHOPS:

Intro to Youth and adult Flamenco Workshops; Saturday October 19^th 2013 Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham

• Introduction to Youth Flamenco 1:00-2:00PM
• Adult Introductory Flamenco 2:30-3:45PM
  
• These introductory workshops will introduce beginners of all ages to the joys of flamenco dancing: the rhythms (compás), correct posture (postura) , arm and hand movements (braceo y floreo), footwork (taconeo) and the flamenco heart (duende). No previous dance experience is necessary.
  

All participants should wear hard bottomed shoes; women and girls should also wear skirts.

Pre-Registration is encouraged. For more information, please contact Eve Costarelli 617-216-1643 or AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com

PERFORMANCES:

ZARZUELA! SPANISH OPERA FROM THE BOSTON ARTS CONSORT TO YOU Saturday September 28^th 2013

• The Boston Arts Consort and the Democracy Center are proud to be part of Boston’s inaugural ArtWeek.

Zarzuela! Spain’s unique brand of opera filled with music, dance, comedy and passion is coming to the Democracy Center in Cambridge on Saturday, September 28th. Be part of the production by singing the fiery choruses and clapping to the rhythmic palmas of flamenco, while lovers woo and men duel over their señoritas, and get to know a little-known gem in Harvard Square —the Democracy Center, a non-profit haven that has been incubating grassroots organizations and providing space for events, classes, the arts, and community collaboration for over a decade with the goal of advancing peace and justice.
Drawing from the many talented musicians, artists and scholars from the Boston area and abroad since 2008, the Boston Arts Consort presents programs that combine the aesthetic, cultural, and historical elements of its themes for a well-rounded and enjoyable audience experience. The Boston Arts Consort performers include Elizabeth Leehey, clarinet; Eva Lorca, flamenco artist; Donal O’Sullivan, actor; Linda Papatopoli, pianist and director; Roberto Rios, flamenco guitar; Clara Sandler, mezzo-soprano; and Gary Tucker, baritone; with lecture by Margarita Campos, Professor of Communications at Barcelona University.
Refreshments will be provided.

Tour of the Democracy Center at 7 pm, Lecture and performance at 8 pm
Tour is free, “Zarzuela” is free for students, $10 general public
45 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Call The Boston Arts Consort (617-666-7973) or the Democracy Center (617-492-8855) for more information.

Flamenco & Yoga: Summer 2013: Northeast Youth Ballet, Reading, MA.

Flamenco & Yoga: Summer 2013: Northeast Youth Ballet, Reading, MA.

This summer, for my 12 consecutive year, I joined the staff at Northeast Youth Ballet for six weeks of flamenco and yoga classes. To say that teaching at this school is an absolute pleasure would be an understatement. This is an amazing dance school. The dedication of the owners and the teachers to the students is unparalleled. You can tell this from the moment you walk in the door. The total vibe of the place is one of harmony, cooperation, focus and positivity. I am so fortunate to be part of it all!


The last four weeks have been dedicated to the intermediate and advanced students. Having them both for flamenco and yoga has really upped my game. I can work theories of physical and energetic movement throughout flamenco class, using the pulsations of the specific rhythm they are working on and then bring those same energetic movements back in during yoga class. I am so satisfied being able to combine these two art forms. This is where my heart lies.


At the beginning of each class, I would lead a flamenco centering exercise to get them in the mindset for flamenco. I needed them to connect to the songs they would be dancing too and to soak their minds and bodies with the rhythms. Most of the time, we started lying on the floor. After an initial breathing exercise, we would listen to the song to ingest it. I would talk about the essence of the song, how it's particular rhythm would motivate the movement and allow your soul to show through while you danced it. I would talk about grounding, being able to hold the song in the heart, almost being able to grasp it with their hands.


The intermediate students and I worked on the fourth Sevillanas. Now it is true, that you would normally learn them in order -1, 2, 3, 4- but I chose just to work number four with this group. It is full of -step, ball change- which I knew would be a motor skill they already possessed and by working on only one Sevillanas, we would have time to do it in partners and in a circle formation. For the demonstration, they are dancing it four times. Firstly they will do it facing the audience; second, they find their partners; third, still in same partnerships; and the fourth time, they move into two circles, one inside the other, and then those two circles partner each other. It reminds me of Bugsby Berkeley’s choreography from the 1920's (stylistically, my favorite era).



The advanced students took on a Tangos de Triana ( I was so motivated by my workshop with La Lupi to explore the rhythm and movement of this song style. It is really snarky (from the Urban Dictionary “A witty mannerism, personality, or behavior that is a combination of sarcasm and cynicism. Usually accepted as a complimentary term”) and full of bravada and fun. The attitude just jumps right out of my heart. I tell them it feels like hip hop danced on the street-an expression of the creators, the gypsies in Andalucia, fighting persecution, like the blues. We worked tirelessly on giving the dance the right attitude and grounded-ness. 







I cannot wait for tomorrow's performance to see these students dance. To see them perform my flamenco but also to see them dance ballet, character, modern and musical theater. I adore seeing them in all these different elements and how each of their souls comes out. It just is so revitalizing!


Teaching yoga after a full day of flamenco is idyllic. My dream job. I love to use energetic movement, from inside the body, the subtle body’s movement, to heighten the yoga experience. This is a perfect age group for this as it allows them to drop down and totally relax, take notice of their breath and how their bodies are feeling, and then begin movement from a place of presence. I find a good combination of activities in a youth yoga class, keeps the kids present and fully engaged. Some of the things I like to include are meditation, breath-work, poses, games and open discussions about principles such as Ahimsa (a principle of yoga that means to do not harm), karma , practicing yoga off the mat.

Karma class. Karma is defined as an action or a deed; a result of an action; destiny or fate, following as effect from cause. Synonyms are fortune, fate, destiny. Karma yoga is the yoga of selfless service (altruism= one acts without being attached to the fruits of one's deeds).


Kinder people live longer lives; people who volunteer experience fewer aches and pains. We feel good when we give because we experience the “giver's lift”, a distinct physical sensation from helping. Kindness makes us happy. It reduces depression, lowers anxiety and builds our self esteem.


How to you practice Karma? One way is with Random Acts of Kindness (RAK). It is stated that one RAK a day keeps self-centeredness away! As Aesop said “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”


I read to the class-I love reading stories out loud to kids of all ages-The Three Questions (Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy) written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. It is a wonderful story about Nikolai who wants to “be a good person” and so proposes three questions to his friends: When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? They never answer him directly, but by the end of the story, Nikolai has answered the questions for himself. I had them contemplate kindness and the ways they are already kind and the ways they might like to add more kindness into their lives. I gave each of them two pieces of paper and a crayon and they wrote two examples of how they are and how they want to be kind. The recurring themes were of helping out family members, giving attention to those around them, and being positive, friendly, loving people. We left our slips of paper in a vase soother people could read our notes and feel connected.


We then stood and did some fun flows to different songs on my play list: Jamaica Resting by The Pool; Give Me The Sunshine by Leo's Sunshipp; The Sun Can't Compare by Larry Heard presenting Mr. White.


Taking a cue from one of my mentors, Shakta Khalsa, I taught them the “Detective” game (from the Radiant Child Yoga's teacher's manual). Dividing the the girls into smaller groups, I had them sit in circles. One person, the “detective”, would leave the room. The group them decides who will be the secret leader. The leader makes different motions such as leg taps, hand claps, eye blinks, small quiet movements or loud fast movements and everyone else follows as immediately as possible, trying to accomplish this seamlessly as to not give away the “it” person. The detective then returns to the scene and tries to determine who is it. This game develops powers of observation and the ability to be subtle, focused and alert. The game was a huge success and the smaller groups allowed for each girl to take a turn.


I wandered around the room listening into their giggles and relaxed chatter.  We gathered into one large circle, held hands, breathed in and then lay back (usually we play the hand squeeze game here, but today I just had them relax).

These students have been the most willing participants in everything I have given them this summer. They have expanded their repertoires, their presence, and their characters. They have expanded mine. 

Ole Namaste!

Eve Costarelli

Youth Yoga for Grades 5-8 With Eve Costarelli

    Youth Yoga for Grades 5-8

         With Eve Costarelli

Yoga is the perfect complement to a child’s busy academic and extracurricular life as it nurtures calmness, focus and balance.  We keep it fun and upbeat in a non-competitive atmosphere while exploring yoga poses, philosophy, breath work and meditation as well as journaling. This class promotes self-esteem, confidence, body awareness, concentration, relaxation, and friendliness. We learn to not only practice yoga on our mat but also how to bring these skills off the mat and into the world.

               Tuesdays 4:00-5:00 PM

 February 26-April 2^nd, 2013

          $80.00

     Reserve your spot online or in studio

               www.SpiritBearPowerYoga.com/workshops

            9 Main Street, Natick, MA

                  508-655-YOGA (9642) 

2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli

         2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli

                   AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com; 617-216-1643

                         www. AlwaysBDancing.blogspot.com

Mondays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA; 617-216-1643

4:30-5:30PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12 (New session) 

6:00-7:30PM Veteran’s Yoga (co-taught with Michael Thomas)

Tuesdays @ Spirit Bear Power Yoga, 19 Main Street, Natick, MA; 508-655-YOGA (9642)

4:00-5:00PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12 (New session)

Tuesdays @ Dancing Arts Center, 9 Whitney Street, Holliston, MA; 508-429-7577

6:00-7:00PM Youth Tap (ages 6-10) (New sessions starting January 22, 2013)

7:00-8:00PM Teen Tap (ages 11+)

8:00-9:00PM Adult Tap

Wednesdays @ the Dance Complex, 536 Mass Avenue, Cambridge, MA; 617-216-1643

4:00-5:00PM Youth Flamenco 1 (ages 6-10)

5:00-6:00PM Youth Flamenco 2 (ages 11+)

Fridays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA; 617-216-1643

10:00-11:15 Adult/Teen Flamenco: 8-week Sevillanas Series (Welcoming home-schoolers ages 11+) (New session January 11, 2013-March 8, 2013)

Sevillanas:

Sevillanas is a timeless folkdance from southern Spain that has become virtually synonymous with the flamenco of Andalucía. Based on traditional Spanish dances, the Sevillanas form was adopted by the residents of Sevilla (both gypsies and non-gypsies) and merged with their strong flamenco culture to become the most recognizable symbol of the region. Sevillanas are danced in pairs by children, teenagers and adults at nightclubs, parties, and most famously at the annual Feria de Abril in Sevilla. Sevillanas is a fun and exciting dance that enlivens any party and is essential in the repertoire of any flamenco dancer and for all who just love the art of flamenco.

This class will guide the beginner dancer through the basic steps of all four parts of the Sevillanas. The course will cover the basic flamenco style, posture, hand, arm and foot placement. 

2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli: Youth Yoga, Youth Flamenco; Adult/Teen Flamenco: Sevillanas; Tap Dance for all ages

2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli: Youth Yoga, Youth Flamenco; Adult/Teen Flamenco: Sevillanas; Tap Dance for all ages

Mondays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

4:30-5:30PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12

6:00-7:30PM Veteran’s Yoga (co-taught with Michael Thomas)

Tuesdays @ Spirit Bear Power Yoga, 19 Main Street, Natick, MA

4:00-5:00PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12

Tuesdays @ Dancing Arts Center, 9 Whitney Street, Holliston, MA

6:00-7:00PM Youth Tap (ages 6-10)

7:00-8:00PM Teen Tap (ages 11+)

8:00-9:00PM Adult Tap

Wednesdays @ the Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

4:00-5:00PM Youth Flamenco 1 (ages 6-10)

5:00-6:00PM Youth Flamenco 2 (ages 11+)

Fridays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

10:00-11:15 Adult/Teen Flamenco: 8-week Sevillanas Series (Welcoming home schoolers ages 11+) Session January 11, 2013-March 28, 2013

For more information, please contact Eve Costarelli AlwaysBDancing@gmail.com or 617-216-1643.