Full of Joy Blog

Yoga Outside

2011-08-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ah, this is a post I've been meaning to write all summer long! I love teaching outside and try to do it as much as possible. As soon as the sun starts shining, I try to hold as many classes as I can in the beautiful outdoors.

What could be better then using a real tree to help us focus for tree pose? or even using its trunk to lean on?

I love hearing the sounds of nature around us as we stretch and fly and breathe.

The kids seem to love it- as long as it's not too hot! I try to find a nice shady spot (especially since this summer has been super hot and I'm super pregnant!).

The best part is relaxation before the eye pillows. I love having the kids look up at the sky and notice what they see.

Clouds, tree leaves, birds, or is it just bright blue?

We still have plenty of time left, take your yoga outdoors if you can!!

Celebrating Mom

2011-05-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

At Alphabet Academy, one of the preschools I teach at, we decided to celebrate our mom's in a really fun way. The preschool hosted 3 mommy and me yoga classes with tea and cookies to follow. It was a blast!

I loved getting to meet the parents and sharing with them what I do with their children every week. When I teach in preschools, I so rarely meet the parents. This was a perfect way to do that!

We started the class with a partner back to back breathing exercise. It helped to calm us, as well as connect with our partner.

Next we used our suns to do a warm up sun salutation. We touch our body parts with the sun as a way to focus and warm up our bodies!

This class was perfect for partner poses!

We practiced our partner trees

partner butterflies

partner boat

partner candle.

We ended the class with a relaxation that everyone seemed to love.

Spring has Sprung! (an ode to Earth Day)

2011-04-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally in the air - a few times a week at least! We are having sunny days and loads of rainy days. But we love the rainy days because we all know its great for the flowers and our gardens!

I love using these flowers I got from Target ($1 each) with my spring yoga class.

We dig some holes in the earth, moving out the way the weeds, rocks, sticks and anything else the kids come up with to shovel out from the soil. Then we make ourselves so tiny in our child's pose as we plant ourselves into the ground.

I cover the seeds with soil, water and our sunshine's in order for our seeds to grow. Then slowly, our seeds grow up into our beautiful flowers.

Lots of creatures find themselves hopping, slithering and flying through our garden. Among them we have butterflies, bees, ladybugs, frogs, bunnies, snakes - what others can you think of?

I love our Earth Day/Spring theme, and so do the kids!

We Can't Beat Our Feet!

2011-03-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

People really have a hard time with feet. It's no wonder since we spend every day shoving them into socks and shoes - hiding them from the world. Don't even get me started with high heels!

Through the years of teaching yoga & facilitating teacher trainings, I've noticed that people of all ages are actually scared of their own feet! It's so rare to find people who actually practice self-care and give their feet the love they deserve. I am one of the lucky ones who gets to spend most of my day barefoot. I love that part of my job! I get pedicures and paint my toes fancy colors with glitter. I massage oil into my feet every morning, setting them up for all the work they will have to do for me that day. Most of us do not do these things- why bother when no one can see them anyway? It seems that the only time people will take extra time to care for their feet, is summer or when they are going on vacation.

Caring for our feet is a year-round job. They do so much for us! I will never take my feet for granted - having an important person in my life who does not have the use of her feet anymore, I know how prized this body part really is.

This is a lesson I love to teach the kids. I took a yoga class almost 20 years ago in Boston where the focus was on our feet. It was about grounding and using our feet as a base that keeps us upright. It was enlightening and since that day, I have not forgotten it.

When I do my feet class with the kids, we talk about all the uses for our feet. Running, jumping, skipping, hopping, balancing & standing are among the activities they shout out. That alone gets the wheels turning in their brains about how important our feet really are!

We do a little self massage, rubbing each toe separately. They love the feel of pounding the bottoms of their feet to wake them up. We exercise our toes, attempting to lift each one individually- linking our brain to our toes! It's a hard trick, one that requires tons of practice.

We spread our toes in between our hands, widening our base. We even weave our toes together!

The best part of the class though- is playing Toe-ga.

It helps develop focus and concentration as well as help to strengthen that spot below your toes, the part of our foot that helps us to balance.

All you need are some buckets and pom poms. I like to play fun music and see if the whole group can pick up all the pom poms before the song ends. Picking up pom poms with our toes is so much fun!

Love is All We Need

2011-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have mixed feelings about a holiday like Valentine's Day. All the schools do projects and the kids exchange cards and it always seems to be quite a big deal.

I am choosing to use the opportunity to get the kids to think about how we can make every day a Valentine's Day. Why do we need one day to tell the people in our lives how we feel about them? Can we tell those we love, that we love them, every day?

Learning to express our emotions and share how we feel with those around us is a gift. It is something we need to focus more on in our daily lives, and not just one specific day of the year. I like the idea though that Valentine's day is a reminder and a good time to make ourselves and those around us feel good.

We did the warrior 2 pose and gave our hearts a little rub. We took some extra love that we had in there and then threw it up into the air for those in the world who could use a little extra.

The open heart partner pose is a wonderful heart opening stretch. This pose requires trust and feels so great!

We did another partner pose called partner breath. This one always gets us to connect with our friends in a really deep and powerful way.

We ended the class with a little heart mudra. My favorite part of the class was relaxation. I guided the kids through a meditation in which we imagined a light in our heart, that spread down to our toes, up our legs and made its way all the way up to our head. This light helps to keep us calm, relaxed and happy.

We each have a little light that shines in us. The light inside me, sees the light inside you. Namaste!

Sno-ga!

2011-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

All this snow here in CT has definitely affected my teaching. Lots of school cancellations have caused lots of yoga classes to be canceled.

After spending an hour shoveling out our cars this morning, I was wiped. But my friend Dana wanted to take her 2 girls for a walk in the park to see the snowman building contest. I figured it would be good for me, since both our husbands had to work and we had been holed up in our apartments for what seems like days now!

So we trudged along to the park, in and out of the snow and enjoying the beauty of our surroundings. As much of a pain this snow has been, it really is so beautiful in the trees and piled up in the park. Once its been hanging around, taking up parking spaces and getting dirty, I'm ready for it to disappear. But today, fresh, clean and white, we took advantage of it!

Ruby and I got the idea of doing some sno-ga!

Here we are showing off our snowy dancers

and our snowflake pose

and then we trudged back to my apartment to enjoy some warm Moroccan lentil stew.

Peace in the New Year

2011-01-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

When I was a first grade teacher working in the inner city in Brooklyn, teaching about Martin Luther King filled me with extreme emotion every time. I would always cry reading my favorite book - My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold.

The kids would always ask me "Why are you crying Ms. Rosen?"

Such an important life cut short, especially in the way that he died, just tore me apart. He lost his life to the violence that he was speaking out about.

I would read this story to the children, knowing they were living in an environment that was as opposite of peace as it gets. They lived in a world filled with guns, drugs, violence & fear. It was one of my favorite lessons of the year. How can we become more peaceful in our thoughts, words & actions?

That was over 12 years ago. I think about my students a lot, hoping that some of them took to heart what I was trying to instill in them, not only with the MLK teachings, but with the yoga that I was doing with them as well.

Let's start this new year with a focus on peace- and how we can share that with the little ones in our life. How can we learn to speak to each other respectfully, treat each other with kindness and love ourselves implicitly?

At the end of my classes we always sing the song "om shanti shanti peace" and then we give ourselves a hug and say "I Love Myself."

This is the first step right there- teaching our kids to love themselves first, which in yoga is called ahimsa (non-violence or non-harming).

Love yourself, then love your family, your friends, your teachers, and then bring it out to your community and the world around you.

Reflecting on a Passing Year

2010-12-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

As the year ends, it's nice to take the time to think about all the good things that happened - we tend to focus on the challenges and hard times. So here it is, my top awesome memories of 2010-

1) Traveling out west for a month which included:

~ my sister's wedding in Beaver Creek, Colorado

~ good friend's wedding in Sonoma, CA

~ my sister's bachelorette party in Las Vegas

~ road trip through the desert & LA with my sister-in-law

2) Losing our cat Bandha was sad, very sad. But we then rescued a cat we named Beans who was super sweet and loved our new home. Then we lost him as well and now have our 2 new sweet kittens Purrsephone & Puck who add a whole lot of fun to our life.

3) The year began with my trip to San Franciso and getting to participate in the SF Yoga Journal Conference on a scholarship. That was amazing.

4) Watching my yoga kids grow and develop into amazing little yogis. I enjoy what I do so much and seeing the same kids week after week, month after month gives me such pleasure.

5) My amazing garden which provided me with a bounty of healthy, organic, homegrown veggies and loads of fulfillment.

6) The birth of my niece Noa Seda Gallagher on my birthday!

7) Getting to ring in the new year at MSG seeing our favorite band Phish with my awesome husband Chris & over 50 of our closest friends!

I know there were many more memories but these were some of the highlights. It felt nice to take the time to reflect on the good even though we are faced with many, many challenges as well.

Wishing you all love & light in the New Year

Staying Present while Planning Ahead

2010-12-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

As this year winds down, it's completely necessary to start looking ahead to what my goals for Full of Joy Yoga are for 2011. It seems like a daunting task sometimes, especially when I am working so hard to stay in the present! But as a businesswoman, planning ahead, setting goals, getting work on the calendar, it's all a necessary part of running a business.

I have decided to do more teacher trainings in this upcoming year, more then I have ever done in the past. At this moment I have 1 a month all the way through June!

I love facilitating teacher trainings. I have been doing them now for almost 5 years. What is so fulfilling about these trainings, is knowing that each person I train is going to go out there and use a little of what I taught them, and in turn, will positively affect the life of 1 more child. That's what it's all about right?

Warm up the Winter with Sun Salutations

2010-12-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) are a great way to warm yourself up as it gets colder out.This is a great one to do with kids!

I love to start with a paper sun and warm up our body parts before we begin.

1. Start in mountain with hands at your heart in Namaste

2. Reach arms up overhead with a big deep breath

3. Exhale and bend forward to touch your toes

4. Place hands on the floor and step back into your downward dog (don't forget to wag your tail!)

5. Lower just your bottom and hold in plank pose

6. Bring your body to the floor and push up into cobra snake (hisssssss)

7. Push back up into plank

8. Stick your tail back up in the air for your downward dog

9. Jump your feet to your hands

10. Reach arms up overhead with a big inhale

11. Exhale your hands back to your heart

We ended our class in a group sun pose!

Are you warmed up yet? Feel free to add other poses to this vinyasa (flow with breath)

Partners Help us Grow

2010-11-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

I love teaching partner poses. Partner work builds trust and promotes healthy and safe touch. Kids these days spend so much time alone playing their video games with little interaction it's no wonder social skills are so different from when we were kids. They just don't know how to play anymore. (doesn't everyone who grew up in the 70's say that?)

Kids LOVE to do partner poses. I have kids who ask for it every time I teach them. It naturally builds communication and promotes a shared experience.

"How does that feel?"
or
"Are you ok?"

gets kids to feel empathetic and takes them out of their natural state of being egocentric. I usually start with the little ones and have them help each other do tree pose. With the older kids you can start playing with trust and poses that requires each partner to use each other like a wall. We build up to poses like double dog where communication is key and a spotter is important.

Choosing partners can get tricky- I usually have the kids pick someone new each time, that way kids don't get left out and everyone gets to work with each other. When it's all over, the kids feel naturally relaxed and happy.

And really, who wouldn't want that?

Full of Joy Yoga blog returns! (aka, another thankful blog post)

2010-11-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

I am back! As you can see, I took a break from blogging - and in all that time, I've realized how important it is to share all the good stuff (and important work) that I am doing.

This is the season to be thankful. We have been hearing that over and over- and for me, it is an important one. My husband Chris and I have been faced with some of the hardest challenges that life can throw out at a person. The loss of a child is up there as one of the most traumatic experiences one can face. Since that time of losing our baby Silas, we have also been faced with some unexplained secondary infertility. Meaning- we are having a tough time getting pregnant again.

So why am I sharing all of this, especially in my FOJY blog? because this is something important about me and my work that goes hand in hand. I teach yoga to children. I teach children how to deal with the stresses of their everyday, how to honor themselves for who they are, how to work together with friends to reach a common goal and encourage them to be thankful for the gifts they do have in their life.

When I teach these simple tools day after day, I am able to then internalize them for myself. Even though I've been a practicing yogi for almost 20 years, I need reminders. Even though I teach these important lessons to dozens of incredible children every week, I need to remind myself of the gifts I have been given.

I can wallow in my self pity- why me? why did this happen to me? why can't I get pregnant? why why why. Instead, and this is a tough one, I choose to be thankful for the things that I do have. My work reminds me of this on a daily basis. I am blessed at having the most incredible loving husband, amazing families & friends, a warm home and good food to eat, and I have my health. These are all things I remind myself every day. I am allowed to feel sadness for my loss, anger for what challenges I have to face day after day, it is important to feel these things. But to balance them with joy, laughter and thankfulness is something I choose to do.

The other day, while waiting for the monthly news yet again, a friend told me to do something really important that has stuck with me. She said,

"today you need to do something nice for someone. So if you get your good news, it will start you off with some good karma. If not, at least you'll feel good about doing something for someone else."

I took that in, carried it with me, and dedicated my weekend to doing things for others. I started purchasing and making gifts, I sent out some necessary emails, and I focused on others instead of my anxiety. But don't get me wrong, I needed to give myself some much needed love as well. I did all the things I wanted to this weekend- things I knew would make me happy. I shed some tears, but also gave myself the gift of laughter, friends, food & relaxation.

I took a great yoga class at lululemon on Sunday morning. The wonderful teacher said something like-

"in order to get out of something, you need to move through it."

Yes!!! thank you. It was what I had been waiting to hear. I love that saying. It is something I will use in my life and my work when things get tough.

I didn't get the news I was hoping for, but in spite of it, I chose to have a beautiful weekend and in taking care of others I also took care of myself.

A Busy Summer

2009-08-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

I am a really bad blogger over here. So much going on with me and FOJY I should be bragging about it all over the place!

I decided that teaching yoga at farmer's markets is the next new thing. I have already done it once at the Spring Glen Market in Hamden, CT and will again on Aug 18 from 4-5pm. I taught today at the Coventry Farmer's Market in Coventry, CT and will again on Sept 6. I will also be teaching at the Simsbury Market in Simsbury, CT on Aug 27 at 2:30pm. You can see my full schedule here.

This summer was supposed to be quiet with all of my after-school classes on hiatus but I somehow managed to keep myself really busy. I did a few teacher trainings and just scheduled a few more for the fall.

I really want to focus on training teachers to use yoga in the classroom. What amazing tools for kids to use to stay focused and calm and also have fun. I really see this as preventative medicine - this would solve the health care issue for the future! Obama, are you listening?

Calling all Business Organizers!

2009-04-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess it's a good thing. I am getting too busy to manage this business on my own. I need someone who wants to organize me, be an assistant of some sort and just help me grow this thing. I have 10 employees now, coast to coast. It's all pretty exciting stuff.
I guess with all this free time I wasn't supposed to have, I am trying to use it to work and grow FOJY.

I am doing some trainings in the public schools - teaching teachers to use yoga in their classroom. This is what I love and find most rewarding. I think if we can do this, then our future generation is going to be one step ahead of the game. With their teachers giving them tools to focus, breathe, take tests better, and just learn better overall - this is what I call preventative medicine. I think this could be our answer to the health care problem in our country.

I also will be doing some trainings for anyone else interested in teaching yoga to kids. Check out my website and think about signing up!!! We need as many people out there doing this with kids. It's the answer to all our problems...I feel it.

Moving Forward in '09

2009-03-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

I have had many setbacks in the last 6 months, but losing my baby could not keep me from losing another one. Full of Joy Yoga is way too important to let fall by the wayside. I've been working harder then ever to continue what I've started here. FOJY has been instrumental in keeping me going.

Last month I did another teacher training at Your Community Yoga Center in Hamden, CT. I trained 7 new people who are all very enthusiastic about using what they've learned to teach the beautiful children in CT. I have scheduled a few more trainings for the upcoming months in CT and am also looking to do one this summer in my home state of NJ.

My classes are going wonderfully. It seems that the sinking economy has not taken a hit on the kids yoga market. Parents are still finding the extra money to allow their kids to find their inner yogi's- and its been great for me. I was very nervous to start again, after what I've been through, but all my little ones have actually kept me going. They are such a joy and make each day easier to move forward.

I've started using twitter- come find me! I'm looking to use as much of the new technology out there that I can to let you all know what's going on in my world. You can also join my group on facebook as well.

I'd like to personally thank you all, this wonderful community for all your kind thoughts to us as we struggle to make sense of the loss of our baby Silas. Luckily we have an amazing support system around us, allowing us to feel every emotion we need to and just keeping us going and help to push us forward to a new day.

Moving on

2008-11-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are keeping up with my life- I did give birth to a beautiful baby boy that we named Silas Orion Gallagher. Unfortunately, due to complications during his birth, he passed away 10 hours after he was born on Sept 25, 2008. We are so sad and devastated but are somehow getting through this with the support of loved ones.

Both Chris and I are writing on his blog Elm City Dad to help us get through this.

I also just started teaching again- the kids have been so sweet and are bringing that light back into my life. I do this for a reason and being able to get back to work that brings me such joy has been necessary.

thanks for your support
xo

So Close!!

2008-09-03T09:59:00.001-07:00

It is true. I am not a great blogger by any means. I'm sorry to have let this go for so long. It is now the end of my pregnancy and the last post I wrote was from the very beginning! My husband, on the other hand, is a great blogger. He currently writes 3 blogs! If you are interested in reading about my baby progress, his blog Elm City Dad has been amazing. He's been writing it since we found out and its been pretty funny to read his point of view of this whole journey.

These last 9 months, I've had my ups and downs, and now am so ready for the little one to arrive. It is due in a few weeks, but with all the kicking and movement, I'd say this baby is wanting out soon.

As far as FOJY goes, the trainings & teaching are on hiatus for a bit and sometime in the late fall/early winter I will start up the biz again and figure out how to include being a new mommy in all this. Wish me luck!!!

Full of Joy Baby!

2008-03-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, its true, I'm now 12 weeks pregnant and couldn't be happier. Watching my body change these last 3 months has been a pretty incredible experience. (Though not looking pregnant but just that I've gained weight is definitely something I'm struggling with). I've also been feeling the typical first trimester experiences like nausea, fatigue and having to go to the bathroom at least twice an hour. Its truly not easy to stay healthy when half of the food you really need to be eating makes you say "yeeuchhh" and turn away. At any given moment, something I ate just yesterday may just not sound appealing today. My husband finds it amusing and has pretty much been catering to my every need. He loves seeing me rest on the couch every night watching endless reruns of CSI. I just feel lazy and unmotivated but he assures me that its necessary for me and for the baby that I just relax when I need to. I know that in 6 months our lives are going to be turned upside down and sleep (like that 10 hours I got last night) will be a thing of the past.

I am finally teaching a pretty full schedule, and with that, comes the sudden bouts of hunger or tiredness. I know that doing yoga all day with kids is pretty much the best thing I can do for us. It takes my mind off of the nausea and really does give me more energy then what I started with. I am finding that laying on my belly is starting to get uncomfortable so somehow I'm going to have to get creative with cobra, basket and all those other animals that we do on our bellies. I look forward to this challenge! I can't wait for a real baby bump!

After all these years of teaching everyone else's children, I will finally be able to put it all to good use with my own. I promise to keep you updated a little better then before - now that I'm in my 2nd trimester, I'm magically hoping that I suddenly can eat something other then just bread and cheese and that I'll get my motivation back.

On a side note, I will be doing a teacher training in April and then off to SF again for another one in June. Check my website for more info!

Locally Grown

2008-02-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well, my trip to SF was a complete success! I spent the 10 days teaching yoga at the SF yoga conference, going up to wine country, seeing friends, visiting schools, eating at my favorite restaurants and finally, doing a teacher training. It was a whirlwind but I think I got it all in. I sold tons of my Full Of Joy Yoga Kids photobooks as well. If you haven't gotten your copy, you should buy one! I heard the kids love it!

Now I'm settling in to a whole new kids yoga world here in CT. I am starting to teach at different schools and play spaces and even the JCC! Its pretty exciting, trying to get this out there for a whole new group of parents and kids. It seems to be working out really well and I'm meeting a lot of great families in the process.

One thing that has surprised my husband and me about this new state we're living in is how eco-conscious and green it is. There is a fabulous farmer's market here that is weekly in 4 towns through the growing season, and monthly during the winter right here in New Haven. We are planning on volunteering for CitySeed - the people who put together these farmer's markets, and are very excited to become a part of this locally grown phenomenon that is taking place. I am very conscious of the food I put in my body and knowing that I can buy fresh fruits and veggies, seafood, cheese, honey and a whole lot of other goodies that have traveled minimal miles to reach me, just gives me such a sense of joy and excitement, I almost can't contain.

a year of optimism

2008-01-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

My first post of the new year. 2007 was a tough one for my husband and I- between deciding to move, then preparing to move, then actually moving, then moving in, its been an exhausting year. We are very hopeful and optimistic that 2008 will be a really great year for us.

It has started with the news that my mother-in-law, who already has MS, was just diagnosed with breast cancer. It just doesn't seem fair. We are showering her with good vibes on a daily basis and with that, just have to have some faith that it will bring a positive outcome. But I am still going to be optimistic about what this year will bring for us. Lately its been hard to find that optimism that I used to dole out so readily at any given moment. I've lost it a bit and need to find it again.

I've begun teaching yoga to kids, finally! I have started teaching in a few preschools and today was the first day at Stay and Play. I love my job and what I do- I am blessed to have found that because I know that not everyone feels that way about what they do in life. I am heading to SF this weekend for the SF Yoga Journal Conference where I'll be doing what I do best for over 70 kids and their families. I am so excited! I love being immersed in yoga and like-minded people for a weekend. It is intense but something I look forward to and crave every year. The following weekend will be another Teacher Training with Rosey and me. We have a few more spots so we'd love for you to join us!

I miss my City by the Bay dearly. I wish my husband could join me, but he has to work and take care of our cats and basically hold down the fort while I'm gone. I'll miss him incredibly for those 11 days- but sometimes trips like this are just necessary.

So off I go- hope to see some of you at the conference!
happy new year,
Lani

Full of Joy Kids

2007-12-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a tough month of settling in to our new apt, city, state and world. The weather has changed dramatically from the beautiful fall leaves to now lots of ice, snow and cold wintery weather. All I've been hearing is that it is way colder then last December!

I am still working on getting some kids classes going. I am starting in a new space in Old Saybrook, CT called Stay and Play. Lately I have been substitute teaching in schools all around the area. I have realized that I made the correct decision in leaving that profession! I give those teachers a lot of credit for the incredible work they do every single day for very little pay. But it is a lot of work! I forgot how tired I would get when I'd get home from a day of teaching for 6 hours. While subbing in all sorts of schools with all kinds of kids of all ages, I've discovered that yoga between lessons is a sure fire way of getting them focused for at least 10 more minutes! They love it and appreciate it, and learn from it. Teaching teachers to do this is my next project. There is such a need for yoga in these settings, that I am ready to find a way to om in every Connecticut Public School!

Last but not least, my long awaited book has finally arrived. I have worked for 5 months on this project and now its out there for you to enjoy. Check it out!
Full of Joy Kids

Home

2007-11-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

We are here. We made it east! It took a week of driving this gorgeous country of ours to finally land where we both started. I am now in NJ staying with my parents (and our 2 cats) and Chris, my husband is in CT staying with his parents. We've been back for a few weeks now, and luckily, after 2 long days of searching, we found a wonderful apt in New Haven, CT. It is just what we were looking for, a spacious, hardwood floor apt with a backyard in a great neighborhood. We are moving in this weekend and I am really looking forward to getting myself settled.

I have been spending a lot of time with my mom - its been years since we've had this time together. Its been really nice though I think she thinks i'm on vacation! I need to start working, find some schools in New Haven who would love to add kids yoga to their program. My mom wants to shop, take walks & go out to lunch. I can't complain, all that is really fun, but I am here to start my life, bring yoga to this new incredible city. I don't think New Haven is prepared for what I am going to throw at them.

I have been trying to balance it all- the fun with mom, the work, seeing my husband and friends and of course, the relaxation. Its quite challenging to find that balance when you are homeless. I am fortunate enough to have a warm home to stay in, but I look forward to getting back to living with my husband, my cats, my stuff and get going on this incredible life we've started together.

I miss you SF, but right now, thoughts of the colorful, tree-lined streets of New Haven are filling my brain.

Pack it up

2007-09-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, so much is going on at the moment. Rosey and I had a very successful second teacher training, my new teachers are observing and teaching in my schools, and I'm packing up and moving across the country in 3 weeks. Expanding my business has been a challenging yet extremely rewarding endeavor. I have some great teachers taking my place in my schools and I feel confident knowing that they will be there to continue what I've started when I leave. I have a new city to conquer and introduce to this wonderful world of yoga with kids. As much as I'm excited to move on and meet all these new little ones, I will miss my kids terribly - I have gotten very attached! These schools that I have been teaching in for the last 3 years have all been equally as amazing to me. So thank you all - the schools, kids, parents and teachers for an amazing 3 years! Full of Joy Yoga will continue to be here for you and your kids for years to come. Until the next time...

planting myself

2007-08-27T18:28:00.001-07:00

As summer is coming to an end, school is beginning and fall is definitely in the air. I am in the process of saying goodbye to kids leaving for kindergarten, meeting new (much younger) kids to take their place, and getting my new teachers ready to take over. Its a big process I have ahead of me - lots of changes which brings with it a new exciting life. I am leaving my classes to a few very capable teachers who I know the kids will just love. As much as I love my life here in this foggy city of ours, I get pangs of excitement at the thought of starting new. A new home, new surroundings, new schools and kids and old friends & family who will feel like new again since I will now get to spend so much more time with them.

Since leaving my parents house and venturing out of my familiar NJ home for college into the big city of Miami, I have lived in many, many cities, leaving just when it was starting to get really comfortable. I have yet to spend more then 5 years anywhere since then. I look forward to finding the spot for us to plant ourselves and make ourselves comfortable where we can grow a new life, a family of our own and feel rooted once and for all.

Moving on Up

2007-08-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

I realize that its been almost 2 months since i've blogged. I also realize that to make this an important part of my business and website, I have to keep current. This is going to be my next goal. I'm sorry for neglecting you!! So onto something more interesting...

I gave my first teacher training last month. Rosey and I had 4 eager students who were anxious to be taught the ins and outs of children's yoga. The weekend turned out better then I could have ever imagined. We just had a really great time and it felt wonderful to share all that I have learned in these years of teaching. I had been wanting to do a teacher training for awhile, but I guess I needed a reason to really just go for it. My husband Chris and I have decided to move back to the East Coast. Back to our roots, our families and friends. Although we are really sad to leave this incredible city of SF, we are very excited to start a new life, with hopes of starting our own family and just being closer to those we've been away from for so long.

My baby here is Full of Joy Yoga, and I can't let it go. I will be leaving all my classes to some awesome and capable kids yoga teachers. Giving teacher trainings will help me to find teachers to take over and continue what I have started here. It feels great to leave a thriving business, knowing that I'll have to come back and visit many times throughout the year - to either train new teachers, visit my schools or just be back in this incredible city that I will miss so much.

Oh, and of course Full of Joy Yoga will be expanding east. Look out New Haven, CT - I hope you are ready for us!

Let the 3 year old run!

2007-06-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching in some capacity for at least 13 years now. I have taught everything from preschool up through 6th grade. I have learned that in all of my years of dealing with kids, they are definitely unpredictable and there are some things that you just can't control. I taught first grade for 5 years in a very tough neighborhood in Brooklyn. I really thought it couldn't get more challenging then that! I spent a lot of nights exhausted and in tears.

These days, I leave my kids yoga classes feeling pretty confident that I taught a really fun class and the kids had a great time. I know they benefited in some way as they leave feeling relaxed and happy. But of course, there are those days where just nothing you do seems to work. I had a day like that recently where the kids just would not listen, participate or really even acknowledge my presence. At 3 years old, you are not expected to focus and follow along, kids this age would rather just run and explore. And run these kids certainly did- it got to a point where I had to stop the class! But I have been working with this age for a few years now and I thought I had gotten pretty good at getting them to focus, even if it were for just 20 minutes.
I left this class feeling defeated and upset with myself. I gave up. I have never given up in a class. But here I was, completely lost and acknowledging my failure. It was a terrible feeling, it left everyone involved feeling the same way. I'm sure the parents were not thrilled that the yoga teacher could not get their child to listen and had to end class early! Woah, how embarrassing.

So I thought about this class a lot during the weekend. I tried to be easier on myself, I know this type of thing happens to everyone at some point, but I, like most others, have high expectations of myself and what I "should" be able to control since I am a children's yoga teacher. "Should" is a really interesting word. Sometimes even us yogi's have difficulty in letting things just be.

I received a call this weekend from a parent of a student I teach in one of my preschools. She raved about how wonderful yoga has been for her daughter, how she just loves the classes and just wanted to make sure I knew how much her daughter has benefited from these classes. I thought that this phone call could not have come at a better time. It caused me to take a step back and rethink how I was feeling. I know that I have to take the good with the bad, I'm not perfect and its ok to make some mistakes sometimes. I know that 90% of the time I am doing good. Hopefully I can use this experience to approach this situation (when it comes up again) in the future just be ok with the challenge. And sometimes you just have to let the 3 year old run.

Giving Yourself a Hug

2007-06-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is my first official blog post for Full of Joy Yoga. I am feeling very excited these days at the new turns my business has been taking. I will be doing my first ever teacher training in July with my friend Rosey. We are both so excited to spread our love for yoga with children to others. It is the best job ever and I am so very lucky to be able to spend my day making kids laugh, learn and grow. There is the other side though of running my own business, I have spent the last 3 years doing it alone. I do it all, the teaching and the paperwork, the website, flyers, etc. I have taken it all on, and in turn, sometimes I forget to take care of myself like I am taking care of others so very often. With my amazing and very supportive husband Chris away this weekend, I started to remember how much I cherish time alone, doing just what I want to do. Chris and I have an amazing life, we have great friends and really live our lives like we are on vacation here - but its so rare that I am here without him. It gave me time to just take care of myself, to relax, to go out and dance with friends, to bake some banana bread and to finally clean and organize my apt (yes, something I find meditative and a great way to start a new work week!) It was perfect. It was like I gave myself a big hug. I can't wait to see him though when I go pick him up from the airport in a few hours and give him a big hug! Catching up together is a great way to end a weekend alone.