bijakids

NOW

bijakids1 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:55:03 +0000

Sitting on a beach yesterday, gazing into the beautiful Tulum sky while eating breakfast, I watched a little boy climb up a stone wall with a toy car in one hand and a train in the other. He must have been about three. The pet cat, that belonged to the guest house, sauntered over to him looking for some attention. The boy stretched his arm out and offered her the little red car. Uninterested she kept walking past him. Unfazed, he tried again saying “cat, have my car!” He was gentle but insistent and saddened that she did not accept his gift – probably the most precious object in his life at that moment.

What struck me most, as I sat witnessing this exchange, was just how willing and open the little boy on the beach was to give. His heart was open and curious. He didn’t see that boundary between himself and the cat. He wasn’t yet labeling the cat as ‘other’. It made perfect sense to him to offer up what he had as a way to connect.

After spending a week on the beach I too felt open and willing to give. Smiles, patience and observation are so much easier to offer when you are surrounded by sand and sun (vs cars and concrete). But the little boy reminded me (as my students and children in general often do) that we have the ability anywhere, anytime. Of course living in NYC and being older than three we know that it doesn’t make sense to give our possessions away to friendly cats. But we all have so much to offer to others whether it be love, listening, material objects, a home cooked meal, or maybe even a home for an animal at the shelter.

Yoga teaches us to see past the boundaries of ‘me’ and ‘you’. To see past ‘I have this’ and ‘you don’t’. When I teach, or ride the bus, or observe kids playing at Bija I am continually reminded that everything is really connected after all, the you give what you get, and if you give a lot your life will be full of abundance. Thanks to the three year olds in my life I keep learning and practicing and being reminded…

from the heart

bijakids1 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:50:18 +0000

“Why are you not speaking to me from your heart!?” sobbed my three-year old Lucien after I reprimanded him for not listening. Granted I spoke nicely just moments before, but the persistence of a preschooler can be nothing short of infuriating. His truthfulness brought a few tears to my eyes and brought me back into my heart. My face softened, my breath deepened and calmly I reiterated my expectations.

Coordinating the efforts of our body, heart and mind can seem an impossible feat. “The system of Yoga is so called because it teaches the means by which the jivatma (individual) can be united to, or be in communion with the Paramatma (Supreme) and so secure liberation.” B.K.S Iyengar. I can hear Aretha Franklin singing freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom! But freedom from what? The yoga sutras explain that yoga frees us from the fluctuations of the mind.
So how might Iyengar and Patanjali explain what my son Lucien identified? They might say that Lucien sensed was my anger and frustration which clouded my ability to act and speak clearly.
My son reminded me to practice yoga while helping him take his nap.
Who reminded you to practice yoga today?

planting seeds of joy (one yogi(ni) at a time)

bijakids1 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:00:03 +0000

yoga for our times

bijakids1 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:42:03 +0000

In the past week it seems that all facebook activity has surrounded The NY Times article about the harmful effects of yoga. I’ve even had a few worried parents contact me seeking reassurance that the class that they are sending their child to (in hopes that they will get stronger, more focused and happier) is actually safe. And i get it. This article comes from a source that we value for good information reporting. Of course after reading about the possible dangers, we want to check in and make sure all is well.

The first question all this discussion makes me ask is: what’s yoga? Pose it to twenty people – ‘practitioners’, teachers, kids and the guy off the street and you’ll get 20 different answers. Because the truth is that at least now, today, january 9, 2012, yoga has become many different things to different people. For some it’s a way to a better butt and for others a path to spiritual enlightenment. There are even gymnastic style yoga competitions. I want to be clear that the article sites some very extreme ideas and circumstances as the cause of physical pain and suffering, things that I myself (and most yoga teachers I respect) would never encourage or deem to categorize yoga.

So what’s yoga at bija kids? A vehicle for offering kids and their families tools and life skills that they can take out of class and into the world. What does that even mean? It means that through a development of self-awareness, body awareness, spacial awareness and breathe awareness we learn how to make choices that keep us happy, healthy and safe. The physical asanas are just one tool in our box for helping kids realize their own greatest possibilities. And at bija we educate kids about when to use these physical postures (snake pose is great for winter because it opens up the lungs, forward bends and seed pose calm you down when your angry), so they actually know why they do what they do in class. And they can do it again on their own with success.

I also need to be clear that just like in an adult class, a child will only have a safe and positive yoga experience if they have a teacher that has the qualifications to be passing along yoga. Yoga is not a dodgeball game with a few ‘poses’ stuck in, or an imagination adventure with animal names. Yoga is a serious discipline that takes a life to learn. If you want to teach, you better be practicing – and that means meditating, studying and self reflecting daily. Just as school teachers and parents are models through which children learn behavior, so too are yoga teachers. Being present and able to speak from a place of experience are the first of many necessary ingredients for growing grounded, intelligent yogis – whether age five of fifty.

Generally children are pretty good about knowing their own limits and abilities. They don’t push past what feels good, and that’s great. They approach yoga with the curiosity and freshness of mind that many adults are looking to cultivate when they step on the mat. Often times I have to ask a parent in class not to correct their own child, there’s no ‘right’ way to make your body look in poses. Knees don’t need to be straight in downward dog and tree pose has many incarnations. As young bodies are developing, they look different in poses then their adult teacher. When a teacher is knowledgeable enough to know and understand what’s safe for a particular student, and how strong their body and focused their mind, (because it’s really when the mind’s not present that accidents are likely to happen) they know when to challenge and when to back off. Generally I don’t teach wheel pose to kids under eight, but if they are strong and grounded enough they learn it through many stages, until safely practicing on their own. Headstand, however, is always off limits. The biggest benefit of asana for kids is a release of energy in a positive framework. It makes the body limber and strong, and prepares kids to meditate and self reflect. Not bad in my opinion.

It’s always good to open up a discussion and evaluate the way we’re doing things. In my mind discourse is one of the central tenets of staying in balance and really practicing. I do hope however that we take the sensationalist, narrow perspective of the article and see it for just that, an extreme set of perspectives from a very small group of people.

loka samasta sukhino bhavantu (may all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering) and may our yoga practice help us in this pursuit.

namaste -

Lauren

Ways to keep your kid safe in yoga

1.Find a teacher that is educated, practices and can explain to you what that means.

2. Allow your child to practice where they are. Their legs might bend or they might not have a deep arch in their back – their body will do what’s safe and comfortable on its own.

3. Let yoga practice be your child’s opportunity for a non-competitive and fun hour or two during the week.

4. Let them teach you! You will learn what’s happening in class by bringing it home into everyday life.

books to grow by

bijakids1 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:58:57 +0000

some of our favorite books for yoga and learning

not a box – antoinette portis

peaceful piggy meditation – kerry lee maclean

stone soup – jon j muth

i know a lot of things – ann and paul rand

my daddy is a pretzel – baron baptiste

fox – kate banks

counting birds – alice melvin

we love to use books as a tool for comprehension. whether in kids yoga class, our preschool alternative program, or at home in a cozy chair, sharing a book that is meaningful is a great way to connect, share your values with your child and bring about increased self awareness or help them understand the world a little better. what are some of your favorite books to read with your child?

baby from a book?

bijakids1 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:41:16 +0000

Will you take a birthing class or self-teach?

A question link from a birth update site in my email box.

I’m still getting weekly updates on my newest baby – I say newest because I still identify my darling 11-yr old as baby and my three year old proves himself worthy of the title every day! Why did I sign up for a baby update, you might ask, now that you know I have three children? It might confuse you even more to discover that I am a labor nurse and childbirth educator - I could have updated myself on the status of my growing fetus . . . So why?

I wanted those weekly updates during the pregnancy to help me connect with the baby I had not yet met face-to-face. The information was all reruns, but the opportunity to be reminded about what was happening in the world of my womb allowed me to set aside a few minutes each week specifically focused on my newest baby.

So, back to that first question – will you take a birthing class or self-teach? Of course, I clicked the link. Basically the link talks about a “new trend,” expecting parent(s) forgo the birthing class and instead read a book or two or twenty. That original question implies another: Why would you take a birthing class when everything you may hear in the class you can read in a book, on your own time? In my experience, people read a book or two or twenty AND take a birthing class. I took a birthing class during my third pregnancy as an opportunity for my husband and I to work together, uninterrupted, under the guidance of another experienced teacher. So that we could align our intentions and remember that we were in this together.

Reading a book and putting the techniques outlined in the books into action are two very different things. A birthing class will probably tell you some things you already know and a few things you don’t. It will also give you an opportunity to put some of that information into practice, an opportunity to do the movement, breathing and support techniques under experienced guidance (with the support of you partner) and with others expecting parents. Putting information into action is a much truer definition of learning. A birthing class will help you assimilate all the information into knowledge so that when you feel that first contraction, you have the physical information as well as the mental information and when you forget, your partner or birthing coach is there to remind you.

Ready to dive in? Check out Bija’s newest offering – birthing classes!

Namaste,

Kristen Schaefer

Bija Birth

www.bijakids.com/birth

new seeds for a new year

bijakids1 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:22:57 +0000

Bija means seed in Sanskrit. So our philosophy here at bija always goes back to planting, sprouting, growing, sowing and reaping the rewards throughout the process. This applies to life as a whole – each action we take is like planting a seed, whether in your own self or in the world around you.

This time of year (when so many are evaluating life, making resolutions and turning over a fresh leaf) is a perfect time for turning inward to reflect. It’s like figuring out which seeds should be cultivated for the coming year, and then doing the work that’s required to get them ready. I hear so many people tell me “they wish…”. Practicing for yourself, with your family, or even sending your child off to yoga on their own is a way to make those wishes into seeds, and then grow the life you really want. How cool would it have been to learn that lesson when you were three or four years old?

People ask me all the time why I teach yoga to children and families. They’re often impressed but surprised that kids get something positive and maybe even transformative out of a yoga practice. To reap the real rewards we have to plant seeds – and not just any old kind. Just as tomatoes and apples need sunlight and rain to flourish, kids need a healthy dose of play, exploration and nurturing to enjoy and grow from a yoga practice. That doesn’t mean bija’s all about fun and games – it means we meet kids where they are and help provide them with valuable life skills in a framework that’s age old, really works and makes them feel good.

So as your child learns to down dog at bija they will also enjoy lounging under the parachute, chanting, getting colorful yoga stamps and listening to stories that incorporate themes of growth, gratitude and giving. Bubbles, foot massages and songs are all a chance to connect and share. And maybe give you a few tools to take home and use along the way as you watch that little bean grow into a strong yet flexible vine.

The world is full of challenge, stress, anger and suffering. That’s not going to change. What can change is how we prepare the next generation to walk through that world. We strive to open hearts and minds all at once. One little seed at a time.

Namaste ~

Lauren Maples

director, bija