Upcoming Events!

Prenatal Yoga Workshop in St John USVI 2016

It has been an exciting and emotional year with ups and downs, learning and growing, and change. Lots of change. I return to my yoga practice again and again, not just because it helps my body feel good, but also because it provides a framework to view my life journey.

My practice is to emulate building a yoga pose in my day to day actions. First I ground. Where am I? Physically, mentally, emotionally? What is my intention? Then I add the breath. I feel present in myself with the breath. With my exhale I release anything that doesn't serve me in this moment. With my inhale, I energize my intention. Visualize it. Manifest it. Only then comes the physical action itself. The action rides the waves of breath, expanding and contracting, rooting and rising.

What does this mean? Nothing and everything... I am poised for action. This is a reminder for myself that intention and the conscious forming of that intention, comes first.

My intention is to share with my home community of St John some of what I have learned about teaching yoga for the 4 trimesters of pregnancy. And no, that is not a typo. Pregnancy is the process of becoming a mother and that doesn't end in birth, it begins. Prenatal yoga, supports the body in preparation for birth, but it can also support the woman, the community and the journey for birth and beyond.

Contact me for more information on my 2 day Prenatal Yoga Workshop, Jan 16 & 17. 2016 on St John, USVI.

Self Help Retreat

Radiant Child Yoga is canceled for the next few weeks. I will be restarting the class with a different format, and possibly a change in day and/or time. Core ages for the class are 3 - 8.  Class will resume on March 20th.

The new sessions will run 6 weeks at a time and be limited to 10 students. Cost is $40 per session.

Click on the link to register for the Thursday at 4pm class time.

Class Registration

If you are interested in an alternative time, or you have any suggestions that would make this class a better fit for you, please indicate your preferences on the registration form. Thank you!

May the long time sun shine upon you

All love surround you

And the pure light within you

Guide your way on...

Namaste,

Jessa Buchalter

"Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo"

I believe that each one of us has an inner voice or teacher that can help guide us in our decisions, but we have to take the time to be quiet and listen. When we sing Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, our opening song, we are saying, “I open my heart to the Guru (or teacher) within me and all around me”. We are setting an intention as a group. Even though the words have no meaning for most children, the very act of singing together, taking deep breaths with extended exhales and sounds that vibrate through the body, prepares them to be quiet and listen. It is the deep breath you take at the beginning of your adventure.

In yoga we practice finding that quiet place where we can hear our inner voices and connect to our truth. Pranayama, or working with the breath, is one way to find that inner stillness. In radiant child yoga we make it fun with games and music. We show children how they can energize or calm their bodies using the breath; empowering them. Music is another powerful tool. The songs we sing in class focus the attention of the mind, harness the power of the breath, and uplift the spirit. You can't forget to breathe while you're singing!  

In Thich Naht Hanh's Plum Village, there is a mindfulness practice of ringing a bell. No matter what you are doing when the bell rings, you stop, listen to the sound and connect to your breath. Children love to ring the bell! There are many ways to use the bells in class. The simplest is to sit in a circle and have each child ring the bell while the rest of us listen to the sound of the bell, closing our eyes and taking three deep breaths. “Come back to that quiet space where your Guru can speak to you.”

I often use the bell during meditation or Savasana to mark the beginning or end of the quiet time. The Bell Freeze Dance game works especially well when everyone has a lot of energy!

• Bell Freeze Dance- Each child dances to their own rhythm, freezing when they hear the bell for three deep breaths. When the sound fades the dance begins.

• Walk with the Bell- Sit in a circle. One child stands up holding the bell, moving slowly and trying NOT to ring the bell. She walks across the circle and places the bell on the floor in front of a friend. Repeat until everyone has had a chance to walk with the bell.

I love teaching yoga, but teaching children's yoga is something special. It is joyful and uplifting and inspiring and challenging. Children are authentic. When they are present and engaged their excitement literally shines out of their eyes. When they are not interested or they are upset... well, there is no mistaking that either! When my daughter gets upset the first thing she does is start to hyperventilate. Her emotions take over and she loses control of her breath, and then her body. I hope to empower her, not only to control and calm her body, but to recognize her truth and communicate it in a positive way.

Working with our children, honoring their emotions and teaching them to honor and communicate their emotions is no easy feat. Honest, respectful and loving communication is a challenge at any age. The first step is often taking a step back; finding your quiet inner space where you can hear your truth. 

Be a lamp to yourself. Be your own confidence. 

Hold on to the truth within yourself as to the only truth.”

 ~ Buddha 

Winter Animals Yoga Adventure

Today in Radiant Child Yoga we learned about what different animals do when Winter arrives. The class named animals that live in Colorado and worked together to decide whether that animal migrated, hibernated or adapted. Our migrating animals were duck, monarch butterfly, and elk. Rabbits, ptarmigan, and people adapt to Winter and snakes and bears hibernate.

With that decided, we circled up, sat tall and tuned in with "Ong Namo Guru dev Namo" and began our Winter Animal Yoga Adventure.

"Let’s head to the mountains and see if we can find all those animals…"

• Camel ride
• Bicycle ride- go slow as we climb the hills!
• Walk with crossing hand to knee
• Climb- reach over your head and pull yourself up.

"We reached the top of the mountain! Let’s be the mountain. Plant your feet and bring your hands together over your head."

• Mountain pose

Then we practiced our animal poses. At the bottom of the mountain we saw butterflies and sang the Fly Like A Butterfly song. On our walk up the mountain we saw rabbits (Rabbit pose), we saw ptarmigan, ducks (follow the leader), snakes, bears and elk.

The most popular part of class by far was our yoga game where we put all our newly learned yoga poses to good use!

One wall is North where it’s cold!

The other wall is South where it’s warm.

When I say North, run to the North wall, when I say South, run to the South wall. When I say butterfly and stand in Tree pose at the South wall, run and crowd around me like monarch butterflies in Mexico. When I say, Snake, Rabbit, or Ptarmigan, do that pose. When I say duck and name a leader, migrate following the leader. When I say Elk or Bear walk that pose to the other wall. End with Butterflies around the tree.

Awesomeness!

Then we switched gears and started hibernating.  First we were snakes...

• One person lays down on back and the next person lays down with their head on first person’s belly, repeat until everyone is laying down. If you have enough kids you can place them in a circle. You are snake in a Hibernaculum (a pile of hibernating snakes in an underground den)! Hibernating snakes are so still mice aren’t afraid to tiptoe around them. Breath deeply into the belly and lift your friends’ heads up and down with your breath.

Then we were bears...

• Get up and lumber as slow as you can around the room and back to your yoga mat. Your mat is your cave. Climb in and lay down on your back. Imagine you have a full tummy and your fur keeps you warm and snug. You fall asleep. 
• Now imagine fresh white snow covering everything. Take 10 steps through the snow.. 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10 Something catches your eye in the forrest. Watch it quietly until the bell rings.

After Savasana we sat up for Meditation, singing Sa Ta Na Ma and ending with two interactive songs: Coo Coo and Ba Ba Bluebird

Closing with our traditional goodbye song, Long Time Sun. I hope to see many more faces next Thursday at Vida Yoga in Boulder at 3:30. Until then...

May the long time sun shine upon you

All love surround you

And the pure light within you

Guide your way on...

Radiant Child in the New Year

Radiant Child Yoga at Vida Yoga in Boulder continues Thursdays at 3:30 pm. 

I hope to see you there!

The core age group for the class is 4-7, however we also have some kids as young as 2 and as old as 10. I just ask that parents stay and participate if their child is under 4.

If you are interested in other times, or a class aimed at a different age group, I am happy to offer private classes, either in the studio or at a location of your choice for $40 for up to 5 children and $8 each additional child.

Please contact Jessa with any questions.

Blessings for the New Year!