I was browsing on Pinterest the other day for ideas on teaching yoga. I came across a picture of what looked like a cardboard box with different yoga poses on each side. I thought, "I could do that, how fun!" Once I clicked the link, I saw that it went along with a book called, "Let's Roll Yoga!" by Jackie Allen Kuhn. The author is a mother who is an OT as well as a yoga teacher. It looked like a really fun, creative way to show special needs children some simple yoga poses. I purchased the book and it makes my heart happy that I'm supporting a small business.
The book and dice arrived and it was better than I expected. The dice is a nice foam, similar to the density of a stress ball. The size of the dice is nice and is easy to grasp. I also really love that the book is spiral bound. It lays flat as I'm reading. I'm excited to use this with my daughter. Currently, she's not feeling the greatest. I'll have to wait another day to get her to play.
If you're interested in purchasing the book her website is www.letsrollyoga.com
***I was not paid for my opinion, nor did I receive this product in exchange for my opinion. I just really like it and want to pass on this great resource! ***
Spring is officially here, but today is quite chilly! To celebrate the beginning of spring many yogis practice 108 sun salutations. I did some research and found the number 108 to have many meanings through out different religions and the universe. Here are a few examples I found:
- 108
1= God/higher truth
0= emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice
8= infinity or eternity,
- The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth,
- The average distance of the moon from the earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon,
- The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra,
- and there are 108 beads on a rosary.
The list could go on...
I decided to give my own twist on welcoming in spring. To do a bit of spring cleaning of my spirit. I chose to do 108 sun salutations with setting my intentions on some Bible verses that I wanted to focus on. I taped them to mirror in front of me so that I could see them and read them on my breaks.
I focused on 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 19:14, Ezra 10:4, Jeremiah 29:11, Hebrews 10:24, Luke 1:37, and Proverbs 31:17.
There are a few variations of sun salutations. This graphic below shows you the style I did today, which is a sun salutation A. This is a graphic from Women's Health magazine.
Completing 108 sun salutations was a tough workout. By the time I got to 70 I was ready to quit. I started taking a few more breaks to stretch and read over my verses to refocus. Putting on some christian rock music helped my motivation. Once I made it to 90, the rest of the salutations felt surprisingly great! My wrists are a bit sore, I'm sure my arms will be sore tomorrow, but right now all is well with my soul.
Hey, I'm Doris! Thanks for stopping by! I wanted to kick off this blog sharing a bit of how I got into practicing yoga and why I wanted to start teaching. Also to share, "What's next?" for me. The photo below is from the class I taught to finish my requirements to become 200hr certified yoga instructor. **Insert happy dance!**
I first started doing yoga about six years ago to help ease all the aches and pains from running. I started running to help burn off stress (aka the crazy). This photo below is my crew at a 5k fun run around April 2014.
Mid 2014 a situation happened in our family that caused me to stop working out all together. I'd rather not go into detail, but I have a daughter with special needs and she went through a terrible time. I just felt stuck physically, emotionally, and I was depressed. I knew for my mental health that I had to try to do something active. Yoga for me has always had this calming, yet energizing vibe. My yoga practice helped me get through a very rough patch. It wasn't super fancy, I just did poses that felt good at that moment. Some days my practice was 5 minutes, others 45 minutes. Over time I learned to be more mentally present. To not waste my energy on the past or stress over what has yet to come. It's still a challenge for me at times, but I can feel a difference in myself.
I realized that I love practicing restorative yoga the most out of all the styles of yoga. It balanced out my other workouts and helped settle my nervous system.
Although I'm introvert by nature, I knew that I needed to share what I have learned about restorative yoga with others. Especially to special needs parents/care-givers/teachers. My husband is amazingly supportive & encouraged me to seek out a yoga teacher training program. After a lot of research, I found a studio that was a perfect fit for me. Part of my graduation requirements included creating and leading a workshop of my choosing. I'm thrilled that I had the chance to create a 'Yoga for Care-givers' workshop!
Once I finished training, I was given the wonderful opportunity to start teaching a flow & restore class at the local USO. It has been the best learning experience and allows me to build my confidence teaching in front of a class. Plus, it feels wonderful to teach our military community! I'm currently seeking out more trainings to keep learning and build my resume. I hope later this year to attend a training specifically for restorative & yin yoga. I've also considered learning more about leading a chair yoga class. This summer I hope to get certified to teach yoga to special needs children/teens/adults. With all the benefits I am experiencing with yoga, I want to learn more how I can help my special needs daughter. My overall goal is to help people find some calmness in a sometimes chaotic life. As for this blog, I'll write about my journey and what I enjoy. You may see me post about writing meditations, what I'm reading, and pictures! The possibilities are endless, and I'm excited to see what is next!
