No yoga tonight

Namaste,

Due to kids vacations and getting ready for school, we are going to take a break from Yoga this month.  Kids Yoga will resume August 29th and will be on wednesdays at 6:30 pm at A&HT Church.

Enjoy the rest of summer!  It always goes too fast!

Peace,

Hollie J.

The Great Kindness Challenge

Hi!  On Aug. 11th, the world is coming together for the Great Kindness Challenge.  Go to this link to see how you can participate.


http://www.greatkindnesschallenge.org/event.html

Let me know if you are doing this with us!!!!!

Namaste,
Hollie J.

The Great Kindness Challenge

Hi!  I have been working on my yoga curriculum to add peace education in my yoga classes.  This morning I received an email inviting Little Yoga Sunshine to participate in The Great Kindness Challenge.  What an amazing idea!!!!  


There is a list of 50 easy and free things to do to be kind.  Let's all do this together.  Read more here.  


http://www.greatkindnesschallenge.org/event.html

Let me know if you are doing this with us!!!!!

Namaste,
Hollie J.

Experiencing Culture

I've noticed that during summer vacation my kids get a little stuck in their own worlds. For instance, my daughter started crying when I denied her request to buy a $7 app for a game called, "Assassin's Creed." As if that was going to ever happen.

My two kind, sweet children have been fighting over who's turn it is on the wii, who didn't put the almond milk away, or where they sit in the car. Not the peaceful way of life I keep lecturing, sometimes scolding, about. Because that's peaceful :(

And then, like the sun breaking through the clouds, along came two opportunities: the World Choir Games, and the Bunbury Music Festival. I took My son Riley, age 12, to both of these incredible events. He experienced different cultures from around the world, and different cultures within our city of Cincinnati. How could one not get out of their own head?

Suddenly he is not interested in arguing with his sister. He willingly gives up his turn. He describes and acts out the different performances. We watch samples on YouTube. We bond as a family as we connect to the world outside of our house.

Now, I realize that this won't last. What it teaches us, though, is to get out into the world with our children. Let them meet all kinds of people. Raise their awareness beyond what's directly in front of them. There are so many free or low cost activities around town to experience. Let's get out there.

The only way to spread peace in the world is to know what world we live in and to be apart of it.

Namaste,
Hollie J.

Back Home :)

We are back home from vacation. Even though it wasn't particularly relaxing for me with my 2 kids and paralyzed dog, getting away still gave me peace. Removing myself from my every day environment allowed me time and space to think about other things, and to just not think at all. Also, visiting one of closest friends, who now lives in China, renewed our bond and sense of who we are and want to be as people, parents, and friends.

And now I'm ready to get back to yoga!

Thurs: kids yoga, 6:15 pm, A&HT Chirch

Om Shanti

On Vacation

Hello Yogis!

I am on vacation this week in Oak Island, NC with my two children and my dear soul sister and her son.  We are having a great time.  I hope you all enjoy the 4th of July!

I will see you at yoga next week!

Namaste,
Hollie Jai

The End of May CRAZEE

I have been running around so much in these last two weeks that I am exhausted.  Completely exhausted. Band concert, music concert, art show, field trip, field trip, field trip, play dates, girl scouts, birthday parties, May Fete, homework, projects, papers to write...not to mention what I have to do to run my two businesses- emails, book keeping, scheduling, teaching, diapers, singing, stories, dog walking, litter scooping, picking up dog doo, grocery, classes, workshops, volunteering, reading, cleaning, laundry, cooking, feeding...

I have been feeling like I may go mad.  MAY MADNESS is what it is.

Today I didn't show up to a meeting, rescheduled, and then didn't show up again.  Rescheduled TWICE before I made it.  Luckily, the person I was meeting with is awesome and completely understood.

What this is telling me---I'm OBVIOUSLY out of balance.  Extremely out of balance.  What do you do when you are out of balance?  I'll tell you:

*yoga
*quiet time
*meditation
*eat healthy food

Is that really that hard?  Well, kinda, sorta.  But, it IS doable.  If you can squeeze in time to watch tv, or drive through starbucks, or go to a bar, you can squeeze in time for the above mentioned activities.  You do not have to do an hour of yoga, or meditation, etc... You can do 5 or 10 minutes.  Will you have to wake up earlier?  Possibly.  But is 5 or 10 minutes going to kill you (I do sometimes feel it might, but really I feel that way whether I wake up at 6:30 or 6:30)?

 If you can give your self 20 min or more, you will be able to accomplish so much more in your life.  Our over stimulated minds need a break.  They need time to assess what needs to be done, organize, and remember.  The only way to give the mind that break is to sit still.

Try it.  Tell me how it works for you.  I promise you cannot go wrong.

Namste,
Hollie Jai

Summer Schedule

Namaste,
I am soooo excited for summer!  I have a lot of classes on the schedule for kids and for adults.  See my website, littleyogasunshine.com, for more information!
Om Shanti
Peace

Family Yoga

I'm getting ready to put family yoga on the schedule for A&HT Church.  If you were to join us, what time would be ideal?  How old are your children?  What would you like to get out of it? What would you like your children to get out of it?
Thanks!
Namaste,
Hollie J.
Little Yoga Sunshine

Mindfulness

     In kids yoga this week, we will be practicing mindfulness.  We will discuss being aware of all our actions, words, and thoughts.  We will see how they affect us, people around us, and the environment around us.  

     I practiced this with the kids at Roberts Paideia yesterday.  We sat in a circle and connected by saying our name and something we like to do.  Then I asked them, "why did we share something about ourselves?"  Their answers were interesting, such as, because we like to talk about ourselves, or, because you need to learn our names, etc...  I wanted them to see why it was important to share a piece of information about yourself, and to listen to information about others.  A give and take to sharing, learning about each other, and how that leads to peace.

     Then we did our mindful breathing.  I asked them to set an intention, and they picked love.  So, on the inhale, we breath in love (love for ourselves, from others, etc...) then breathed out love (sharing our love and showing our love to others, ourselves, family, community, etc...)

     These kids are usually a bit of a challenge for me to teach.  They can be a little wild.  However, yesterday, they were amazing.  They came up with beautiful and creative responses.  I could see them relax during class.  I could see the glimmer of self esteem, and caring for others increase.  It was inspirational.

     I am excited to extend this lesson and do it with all of my other classes.  I am also excited to try it at home with my own children.  It would be awesome if you tried it with people in your life, it can be done by anyone and you can use any intention, and then share it here with me.

Examples of intentions:

Breathe in hope

Breathe out and extend hope to the world

Breathe in confidence, extend confidence on the exhale

Peace, calmness, harmony, light, compassion, understanding, respect, gratitude, etc...

Let me know how it goes.

Spreading peace and love to the world, one child at a time :)

Hollie Jai