Photo : http://aurora.anandayogastudios.com/

Playing on a Saturday Afternoon

Today through my work, I was able to play with some 9, 10, and 11 year olds.  They were taking risks (one of the best elements of true play), and reaping the benefits!  Inspirational!  Recently, I attended an Arm Balancing Workshop by Sergey Tsatsura at the Ananda Studio Aurora.  At first all we attendees were dutifully lined up on our mats, very hushed and serious.  After an hour or so, we were all playing.  Playing with our bodies, playing with balance, strength, and laughter.  This is what I love about yoga, it takes pretty serious adults back to children playing on the grass on summer’s day.  “Hey, can you do this?”  “I dunno.  Let me try.”  And if you fall on your face, you just try again.  “Well how about this?”  

I was inspired to take this workshop for two reasons, the first reason is that upper body strength is not my forté and I wanted to challenge myself.  The second reason, is that at most family gatherings now, my 10 year-old niece ends up challenging the grown-ups to her latest “trick”. She says, “Aunt Terry watch this!”, and in the spirit of play and over-fifty pride (not very yogi!) I say, “Oh, yeah.  Let me try.” My amazing little niece can do a one-arm handstand against a wall.  I cannot . . . yet.

Some other family members often get into the act as well. Good times.  

 

The exploration of this topic wouldn’t be complete without remembering adventures of my youth which included backpacking around Europe, meeting up with plenty of Aussies.  One of whom taught me to drink beer standing on my head.  So I was practicing for being a yogi, long before I knew much more about eastern philosophy than Jai Guru Deva. Om as sung by the Beatles in Across the Universe. 

 

Beer Yoga at the Pink Palace on Paradise Beach - Thanks Jude!

 

Words are flowing out like
Endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe.
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
Are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me.

Jai Guru Deva. Om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Images of broken light, which
Dance before me like a million eyes,
They call me on and on across the universe.
Thoughts meander like a
Restless wind inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.

Jai Guru Deva. Om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Sounds of laughter, shades of life
Are ringing through my opened ears
Inciting and inviting me.
Limitless undying love, which
Shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe

Jai Guru Deva.
Jai Guru Deva.
Jai Guru Deva.
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Namaste, John Lennon

Upcoming Family Yoga Play Day to support Students Crossing Borders!


Students Crossing Borders supports community building and early childhood education work in Kingston, Jamaica.  It provides an opportunities for Canadians cross personal as well as international borders.  It provides Jamaicans with collaborative partners and friends.

Ms Campbell's Toddlers exploring paint

 This Sunday, I am collaborating with my fellow yogi Rebekah Murdoch, owner of  The Yoga Nest in Oakridges to put on a Family Yoga Session at the lovely new Oakridges Community Centre on Lake Wilcox. The fee is pay what you can. I will be going again this spring to do some work with Jamaican partners to help support children and early childhood educators in Kingston, Jamaica.   Rebekah and I have both taken the Rainbow Kids Yoga training. 

What is Family Yoga?   Playful yoga, breathing with your children, positive touch, laughter, imitating animals, being human vehicles, and of course, relaxation.  Why not come out this Sunday afternoon; 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm and play! 

 https://www.facebook.com/TheYogaNest 

www.studentscrossingborders.ca

Reading with Carl

Meeting her new brother.

Garden Before

Garden Before

Working on Garden

Garden mural - Orlando!

Garden workers near goat-proof fence made of skids.

Food for the community a few weeks later!

Crew who helped with community garden project.

Riverton City, on the outskirts of Kingston, JA

Going home from Basic School with Dad.

Playing and Yoga and Getting Older

Laughter, playfulness, and touch and breath.  I am very fortunate to be able to teach yoga to a super group of seniors every week. These four magical elements make the class fun for all. 18 or so mostly women and a couple of gentlemen come out to the shared room in a social housing complex in Toronto's north west corner.  This group is supported by Black Creek Community Health Centre, which really looks after Seniors in the area very well. These folks from their fifties to their eighties are from all over the world. Some understand my English, others not so much. Their energy is uplifting and I love sharing yoga with them.

At first I was serious as I was new to the group and new to teaching yoga to seniors. I worried about the varying abilities and interests of the group.  Did they like my class?  Was it too hard?  Too easy?  Too weird? Could they hear my voice if I played music?  Is the floor too cold? I think it was during the second week when we were doing hip circles that one woman called out with a mischievous grin, "Come on everyone, shake what your mama gave you!"  We all laughed and shook whatever was left of what our mamas gave us.  Now we crack off about our jiggly bits and where they used to be or are now.  We move to the Beatles and remember younger days, smiling as we lower our blood pressure and increase our flexibility.  Laughing is breathing deeper. 

As I am trained in Rainbow Kids Yoga, I introduce some of the fun touch/partner yoga with the seniors. "Rooftops", facing each other, palms pressing into each others palms over head brings out a strength contest, and smiles of satisfaction.  Balance can be a challenge but when four of the women raise their hands and balance as a row or circle of trees, we have beauty and support and a wonderful exchange of energy.  Seniors do a lot on their own, but together watch out!  They make a strong forest.  

We breathe deeply and infuse Qi Gong into the yoga.  We breathe and relax and listen to music by a Mohawk composer or Snatum Kaur, or the a little Nessun Dorma!

Oming is optional but most folks do.  During savasana, everyone gets a little neck or foot rub.  When you live alone, a little touch can be a wonderful thing.  In giving I receive.  So wonderful.  Is it time to go back yet? 

Image from e-Bay.

Boxing Day Memories - Play!

This is a blog entry in which I will sound especially old.  Today, I am looking out my window at the brown, green, and greyish white ground, wishing it were white.  Back in the sixties and seventies, I'd likely be tobogganing, using a new toboggan or maybe a new, plastic Slide a boggan.  We lived up the street from two toboggan hills and an outdoor skating rink.  We'd exhaust ourselves in the snow until our double layers of handmade woolen mittens were soaked and/or covered in little ice balls. (That we could suck on if we got thirsty.)  We'd then trudge home for hot chocolate made by heating milk and Hershey's chocolate syrup on the stove, poured into mugs with a couple of marshmallows for extra sugary, melty goodness. 

This would be in between rounds of playing whatever new game someone had got for Christmas that year - Kerplunk, Don't Break the Ice, Tip-it, Clue, Careers, Pick-up-Sticks,Scrabble, Monopoly, or any of our family favourite card games.  We were a big family, so having someone to play with was way easier than finding a quiet place to read.  Other annual hits would be Silly-Putty, until we wore it out from making copies of comics; a Slinky, until we bent it; and little wooden airplanes, until we blasted them into the wall too hard. 

The littler ones would be playing with a Fisher-Price house or castle. One of my sisters and I might be making dresses for our Barbies out of my dad's old socks or Kleenex and a hair bobble.  We might help my mom put a few pieces into her annual jigsaw puzzle. My brothers might be beating the crap out of each other with blow-up boxing gloves (Soccer-boppers?), a punching clown, or only in the ring with Battling Tops.  Somehow my parents managed to get us at least one awesome game or activity each year.  Whoever got it, shared whether he or she wanted to or not.  Once we started scrapping as the games unravelled, we would collect our now-dry mitts and snow pants from the various heating vents and be sent again to play outside.  Most Christmases in my memory were white and cold and filled with play. 

Christmas 1970

Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training - 27 Hours of Love, Laughter, and Learning!


Last weekend I retook the Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training Certification; not because I had to, but because I wanted to do it!  Three days of laughter, love, learning, and connecting to like-minded souls.  All of this is under the amazing tutelage of the remarkable Amanda McFayden.  

Practicing My Spiderwoman moves

Trying out some yoga "stations" on the yoga path

Demonstrating "The Spring" of the Yoga Gym

One, two, three, switch!

Two Headed Lizard!

Blindfolded Tightrope walk!

Rainbow Kids Yoga http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/index.html  was started in 2010 by Gopala Amir Yaffe.  There are now trainings being given all around the world, (even in Japan my dear Japanese colleagues!).  Amanda is the North American trainer.  We are lucky that she calls Newmarket home and also runs her own children’s yoga business locally  – Blisskids.   www.blisskids.ca

After this training, the newly certified RYK trainers have been emailing each other furiously and sharing how they’ve used their new skills.  The most common message so far though, is how Amanda’s bright love just shines out, while her enthusiasm for children and family yoga is contagious! Thanks to Core (yoga and Pilates) studio on Queen West for host.  Lisa, you were amazing. And thanks again, Amanda!

The November 2012 Toronto RKY Granduates taken by me!

Students Crossing Borders

I have been involved with the not-for-profit volunteer organization called Students Crossing Borders since 2009.  I was asked by my colleague, the late Lynn Caruso to join her in her work in Kingston, Jamaica.  SCB collaborates with some leaders in Riverton  City, Mustard Seed, and the Early Childhood Commission of Jamaica in supporting children and families in need. 

Our dear Lynn died on April 1st this year and is sorely missed.  We strive to carry on the work that Lynn has taken over from SCB founder, Fintan Kilbride.  We are in the midst of creating a board of directors.  Seneca College is also an important partner in this work. 

At this time I am currently recruiting early learning and care professionals who may be interested in coming on our next trip; May 4th to May 12th.  We will be helping children with special needs as well as collaboration with the early learning and care community in Kingston to hold a two-day ECE conference.  If you think you would be interested you could email me for more information:

ECE/Special Needs focus trip

May 4-12, 2013
Cost: $1,500.00 - includes all expenses (travel, food, simple accommodation, excursion)
Who?: ECE professionals, Early Interventionists, Children's Mental Health specialists, pediatric medical professionals, Early Literacy Specialists, Speech Pathologists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, teachers, college/university professors, etc. 
Information Session:  Monday, November 26th, 155 Gordon Baker Rd. Toronto, ON
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.  RSVP to me by email or call with questions.

A few pictures from last Spring's trip. 

"Break them one by one, gal and bwoy . . . "