Today, Stretch for Hope became real. It became real because a tribe of women connected to make a difference. We committed to a six week in-kind program to bring yoga, mindfulness and meditation sessions to the youth every Friday Night.
To me, Stretch for Hope is more than a six week program. It’s a movement we are creating with yoga, meditation and mindfulness giving and receiving without judgement building the energy of connecting that exists when people feel seen, heard and valued.
This is a reflection of my journey.
We had seven beautiful young ladies join us in our first session led by Tova. The power of breathing, stretching and movement radiated in the room. Everyone was engaged at our own pace in our own space. One of the girls even helped me to my first official wheel pose! We ended the yoga with a discussion around journaling. Each young lady decorated their own journals to take home. It was a beautiful experience to see everyone so open with no judgement only togetherness in the moment.
I’ve learned that the principles of yoga gives us the tools to manage ourselves better. Yoga helps regulate the nervous system and helps us learn to respond not react. Amazing.
Our second session was all about Balance. Yin and Yang. Energy and Light. I introduced the Summer Solstice “gateway to the rest of the year” preparing our group for beautiful Sun Salutations led by Jen. Honoring the sun and acknowledging the light within ourselves. We moved into a slow moving yin that I led encouraging everyone to move slowly, count to thirty in their stretching poses lying on our backs and twisting our knees to each side. In this slow moving silence, affirmations of “we all matter” ” we all have a voice” were repeated. We had some of the original ladies back for a second time. They brought their journals and made notes after class. This time we even had guys join the session. After yin, we went into sitting stretches and tree poses finishing off with a cool down savasana.
In preparing for this session, I learned that Yin yoga is a gentle practice that focuses on the heart, slow down, and surrendering to the joy in the moment. I’m realizing after this experience today that I am drawn to yin for these reasons. The solution, sometimes, really is in the silence.
We continued with balance in our third session. Serious balance. We now have a consistent group of young ladies and young men in our Friday evening yoga sessions. All the kids did crow, side crow, headstands and handstands. I tried. Tova and Jen did a fantastic job showing their strength and expertise on how to get into these poses. It really is mind over matter using the right form. Everyone made it look so easy. Although I couldn’t get into the poses, I appreciated energy around me. At the end, I shared a snippet from “Oh Shift” by Jennifer Powers. This mindfulness technique helps you make little changes in your own behavior which can make a big difference in how you respond to situations. When you make a shift in how you respond, you start taking back your personal power. Don’t let life’s bad moments spiral you out of control. The Oh Shift Principles address “how you can change your life with a little F’in shift.” Using Three words. Find. Flip. Freak as the basis on how you respond. I think everyone got the message around this and liked how it sounded. ” A little F’in Shift. Ha!
Winding down into final relaxation (shavasana), when it was over, none of us wanted to get up! In that moment, I realized minutes are so precious. Minutes to slow down, breathe, rest and restore. The quiet time of a minute helps me put so much of the BS nonsense that goes on in the real world gone. I leave every Friday night with a sense of gratitude hoping that one thing I do or say each time is that one thing a kid takes with them. The one word or statement, the one pose or quietness that gives them the strength to know this. We All Matter.
#Namastecomittedtothecause.
What happened to the girls? We arrived to find 7 boys and 1 girl ready for yoga so we decided to focus on more balancing poses with Jen and Tova showing us crow, headstands and handstands. All the boys are so strong! I’m still working crow. After all our hard work, I led a short session on yin again talking about the importance of slowing down and just breathing, reflecting and being okay in the silence. I asked each person to think of one word to take throughout the weekend. My word was determination. One of the younger boys called out his word. It was happy! We ended with a Jen showing us sitting meditation. After the kids left, we talked about wanting to continue this as we all realized we only have two classes left. It’s amazing that only four weeks ago none of us knew each other. And we have been so in sync since day one. For me, this experience is one of the reasons I’m so adamant about making difference. Not just for others, but for myself.
Guys do yoga too! Yes, suddenly our class is filled with more guys than girls. They are appreciating the movement of strength and the silence of rest. I’m seeing a shift in their energy of understanding how yoga helps the body, spirit and mind. This evening, after Jen led an amazing flow and meditation at the end, I continued our slowdown resting poses. I now have my own mini sequence! Some of the guys took the journals we brought the first week and even decorated them. I’m learning that yoga doesn’t discriminate. We can be who we are, where we are, in our own space and on our own mat and just be. It’s an empowering experience, trying a new pose or just flowing with ease with a familiar one. Next week is our last session. We don’t want it to end. That’s why I’m facilitating Stretch for Hope fundraising efforts to bring this program to these same kids for the entire upcoming school year.
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MzMxMzA
Connection really is the cure.
SGchangeagent 