Welcome to the first newsletter of 2017. Today I have a free downloadable workbook that I’ll explain more about below.

I also want to make sure you know about the Early Registration Special that runs to the end of the weekend on the next module of Kids Yoga Teacher Training. The upcoming Themes and Dreams Certificate is a favourite because of all the songs, stories, meditations and philosophy for Kids. If you are planning to get Certified as a Kids Yoga Teacher this year, register now to reserve your spot. We’re also polishing up the details of the 95 Hour Summer Certification 2017 – you can get a sneak peak here. Let me know if you have any questions about Kids Yoga teacher training.

Tools to Consciously Set Your Course for 2017

The beginning of 2017 marks the beginning of a new year and the passing away of an old one. Appreciating the fact that all things are temporary, they are born, they grow, and they pass away is an integral part of the yogic life. It helps us truly appreciate them while they exist and to learn from them to create better tomorrows.

A new year brings a natural opportunity to reflect on the year that just passed and to consciously set intentions for one that is coming up. My meditation teacher always warned that if you don’t set your own vision for your life, you will be living the vision of someone else. I have lived other people’s visions of what life should be and I prefer to set my own course!

Writing Your Goals to Create Your Life

For this reason I started keeping journals of my goals, plans and desired lifestyle when I started meditating regularly. When I look back through my journals I can see that everything I’ve done, including Young Yoga Masters, Ambassador Yoga and even finding my husband, were shaped by the intentions I wrote in my visioning journals.

The benefits I got from my visioning practice inspired me to start teaching a yearly workshop for Conscious Intention Setting seven years ago. It is always offered at the beginning of the year and it’s called the Kundalini Kick Start (I got my adult yoga training in Kundalini Yoga). During the workshop we do yoga, meditation and conscious intention setting.

Historically the workshop sells out and many who attend are past grads. I love to reconnect with you all in person through yoga and meditation, the practices that brought us together. I know we teachers have to consciously make time to keep our own practice healthy! This is one great way to do this.

Kundalini Kick Start 2017 is a 3-hour workshop happening in Grimsby (between Hamilton and St. Catharine’s) on Saturday Saturday Jan. 14 and in Toronto on Sunday January 15 (with co-teacher Daya Kaur Khalsa)

Conscious Intention Setting for Yoga Teachers Using the Free Download Worksheets

However not everyone is able to make it to Toronto for this workshop, so this year you can use the worksheets below to participate in the process. Having a conscious intention setting ritual to begin a new year helps us to create the work and life we want for the upcoming year and beyond.

In Kundalini Kick Start we do a thorough yoga set and one or two x 11 minute meditation sessions before we dive into the visioning for the new year. Consider attending a yoga class or doing an hour of yoga at home, then meditating before you start. Make an afternoon of it. You’ll be glad you did! It will help you look at what you want more clearly.

Then use this free downloadable workbook (modified from Kundalini Kick Start) to guide you through the process. It’s a way to think through and vision the year ahead for yourself personally, socially and professionally. Below are descriptions of what’s in its pages.

Reflections on 2016- Page 1

Yoga Teacher worksheet to reflect on the past year, what worked, what didn't work in 2016 — Page 1 of Workbook

Reflection on 2016. You can start with positives and what went right for you in your personal, social and professional life. Or you may be drawn to look at What Didn’t Work first. Some yogis say the mind comes up with negatives first and fastest so that you can avoid danger. You can fill this out in any order that suits you.

Then take the reflections from what went right and what could have worked out better to draw some lessons to carry forward into 2017.

Your Vision for Yourself for 2017 – Page 2

Yoga teachers use this worksheet to look at what they want in the year ahead for business, personal, and community. — Page 2 of Workbook

Now turn your focus towards forming a vision for what you want to be in 2017. What you want to be will determine what you will do and what you do will lead to what you end up having in your life. This is the Be/Do/Have model for forming a vision for your life.

What You Need to Achieve Your 2017 Vision – Page 3

Yoga Teacher worksheet of what you need to attain your goals and visions for the year ahead. — Page 3 of Workbook

Once you’ve sketched out a vision for 2017 you can look at what you need to bring that vision to reality. In this worksheet you identify what you lack. Often yoga teachers train themselves to focus on gratitude and the positives. Allow yourself to feel what is missing when you set your vision because our lack can provide the clue to the direction we need to go.

It might be training you need, resources that are required, or relationships that need to be developed. It might be letting go of other things to make room for what you really want. Search your heart and apply your yogic wisdom then put what you need on paper to clarify how you feel now.

How to Spend Your Time and Maintain Balance in Your Life – Page 4

Yoga teachers look at time management to help follow through on their goals for 2017 — Page 4 of Workbook

Before moving onto action steps, take some time to think about how you currently spend your time during a typical twenty four hour day. Ideally, how would you like to spend your time? Fill in the twenty-four hour pie chart with estimates of what you do during a typical day and what you would like to do in an ideal day (don’t forget to include a good night’s sleep).

Turn Your Vision into Action – Page 5

Yoga teachers take all the insights from the workbook to clarify their goals and vision for 2017 — Page 5 of Workbook

Apply the insights from previous pages to add action steps you can take to build upon your vision and move it forward. Be as specific as possible in this part.

Timelines for Action – Page 6

Yoga teachers use the worksheet to sketch out a timeline for their goals and visioning using the workbook. — Page 6 of Workbook

Take the action steps sketched out on page 5 and arrange them on the timelines in a sequence that seems appropriate to you. Is what you have written realistic? Do you need to adjust your goals, plans or timelines to be able to have a balanced life?

You may want to print out one or more of these pages again to update and modify your vision as you learn more about what you want and whether it is really what you thought it would be.

Let your vision be a work in progress that you return to and update as a living breathing force in your life.

Finally, congratulate yourself!

You’ve earned it. It’s not easy to take time out to think about what you love about your life, what could be improved upon and how you might go about doing that. But taking the time to do that helps you move towards what you really want from life so you don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again out of habit.

Have a beautiful balanced 2017!

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Here in Toronto, Canada there is an “Extreme Heat Advisory” today. The air is hot and sticky and on the news they predict we’ll beat the hottest day on record! Yesterday was almost as hot and my kids yoga classes weren’t easy. The kids were tired after each exercise, a bunch of children kept saying they didn’t want to do yoga. When I asked them why, they said, “We’re tired.” Speaking the whole time in that monotone way that kids do.

kids hot yoga — Yoga in the Sun can wilt your children!

This calls for a change of plans. Here are some ideas if you face such a situation.

5 Ways to Beat the Heat in Kids Yoga Class

1. Slow Yoga:

on days when you can fry tofu on the sidewalk, I prefer to stick to slow yoga poses, focused more on stretching than raising the heart rate. I go with simple back bends, side stretches and lunging poses. Forward bends and long flow sequences build up too much heat. I hate feeling hot breath and sweaty chin during sitting forward bend or child pose on a hot day like this. So my advice, open up with simple slow stretches and stay cool.

2. Eye Exercises:

in a 30 minutes class doing yogic eye exercises usually get left out. These three simple

eye workouts are perfect to dust off on a hot day:

Circles: Move your eyes in a circle like you are watching the second hand of a clock (first clockwise, then counter-clockwise). Try to move as slowly as the second hand. Time the kids and see if they can guess how long a minute is without looking at a clock.
Directions: Eyes look left, right, up, down. Repeat directions. Then call out directions and have the kids follow along.
Distance: Softly place your hand over your closed eyes. Move your hands a couple millimeters away from your eyes and open your eyes. Try to focus on the lines on your hands. Then start to move your hands away from your eyes slowly, until your elbows are straight. Keep focusing on the lines on your hands throughout. To finish imagine you are looking through your hands, through the wall, and out at the horizon at something far, far away.

3. Water Play and Gratitude Meditation:

Yesterday, all the kids were wearing bathing suits because they had water play planned for the afternoon activity. Wouldn’t it be fun to water a tree pose or give a bath to a downward dog?!

But if that’s not possible here’s an alternative. Get each child a glass of water or put a big water jug in the middle of the class. Talk about all the things water does. Water lets us live! It lets us cook and clean, it lets us swim and play. Why else do we need water? After having a discussion about water, sit silently for one or two minutes to meditate on the gift of water.

Then at the end everyone drinks a glass of the water in front of them. How does it taste after the gratitude meditation? Does it taste any different?

4. Breathing and Visualization:

Try visualizing yourselves up in the Arctic watching for Polar Bears and riding on an iceberg. Float around in this cool oasis for nice long relaxation.

5. Coloring/Stories Activity Time:

worries — Coloring Activities can show you what kids are thinking about.

There are so many great stories and coloring activities for the end of a yoga class. I save these special activities for days like this when heat trumps strenuous yoga. How about coloring your Arctic Visualization? Or tell a Zen Shorts
story or Aesop’s Fable and invite the children to color a picture after. These drawings give me insight into where the children are at. Sometimes I learn things I wouldn’t find out in a regular yoga class. For instance, I found out about some of the worries kids have when they drew pictures of their worry tree.

This probably won’t be the last heat wave of the summer and hopefully you can get into air conditioning to ease the smothering effect of the heat. But if you do have a hot day and some yoga to teach, try these to stay cool.

Have you done any other activities that help kids stay cool in the sweltering heat? What activities, stories, or yoga poses do you like to lead?

My Four Year Blog-iversary Celebration

P.S. My four year Blog-iversary is coming up next month. Yes that’s four years since my first blog post. 227 posts later I’m thinking of a special way to celebrate so stay tuned for the details. Thanks to everyone who’s been reading the Young Yoga Masters blog. I appreciate you following and subscribing and love to get your input and comments. Stay tuned – blog party next week.

Upcoming Events:

Young Yoga Masters is pleased to be promoting the Y.O.G.A. for Youth Teacher Training being offered in Toronto, Canada.

YOGA for Youth Kids Yoga Teacher Training

This 40-hour training program takes place from October 13 – 17, 2011. I don’t get a chance to take too many courses, but I’m clearing my calendar to take this one. I’ve had the chance to study with Krishna Kaur, the founder of Y.O.G.A. for Youth – she’s the real deal. She has over forty years of yogic experience and knowledge to share.

For more details on the Y.O.G.A. for Youth Teacher Training and for some short video clips about it click here. Registration is now open. Save $100 if you register early.

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