Are Tweenie Yoginis in Turmoil?

To be cool. To fit in. These thoughts run amok throughout the mind of a tween. Aye Hanuman, talk about a monkey mind! Recently, I have been witnessing some strife amongst my little tweenie yoginis that I teach. Usually, the energy from these kids is positive and encouraging to each other, but as my class grows in size, the diverse and unique personalities expand as well. Some of them are downright stinkers.

In a recent session, two new boys appeared to be interested in participating in class as they took off their shoes and sat down on a mat. But, as I began to talk about what we would be doing in class that evening, one of the boys spoke up and loudly said, “I don’t like this yoga stuff...I don’t want to do this”.  The second boy chimed in, “Yeah, I don’t like it either. What is the use of this yoga stuff anyway, to be peaceful and quiet?” I replied, “Yes, yoga can help you with chillin’ out and relaxing.” With a raised voice and squinty eyes, the second boy answered, “Well you ain’t gonna get any peace and quiet from over here!” He then said that he didn’t want to stay, so I allowed him to return to the Kiddy Corral. The first boy was slightly stunned-- and no longer had a partner in crime.

Another outburst: an eleven year old girl proclaimed that she did not like yoga either. I looked over to see a tween who was back for her second class. I replied, “Really? Well I am very thankful and proud of you for coming back again this week to give yoga another chance.” She dropped her head and stared at her lap. I saw a soft expression on her face but not quite a smile. I sensed that she felt good about being recognized after one class, so she became pro-yoga after that moment. I thought to myself, “What is going on? Why do the kids want to distance themselves from yoga?”

My class plan went out the door as I switched gears to try and respond to the situation brewing in class. I decided to make it a “feel good” class… who doesn’t like massages and feeling good? I pulled out the foam rollers, and the tweens gave themselves back and leg massages. We used the foam rollers with balance poses as well. They loved it!

After class, the eleven year old girl no longer had a tough expression on her face but was beaming. The first boy (the one without an accomplice) even confided in me that he “kinda liked the class, it was ok.”  I hope this child will apply some positive peer power on his friend who left, and encourage him to come back another day.

At the end of the class, my questions still were not answered. Has yoga become geeky or nerdy? Do only pansies do that stuff now? Are tweens being pressured by peers to reject yoga because it’s uncool with their age group (because their moms do it)? I am intrigued by my own ponderings on the subject and would appreciate  you posting your experiences and thoughts on tweenie yoginis.

Peace!

Love love Orange Cauliflower!

Whoda thunk... orange cauliflower? It is an amazing vegetable that you should try with this recipe I found from www.sundaynightdinner.com. Three out of four of my family members liked the dish (if my son had given it a thumbs up, I would have had to check his temperature).

Information for my local peeps: I found this vegetable in the organic section at Kroger-Exeter location in Germantown.

Cardamom Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

SND Note: We've added the salt before and after roasting. While it's easier to salt the vegetables before roasting, the salt draws out the moisture in the vegetables, which makes them harder to brown and caramelize. Salting the vegetables after roasting is the recommended approach.

Ingredients

•  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for greasing sheet pan

•  3 green cardamom pods

•  1-2 dried red chilies or 1 fresh Thai chili (optional)

•  1 tablespoon coriander seeds

•  1 teaspoon cumin seeds

•  1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

•  1 head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) cored and broken into medium florets

•  1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

•  1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

1.            Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a sheet pan or jellyroll pan with olive oil and set aside.

2.            Grind the cardamom pods, chilies, coriander, cumin and whole peppercorns in a coffee grinder or mini food processor until fine. Mix the spices with oil in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower florets and onions and toss to coat. Add additional oil if necessary.

3.            Transfer the vegetables to a baking pan, spread evenly. Roast until they're tender and the onions are caramelized, about 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with salt and toss, adjust salt to taste and serve.

Makes 4 servings as a side dish

[Adapted from American Masala by Suvir Saran]

Grab a Tissue

Even though it was Memphis in May, it was a chilly afternoon in the Midsouth. The looming storm clouds cooperated and did not rain on Katie's day. I was inspired by the ceremony and wrote a poem in my fellow yogi teacher's honor...

(warning: I am not a poet)

Love’s Divine

A breathtaking vision

Perched atop a horse drawn carriage.

Tiara petite and veil complete,

Rivaling the Iconic Princess Kate

In grace, style, and beauty.

Your eyes met.

And, as you made your way

To the end of the path,

Your hearts embraced.

With a few deep, ethereal breaths,

Your jitters dispelled.

Then, the life force fell into a flowing, glowing

Stream of blushing light,

Awakening the inner beauty for all to witness.

Exchanging vows under the watchful eye

Of a grand Painted Lady.

With an enchanted, enamoured, unbroken gaze,

The power of the word

Transformed two compassionate spirits,

Uniting them in eternal love.

That’s What the Coach Said...

What an epic moment! I see a tweet from a well-seasoned marathoner/triathlete about his blog post on finding yoga. I have known Kevin for many years (he married a pledge sister of mine), and yes, I have encouraged he and Karen to add yoga to their running recovery program. Like many competitive athletes, they have a very difficult time ‘slowing down’ to do yoga.

Kevin isn’t a weekend warrior. He is a RRCA running coach, Co-Host of Pure-Fit Radio and the National Coach for the Team McGraw Endurance Program. The TMF is a worthy foundation that enhances the quality of life of children and adults with brain tumors. The foundation also provides assistance to individuals with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. 

I am thrilled that Kevin will be able to share his yoga experience with his team and future clients, and hopefully they remain on the road and injury free. Learn more about the TMG foundation by visiting www.cantstopendurance.com, and read about Coach Kevin and his aha! yoga moment at http://bit.ly/kjrNC8.

Striking Out on the Mat

I was thrown a curve ball when I showed up to class to practice with my ‘healing teacher’ and a sub was in to replace her. I refer to this particular teacher as my ‘healing teacher’ because no matter what pose she puts me in, I experience feelings of healing and regeneration. But this infield utility player (i.e. yoga sub) comes from a different farm system; not better, not worse, just different -and that is cool. It’s just not what I wanted that day (and how about that aparigraha imbalance?). My sub’s cues and tempo derived more from a strength training coach’s perspective than the healing, grounding perspective I knew and loved. I was out of whack- stumbling, fumbling and falling- and I didn’t like it! After that practice, I felt like I had struck out backwards. 

The next morning, while tweaking my notes for the yoga class I was to teach later in the day, a thought popped into my head. I remembered my own practice from the day before. I remembered the distraction and frustration and the thought of just walking out. I thought to myself, “That practice really stunk, I had absolutely no balance. I couldn’t focus, float or hit a handstand, and I was slipping around in my dog... I wonder why?”

I continued tweaking my asana line up and a few moments later... there was a response to my question. “Really, Sondra? Now what could possibly have you so unsteady in body and mind? Hhhmmmmm. Let’s see here, could it be:

1. Two weeks of tornado drills, severe storms and flash floods? Nah, sleep deprivation wouldn’t wear on you.
2. Yet again, your father is teetering on backing out of moving into an Assisted Living residence? After another doctor visit and trip to the ER as well as forgetting to take his meds this week, he desperately needs this living arrangement.
3. Your son’s classmate was killed in an automobile accident while on his way to school Thursday morning?
4. On Friday morning, your son’s baseball coach was involved in a car accident, flipping his vehicle three times?”

Ok, so there was enough chitta vritti swirling around my brain to throw me off my game.

In retrospect, the verbal cues from the sub seemed to be encrypted.  “Breath and sweat, that’s all it is, right? Stay with it,” sounded more like, “It’s going to continue to rain and flood and those infamous Memphis drivers aren’t going anywhere. Stay on your mat and breathe...focus and attain equanimity, ya weenie.” You know that old saying, “What you want may not be what you need”? Ha, so true. It’s very likely that my healing teacher would have allowed me to retreat to namby pamby land, and what I needed at that time on the mat was a different game strategy and coach. Even if your yoga feels like a bad plate appearance, there is always something useful from that experience to take back to the dugout. 

While I am so saddened by the loss of a young soul, faith and trust comfort me. Feelings of immense gratitude for this day, my practice, and all the yoga teachers that cross my path bubble up inside of me. At the same time, I am thankful that our baseball coach walked away from the accident and coached a double header that evening, chalking up two more wins.  The rain continues to pour as the Mississippi soars past flood stage, but, despite this fact, I won’t have to worry so much about my dad and his safety. He signed a lease and will move into a vibrant, healthy assisted living residence this week. With one less thing to worry about, it’s my hope that balance will soon be restored to my life… and my yoga.

A Pseudo Game of Twister

Yoga Journal posted an online article titled “Five Ways to Break the Ice Before Class”, and it was quite helpful to new students (http://blogs.yogajournal.com). The blogger, Erica Rodefer, had me reflecting on my most recent awkward yoga moment that made me giggle in the same fashion I did that particular day.

Recently, a Hatha III class was added to the schedule of this particular studio and the time slot fit into my schedule perfectly...sign me up! This specific scenario- new class, unusual time slot, new level- places a lot of yogis into that ‘gotta break the ice’ situation. Since I had matted up to this particular yogi a couple times over the last several weeks, I figured the third time had to be the charm. Unfortunately, nothing. Nada. Prior to Sukhasana, it was another awkward moment between minds and mats.

Then, something more awkward yet humorous occurred: somewhere during a sequence when we were flipping our Dogs to Wild Thing. The fellow yogi’s foot landed on my hand and remained there for a good 10 seconds. I started to giggle, and the foot was then quickly removed. Two things went through my mind during those 10 seconds. First, I flashed back to a memory of my grade school friends and I during a game of Twister; Second, I was thankful for the distraction because of the deep muscle pain rumbling in my left Levator Scapula. I wished for that foot to return- to squash my hand and help me forget about my back muscle. Alas, I had no such luck.

Namaste. The mats started rolling up and I had sukham, my comfortable shot of connecting with this spirit. Seriously, that yogi probably felt pretty embarrassed about the hand smash and couldn’t look me in the eyes to initiate a conversation. It was up to me to make this happen. In my usual fashion, I made a joke out of it, telling the yogi, “You know, I was really hoping that foot would return so I would stop focusing on my sore back!” Eye contact, a large drop of the shoulders, and a relieved, sigh-filled laugh from my fellow yogi filled the air...resulting in a more formal introduction.

Getting The Brussels Sprout Off Of Death Row

Surprise, Surprise, the first blog I post is about...food. But this is a really tough case I am taking on, pleading to judge and jury to give Brussels sprouts a pardon. Believe me, I tossed stones and sentenced the poor veggie myself. My first and last sprout experience was when I was around nine years old and I had to be hospitalized at the Navy Hospital in Millington, Tennessee. I came out of recovery and was later served a dinner with four green alien spheres on my plate. My mother sternly directed me to consume these foul smelling objects and like a nine year old, I complied. Immediately the sprout shot back out of my mouth due to the child gag reflex and the nauseating effects of anesthesia. I lined up those four buggers on my plate execution style and condemned them to culinary purgatory.  It was my friend Sarah who told me about a great meal she had that included ‘something she doesn’t eat’; you know, sprouts. She inspired me to give the lil’ guys one last time to take the stand.

Unbeknownst to me, Brussels sprouts are loaded with folate, magnesium, iron and selenium. Hhmmmm, maintaining blood sugar and normal muscle and nerve function, increasing mental alertness and helping to protect against heart disease and cancer--no further questions your Honor. Well, no, there is one question, how am I going to prepare this vegetable to where I can gulp it down?

I decided to tweak an old asparagus recipe that mimics the Asparagus with Toasted Almond dish from Del Frisco’s Steakhouse (I don’t know if they still serve it).

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan

1lb. fresh Brussels sprouts (halved)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 c  fresh parmesan cheese

Fresh ground pepper

Garlic salt

Toasted almonds or hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and place the Brussels sprouts cut side up in the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic salt and fresh pepper. Roast for 15-17 minutes. Place in a serving bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add the toasted nuts and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve.  

So, what’s the verdict?