Vanguard High School, New York NY
Complete the Power of Oasis yoga training in Canggu, Bali, to help students struggling with learning loss and loss of family due to the pandemic manage trauma and navigate daily routines with calmness and an augmented sense of peace-of-mind.
Practicing my class sequence in our beautiful Yoga Shala: Reverse Warrior 2
Sun setting behind Temple/Pura Batu Bolong in Tanah Lot, Bali
The honey man with his beautiful honeycombs who greeted me in the mornings.
Challenging myself during yoga and completing a handstand with the support of our instructor.
Chopping shallots in the Balinese Cooking Course
Celebrating our graduation on the beach in front of the Power of Now Oasis Yoga Shala, Sanur, Bali
Each day of our 4-week yoga teacher training course started with a half hour of meditation. This practice with yogic breath techniques was new and at times, difficult for me. Over time the effort required to focus decreased and there were many positive effects for me both physically and emotionally. In many ways, focusing on the breath work provided a release and was cathartic: the experience was grounding, helped with focus and I understood the power of beginning yoga classes with breath work.
My fellowship provided many opportunities to experience new things and was physically challenging. I learned when out of my comfort zone my initial reaction is to doubt myself. We explored more advanced poses, which was humbling. With support and encouragement, I became more confident in my abilities to try more difficult poses; some with success, and others without. I was proud of achieving a headstand and learned that it is ok to be uncomfortable and to have and acknowledge limitations.
One unexpected outcome was discovering the genuine warmth of the Balinese people and culture. People of Bali smile with their whole heart and are lovely and kind. When I said “Good Morning” in Indonesian to people who were sweeping or opening their shops, their response was a wide smile and often a statement that translated as “May your day be blessed”. The honey man selling his honeycombs was proud when I asked to take a photo of his treasures: he wanted to be photographed too and blessed me.
This experience taught me how to design and teach a yoga class and to assist students in entering and sustaining poses. I will implement a yoga class/club for 11th and 12th grade students. Experience with yoga provides teenagers with a healthful introduction, or addition, to a physical fitness routine. Yoga, mindfulness, focus and meditation also have the capacity to provide students with an opportunity to develop self esteem and to give them tools to help cope with stress, anger, and grief.
Teaching students yoga will strengthen their bodies, quiet and focus their minds, and balance their emotions so they will navigate their daily routines calmly and with an augmented peace-of-mind. My hope is that yoga and meditation practices will benefit our students’ mental health, improve their self esteem, and increase their ability to learn. Additionally, integrating mindfulness techniques into classes will enhance my own sense of well-being, improve class climate, and help students focus.
I will provide a school wide professional development on the benefits of breath work, meditation, and mindfulness techniques and how to incorporate these practices into our classes. I will teach my colleagues some of the yogic breath practices and share how these daily practices can easily be incorporated into any classroom setting. We will practice the techniques together to understand how breathing practices increase energy levels, are relaxing, help one focus, and reduce stress or anxiety.