The Beauty (& Importance) of Talking with Strangers
I was teaching in a 6th grade classroom one day when I was struck by the way some students were talking about what a dangerous world we live in, with “bad” people lurking everywhere in it. “How many bad people do you know?” I asked. “Oh, not many, really. But there...
“The Old Me Would Have Punched Him in the Face & Gone in the Hole”: Yoga Calm in the Prison System
When RN and Health and Wellness Coach Judy Black received the gift of a book from a colleague, she had no idea it would spin her life in a new direction. The book was Just Mercy by Equal Justice Initiative founder, Bryan Stevenson, in which he recounts an early case...
The Power of the Real Experience
One of the things people say they love about our online certification program is how it lets them learn at their own pace, wherever and whenever they want. Yet some folks are initially skeptical about whether any virtual course could measure up to a live training....
From the Archives: Bringing Yoga Calm into Mental Health Settings
Originally posted January 29, 2018 Though Yoga Calm began in elementary school classrooms and student counseling groups, today, a wide variety of organizations and facilities have incorporated our program in their service to children and families. One of these...
This Isn’t the Usual Story You Hear About Gen Z
“I am really beginning to understand what triggers me,” a 13-year old client recently told me. “I’m starting to recognize when I’m getting agitated. When I do, I use my breathing and my thoughts to manage my emotions, just like you taught.” It’s a blessing and a...
The Yoga Calm Blog Year in Review, 2019
Some things about teaching never really change, especially the importance of the teacher/student relationship. Where there is communication and mutual trust, care, and respect, real learning can happen. But much is changing in education today. More schools are...
Listening to Yourself, Listening to Others
Hearing is just a physiological happening: You perceive sound. But listening? Listening happens when your brain makes meaning out of sound. It involves your active participation, whether you’re listening to others, your environment, or yourself. Learning how to listen...
Does Knowing an ACE Score Help?
“Knowing just burdens my heart,” said my longtime friend, an elementary school teacher in eastern Oregon. “I have 26 other babies to take care of!” Over the years, I’ve heard many other teachers express the same sense of overwhelm. With all the demands placed on them...
Gratitude. It’s Not Just for Thanksgiving
Lynea had just finished helping a student lead her second grade peers through our Hoberman Sphere breathing process, followed by the Compliment Game. “What are three reasons why we give compliments to each other?” she asked the class. “It makes the other person feel...
How the Body Holds Trauma & Stress – & How to Release It
When you’re an adult who’s stressed, you can articulate it. You have the language and experience to do so. For kids, it often gets expressed only with behavior. Sometimes that looks like defiance, acting out, causing trouble; other times, as withdrawal or even...
Mindfulness Principles: Tips for Teaching Stillness
When I first met nine-year-old Barton, he talked nonstop. He explained that he never cried because once when he cried at his last school, even his best friend laughed at him. I could feel the sorrow in him. And the rage. I promised him that I would never laugh at him...
Guest Post: Mindfulness & Movement Can Translate into Any Culture
By Leah Shuyler, MA, NCC, LPC Yoga Calm Certification Instructor & Online Course Manager This post originally appeared on 1000 Petals' blog. After participating in a 1000 Petals retreat to Peru, I knew I needed to return. When I decided to set off for 6 months in...