Fall Equinox Class and Eye Yoga

   Dragonfly Yoga for Kids and Teens has had two really fun classes these past two weeks. The first on was a Fall Equinox Balance Class while the second on was a class about Eye Yoga. The children have enjoyed taking a break from our regular class routine to explore some new poses!

   Our Fall Equinox Balance class was created based on the idea that on the Autumn Equinox, the day and the night are of equal length. The Equinoxes are the point of balance in between the two Solstices. The Autumn Equinox marks the beginning of the dark, composting phase of the year. We prepared ourselves for this time of the year by practicing balance poses in class. We learned some new poses that involve balance as well!

Sunlight and Shadow
Go within.
Focus your senses. Face the challenge.
Balance sunlight and shadow.
Blend with the path.
This is the way of the Tao.

TAO. 56

By aligning your own energies to the natural rhythms of the earth and the suns' cycles you can achieve outward success during the growth phase of the year, and enjoy rest, contemplation and renewal during the dormant phase of the year. 

At the Autumn Equinox there is a shift of emphasis from outward achievement to inner reflection and contemplation.

We are moving from:
Sun to Moon
Light to Dark
Yang to Yin
Outer Achievements to Inner Reflection
Action to Contemplation
Fire to Water
Growth to Dormancy and Incubation
Fruitfulness to Composting
Building up to Letting go
Movement to Stillness
Samana to Langhana

 Our Eye Yoga class worked on strengthening and exercising the eyes. Eye asanas are important. Approximately 40 percent of our brain is associated with vision. Over time, our eyes lose their flexibility and tone, and this contributes to eye problems as we age. The loss of elasticity in the muscles of our eyes can lead to an impaired ability to focus and adversely affect our cranial nerves and brain, causing headaches, anxiety, stress. 

   First we used kaleidoscopes to determine which eye is our strongest eye. Then we did many exercises to work on strengthening our eyes.  We ended our eye asanas by palming. Palming is when you rub your hands together and cup them over your eyes to give your eyes a rest. Resting the eyes in between exercises is also important. This can be done by blinking or closing the eyes. 

For more information about our program, please visit our website at

• http://dragonflyyogakids.com  or visit us on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/Dragonflyyogaforkidsandteens

What sets our program apart from other kids programs?

What Sets Dragonfly Yoga for Kids and Teens apart from other kids yoga programs?

 

There are several things that set our program apart from other kids yoga programs.

First, our classes run for six week session consecutively. When one session ends, another begins the next week (except around the holidays).

Secondly, the yoga instructor is also a certified elementary and special education teacher with many years of working with kids of all ages and abilities and modifying classes so every child can be successful. Our yoga classes are also educational!

The third thing that sets us apart from other programs is that we offer a drop in rate and a make up option. Any child can drop in and try a class without committing to the six week session. We also try to offer a make up option, if you miss your regulatory scheduled class time. 

The last thing that sets us apart is that our classes are planned with our students in mind. Jessica takes the time to get to know her students, what they enjoy when they come to yoga, what they would like to do more of, and what they would like more assistance with when planning her classes.

We strive to provide the best possible yoga experience for your child! Our program does this by consistently running weekly classes, having an instructor who is also a certified teacher, offering drop in options and possible make up classes, and by planning our classes based on the needs of our students. 

Our first fall session focuses some on the principles of yoga. This session runs September 4th-October10th with classes on Tuesdays from 4:30-5:30pm and Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30pm and 7-8pm. Out topics for each class are as follows:

September 4th and 5th: Back to School Yoga
September 11th and 12th: The Yoga of Speech
September 18th and 19th: Fall Equinox Class (a class about balance)
September 25th and 26th: Eye Yoga
October 2nd and 3rd: Bring a Friend to Practice for free
October 9th and 10th :Last class of first fall session. The last class is a class choice class. The yogis pick the theme! 

Our second fall session will focus on gratitude. During this session, we will have a Halloween class, a class about nutrition, another Bring a Friend class, and a Karma class (where we will collect food for the local food bank). The other two classes this session promise to be fun as well!

Our last fall session will be a four week session, due to the holiday season. This session will cost $50 instead of the $75 for a full six week session. This session will include a class on affirmations, a winter solstice class about transformations, among other themes. 

For more information, please see out website: http://dragonflyyogakids.com