YOGA: Services
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Little
Waves Yoga™:
Kids get stressed, too!
Adult
classes: Get stronger, leaner, calmer, and happier.
Yoga2yoo™:
I can come to your work, your child's birthday party, a special
children's occasion, or your Girls' Night Out event.
Little Waves Yoga™
What
is it?
Print
out a flier to post at your school!
"Little Waves Yoga"™
is a yoga-based program that addresses often
neglected aspects of children's physical, emotional, and mental health
needs. Its goals are relieving stress, building character, increasing
strength and flexibility, fostering patience and compassion for others
and oneself, and learning self-soothing techniques.
Here's my
new website just for Little Waves Yoga!
Why yoga for children?
Numerous medical and sociological studies in the Journal of the
American Medical Association and other well-regarded publications have
demonstrated that practicing the ancient art of yoga regularly can confer
the following benefits for both adults and children:
·
Increased patience and concentration
·
More focus and heightened learning capacity
·
Overall sense of well-being
·
Heightened compassion for oneself and others
·
More
peacefulness
·
More graceful adaptation to change
·
Greater strength, stamina, and flexibility
Adults sometimes
overlook the fact that children lead very stressful lives. Of course, they
usually don’t have to pay bills or make money, but their daily existence can be
just as frustrating, anxious, and tiring as any adult’s. Their bodies and
minds quickly reveal the effects of unmanaged stress, from nail biting,
slouching, and back-talking to delinquency and other more serious
behaviors.
Print out
a flier to post at your school!
The aim of my yoga program for
children is to reduce and then
manage students’ stress levels by teaching specific breathing (pranayama),
stretching (asana), and visualization techniques. Once students are
familiar with these techniques, they become powerful tools for positive
change in all areas of children's lives.
In addition, on a
purely physical level, yoga has the benefit of being another form of
movement that along with regular physical education and sports help to
prevent diabetes, heart disease, overweight, depression, and many other
ailments.
What's
with the name "Little Waves Yoga"?™
This program, which I run with
my good friend and business partner
Roberta Hughes,
got its name from our belief that if each of us just makes gentle, little
waves in our own lives, families, and communities, we can transform not
only ourselves, but eventually the entire world. We think it's not
necessary (or sometimes even desirable) to make big waves to create big
change.
My child is having problems with aggression.
Wouldn't he/she be better off in a martial arts program?
An aggressive child is a fearful
child. Yoga teaches children (and all its practitioners) to view
themselves and others with loving-kindness (metta), the opposite of
fear.
Martial arts are
excellent for teaching assertiveness, respect, self-esteem, and
confidence, which every child needs. My little boy loves his karate class!
However, using aggressive movement to release aggressive feelings doesn't
always work, depending on the child. After all, is an aggressive child who
learns a powerful new kick in karate class likely to restrain him- or
herself when next confronted with a difficult situation?
Print out
a flier to post at your school!
Yoga works differently
with aggressive feelings and impulses. Although there is a common
misconception that yoga is "just stretching," many branches of this
ancient discipline feature very challenging strengthening poses such as
Crow,
Warrior I,
II,
and
III,
Chair,
and many others. (Click on links to see poses demonstrated on the Yoga
Journal web site.) These poses not only strengthen the body, but also
the mind and spirit by giving us real-time feedback on how we behave in
intense life situations. So yoga gives us a chance to practice responding
to challenging situations with cool, mindful equanimity rather than hot,
unthinking reactivity.
In addition, many yoga
poses are specifically designed literally to squeeze toxic emotions out of
the body, such as long-held anger, resentment, and anxiety, just as you
would wring out a dirty sponge. When we don't acknowledge or deal with
them, these emotions take up uninvited residence in our bodies. Our bodies
then store them as joint discomfort, muscle pain, general fatigue and
unhealthiness, and a host of other ailments. Even children experience
these phenomena--growing up is tough!
What
is yoga?
Thousands of
years ago, the practice of yoga evolved as a system designed to aid people
in their pursuit of personal
transformation and development. In Sanskrit, the language of
yoga, the word yoga literally means "yoke" or "to bind or join
together." Today, we interpret it much more broadly to mean a nurturing
and strengthening of the connections among one’s mind, body, and spirit.
Print out
a flier to post at your school!
There are dozens of kinds of yoga within the
main branch of hatha yoga, which originally was used to prepare practitioners’
minds for the more demanding practice of seated meditation. Hatha yoga,
the kind I teach, has become the most
popular in the West. It uses poses (asanas), breathing exercises
(pranayama), and visualization techniques to heighten awareness and
foster a sense of physical and mental well-being.
Millions of
Americans now practice yoga regularly as part of their ongoing fitness
regimens, and their numbers are increasing exponentially every year as
more physicians and other health care providers recommend that their
patients take up the discipline. Many people find out about yoga’s
wide-ranging benefits by taking a class at their gym or a local studio,
and more recently, schools have been making the discipline part of their
curriculum or offering it as an after-school program.
Is yoga a religion?
In Western society, mainstream
yoga does not pertain to any particular religion. And yet, when done
regularly the practice can lead to the strengthening of an individual's
own spiritual beliefs through its unique ability to facilitate
self-exploration. Some students in my classes have discovered that their
yoga practice actually enhances their experience of the religious path
they've chosen to follow. I believe that yoga is much more than a good workout. I adhere to
the basic ideology of yoga as a form of "moving meditation," and encourage
students to turn inward during their practice to find and build their
stores of peace, equanimity, and happiness.
Where
do you offer children's yoga ?
Currently, I offer children's yoga classes at
The Children's
House Montessori School and the Calvin Oakley School, both in Santa
Maria, CA. The
classes are very popular with both staff and
students, since both groups benefit from the playful yet calming effects
of the instruction. I also teach yoga to young therapy clients at
The Little
Village
Counseling Center in Santa Maria, where I concentrate on a practice that
encourages awareness and release of anger and grief.
Print out
a flier to post at your school!
If
you'd like to start a children's yoga program for your school, business,
or organization, please contact me at 805-680-8541
adg@amandadelagarza.com.
_______________________________________________
Adult Yoga
(teaching schedule)
My classes are
appropriate for beginners as well as more experienced yogis because
I offers many modifications and choices. My style is both
meditative and energetic, emphasizing balance and awareness for both
mind and body. Invigorating heat-building sequences are interspersed
with poses that calm the entire nervous system. One dedicated student has been heard to say after
class, "My
muscles feel like warm caramel!"
My teaching style is both
challenging and nurturing, leading you to embrace the full range of your
being with grace and vitality. You will learn how to let go of your
body's painful, inefficient patterns and to explore its unknown
potential through a prescribed series of movements. I hope that my
friendliness and sense of humor will make even the most hesitant yogi
look forward to class.
My brand of yoga is
strongly influenced by the Ashtanga and Iyengar systems, focusing on
creating a feeling of flow through vinyasa while also attending to alignment in held
poses. I emphasize the use of yoga as a form of moving meditation,
encouraging students to explore and open their inner selves even as they
learn about and strengthen their bodies. Amanda believes in maintaining
the roots of yoga as a creative learning process and a way to expand our
consciousness as we move through life.
Before we work together, please be sure to
share with me any information about injuries or illnesses you have that affect
your general well-being or ability to move freely.
_______________________________________________
Yoga2yoo™
What
is yoga2yoo™?
Imagine a professional certified yoga
instructor coming to your workplace on your
schedule, bringing all the benefits of yoga where you need them most.
Yoga can revolutionize
the way people's bodies and minds feel and perform--at work and at
home! Many people know they should take yoga classes for their
health and well-being, but the schedules and pressures of daily life
make it seem like an unaffordable luxury and just one more thing to
add to their ever-growing to-do lists. Yoga2yoo™ eliminates that
problem.
Yoga2yoo™ classes can be tailored to whatever
needs you and your group have, such as stress relief, computer user's
yoga, introduction to yoga, feel better/work better, strengthening and
lengthening, rejuvenation/restoration, yoga for injuries/repetitive
stress syndrome, or a combination of these.
We believe that you will notice a rise
in positivity, energy, and job satisfaction among participants, which
will in turn contribute to an enhanced corporate image in the
community through your employees’ work.
What
is yoga?
Yoga is perhaps the world’s oldest holistic health practice, meaning
that it treats a person's mind, body, and emotions as intertwined and
independent. (Western medicine, in contrast, often treats a patient's
symptoms in isolation without considering other factors playing a role
in his or her life.)
Yoga is not a religion.
Because of yoga's roots in ancient India, some Westerners are
concerned that practicing yoga would conflict with their faith. In
fact, yoga is a system designed specifically to create physical and
mental wellness so that practitioners can experience heightened
awareness of themselves as loved and loving beings and enhance
whatever spiritual path they have chosen to follow, if any.
Practicing yoga fosters
a relaxed and focused state of being that over time brings the body,
mind, and emotions into balance. In doing so, it increases awareness
of and ways to transform the typical stressors that can make daily
life miserable.
The type of yoga that
most Westerners are familiar with is hatha yoga, which is an
umbrella name for all the various forms of physical yoga (i.e.,
Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar, flow, power, gentle, etc.). There are
seven other types of yoga that emphasize different areas of the human
experience, including meditation, service to others, and intellectual
knowledge.
Yoga2yoo™ classes
typically combine poses (asana), breathing (pranayama),
relaxation, and brief periods of meditation.
How
does yoga2yoo™ work?
Yoga2yoo™ can be tailored to meet the needs of your group. I can
teach at your business site or elsewhere on your schedule: before
work, during lunch hours, or after work. I also offer one-time
sessions for special occasions (birthdays, retirements, off-site
workshops, etc.)
A typical yoga2yoo™
class, which varies in length from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, includes
physical postures, breathing practices, and guided relaxation.
Modifications will be offered and encouraged to accommodate the
fitness level and age of the participants.
Yoga2yoo™ can be done in
business clothes if necessary, but we recommend wearing loose,
comfortable clothing for class. It is unlikely that participants will
need to shower afterward, as classes are not geared so much to
"getting in shape," but rather to relaxing, easing emotional stress,
increasing self-awareness, and opening the major joints of the body to
promote ease of movement and general good health. No special equipment
is required, although a yoga mat and blanket would be conducive to a
successful class. I can loan these items for a
small fee.
Classes can be held in
any area that is free of furniture or where tables, desks, or chairs
can be moved out of the way easily. In general, each student will need
a space large enough for him or her to able to open the arms out to
the sides without bumping into anyone else.
Why should I/we do
yoga? What are the benefits?
Practicing yoga--whether at home, at work,
or in a studio--offers numerous and impressive health benefits. The secret
is to do it!
Here are some of the most commonly cited
benefits of a regular yoga practice:
* Lessens tiredness, stress, irritability, anxiety, and physical, mental,
and emotional tension
* Diminishes or stops chronic pain
* Strengthens and nurtures the immune system
* Builds coordination, balance, flexibility, and strength
* Raises cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency
* Sharpens concentration, memory, and attention
* Improves digestion and circulation
For employers
Most business owners and operators are aware that they have some
responsibility concerning the health and well-being of their
employees. After all, in today’s tough economy, skyrocketing insurance
premiums and healthcare costs can hamstring your business and strongly
affect the bottom line. When workers struggle with stress, fatigue, or
lack of motivation, productivity goes down while sick days and
injuries go up. Not a good situation for anyone.
Research has shown a
strong correlation between employee wellness programs and both lower
healthcare costs and better employee health. The best health programs
tend to be a cooperative effort between the employer and employee.
To find out if yoga2yoo™
is right for your business, let us schedule an introductory yoga class
for your employees at a location of your choice. A one-time class fee
of $75 is fully refundable if your organization chooses to sign up for
a six-week trial package. I'll be happy to help
promote your yoga2yoo™program with such marketing materials as
brochures, web site information, demonstrations, or oral
presentations.
For employees
Are you too busy to get to yoga class,
even though you know how important it is for your health and
well-being? Do you spend all day at a computer or desk, or work
standing and bending and then suffer from aches, irritability, nerve pain, tension
headaches, low energy, inability to concentrate, and other ailments?
Imagine leaving work feeling better than
when you got there! What if you could participate in a yoga program
at work that could reduce stress, improve posture, alleviate pain,
and make you feel better and more alive than ever before?
If you'd like the people in your company
or business to experience the many powerful benefits of yoga, here's
what to do: get together with some other people you work with and see
if they'd be interested in starting a yoga2yoo™ program. Write down
the names of those people along with a link to this page and then take the list to whoever in your company has decision-making
power on the issue. Often the Human Resources Department is a good
choice. Ask the relevant person to consider the program as part of the
company's commitment to the physical and mental health or its workers,
and as a way to boost productivity and job satisfaction. You might
also mention that there are a number
of ways to fund the program (see below). You can also just ask him or
her to contact me at 805.680.8541 and I'll answer any
questions.
How much does
it cost?
In general, prices are similar to
any hourly contracted professional service.
I determine pricing
based on:
* Contract length (discounts are available for longer terms)
* Business type (for-profit, non-profit, educational institution,
school, etc.)
* Class length (45 minutes to 1.5 hours) and frequency (i.e., once a
week, twice a week)
Worker contributions can also partially
offset the employer's costs.
Get started now to receive a
no-obligation quote to bring the ancient healing art of yoga to your
workplace, birthday party, children's event, or Girls' Night Out. Please
e-mail me or call me at (805) 680-8541.
You were so good
with the girls! You were so patient and did a great job at explaining
things. The girls really enjoyed it and the parents were very impressed.