Yoga with Jen Mueller

Register Now for April-June 2013 Yoga @ Hill Center

A new session of yoga at Hill Center begins April 10 and runs through June 23. Registration is open and classes are starting to fill.  See individual descriptions below and registration links for full details. 

Adult Yoga

When: Wednesday, 6:15 to 7:15 pm with Jen OR Sunday 3:30 - 4:45 pm with Kate

This all-level class teaches both new and continuing yoga students the essential poses and alignment principles of a Hatha Yoga practice. Class will incorporate postures (asana), breath connection, meditation, and relaxation. 

Prenatal Yoga

When: Wednesday, 7:30 - 8:45 pm with Jen 

In this all-level class, expecting moms will cultivate the flexibility, concentration and strength needed during the transformative time of pregnancy and childbirth. Enjoy the community of other expecting mothers while we practice modified Hatha Yoga postures, breath work, vocal toning and meditation. Partial 6-week registration available.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots (Crawling - 24 Months)

When: Saturday, 8:30 - 9:15 am with Jen ** FULL: No Drop-Ins **

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots is a supportive, fun-loving, and active yoga class. As tot’s mobility increases, classes offer tot-centric poses that encourage and support their physical explorations. Tots become more confident in their moving bodies as they practice yoga both in and out of class. Parents will fully participate in class, but no yoga experience or yoga mat is required. 

Little Families Yoga (21 Months to 5 Years)  

When: Saturday, 9:30 - 10:15 am with Jen OR Sun 12:15 - 1:00 pm with Amalie 

Little Families Yoga combines unique preschool-friendly yoga poses with songs, stories, and games to create an enriching parent/child activity. The majority of activities are focused toward almost-2- to 5-year-olds and their parents, but younger siblings are welcome for half price (babes in arms are free). Parents will fully participate in class, but no yoga experience or yoga mat is required. 

Family Yoga (Ages 5-8)

6-Week Session from April 28-June 9

When: Sunday, 2:30 - 3:15 pm with Cindy 

This class is focused on families with children ages 5 to 8. We'll do age-appropriate yoga poses, breathing, movement games, and relaxation. Parents should plan fully participate in class, but no yoga experience is required. Yoga mats are used in this class so feel free to bring your own or borrow one from us. Younger and older siblings may also attend at half price.

Tweens Yoga (Ages 8-12)

When: Sunday, 1:15-2:15 pm with Amalie 

Yoga helps children and pre-teens learn techniques for concentrating, reducing stress, and connecting to their bodies in a loving way while having fun. Classes incorporate age-appropriate poses, breathing, movement, games, music, and art. This class is for tweens ages 8-12 without their parents.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Babies (~4 Weeks to Almost Crawling)

When: April Mini-Session Saturday, 4/13-27- 10:30 - 11:30 am with Jen 

Cost: $49 ($54 if registering after April 6) 

During a Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class, babies enjoy yoga while on their backs, tummies, or held in loving arms. For parents, this class is a special opportunity to meet other moms, get support, and learn about baby's emerging personality. Most of the yoga we do in Itsy Bitsy Yoga is for baby, but you will also learn breathing and relaxation techniques as you practice a bit of yoga yourself. No yoga is experience required. NO DROP-INS, Makeups from other classes OK.

 

COST: Each 10 week session $140 ($145 within 7 days of class start). Prenatal only partial registration option: 6 for $99 ($104 after April 3).  

DROP-INS: Classes prioritize series registration. Online drop-in reservations will be enabled after the first class for any remaining spaces. Class fee is $20 cash or credit in person ($18 if reserved in advance online.) Both Saturday morning Tots & Little Families classes were fully enrolled this session. 

And Don't Miss Summer Camp: August 2013!

Kids Yoga Summer Camp provides children ages 5-10 with a fun, creative, educational and enriching experience through yoga movement classes, mindfulness activities, relaxation, games, crafts and outdoor time. Camp will be held in the Little Loft art studio from 8:45am-4pm and is offered with optional after camp Good Moves Games Club by Labyrinth from 4-6 pm. There are just a few spots left in either week: 8/12/2013 - 8/16/2013 OR 8/19/2013 - 8/23/2013 

Kids Yoga Summer Camp

I'm excited to announce that I will be hosting summer camp for 5-10 year old yogis in August 2013 and partnering with Labyrinth Games & Puzzles to provide programming from 8:45 am-6 pm!

Our summer camp provides children ages 5-10 with a fun, creative, educational and enriching experience through yoga movement classes, mindfulness activities, relaxation, games, crafts and outdoor time.

We offer a non-competitive and supportive environment where kids can learn to learn to work cooperatively as well as learn to care for and nurture themselves. Each week-long camp is sure to create lasting memories, new friendships, and a foundation for health and well-being!

What will we do at camp? Each day is a little bit different depending on the children attending, their interests and mood, the weather, and opportunities for outside recreation, but every day will include a yoga class period, time for contemplation and journaling, relaxation and outdoor time. Activities may include:

Crafts such as

• no-sew eye pillows,
• meditation jars, or
• graditude rocks

Environmental appreciation such as

• building a natural mandala,
• urban nature hunts, or
• creating a walking maze.

Yoga games like

• name that pose
• pose bingo
• triangle tag
• yoga obstacle course

. . . . and more.

When? August 12-16 and 19-23 from 8:45 am - 4 pm*

Where? Camp will be held at the Little Loft art space at 511 11th Street SE. Enrollment is limited to 12 children, so register early. 

How much? $325 per week per child ($345 after March 1) or $600 for two children or two weeks ($640 after March 1). A non-refundable $100 deposit per registration is required to hold your space.

Early-bird enrollment is already open and both weeks are beginning to fill. Enrollment will remain open until our maximum of 12 campers per week is met, but registering by March 1 is strongly recommended. The balance of tuition is due by May 30 and should be submitted along with the registration questionnaire.

Sibling and multi-week discount: Sign up two children from the same family or the same child for two weeks for $25 off each registration. Choose the 2-week registration option for one child or use the coupon code "camp-sibling" to take $25 off each registration when signing up two children for 1 week each.

*What about kids who's parents work until 5 or 5:30 pm? We're tickled to partner with Labyrinth Games & Puzzles to bring their popular Good Moves game club in as after-camp programming.  Yoga camp extended day runs from 4-6 pm and costs $75 per week per child.

Find out more and sign up for camp today!

Meet Amalie Malochee - Kids and Tween Yoga Instructor, Washington DC

Amalie is a certified Next Generation Yoga teacher and has been teaching kids yoga in D.C. since 2010.  She began her own practice of Iyengar yoga in early 2008 as a student of John Schumacher.  Amalie’s teaching approach is therapeutic, alignment-based, playful and creative for adults and children alike, she strives to inspire healthy and peaceful minds and bodies. 

This winter/spring, Amalie will be teaching 

Tween Yoga (Ages 9-12) @ Hill Center 

Yoga helps children and pre-teens learn techniques for concentrating, reducing stress, and connecting to their bodies in a loving way while having fun. Classes incorporate age-appropriate poses, breathing, movement, games, music, and art. Classes often revolve around a philosophical or natural theme and always include some form of quiet relaxation.

This class is for tweens ages 9-12 without their parents. Due to space constraints, we do not allow observers.

February - March 2013 Session: 7 Sundays from February 2 to March 24 from 2-2:45 pm  (no class on 2/17, Presidents Day Weekend) for $98 ($103 after January 27).

Drop-ins: If space allows, online drop-in reservations will be enabled after the first class. Drop-in fee is $20 cash or credit in person ($18 if reserved in advance online.)

Meet Kate MacDonnell - Adult Hatha Yoga Instructor

Kate MacDonnell, E-RYT 200, started practicing yoga in 1997 and earned her teaching certification in 2006 at Boundless Yoga in Washington DC. She is also a children's yoga teacher (RCYT). 

She has experienced and continues to study the therapeutic aspects of the practice of yoga and sees yoga as the cornerstone of a sustainable self care routine. In her classes you will be given the tools to build strength and flexibility as you increase your self awareness and challenge yourself to find balance of ease and effort.

Kate continues to study yoga in the Iyengar tradition. She is a working artist whose photographs are informed by that same field of exploration that we delve into in yoga -heightened awareness and interconnectedness of existence.

Yoga 101 @ Hill Center

Never practiced yoga before? This 3-week series is designed specifically for the absolute beginner or anyone wanting a step-by-step review of the basics! 

In just 3 short weeks, you'll become familiar with the fundamentals of yoga, breathing, and alignment. Upon completion you will have enough knowledge to be comfortable in our weekly adult yoga class.

Investment: 3 Sundays from 1/6/2013 - 1/20/2013 from 3:00 - 4:15 pm for $40.

Adult Yoga @ Hill Center

This all-level class teaches both new and continuing yoga students the essential poses and alignment principles of a Hatha Yoga practice. Class will incorporate postures (asana), breath connection, meditation, and relaxation.

Teens (mature 12+) are welcome. Students younger than 15 must be accompanied by an adult participant. Beginners welcome.

January-March Session:

• 8 Sundays from 3-4:15 pm with Kate starting January 27 for $112 ($117 after January 19). No class 2/17 (Presidents Day Weekend) or 3/31 (Easter).

Drop-ins: If space allows, online drop-in reservations will be enabled after the first class. Drop-in fee is $20 cash or credit in person ($18 if reserved in advance online.)

See also: 12 Wednesdays starting January 9 with Jen for $168 ($173 after January 5).

Meet Cindy Cota - Family Yoga Instructor on Capitol Hill

Cindy has been practicing yoga for over ten years, since taking her first class with a friend and trying to keep a straight face while doing "lion's breath." Thankfully, she stuck with it after that first class, as it has been a constant source of strength and stability in her life.

Cindy has been certified as a Budding Yogi's Kids teacher since 2010 and recently been trained as a ChildLight Kids Yoga Teacher. As a clinical social worker specializing in work with children, Cindy is especially invested in bringing yoga and mindfulness to children. Originally from the northeast, Cindy is happy to call Capitol Hill home and she is excited to have the opportunity to bring the joy, energy, and peace she receives from yoga to families in her neighborhood.

This winter, Cindy will be teaching 

Family Yoga (children ages 4-10) @ Hill Center

This class is for families with children ages 4 to 10. Family yoga classes are structured like kids yoga classes with an emphasis on interactive and partner poses for kids and adults to do together. We’ll do age-appropriate yoga poses, breathing, movement games, and relaxation. 

Registration is for one (1) child and their parents(s). Siblings may register for half price. Parents should plan fully participate in class, but no yoga experience is required. Yoga mats are used in this class so feel free to bring your own or borrow one from us. 

January – March 2013 Session: 10 Sunday afternoons from 1-1:45 pm starting on January 12 (no class on 2/17, Presidents Day Weekend) for $140 ($145 after January 5).

Drop-ins: If space allows, online drop-in reservations will be enabled after the first class. Drop-in fee is $20 cash or credit in person ($18 if reserved in advance online.)

 

See full class and make-up policies.

From Babies to Teens and Grown-ups Too: Family Yoga on Capitol Hill

Registration is open for January-March 2013 Capitol Hill family yoga classes with a new registration system for all Hill Center classes! All classes below are taught by Jen Mueller unless otherwise noted.

Saturdays @ Hill Center

New 10-week Itsy Bitsy Yoga® sessions begin on January 12 and run through March 23. (no class 2/16) Register here!

• 8:30 am - Tots (Nearly crawling to 2 years)

• 9:30 am - Tykes/Little Families (Focused on children ages 21 months - 4 years, but younger siblings welcome)

• 10:30 am - Babies (6 weeks to nearly crawling) 
  **new** offered in 3-week mini-sessions from January 26 to February 9 & March 9 to March 23. 
  

Sundays @ Hill Center

New 10-week sessions begin on January 12 and run through March 23. (no class 2/17) Register here!

• 1 pm - Family Yoga (Ages 4-10 years) with Cindy Cota

• 2 pm - Tweens Yoga (Ages 9-12 years without parents) with Amalie Malochee

• 3 pm - Adult Yoga (Teens welcome. Focuses on the essential postures and alignment principles of Hatha Yoga) with Kate MacDonnell
  **new** launches with a 3-week Yoga 101 beginners series on January 6!

Wednesdays @ Hill Center 

New 12-week session begins on January 9. Register here!

• 6:15-7:15 pm - Adult Yoga 
  (Teens welcome. Focuses on the essential postures and alignment principles of Hatha Yoga)

• 7:30-8:45 pm - Prenatal Yoga
  (Partial 6-week registration available. All-level class for pregnant moms to cultivate flexibility, concentration and strength)

Mondays @ Capitol Hill Yoga

New 6-week session starts Monday, January 14 and runs through March 4. (no class 1/21, 2/18)

• 9:30 am - Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for Tots  (Nearly crawling-2 yrs)

• 10:30 am - Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for Tykes(21 mo-4 yrs)

• 11:30-12:30 pm - Mom & Baby Yoga (Yoga for mom with 6-week to pre-crawling babies)

See the Capitol Hill Yoga website for information and registration.

Register in December and Save 10%

Use the code "holiday2012" to take 10% of session registration if you sign up by December 31.

See class policies and tips for sibling discounts and make-up process.

Yes, Your Children Are Paying Attention in Yoga Class

Grown ups sometimes come into a kids yoga class with the expectation that it will be quiet, orderly, and that their child will participate and pay attention the entire time. Part of my job is to help them let go of all of that.

Although there are moments, children's yoga classes are not quiet. One of the most refreshing (and challenging) things about teaching kids yoga is how transparent they are; they will say whatever comes to mind. They wander in and out of poses (and sometimes fall out of them). In younger classes, they wander around the room. My job is to keep them engaged, but I do not expect them to do every pose.

The feedback I get consistently from parents is that children who don't appear to be paying attention in class actually are. They'll do poses at home that they never do in class, sometimes singing all the words to songs and teaching siblings or playmates.

I've taken yoga classes with my own 5-year-old daughter since she was an infant, so I've not only seen all the typical child behaviors as a teacher, I've experienced a lot of them as a parent in class. Lately, a lot of yoga classes with Maya (and any practicing in her presence) has had an element of Mommy-Jungle-Gym:

photo by Siobhan Hanna Photography/ All Rights Reserved

So, I wasn't sure how it was going to go when Maya and I went to the YoKid Challenge last week and I was asked to lead a quarter of the event's 108 sun salutations. In fact, Maya was climbing on me so much during the set before mine, that one of the other coordinators offered to find someone else to lead my set. At that point, Maya became insistent that she would stay on her own mat and she wanted me to teach.

Maya blew us all away, participating in all 27 sun salutations in my set. Now, Surya Namaskar B counts for 2 during the YoKid Challenge and we did do a few of them, but that was still far more than the 2 to 4 sets that's typical of a kids yoga class.

We were joined by two representatives from the Alexandria police force showing their support for YoKid:

Maya was very concerned that the officers did not remove their shoes and left footprints on the mat. We assured her that it was ok, just this once.

 

Maya demonstrating a Warrior 1 form variation that's very typical of her age group.

Jump forward, just like a frog.

YoKid team celebrating a fantastic event.

Be the Change - Mindfulness and Karma on Blog Action Day 2012

Who are your heros? Mine include: Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Wangari Maathai, Lois Gibbs, Mitch Snyder . . . 

What your answer and mine probably have in common is that heros tend to be people who have consciously decided to contribute their energies to positive change in the world. That is also my definition of Karma yoga.

Yogis toss the work Karma around quite a bit. The popular notion of karma as "what goes around, comes around" isn't quite it. Different religions and philosophical systems have different interpretations of the same basic concept of the energetic impact of your life's actions, but in yoga, karma as selfless service is one of the possible paths to enlightment:

The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit kri, meaning 'to do'. In its most basic sense karma simply means action, and yoga translates to union. Thus karma yoga literally translates to the path of union through action. 

Not all of us are prepared to dedicate our entire lives to a cause, but we can all consiously decide how we want to participate in the world.

Need a little more inspiration? In honor of Mahatma Ghandi's 143 birthday, MC Yogi posted a video tribute:

The Power of We

That's the theme of this year's Blog Action Day, an annual event designed to "unite the world’s bloggers by posting about the same issue on the same day, in order to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion around an important issue that impacts us all." 

"The Power of We is a celebration of people working together to make a positive difference in the world, either for their own communities or for people they will never meet half way around he world."

Ideas for Taking Action: Democracy Requires Participation

You might have heard that this is an election year in the United States. The next 4 years of executive branch governence, the entire U.S. House of Representatives, and 1/3 of the U.S. Senate offices are up for election. Not only that, countless state and local races for state and city government, school board, and more will affect our lives in sometimes very immediate ways. 

In DC, for example, nearly half of the city schools lost their librarians to budget cuts this school year. Last spring, DCPS cut staff funding for librarians at all small elementary schools, those with fewer than 300 students. Some schools were able to fund their librarian out of their general budget, others used PTA fundraising money to support their libraries, but that still left 57 schools without librarians. All summer, parents volunteers have been working hard to get funding restored and to make this an election season issue. Mayor Grey, who directly oversees the school system, is not on the ballot but the city council and "State" Board of Education  members for Wards 2, 4, 7 & 8 and At Large members are. What do you know about your candidates?

Perhaps learning about your election candidates seems like a small thing, but as a concious decision, it is karma yoga.

Want to do more? Consider going door to door for candidates to get out the vote. Distressed that DC doesn't have a vote in Congress and our presidential election outcome is not really in question? Virginia is considered a swing state in the presidential contest and Maryland often has hotly contested congressional races . . . 

Hatha Yoga and Karma Yoga

Want to do yoga for good? Yoga Salutes Non-Violence will perform 108 Sun Salutations to raise funds to combat domestic violence on Nov 3 and 11.

How about free yoga for doing good? Lululemon is sponsoring election day yoga classes around the DC metro area, including my 6:30 am class at Capitol Hill Yoga. So get up early, get your yoga on, and hit the polls before the crowds.

Read More Power of We Posts

There are more than 2220 blogs from 114 countries registered to take part in Blog Action Day. Just a few posts that got my attention:

Moms Clean Air Force Embraces the Power of We - Moms Clean Air Force invites you to join them.

The Power of We: A Blogger's Musings - Strocel.com talks about how taking a stand is stepping out of her comfort zone.

Blog Action Day: "The Power of We - The White House blogs about their very cool "We the People" tool which allows anyone to petition the president directly.

Why Practice Yoga in The Morning?

Liz Wolgemuth of U.S. News and World Reports pretty much summed it up for me with: "When you put off exercise until your workday is finished, the abundance of scheduling conflicts that arise can be positively mind-boggling." 

 

Source: facebook.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

If you have children and yoga practice with them around tends to look something like the image to the right, early morning quiet provides a welcome respite.

But even if you don't have kids, the beauty of early morning can be the lack of distractions. I never get phone calls before 7 am. While there may be emails sitting in my inbox, very few senders are up to read a 5 am reply. In fact, very little can't wait until 7 or 7:30 am when the rest of the household starts to rise.

Health Benefits of Early Morning Yoga

The Ayurvedics have long believed that early rising  and a morning routine of cleansing, asana, breathwork, and meditation leads to physical and psycolgical health.  Western science is also beginning to find measurable physiological benefits to exercise early in the day:

• A Belgian study that found intense exercise before breakfast could counteract the effects of a truly horrible diet. 
• Studies have also shown that morning exercise may improve night-time sleep.
• Movement in the morning breaks up adhesions that develop between muscles overnight. Gil Hedley explains how a regular routine of movement and stretching can prevent buildup of mobility limiting fibers he calls "the fuzz" in the video below (warning: graphic content).
• Although athletic performance is generally better in the afternoon and evening, studies have shown morning exercisers tend to be more consistent overall than their afternoon-workout loving friends. For lifelong health, consistency is key.

Still daunting? Leo Babauta of Zen Habits has some great tips for becoming an early riser.

Finding the Optimal Early Morning Yoga Practice

My morning yoga practice is about movement and breath. Dramatic pretzel-like asana is not required to reap the benefits of a morning practice. Like many yogis, I find I'm stiffer in the morning than I am later in the day, so I don't tend to use my morning practice to work on poses requiring lots of flexibility. Once I'm warmed up though, I actually find I'm steadier and balancing poses come more easily than they do in the evening. 

While some yogis like them, I don't have a set routine. However, I tend toward variations of sun salutations - lunges, standing poses, gentle backbends and forward bends.  Need some ideas for getting started? Here's my go-to warm up.

Jen's Morning Yoga Warm-Up

Balasana - Child's Pose	Focus: (hips, centering breath)
Marjaryasana - Cat Pose <> Bitalasana - Cow Pose	Chakra Vrkrasana - Cat-Cow (spine, hips, shoulders)
Pavritta Balasana - Twisted Child's Pose, or Thread the Needle	(shoulders, spine)
Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog Pose	(hamstrings, calves, ankles, shoulders)
Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog <>	(moving with the breath, hug heels & hands to the midline to engage the core)
Lunge <> Pasrvottanasana - Pyramid Pose	(moving with with the breath, no need to fully straighten front leg)
Prasarita Padottanasana - Wide Leg Forward Bend	Step back into dog, forward to forward fold, or pivot into wide-angle forward bend in between sides
Twisted Lunge	Twisted lunge to Quad Stretch (hips, quads, hip, flexors, shoulders) For Quad Stretch  (drop back knee to floor, reach for foot; optional front hand to knee)
Prasarita Padottanasana - Wide Leg Forward Bend	Dog, forward fold, or wide-angle forward bend in between sides
Uttanasana - Standing Forward Bend	(hamstrings, calves, low back; bend knees to keep curve in low back)

Follow a warm-up with a few sun salutations and you are off to a great start. For more ideas, check out Yoga Journal's Rise and Shine sequence or join me at Capitol Hill Yoga any Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 am.

Ready to Roll: DIY Preventative Therapeutics

Anyone who has taken my yoga for runners workshop or approached me about IT band issues knows that I have a thing for foam rollers. I bought my roller from a physical therapist in 2001, but you can now purchase them in the grocery store (well, Whole Foods anyway). This morning I came across* a great illustration by Greatist.com: How to Foam Roll.

Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com.

*Hat tip to Mint Club Spa & Fitness for sharing this one.