An Attitude- of Gratitude

Hey Girls,

Let's talk about giving thanks and feeling gratitude. You know that feeling you get when you don’t get the nail polish or boots that you wanted and you are upset and disappointed?  We all do. But, we have to realize that we need to be thankful for what we have. There are people in this world that have nothing- literally!  There are people in this country, following Hurricane Sandy, who have lost their family members, homes, pets, and more!  Read about one girl here, who will raise her siblings after the loss of their parents in the storm.

It's easy to fall into bad habits and lose track of how grateful we should be for all we do have, rather than looking around at commercials, peers, and the rich and famous, wishing we could have what they have.  Especially in this country!  We have an attitude of greed and lack. We are constantly barraged with ads and information which actually trick us into thinking we need those boots, that new electronic device, or the latest fashion.  We allow ourselves to be manipulated!

You can avoid this by starting a gratitude journal.  A gratitude journal is something you can write in daily or just somewhat often throughout the week.  In the journal, you write down what you are grateful for.  You can just simply create a list.  Or, you can do this at the end of the day and review each event that happened in your day, finding something or someone to be grateful for in each situation. 

What happens when we focus on gratitude like this?  Actually, it rewires or changes our brains!  This means that your brain which has been focused on what you want and need and don't have, is suddenly really happy with all that you do have!  It's true.  What we spend time thinking about gets bigger in our brain.  So, if you spend time on math every day, the math part of the brain has more connections, more space, and more energy.  Spending time on gratitude makes the parts of the brain that feel happy and content, stronger, more energized and it creates more connections!  But, you have to do it regularly, for weeks!

We need to give thanks and be happy for the things in our lives like family, friends, food and shelter. Because, once again there are people in the world that don’t have these things. So, remember NOT to take things for granted, because you are a lucky person!  Every time you sink into this attitude of gratitude, your brain changes and you become a happier, healthier person!

Be great!
Tammy and Carmen

How to Put Up with Difficult Parents and Annoying Siblings!

NO! STOP! ALRIGHT, I GET IT!  We say these words a lot especially to the people we love the most, like siblings and parents. Life isn’t always easy, especially with siblings. They’re annoying you, laughing at you, calling you names.  But here's the deal, you need to shrug it off, or try something like making it into a joke instead. Parents on the other hand are a whole different story. They’re always telling you to go to bed, turn off the TV, don’t talk back, etc...  But, think about it, they are usually just trying to do what’s best for you.  They are making sure you are healthy and well, that you aren't spending so much time with electronic devices, and help you grow up to be a healthy adult.  What you have to do is make the best of things.

You can't change your parents and your can't change your siblings.  What choice do you have but to make the best of things?  But, how do you do that?  First off, change your thinking.  Fighting, arguing, saying negative comments only creates more problems.  No one wins, everyone is miserable.  Sometimes it seems like one sibling gets his/her way, but in the long wrong, everyone is angry or irritated or mad.  Changing your thinking begins the process of changing your behavior which changes, slowly, but surely, the relationships you have with others.

Ok, so you've decided to make a change in your thinking.  You are not going to try to win every argument, you are not going to irritate your siblings just for the sake of irritating them, you are not going to gripe at your parents every time they ask you to do something, just as examples.  But it seems every time you try to follow your new plans, you wind up angry and/or hurt and then back in the same old arguments and name calling.  Why?  Unfortunately, the brain makes it hard to change very emotional relationships.  The anger, the irritation, the hurt are stronger than your new thinking.  The brain is set up this way on purpose, but it can be changed!

How?  You have to rewire your brain, train it.  You do this by every day taking time to create calm, relaxing, happy thoughts.  This is like charging a battery or cell phone.  We have to plug in on a regular basis, not once we've run out power, or the device will keep quitting on us.  Every time you hook yourself up to positive, calm thoughts and feelings, they are able to keep going throughout the day more and more.  The more you plug in, the stronger they get.  Then, when you are faced with a challenge, you are more able to remember you want to keep thinking - "I am not going to fight back."  Or, " I can ignore this."  Or, "I can laugh this off."

Find time to sit alone in your room or at a library and just be calm.  Take a yoga class.  Put calm, relaxing music with no words on your iPod and listen while doodling.  Go for a walk.  Lie in bed and just listen to the sound of your breathing.  Then, begin to create the new, happier relationships you want in life!

 

Tammy and Carmen

We'd love to hear your ideas!

Begin a New School Year with Confidence!

With the new school year starting all you want to do is look good, dress well, and give everyone the right impression. But you also want to make some goals, yoga can help.  When you're worried about looking good it can be stressful, you're always looking for the new best perfume, blush to match your skin tone, but in the end is it really worth it?  Sometimes looking good isn't always on the outside, but on the inside too. Dressing well is a big deal these days, everyone always wants the new fashion, but before you know it time has changed and so has fashion. But think about it, you need to be confident no matter what you wear! And finally, giving the right impression is not a popularity contest, or about who's best looking. A true good impression is filled with confidence, respect, and most of all being yourself.

How can yoga help?  Yoga isn't just about the poses (called Asanas), it's also about intentions, awareness, breathing, and trust.  When we practice regularly, we can feel good about ourselves and how we look, no matter what.  Poses to try for confidence:  Warrior poses create confidence, strength, and focus - this is who I am and who I want to be, and I am focused on my goals -now that's a good impression!  Warrior I, Warrior II, and Warrior III. 

Setting intentions is something to do before you practice, before you start the day, or every time you look in the mirror.  For example, "I will believe in myself today."  "I can do whatever I set my mind toward."  Set and keep the intention throughout a task, a class, your yoga practice, or for a whole day or week.

When you practice yoga it teaches awareness of your body and your mind.  It teaches you to pay attention to what you are thinking and what you are doing physically.  This way, you will know when you are standing confidently, showing pride in who you are, standing with strength.  It also will teach you to stop negative thinking.  Awareness can keep you from allowing negative thinking patterns to take over.  Be aware of your thoughts and keep them positive, so you learn to feel good about yourself! 

When anxiety and stress take over, the breath can turn it down.  Learning to use your breath to relax and calm is the easiest and best way for the mind to begin to control the body.  Start by breathing into the belly as if filling it up like a balloon.  Do this 4 times, exhaling long and slow.  There are many very effective breathing techniques yoga can teach.

A regular yoga practice teaches you to trust- trust the body to do what you want, trust the mind to be in your control and trust spirit to help you to feel joy!  Yoga is a focused and intentional practice and when you take time to do it, you learn about yourself and soon trust yourself in so many ways!

Olympic Inspiration

Watching or listening to the Olympics, you'll hear plenty of inspiring stories of girls and women over-coming fears and obstacles in life, whether they make it to the podium or simply enjoy competing in the games.  So, how do they do it?  What makes it possible to sprint past the fear and hurdle the obstacles?

Obviously, it takes practice.  Regular and maybe even daily practice.  Practice teaches the body and the mind what you are trying to learn.  The more you do it, the stronger you'll get.  Your muscles adapt to the task.  Your brain makes connections that make the task easier every time you do it.  And, the brain and the body connect so strongly, the task becomes almost unconscious.   Bottom line, keep practicing, persevere, even when it's hard!

That being said, it' also important to accept yourself for who and what you are.  The more you accept and understand your body and  mind as it is, the more your practice will help you move forward toward the goals you've set.  Set goals, but make them work with your unique-ness.  Work with your body, not against it.  Respect and understand your limits and challenge yourself only as far as keeps you strong. You are amazing just the way you are and working with that, allows your strengths to shine.  Focusing on weakness, makes more weakness, focusing on strength makes you stronger!

Weaknesses often cause us to lose focus as well.  We can become so busy trying to be what we SHOULD that we lose track of the original goal.   We also lose track of goals due to emotions like hurt or sadness.  Feeling these emotions, allowing them their time for expression can be done without completely losing focus.  Life will have stressors, always.  Find ways to cope that work for you and keep your focus.  It's easy to give up on yourself, but don't lose track of the bigger picture.

In the end, it's about fun.  It's fun to challenge your body.  It's fun to feel the excitement of the game or the task. It's fun to be with others doing the same tasks.  It's fun to grow, get strong, be balanced, find your limits!

How can yoga help?  Yoga teaches acceptance.  It teaches awareness of the body and understanding.  Yoga teaches about finding the edge.  This is how far you can challenge your body and mind, but no further today.  Keep working, keep practicing and every day you'll get further.  Yoga also teaches mental focus and dealing with stress through breath work and meditation.  There's no limit to what you can accomplish and yoga will help get you there!

Tell us how you overcome obstacles....
Tammy & Carmen

Why This is Important!

Here are some statistics:  Girls are 50% more likely to skip phys.ed. class one day of each week of school than boys.  Around 15% more boys than girls participate in vigorous physical activities and sports for all ages and racial/ethnic groups.  72% of girls and 56% of boys can not do any kind of physical activity that makes them breathe hard (aerobics) for 60 minutes.  Girls who are physically active report that they feel good about their bodies- no matter how much they weigh. This translates to fewer eating disorders and less depression.  Despite being 50% of the school population, only 40% of those participating in high school sports are female. A similar statistic continues into college. The more active girls get, the greater their self-esteem!  Many girls do not participate in physical activities, because they do not feel good enough at the activity or because their bodies don't look good enough.  Girls who do participate in physical activities have higher grades, more volunteer activities and community involvement, and civic engagement. Also girl athletes are 6 times more likely to suffer debilitating knee injuries than their boy counterparts.  Girls are increasing their participation in sports as opportunities increase - an 800% increase in the past 30 years!

Need we go on?!  It is obvious that girls need physical activity and that the benefits are huge!  This is why we have begun this project - Yoga4Girls.  Girls benefit from the physical activity in all the ways listed above, but we want to go further!  The physical benefits of yoga are important for all ages and genders - increased body awareness, flexibility, strength, and simply a love for the body.  There is also the physical benefit of understanding how the breath affects the body - the nervous system and the brain can be be dialed up or down and manipulated in many ways with simple yogic training.  The breath also affects the mind or the emotional aspects of life.  Breathing can make feelings of joy - really!  Breathing can create peace and calm.  It can create relief.  Breathing can motivate, excite, or create ease and release.  Yoga also invokes thoughts, visions, feelings as the body moves, the mind quiets, and the spirit rises.  This allows practitioners to let go of thinking patterns that are harmful or repetitive and creates a new canvas of activity from which to live.

The goals of Yoga4girls are simple- get girls involved in a physical activity they enjoy and one that makes them feel good no matter their fitness level or capabilities.  Get girls to understand their bodies better, to prevent injury, to treat them with respect, not as weaker versions of the male body, but to understand the amazing strengths of the female body!  This is not about improving weaknesses, this is about improving strengths!  Getting girls to love moving their bodies, expressing themselves, and loving themselves as a whole unit (not that "well, I have nice eyes, but my butt's too big" kind of stuff) - loving one's whole self!  Getting girls to understand their inner voices, to ignore messages from media, peers and other external sources.  Getting girls to feel confident in being who they are!

Yoga4Girls = know yourself, love yourself, be yourself!

Contact us if interested in more information or in getting involved!
Tammy and Carmen

Beginnings!

Today we introduce you to yoga for girls.  A fun way for girls to learn about themselves, their bodies, and yoga!  Learn about the fundamentals of yoga - asana (poses), breathing, meditation and more.  Learn about focus and how to use it to balance, to get better grades, and improve your hobbies and sports performance.  Learn to listen to your inner voice and tune out distractions and criticism.  Learn to accept your body and live a happy, worry-free life!  Learn to listen to and create dreams - some day they will come true!  Tell us what you think and what you want from our blog and from our classes!

Tammy and Carmen