Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Alright.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So my camera is lit, and then I'll invite wherever you are. However, you're doing in this moment
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): take some time to just let whatever else is out there and on your mind. Go.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll come together, and we'll practice, and we'll breathe, and I'll invite the bell
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): breathing in, aware of your in breath.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): breathing out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): aware of your outbreak.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and reflecting on how you're doing in relationship to natural rhythms.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So that might mean
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what's it like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in your environment right now, where you are? Is it
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): warm or cool? Is the weather changing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): our new buds and plants beginning to emerge
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): windy, or, more still.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): are the days getting longer or shorter.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And how is your energy, your personal energy?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Does it feel
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): expansive like the new shoots?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Or maybe germinating or dormant.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So time
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of a lot of change for so many of us.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and also astrologically, we
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we're just moving through
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a season, a period of eclipses.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and from a Vedic perspective eclipse times
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): our times
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to really practice spiritual pursuits
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to be able to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in many ways like advance or leap forward. If there's something that's been blocking or been getting in the way.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's a very
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): understood to be an auspicious and powerful time to commit and to practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so we've been doing just some breathing as we're doing here, and welcome. If you just arrived, we're just taking some time to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to breathe.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And B.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's such a gift
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to be able to practice together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to just take a little bit of time to reflect on gratitude for that, for the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): early
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): practitioners of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga to the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): folks whose names we will never know, who passed down these practices in oral tradition
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to the sages who wrote them down in the Yoga Sutras, the Yoga Vishta, the Hat, the Yoga Pretty Pica, and various other texts
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to their students.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to your teachers.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So the people who practice with you learn with you
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): formally or informally.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's such a gift, and it's it's such a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Incredible
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): series of events had to conspire had to happen
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for us to even be able to access these teachings.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's just taking a moment to like. Wow! What a privilege! What an honor!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): What a joy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to be able to share.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and simultaneously
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to feel like a kind of lightness with it, without
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): letting that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deep
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and far reaching gratitude translate into
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): feeling frozen, or feeling stuck, or feeling like. Oh, how can I do this justice?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Because I know for me? Often when I'm reflecting back, it can come forward as like come out with a sense of inadequacy.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so, if that's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): happening for you, just noting and noticing and knowing that you're not alone
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and unpacking as we connect to these natural rhythms and noticing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know. Maybe
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you're in a place where it's turning towards spring.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): perhaps there's some seeds of learning or study that you want to continue to cultivate.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Maybe that's like commitment to practice, or reading the text, or listening to dharma talks, or whatever it might be.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And if you're
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in a place, externally or internally, where
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's feeling more inward, more like going fallow, more of a reflective time.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe it's just resting, not needing to do more, just being and trusting
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and committing to unpacking
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a kind of perfectionism or expectation that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you do it right, or that there's one way.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): There's not just one way. There's infinite ways to share and to practice Yoga.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and so to really like feel the support of that historical
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): depth
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the freedom of your positionality, your unique expression of Yoga in the world.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And if there's any movement or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): expression of that sense of supported freedom, maybe doing it now, if you would like. I'm stretching my arms out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm feeling my body grounded into the earth, the base of my body, and then my arms are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): moving from side to side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm turning my head as well.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just taking in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the room around me.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We'll stretch up in a way and then come
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): come back together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): practicing. Thank you for being here
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wanna, take a moment to invite you to write, if you have a journal, or anywhere that you'd like to write. You can also write into the chat
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): anything that arose during that practice, and or anything on your mind, you know, and that could be
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): really anything in your life that you would like to explore from a yogic perspective.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We'll do that together in a moment. So we'll take about 4 min just to reflect and write. And so I'll put the prompts in the chat. Because.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): okay. So reflections on what
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is arising
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in the practice, or and or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga in your life now.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so, because in this space we we always look at all life as Yoga. That could be anything right like right now, one of the deep places in my practice is in a family relationship.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and so just inviting in into a reflection that nothing is off limits for an exploration of connection with Yoga.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Gonna play some music for us, and we'll write will reflect, and then we'll
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): chat together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): This is how to share. We're reflecting
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what's arising
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in the practice of Yoga or in your life right now, reflecting on anywhere you'd like to upload, practice
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): A,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): do.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): do
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): do.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): who came
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): welcome?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Come to finish your thoughts
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and off your sentence. No, you can come back to journaling more later.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's people here coming back together
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to our group.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I am.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I want to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just take a moment to see if anyone wants to share. And then we did get a question
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): from Eileen that I want to go into. So just reading. I'll read your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): reflection, Konstina. Beautiful, grateful for the practice of Yoga for giving me the honoring.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the space and the time
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with the ancestors, both mine and the ones who practiced or help create the discipline.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm grateful for the Yoga community, both near and far.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm grateful for being able to share the practice of Yoga with others.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): What comes up for me is, how can I deepen my practice? Not only for myself, but for those I encounter in my sessions and practices. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that's a great question. I think we're gonna explore that today.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and Justine, somewhat. Similarly, I love that. Our themes are kind of overlapping. How do we bring our authentic self to the teaching
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as a facilitator
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): without making it? Not about yoga. Yeah, I think. Let me see if I understand? It's sort of like, how do you weave yourself in without making yourself the focus?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): let me know if that's right and I have, I'm excited to share what I'm gonna share today, because
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): think it might answer some of this. So let me let me the question I got and share what I'm gonna share. And then we can kind of look at these different
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): applications.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Constraint yours, Justine, yours and others that may arise
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and let me just pull up one more thing. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so our question
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): from Eileen is when leading.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): making sure I can see you all and see the question when leading Yoga with children ages 5, to the 11, how can I honor the origins and history of Yoga? I have limited attention and time with them. But I don't want them to think Yoga is just about Asana
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): love this question.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I'm going to share my screen to share quite a bit of information.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 5 to 11. Yes. So please put your thoughts in the tattoo.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so this is from the 300 h Manual. And sorry. I don't know if there's a quick way for me to scroll, but it has a lot of things around different age, groups and everything, and just general considerations for teaching Yoga to everybody.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think these are important, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thinking about
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): who those kids are right and and who are who those young people are actually like to not use the word kids I would use for 5 to 11, because I think they refer to themselves as kids. But I listen for what people say. And when I taught middle school and high school they do not refer to themselves as kids. And so I'd say, young people or students just pointing that out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thinking, too, about like, what's actually happening in their lives? What are the challenges? What are their goals? What's their exposure to Yoga in the case of 5 to 11. Probably they just are exposed, you know, to kind of like the popular culture version of Yoga, if any at all, Yoga's fitness
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I actually did this inquiry. And so I wanted to share that, and then go through a structure with you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So when I go to teach elementary school, I might answer like this at first, because, say, I've never met them before. Right? And then I would update my reflections after talking to them.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So where are we going into a public school system in person or online? They're awesome young kiddos. They're around 6 to 12 vastly different personalities and experiences.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I didn't really say what this was, cause I what hadn't met them yet. And I've taught in many different schools. For some, you know. There the challenges are. They don't have enough food, or there's a lot of turmoil in their lives or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): at home. And then for others.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for them, too. It's also like social challenges or feeling left out feeling weird and awkward in their body as their body changes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and often they're really in their imagination. Still, you know, they're in like for this age. There's a lot that's possible.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like dragons can be around the next corner, or there can be like a whole world or life underneath. You know, the city or village or community they live in right, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the things that we don't think are possible are truly possible for them still.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to me, that's really important to notice and acknowledge and maybe weave in.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think, about personal, systemic or institutional trauma right? And also just knowing some
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): statistics in the United States. I actually think it might be
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): worse now, maybe better. Maybe someone knows but I know when I was doing this reflection. One in 4 is a statistic of students who are at school and who are hungry. Right? And so they may be feeling anxiety or depression or anger, they may be excited and present.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. So I also remind myself that kids or adults right act out. Remember, for me to regard that as a call for help or for love.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): They either are feeling misunderstood, or, you know, defensive, or don't know how to do something. And that helps me ground in aims in my interactions. Especially because for me, school environments could be really overwhelming. Just so many people, and so much happening right? So these are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): some other reflections. They need autonomy. Oh, and, by the way, please feel free to screenshot and reflect on this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): If you want the whole manual
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we can talk more about that later. But also the 300 is is coming up. So you're welcome to join it. And also we can. We can find other ways. If that's not, doesn't make sense.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): they need autonomy. Often freedom, sense of independence. Often young people have so little control over their time, over their bodies, over even what they're supposed to think about, and so giving choice and independence. Space for that is key need for less stress often, and anxiety less anxiety, and of course, asking them right?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I could ask. Likely they crave attention, support, peace, humor, fun and a break. Kids like all of us, like they're so overwhelmed. Right? Like there's all these pressures on them. They need to break fun games, maybe physical challenge. That's question, Mark.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I love this quote.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): by an aboriginal elder, Lela. But, Watson, if you have come to help me, you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I reflect on why I'm going in there like how the work that I'm doing helps and heals me, too.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I know you may be like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, see? Then I just asked you like how to teach Yoga beyond Asana. Why are you going into all this? But for me this is part of the the teaching right? So I can show up there knowing the truth is for me, often as I'm teaching younger folks, there's a part of me, that little girl, little Susanna, inside that's also getting healed in that process
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or getting to play or getting to explore.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then I think about similar and similarities and differences. And I did this one for elder care. Facility, right? But you could do it with young people, too.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And okay, I'm gonna go down to so much more here. This is all other stuff from body, positivity, accessibility. But there's a the a whole section on teaching to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): young people.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, Yoga, for children, and the young at heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So there's different needs at different ages.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): toddlers and young
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): children. It's a little different. I'll I'll go over 3 to 6, and then the next age 2.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So here,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): there's a lot of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the need for both listening and speaking. So they're gonna want to be the younger end of that spectrum. 5 to 11 is going to not just like, sit quietly and listen to what you teach. Usually. So a lot of like interaction play teaching through stories.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Physically they're growing super fast, and they might not easily stay still. You know, there's Wiggles, or getting the Wiggles out, and but often they're willing to try new things, and they're not as self conscious as someone at the higher end of that, you know. 5 to 11, when we're talking 8, 9, 1011. There's a self consciousness that can come in. So I would say for me, I actually find it easier to teach like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): first, second, maybe third grade together, or just k, 1, 2 together, and then separately. 3, 4, 5, 6, you know. Or like the younger end of the spectrum on the older end, just because their needs are a little different. Right? They might have 1 million questions. They things may be funny. There may be laugh attacks, right. They're gonna really respond to the playful like cobra. Now, we're hissing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): psychological, spiritual. We can begin to entry, introduce yogic philosophy concepts to stories and lessons, using positive reinforcement for behavior, that that we want meaning like making those connections, not giving them a hard time. If they're not doing things.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Spirituality may grow
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with this age, and they want to know why they may even speak of mystical things like heaven, dying angels, etc, so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing that in right, and I would say, here, I often take, and I'll show you this separately. A theme, a specific theme
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like Aimsa or Satya right? And I might not use the Sanskrit term. I might use the the English like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): self, you know care and kindness.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then weave that through a book, and then through our movements, and then like, reflect with them on how they can apply it. So those are some of the ways I begin bringing, like the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): heart of yoga off
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): outside of just us, and that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): poses doing a pose. It's always helpful to demo, I think, for students, but not to worry too much about alignment for them. They're still kind of figuring out their bodies right? Animal base poses are easiest and then making sounds with animals.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): games, asking them simple questions.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): They love to get to talk and use body language to explain their experiences. And so once you've met with them a few times, doing like a round robin where different students share a shape and a store, or a shape or a pose that can be really
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): helpful. Justine says, yeah, I wouldn't sustain poses for a long time. No true
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): reading stories and having some like coloring time, right? Like pre printing out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And now we can get those like mindful coloring age based coloring books. And I find that really helpful, like mixing up the activities and finding ways to focus
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): using music and dance so like, bring the energy up with music, and then kind of lowering it down and using calm music for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for Shavasana. It's not going to be a formal Shavasana, but more like a resting time, or maybe a short poem, or something like that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, kids love breathwork. Thank you for adding that in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 7 to 11, so like that slightly older age your spectrum
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): big need for friends, attention is moving less off of their family and more towards other peers, right? So socializing, pleasing you, but also their friends, and voicing their opinions, learning facts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Here I find, with the the upper end of that age group. They really appreciate being treated like young thinkers or young scholars or young practitioners. Right? So and I have to keep parents there it. This is like, if you're doing an after school, or, you know, like it can be helpful. But actually, I would say, I I think it just depends on the circumstance. I don't know that I would always keep the parents there for this age group anymore.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I must have written that at an earlier time. Now I feel now I feel better about it, not not necessarily having parents there
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): physically.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to just. And of course this is a generalization, right for what's happening for the majority or many students at this age or young people, but not everyone but can have better coordination or growth and growth and coordination, focus, balance and awareness of their body. We can also talk more about caring for and nurturing their body aims
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in ourselves, and how to challenge
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): without injuring right stretching can feel really beneficial. But they could. There could be resistance because they may start feeling tightness from stressors in their world
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mentally and so just physically, like I with this age group, I would sometimes start
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga class cause I taught this, for you know, about 5 years when I worked in schools with this age range, with standing on my head in the middle of class and saying like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): What am I doing? Why would someone want to do this right? And they're like, Oh, this is fascinating. They also get really interested in the cities and the powers. And I'll get there. When we get to psychological, spiritual.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mentally, emotionally, they can grasp intellectual, philosophical concepts. They can when they're younger. It just needs to be explained in language that makes sense to them. And so story, based when they're younger, is really helpful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): The mind and emotions calm and problem solving comes online more than in the earlier years
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and psychologically, spiritually, they can get into relatively deep spirituals and complex issues.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I would also talk about you know what it depends on the the context that you're in but I would talk about
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like, for example, Yoga
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the yogis in the mountaintops who
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): can sit
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in a field of ice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a place where normal, regular people would freeze, and just in a loan cloth or a doty and melt the ice for 15 feet around them.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or the stories of Yogi's who can levitate from such deep concentration.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And they're fascinated like, I said, because our imaginations are their their understanding of what's possible hasn't been chipped away at by, like, you know, societal norms. And so they're like, Oh, wow!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I I didn't realize there was so much power so much potential. And they're usually really interested in those stories. And so taking like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): case studies or life histories or looking at different practitioners, you know, and and also bringing in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): some of the science can be really helpful, like pointing out the ways that Yoga is found to lower lower cortisol and explaining what that is, all of those things can be really helpful for that age group. And then, in terms of the class.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'll show you how I structure my classes, but I honestly teach to that age group 7 to 11, basically the same as I would teach to adults just shorter. So it's usually like a 20 min, or, you know, up to 40 min class, and I'll show you that in a second. And I'm checking the chat because I just shared a lot.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And you did too.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): This is so great. Okay, Eileen. Wh. What do you want to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): add in, or ask or reflect on.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: I sort of just put it there.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: I think I probably should have added in that. The tricky part is, I'm with different kids every single day. I don't know who I'm going to be with until I get there.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: I don't mind. I I've always worked with kids. I don't mind if they. I feel like it's their free time of day, and it's a time where they can just be themselves. And I'm
Eilene Franco-Brooks: surrounded by staff at each school, and some really want to be punitive. And it's like you need to listen. You need to do what she's doing and telling you to do. And it's really hard. And I'm like, it's okay. You know that they're
Eilene Franco-Brooks: doing their own thing as long as they're trying. And they're here.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: So
Eilene Franco-Brooks: yeah. But I just wanna honor.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: you know, and give them some background for what Yoga actually is, because, like you said, most of them think. Oh, that's for getting in shape, and it's like, no, that's not why you're here. This isn't. This isn't PE class this is your time for you your brain, your body, and that's just been kind of hard to
Eilene Franco-Brooks: tell. And also I'm from the county office of Ed, so like the religion thing. People get real weird
Eilene Franco-Brooks: that was saying anything with religion.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: There's been a little push back on just yoga in general, like, I'm not saying anything religious necessarily, so I don't know. That wasn't much clearer, but just a little background of.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So was, yeah, it was clear that helps a lot. So I think
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for me.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I would pull, especially with that level of like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): not knowing, and it may be an overlap, and it may be different students. I would kind of for myself, just pull themes that I want to run through the like that semester, whatever it is. And so it might even be like, and I would convert the themes from Sanskrit into English, and I would probably just use the English. And that context,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm experiencing that push back to we actually, we're gonna do a Yoga workshop at my local school where my kiddo goes. And they were like, No, we're not doing yoga anymore. I'm like, Oh, maybe I need to go in and say it's mindfulness or stress reduction or movement, you know. So to me, it's totally not appropriating
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to adjust how we describe
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what we're doing to get access to people who can benefit from the practices
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if I was to do it because I was like that stuff makes no sense, then it's appropriation, right? So it's tricky, because it's like the same action, but it's in order to create access. And we know it's not. You know, it's not religious, but it's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): creating that doorway. And that pathway. Hmm! And so I might choose, like Ahimsa, or let's say, self care or just care, kindness, truth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): generosity, right? So like kind of like universal values that are also ide
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): contexts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then build little classes kind of like what we do in Yoga class curator. But adapting it. And let me show you my process. For when I
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): build
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): classes, okay, so this one, I'm gonna show you this first. So if you wanna do this with me, and you have a piece of paper. You can grab a piece of paper and fold it into 4. Like to fold it in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, one way.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then in pass the other way.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bits
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): dot 4, 2, 2, 2. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what this is modeling off is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this right? So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for some of us. It's helpful to think of it kind of like this, and then for others to write it out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): show you what I'm doing here. So one is like the bottom of that arc. 2 is kind of moving towards the top. 3, and then 4. And so if I'm starting at the bottom with one.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I'll just write it really big. I mean, it's on the screen so you can see it. But
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I'm thinking about like, what's that centering principle or centering theme right? And it might be kindness. And then I'm moving into like, what are we doing next? Maybe I'm telling a story or reading, you know, from a book or giving them a movement, and then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm giving them a little more dynamic
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shapes right? And then we're kind of coming back together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): pulled an example with.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So if I was doing like more in Depth yoga philosophy, it might be something like taking a sutra right, which I wouldn't necessarily do with young people. In a in the setting that you describe. But you can see how so, for example, if I'm and I just wanna show you this because I think we can adapt this for young people.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But I would pull
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a phrase or a quote the through line like Yoga chita Ritina Rota, right? And then I might tell a story, and some of you mentioned stories, and they can be stories. Some of you asked this like, how can you bring your own life into it? Right? So Yoga is the calming, the supporting of the the fluctuations of the mind. And so actually, I think we can right here. Now, change this to work for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for young people. If we just say, this is a class on like calming, depending on the age. Right might be like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): calming our wiggles or getting our wiggles out or calming our
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): our bodies and emotions, or something like that right? That's how I would adopt this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So this
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): reminds me of a story about, or a time when right? And then you bring in a story about your own life short. That makes a point like, I remember when I was just so.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Antsy, and in a class. And the teacher was reading a story that and so check out. My story is gonna be about when I was in kindergarten, right? So, connecting on their level, the teacher was reading a book happened to be a baron. Stain bears be book. Those aren't popular so much anymore. But and I'd already read it. And so I put my head down. Stop sharing. I put my head down on my desk and my hands over my ears is 5,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I got in so much trouble because the teacher thought I was being rude. It's the last thing I wanted to do.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I wanted to please my teacher. I was just a little frustrated that I had to listen to the story again, and my body was Antsy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): luckily
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): see?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Sort of understood, or maybe I don't know but she had me go out out of the classroom, so I got to walk around and look at the sky, and move my body, and then it came back in it. Are you ready to listen. And I said, Yes, and I just listen to the story again.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Right? So so that's my my story. And then I would connect this to? Can you relate? Has anything like that ever happened to you?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Right? And what are practices that can help us
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): quiet our minds so our bodies
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): can communicate
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what we mean, right or so, we can be present in an experience
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with whatever's happening or whatever the the teaching point is right. And then I might do some practices. Breath of fire. Standing. I probably do balancing right to calm our bodies and emotions. Gonna be big body movement this class.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I'm gonna do. Maybe some warriors right? It's a little different than what I have here. But oh, yeah, no, I have that there. So, warrior. 1, 2, 3, I probably wouldn't do necessarily seated meditation until the end, and again depending on the age.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But that's how I would weave in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): some of the the deeper stuff is like in the meaning of the class, the purpose of the class. I would definitely still do movement.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): looking to see if there's anything else here that I want to share. Yeah, I think that's that's the most
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): important thing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then then one other thing I wanna address is what you said about the other adults, or like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): kind of top down like you must listen. I wonder if
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): there's like a convention that you can put into place
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): because it's tricky, right? It's I've been in those situations, too, where it's almost like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we can bring those adults in.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so they don't feel disrespected, but the kids feel empowered. And and so I don't actually know what it might be like. One of the things that I say with adults is, excuse me for partying right like it's like, Oh, I kinda messed up and like was giggling over here while you were teaching. Excuse me for partying right and it
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but I wonder what if there's like a way to say, or to bring them in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to involve them in the practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and and often I do think those educators they're so in nervous system activation. And they're so like they flip their lid. They're just stress. Yeah, control must could, and and they can't.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So it might even be like, Oh, a moment to breathe, you know, or I'm not sure what it is. And obviously it'll be different in a different school to context, Eileen. But
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): cause it is just so tricky when you're like, I'm trying to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): create an energy here. But you're actually hoping you're making it worse. So okay, I again shared a lot. And I'm gonna look at you now. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): anything else folks, anyone who would like to add in.
Constina: I would like to add just wondering, Eileen, if would it be possible to meet with
Constina: whoever is the lead administrator, and that
Constina: for that school on that day
Constina: to share with them
Constina: the framework that you like, what Susannah was shared like.
Constina: just shared with them. What
Constina: your outline is, and sort of what you anticipate from the kids, just so that there's a little bit of a awareness. And they're not like, Oh, my gosh!
Constina: Why are they all giggling and laughing and moving when they should be sitting still and listening?
Constina: And it's like, Well.
Constina: there might be a party today. Is that okay with you.
Constina: So just so, I'm wondering if there's a way to sort of meet with them beforehand.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: I'm not sure but that is a great, great idea. Thank you.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: I will see if how I can do that.
Constina: Just out of curiosity. Do you just show up to the school on that day, and you just show up in a room and.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: Well, I have a schedule, so they know I've been at every school a few times now, so they know what to expect. I've told them. They know when I'm coming. They know what time will be there.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: everything. So
Eilene Franco-Brooks: It's pretty scheduled. We've had a few staff meetings about what I'll be doing. Why, why, I'm there, what I'm there for, and most of the schools are great. It's just there's always, you know, a few. And I've talked to the administrators at some of the schools. And they're like, Yeah, they're just like that. And so I've tried to kind of reframe it as
Eilene Franco-Brooks: telling them, well, this is a time for you to relax, too. You can sit on the mat if you want. You could just lie there the whole time, if you would like, or you're welcome to catch up on paperwork.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: some are receptive, some are just like
Eilene Franco-Brooks: Nope, they're
Eilene Franco-Brooks: I get it. They're coming from a place they think they're helping their students be more respectful to me. So I appreciate that I get it.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: But it's just very different than how I would go about that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, it's tricky in those contexts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And it's almost like I often had to remind myself when I was doing those kinds of teaching.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's almost like like you're. You may never know the the seeds you're planting in the students. I once was at a school that had. I don't even know. It's like 500 students. And I taught a class kinda like what I just showed you, and 40 min.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and afterwards one of the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think it was 10 came up. It was like, Miss. I did not know I could feel so much peace.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's like, Oh, my gosh! You know, like this, and I knew the teacher had told me he had, you know, different learning differences and might do different things
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in the class. And and it was just like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that. Those seeds, even though it may be chaotic, and the other adults maybe not doing what you want like. You're planting seeds for those young people, and and to trust that, you know. And I don't know if it's helpful to have like a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a framework just for you. So you have some structure, even with all of the things that are that are changing and moving. And I find for me like having that theme of like this is a week or month for focusing on kindness and all kindness to ourselves, kindless to our families, kindness in our communities, right or service things like that. And then the next month, like we do, big last carrier is a focus on truthfulness, you know, and and then that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): helps me. Just kind of come back to my own stability, even as there's chaos all around. And and maybe even within some of the teachers and students.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, I wanna just because of time. Check in with Constina. With your question around deepening practice for yourself and those you encounter, and see if you have any thoughts on that, and and then Justine, after Consta.
Constina: Yeah, no, thank you.
Constina: I it's more of.
Constina: I feel like I'm in a rut sometimes when I'm creating an outline for class.
Constina: and
Constina: I have a very similar outline that maybe just described, which is, I have a theme every time, and I read a quote, and
Constina: and I try to apply some type of philosophy from the Obed story from, you know, one of the books and
Constina: and then I
Constina: and then I would go into the movements. But I'm wondering if I can go a little bit further. And I you know I appreciate that the things that you shared
Constina: cause. I'm also looking to do some teaching within some schools as well. But it's it's interesting how to.
Constina: especially in a day and age of
Constina: people feeling like
Constina: they're being indoctrinated into some type of religion.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Constina: And
Constina: yeah, as just being creative, I guess, and how to cause I don't. I don't want to change what I'm doing, but I want to be more creative, so that it's
Constina: inclusive for more people.
Constina: As much as possible.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. I wonder.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): especially with that in mind, if it would even make sense to focus on like the benefits, or take a more scientific oriented approach of like the neuroscience of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): stress, or you know, and then the impacts on the body. And then the benefits of these practices, and then actually run through
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): more oriented towards like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): benefits, or the how to you know. So creating. And of course you can weave in the same themes that are in stories, or even the same stories, or some other stories, but it can be in the language, or direct to like what would be more accessible to the people that you're gonna then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): teach, because it's tricky, too, you know, when we're doing like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what's the word like proposals to teach in schools, the people we're ultimately going to be teaching are different than the stakeholders who say yes or no to whether we can come in right. So it's kind of like, and it's the same with teaching, like they used to do after school classes. And the way that I would describe the class to the parents is not how I describe it to the students, you know. And and so just kind of getting
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): getting clear on on that. And that, that's okay, like, it's a different decision maker. But then, when you're in there, you know, you're you're touching on those things that are important to them which are probably like stress. And.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): compliance, right? And discipline. But we
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's almost like it's it's funny, because I think in any way working within schools.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's kind of like we're working at cross purposes, like, if my goal is liberation and empowerment, and their goal is like compliance and conformity like this. And so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but really explaining those things. But then doing what I'm gonna do to create a sense of freedom for the students and a sense of personal empowerment. But I might write like responsibility right to the in the proposal. But I know that that means agency autonomy. Right for the student.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just go.
Constina: Thank you for that.
Constina: Appreciate that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. And and I also just wonder.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Well, one thing is, I want to check in with.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wait if you want to share in the chat or out loud about how you're doing and how things like followed up from from last time we were together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): because I was definitely thinking about you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then also, if, like, next month, you wanna bring like, Hey, here's what I'm thinking, and we can kind of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): workshop with you or add things in right, Constina, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): cause. Look at this wealth of resources that we and thoughts like. There's so much wonderful here, so just an invitation to if you want or if anyone ever wants to bring something to do that.
wade: Yeah, thank you. Thanks for the invitation.
wade: I I feel like I set up myself, and I've just been dealing with like the aftermath of all of that. And it's been
wade: really dramatic, but also like, Oh.
wade: just seeing like this organizing like Hmm. Community kind of like splinter, because one person like refuses to let go of like any kind of control. And
wade: anyway, it's it's been a lot. But listening today and reflecting on things. It's actually, it's funny, because, like.
wade: you're talking about children. And I've definitely like worked with children, and would hope to do so again in the future. But right now, my focus is like working with elderlies and like thinking about like the ways that like.
wade: it's like
wade: different. But it's similar to
wade: as they are like. And and I'm like, I'm sitting here kind of visualizing like, okay, like, how can you nurture someone's inner child, you know, even if they're like
wade: 80 years old, you know, and like, how can you hold space? And like, I think I brought up
wade: a couple of sessions ago, like my challenge of working within my community. And with these, El, with my elderlies like, who are like, have a very strong cultural framework, who are like
wade: like not looking like.
wade: who are like suspicious of things like if it's being presented as like a religious practice, you know. So, like all of this, is like
wade: really helpful and framing how how to work
wade: with people, and how to approach things while still staying like
wade: with integrity, to like the indigenous roots of the practice, and like acknowledging the ancestors in the practice. But like also realizing that, like
wade: the language and verbiage.
wade: because we're in this
wade: we're, we're in whatever context we're in, you know, can be can be adjusted to fit the audience, and like, still maintain that integrity, and like reflecting about everything else I've been going through. I think right now, it's just very clear that, like for the present moment, it's just like focus
wade: on this thing. And so I feel like you're giving me the language to do that. So yeah, thanks.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you. Thank you so much.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm, so much changes when we
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): create boundaries, you know, and with love like, Woo.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Justine, I wanted to check with you around the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing yourself in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and keeping the focus on Yoga. Any thoughts on that.
Justine (she/her): You asking me? Or the group.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You first, and then we can open it to the group.
Justine (she/her): Umhm. Well, I also added in there, too, about because of that secular piece, because I've had to do that as well. The secular piece where you can't even name the can't even name the Sanskrit terms
Justine (she/her): just to keep it
Justine (she/her): because it's a school setting.
Justine (she/her): And then
Justine (she/her): also the trauma informed piece, bringing that in. I was taught that
Justine (she/her): to eliminate the Sanskrit from the teaching, because
Justine (she/her): the person who's just introduced to Yoga might have
Justine (she/her): just the if they're not familiar with the term, it's adding more stress to them because they're not sure what's happening. And looking around and not able to focus in versus
Justine (she/her): trying to figure out what that means. So
Justine (she/her): there's that piece. But then it just doesn't feel like I'm honoring
Justine (she/her): the tradition by not adding the Sanskrit, because I've also learned that the even if you don't know what it is, and that's also including with like the the chanting, it is healing, just knowing, just hearing it. And but
Justine (she/her): I'm not. Gonna push that on, everyone. I'm I'm gonna like you said, comply to some of the rules that are in place with some school settings or settings
Justine (she/her): so, and then they also. The authentic self is like W. When you're facilitating. I've also, I've always heavily relied on scripts from other people, because that's how my brain is wired, because I mean, I I maybe I can.
Justine (she/her): Once I learn a script I can
Justine (she/her): like, bring in stuff. That's
Justine (she/her): my stuff. But you know, having that structure like, I heavily rely on the structure piece.
Justine (she/her): I don't know if there's a question coming after this, but I I don't know if anyone else can
Justine (she/her): really like I and there's also that appropriation piece like I don't want to.
Justine (she/her): and
Justine (she/her): bring in something that has nothing to do with nothing to do with Yoga or anything. So
Justine (she/her): yeah.
Justine (she/her): there's that.
Justine (she/her): And then also knowing the benefits. So
Justine (she/her): how I'm showing up? I guess it's just showing up in that authentic piece. How am I showing up
Justine (she/her): with all these scripts, scripts, and all these rules and all these things. And
Justine (she/her): even my nervous system is like.
Justine (she/her): Okay, I'm gonna stop.
Justine (she/her): I'm going to stop talking.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you. Justine.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I mostly what I was hearing in what you shared
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): was like that sense of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): practicing behind the structure
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that gives us the basis. So it's like, no matter what you share, because you're a practitioner and a sincere practitioner. It's going to be authentic, right like so to not not have to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): worry too much, right? Because you're already doing the work, to take the time to go deeper into practice and to care, and so to just kind of like, create a space of trust for yourself
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): through your practice. And if and when you feel doubt
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to just say, Oh, high doubt like you're showing me to go back into my practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and and that doesn't mean you can't teach like. I can't tell you how many times before I teach. I'm still nervous, and I still have doubt it doesn't mean I can't teach right, or I'm not valuable. Don't have something valuable to share.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And every time that happens I'm like, Oh, right
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): practice practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then with the Sanskrit piece, I do think I think it's helpful to not be blanket about it like in the sense that, like I taught at a Montessori school when my Kidder was in preschool.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and they love the Sanskrit terms. This is in Florida, and so I had kind of wiped Sanskrit from my teaching. Because I was in Florida. There was all the separation of of religion and all that. But they wanted it. And so there, I started to. I just asked, Is this okay? If I, you know, because they were interested in world cultures.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I began to bring it in, and the students really connected to it. And and I've heard that, too.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): not to underestimate even in trauma inform settings, the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the capabilities or the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that people may appreciate right. That sounds great. And so sometimes what I do is say something like, I'm going to give the name of the pose and then describe it, and I'll give it in English first, and then Sanskrit, if that's something that connects with you. Great. If it doesn't focus on the English and the instruction right? So I give them that verbal guidance of how to engage with it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So they know, and I might even say
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it sounds good, is a vibrational language. So even just hearing the sound, even if it doesn't connect for you, is helping you relax or is helping whatever benefit right? So that for me feels
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a way of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): kind of not depending on the context. However, if I'm not sure I, personally, most of the time er on not using Sanskrit right like, if I'm in a school setting, and I don't know until I kind of have have more of an understanding of the context, because I'm in those cases I don't want to be fired or I don't want to. Then I'm thinking about the students right have their yoga program shut down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if I mess up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and things change like like I said, this happened to me recently, locally.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's like I can't.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I can only do what I can do.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Not that I'm you know. So it's beyond my control.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I wanna just pause because we're at time.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But is there any last thoughts that anyone would like to share in the chat or out loud.
wade: I I have a couple of thoughts. It's not so much a question, but it just got me thinking like talking about, like the culture of school, because, like
wade: the elderly that I'm working with like, have been really traumatized by like school experience, like the boarding school system in particular, and that's shaped so much of like the reality. And
wade: yeah, it. It is like our elderly at this point, have gone through that system and like it was like a very like harsh, punitive
wade: system that really indoctrinated this thing about like follow the rules. And that's that's why like
wade: getting exposed to something different is like challenging and and new for them. But I think like
wade: it really like motivates me even more
wade: to to have that to create that space where it's like, okay to breathe.
wade: And it's okay to like, feel your body and like, be in your body
wade: and just have that mindfulness. So I just wanted to share that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, thank you, Wade. And I also think about the universalism that's possible. When we look at like, what are the commonalities, or where, in your experience or your teachings has have these things been present like, there's something so beautiful about that. That's not looking from a religious point of view, but from a like finding commonalities point of view in different practices and traditions. And cause I know you're working in like, I think you're working with indigenous elders.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And there's so much wisdom there, and so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for folks to feel invited to share their wisdom alongside a practice that maybe from a a different path. But actually, is it different? Or they're like these threads that are linking?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wow, I'm like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): blown away all. It's just, I don't know sometimes. Just from our whole getting to be together, and and the co-learning that web of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): creation and and then just yes, I wanna I wanna just say like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you like deep, heartfelt thank you to each of you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and with that we will close. You can unmute and say goodbye, and I'll see you on in a little while. Couple weeks.
Eilene Franco-Brooks: Bye. Thank you. Everyone.
dana (she/her): Thank you.
Constina: Thanks. Everyone have a good one.
wade: Thank you very much.
Justine (she/her): A.