Hey there, Youthful Yogis!
Well it's that time of year...another start to the school year.

Personally, I couldn't be more excited!

Ok, maybe not that excited!!

When school starts up, I get to return to teaching my kids yoga classes...and that is just a ton of fun.

Maybe even ten tons of fun??!

I've decided to put some of what I teach in my classes online...YouTube, of course!

Here's the link:  Kids Yoga Class

So take a peek at my latest video and let me know what you think. When you get about 2 minutes into the video, you'll hear a story I wrote all about...Yoga!

You can also click on the icon below to get to the video:

Yoga, y'all!

Have fun and I'll be back soon!

Hey Youthful Yogis!
It's been a long time since I've added anything to this blog. I've been BUSY...

   This is me, looking busy!

                                             
I did make a new video for my Youthful Yogis Youtube channel  It seemed like a good time for a nice yoga set for the upper back and shoulders...

Seriously!!

So check it out; just click on the funny little fellow below and I think you'll find the video. It should be nice to watch if you've been at a computer or iPad for a while. And of course it's really good for anyone you might know who has to sit at a desk a lot. Let me know what you think!
                                                         

     Click here to relax, y'all!

Have fun and I'll try to get back to Ye Old Blog again before too long!

 

                                                                 Namaste

                                     

Hey Youthful Yogis!
You may have noticed I haven't posted anything new in a while...I guess I'm just too busy hanging out, like our friend here, in downward facing dog!!

Please check out my website www.yogawithellen.com

Also, take a look at some of the videos I posted a while back on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/YouthfulYogis

I hope to be back with more yoga news soon!

If I do yoga but today

I really kind of want to say...

"Stop!"

"Get out"

"I'm feeling mad!"

...is this so horribly, terribly bad?

Yogis are calm, they smile a bunch

They stretch and breathe and eat tofu for lunch...

So how to explain my very dark mood

My glumness and sorrow and craving for food?

Chocolate cake and cheesy wraps

Potato chips and gingersnaps!

Life is different every day

I guess I should see that it's OK

To feel bad once in a while

To frown a little, not always smile

Because whenever I'm on my mat

I know I accept wherever I'm at

Not judging myself: am I good or bad?

Is this the worst day I've ever had?

Simply breathing...seeing what's new

This is the way that I get through

The times I feel not enough

When I'm mad or sad and life is tough!!

Namaste

                                                     Dear Youthful Yogis,

Ping and I decided today

To write this blog in a different way

We've decided to put it all in rhyme

And have ourselves a really fun time

Ping's a cat, I am not

And where we live it's very HOT

Home

So in order to stay cool

(Ping really wants to go in the pool!)

We're taking our days nice and slow

Maybe skipping poses such as bow

No!!

Truth be told, first thing in the day

I am definitely quite OK

With backbends, plank and other stuff

That when it gets hot might feel tough

Plank pose

So check the temp

Your body, too

And only do what's right for you

Here are poses you can try

In the summer when we fry:

Pigeon pose

Legs up the wall

That's all for now I gotta run

Ping's telling me it's time for fun

That means tossing him toys

And watching him play

A great activity for this hot day!!

Namaste!

Here is how I start each day

With a little Namaste

On the floor or in a chair

Any place…I don’t care!

 

I try to breathe in through my nose

Before I do a yoga pose

This simple act can clear the head

After hours spent in bed

 

The breath moves in the breath moves out

And lets me know without a doubt

That I’m ready for my day…

Places to go, bills to pay!

 

Lots of times I stretch out long

Do Down Dog or ring a gong

What I really want to say

Is yoga's different every day

You can move a lot and break a sweat

Or close your eyes and enjoy your pet

You may do lunges, planks and such

Or reflect on the one you love so much

Some folks like to use a chair

Others do yoga with messed up hair

 

You don’t need money or fancy clothes

You don’t need a piercing in your nose

For yoga you just need a little space

Some time to breathe and feel grace

Hey there Youthful Yogis...it's your brain here! You got that right, no cats or dogs or chickens today. Just a nice smart brain!

a nice smart brain

I'm here today to tell you a little bit about myself.

Let's get started...

1) The brain is sometimes called the "command center" of the nervous system. I receive information from the body and I also send messages back, to help keep everything safe and sound. Does it surprise you to know that I like being in charge?!

serious command center

2) An adult brain weighs approximately 3 pounds and that's kind of a lot, if you think about it!

heavy duty

3) I am made of nerve cells, or neurons, and they are pretty crazy looking. Take a look!

nerve cell...I am not kidding!

4) I am housed in the skull, or cranium. Please do not confuse this with a board game of the same name!

yes

noooo!

Anyway, not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty much the most important organ in the human body. I am active even when you are asleep, and I need a lot of oxygen to keep doing my job well!

Oxygen, y'all

Here's how I work: you taste things, see things, feel hot and cold and respond to situations all thanks to information that the brain (that's me!) receives from different parts of the body. This information travels to the brain via the spinal column.

wow!

It's the spinal column that allows me to send messages back down to the rest of the body. Such as..."That pan is hot, silly, better let it go!!!"

let it go!!

Inside the brain, the neurons I mentioned share messages across "pathways, also called synapses. Here's what a synapse, or pathway, looks like according to Wikipedia...pretty scientific, right?

There's lots more to say about me, the brain. In fact, you can go back to March 17, 2014 on the Youthful Yogis Blog to read a bunch more fun stuff!

The last thing I'll leave you with is one of my favorite YouTube videos of all time. It is, of course, about me! It shows how information gets transferred from one nerve cell in the brain to another...super cool! Just click on "synapses at work" below and you'll see what it's like to really get inside someone's head

synapses at work

That's all the time we have today, Youthful Yogis. Be smart, stay cool and we'll see you again soon on the Youthful Yogis Blog!!

Namaste

"Cluck!"

Hi Youthful Yogis!
Today the Youthful Yogis Blog continues with its "guest writer program". As you can see, I'm a chicken....and I am very happy to be find a place where I can express myself freely!

You recently heard from Frank--I know, such an original name, right? Anyway, Frank the dog was pretty proud of the fact that he was mentioned in a recent Youthful Yogis Q & A entry (you can find it on the left side of the Youthful Yogis homepage). I admit, Frank and I aren't such great friends but I do love reading the questions and answers on this blog, especially when they mention chickens!

"Chickens rule!!"

And that brings me to today's topic...well, sort of. As you probably know, many fantastic yoga poses are named after animals. I wish I could say there's a yoga pose named after a chicken but, sadly, I don't think such a pose exists.

"I'm pretty sure I'm doing yoga right now!"

Sure, Mr. rooster up there might look like he's doing a yoga pose but, honestly, there is no pose named after him.

"No fair!"

Let's look on the bright side, Youthful Yogis...even though there are no poses based on the extreme beauty of hens or the bossy confidence of roosters, there are plenty of poses named after many of our fine feathered friends. Let's take a look!

Pigeon

Pigeon Pose

Eagle

Eagle Pose

Crow

Crow

Crow Pose

Finally, I'd like to show you stork pose...and since I don't have a picture of a human being doing the pose, I'll have to get old Mr. Rooster to help out instead!

Stork

Stork Pose...?!

Well, that's about it for today, Youthful Yogis. It's time for me to go nibble on some grain, scratch around a little and get back to my nest! I hope you've enjoyed looking at some bird-inspired yoga poses today. Try them and let me know what you think!

Hopefully, I'll be invited back to the Youthful Yogis Blog as a guest writer soon. In the meantime, here are a few up and coming authors who I know are trying to get themselves on the blog...keep your eyes out for them!

"Rock on, y'all"

"It's so dry out here...does anyone have any eye drops!!

"Me, writing a blog?!" 

OK, that last guy may not make the cut as a visiting writer. But hey, you never know!

Have a great day, Youthful Yogis. And as the little chicks like to say...

Namaste!!