Practical Hints For Meditation

1. Regularity: Set aside the same time or times each day for your meditation. Recommended are dawn (just after awakening), twilight, high noon, and midnight. Another time is in the evening, just before bedtime. It’s also easier to meditate on an empty stomach (2-3 hours after meals).

2. Exercise: If you have time, exercise a little before you meditate. Yoga postures are an excellent way to relax the body and mind before meditation. Paramhansa Yogananda’s Energization Exercises are also highly recommended.

3. Location: Set aside a room, or small part of a room, just for meditation. Try to find as quiet a spot as possible; if this is difficult, try using foam earplugs or headphones to block out the noise. Be sure the room is not stuffy and a little on the cool side; a blanket or shawl to wrap up in is nice

4. Sitting: Protect yourself from the downward pull of earth currents by sitting on some natural fiber, like a wool or silk blanket or piece of cloth placed on your meditation chair, bench, or cushion. Sit Erect! Whether you sit on a meditation bench, pillow or on a chair, keep your back straight, chest raised, head erect, eyes closed, and hands resting palms upturned in your lap, preferably at the juncture of the thighs and abdomen.

5. How long? Do not set unrealistic goals for yourself. It is better to meditate 5-15 minutes and be very consistent with your practice, and then increase your time as you can. One longer meditation each week can be very helpful. It also helps to meditate with other people, especially with those who have been meditating longer than you. You’ll find that group meditations will often help you to meditate longer than you normally would on your own.

6. Begin your meditation by saying a prayer either out loud or inwardly to God and the Masters, asking them to guide and help you. Do some chanting if you can, using a cassette tape of chants can be helpful. Then practice the breathing exercises to relax: Inhale, tense the whole body, then throw the breath out and relax (do this 2 or 3 times). Then do some measured breathing: inhale, hold, and exhale, then begin again. Do this 6-12 times. Choose a count that is comfortable for you; anywhere from 6-6-6-6 to 12-12-12, or higher. Afterwards, relax and breathe normally, and become aware of your breath.

7. You should feel more relaxed now. Remember to hold the body still. You can mentally check it from time to time to see that no part becomes tense again. Physical tension is a great deterrent to calm and deep meditations. Be very silent and relaxed, yet aware.

8. Meditate with joy, with devotion. Don’t wait for God’s joy to make you joyful, be joyful first yourself! Meditation will help you to remember, on ever deepening levels, of who and what you truly are. You are a child of God, and one with the Infinite Light.

Yoga for the Special Child® in the Truckee Meadows

Reno, 2015 Continuing Education, Samuel Baugh and Sonia Sumar. Samuel came all the way from the Bay Area to volunteer in our Teacher Training.
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In 1998 Kathy Randolph saw an ad for the book Yoga for the Special Child in Yoga Journal and ordered it. It arrived out of the first printing in English, since it was written by Sonia Sumar in her native language Portuguese. Kathy read it in one weekend, and immediately signed up to take the Yoga for the Special Child training in July of 1999, the next available class. She started teaching her first Yoga for the Special Child private class two days after arriving home from the training, and had enough students to start group classes by October, 1999. In the meantime Holly Laughton took the training in September of 1999. She began teaching immediately upon her return. Stacy Gumfory-Esquibel took the training in 2001. All three teachers are still teaching in 2008, but more are needed.

Since that beginning in 1999, Yoga for the Special Child has been recognized as a valuable therapy by local parents, physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, and case workers for local agencies. Yoga for the Special Child is recognized as therapy by the State of Nevada, and families may be able to receive funding from Sierra Regional Center, Rural Regional Center, Washoe County Social Services, VSA, TruVista and others. Local schools, preschools, after school programs and day camps also offer Yoga for the Special Child in their classrooms. The demand for more classes, especially in after school time slots, has exceeded what three teachers can offer. Yoga for the Special Child has been taught in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Fallon, Fernley, Gerlach and Colfax. Requests have also been received for classes in Truckee and Tahoe.

In order to meet the call for more private and group classes for local children and adults with special needs, Sonia Sumar, an internationally renowned yoga therapist and the creator of Yoga for the Special Child, brought her Basic Certification program to Reno for the first time in June of 2008. A class of 17 new teachers graduated as Certified Practitioners of Yoga for the Special Child. Six of these new teachers are from our area, and all of them are now teaching. Our new teachers are located in Reno, Sparks, Virginia City and Incline Village, allowing the program to reach students in a much larger area.

In 1999, Ian Zehner was the first Yoga for the Special Child student in Reno. Since then hundreds of children have been served, both in private and group classes at The Yoga Center in Reno, and at area preschools, schools and after school and summer day camp programs. Many of them still enjoy children’s classes, and some of them now continue their yoga practices in adult classes. Adults with special needs have attended classes at The Yoga Center and in various local facilities including Washoe Arc, High Sierra Industries, group homes, rehabilitation centers and clinics.

We are delighted to welcome our new Yoga for the Special Child teachers, and hope we never fail to serve a student because of time conflicts or full schedules again. We are actively seeking people from our area to take the June 2009 training and hope to see you there

Props Make It Possible – Yoga For Every Body

YOGA for EVERY body
“Props make it possible”

By Kathy Randolph, Certified Practitioner

A common misconception is that you have to be flexible to begin a yoga practice; the truth however, is that flexibility is a result, not a prerequisite – a very important distinction. You also gain strength, balance and coordination from the physical poses, and improved circulation and stress relief from the breathing exercises. Yoga really is for people of all ages, sizes and physical condition.

Many beginners benefit from the use of props. Props help with proper alignment, and provide support to the muscles, minimizing strain. A strap, a folded blanket, a block or a chair can allow a new student to do the poses safely and correctly right from the start. Here are some examples of the use of props in forward bends.

A classic pose is seated, legs straight out in front, bending forward from the hips (Figure 1).

This pose, with the addition of a folded blanket and a strap is easily accessible to the beginning student (Figure 2).

• The folded blanket is placed so the sitting bones are right on the blanket’s edge, tilting the pelvis forward and protecting the low back.
• The strap is looped around the feet with the ends held in each hand, providing the same tension as holding the feet directly. Stretch gently, then release and move up on the inhale.

If there are special low back concerns, a safe approach to the forward bend is lying on the back, either on the floor or on a bed, and stretch one leg at a time (Figure 3).

• Start by lying on the back, both knees bent and soles of feet on the floor.
• Bring the right knee toward the chest and put the strap around the arch of the foot, ends of the strap in each hand.
• Straighten the right leg, and draw it closer while exhaling. Release gently on the inhale and repeat with the breath. After gentle stretching, release and repeat on the other side.

If getting up from the floor presents problems, use a block or a chair, and do the pose standing (Figures 4 and 5).
• Stand in front of the prop and bend forward from the hips on the exhale.
• Place both hands on the block or chair and breathe, relaxing further into the stretch on the exhalation. After gentle stretching,bend the knees and inhale to move up to standing, lifting with the legs, not the back.

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By design, yoga poses help us to achieve and maintain a full range of motion. The use of props will allow you to practice this ancient discipline while you gain the wonderful flexibility, strength, coordination and balance yoga can provide – for anybody!