Hey Vive family! We cannot believe it’s August already. This year has flown by and our first 200 hr YTT has graduated! We are so proud of all our new yogi teachers. They worked so incredibly hard these last 10 months. All our YTT ladies had to do a final project on Seva.
Seva is one of the paths of yoga also known as karma yoga. The word "Seva" is a Sanskrit word often associated with the facet of yoga meaning “service.” However, it is more than just a simple desire to help others. As Swami Niranjan explains it, “seva” is actually composed of two words, “saha,” which means “with that,” and “eva,” which means “too.” Taken as a whole, the word “seva” means “together with” and describes the actions that seek collective uplifting through the understanding of the needs of others and are based on togetherness and integration. It is an expression of compassion for others and a genuine desire to uplift those around you.
Each of our 9 yoga teacher graduates had to put on a Seva yoga event, picking one organization to donate all their proceeds. These ladies did an awesome job and we want to give them some recognition. It’s not easy to put yourself out there as a new yoga instructor, but these women went above and beyond putting on their events! They all had amazing organization’s & amazing turnouts!
Lori Wallace did SEVA for Riverbend Family Ministries. They help families in crisis due to trama in Metro East. Lori had all proceeds donated directly to the organization. Lori plans to teach Beginners yoga, Slow Flow, Restorative, Yin, and Hatha.
Courtney Flores did Seva for the Give Back Yoga Foundation. They provide opportunities to communities that might not otherwise be able to practice and they donate mats and trainings to underprivileged communities. She had $200 in donations! Courtney plans to teach slow flow vinyasa, vinyasa, hatha, and restorative.
Christine Hurtte did Seva for NAIM national institute of mental health. She raised $100, and donated $150. Christine plans to teach Hatha and restorative!
Riley Wittman did Seva for The Human Rights Campaign which advocates for equality for individuals of the LGBTQ community. She raised $535 for the organization! Riley plans to teach vinyasa / power / core classes.
Amanda Weber did SEVA for Jamaa Birth Village. They offer Midwifery services, mental health counseling, and lactation support to families in the Ferguson and surrounding areas. She donated $160! Amanda is still unsure what route she will take in teaching. She said “I just don't know. I was thinking of doing a "mindyasa" 15 mins meditation/breathing and a 45 min flow but I also like the word funkyasa for a spunky flow, and just a general slow it down/stretch it out flow....who knows!”
Chandra Bristol did SEVA for Angel arms. Angel Arms is a charity out of St. Louis that is dedicated to providing and supporting loving homes for foster children by keeping brothers and sisters together within a nurturing family until a forever home is found. She raised $140. Currently Chandra teaches Buti yoga at Vive but is working on a yoga class that incorporates resistance bands, yoga and dance!
Shelby Grammer raised money for Kellsie's Hope Foundation. Mission statement from the website. "Our mission is to provide hope to families that have children suffering from cancer by offering support for trips and gifts that might otherwise be unattainable. We are also dedicated to raising awareness and funds to support childhood cancer research and support the education of healthcare providers with an annual nursing scholarship." Shelby is hoping to teach vinyasa & yin. She plans to eventually teach kids and prenatal.
Kimi Stegall did SEVA class for Partners for Pets. She donated $75 all together. Kimi plans to teach Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Beginners Yoga, and eventually prenatal.
Last, but not least we had our very own Alexis Young who did her Seva in support of Black Lives Matter. Alexis donated to Bayer YMCA In St. Louis, MO. The money raised will go towards improving racial tension in America today by focusing on two areas. 1) Educating people on systemic racism. 2) Raising accountability in low economic black neighborhoods. There are short term solutions like facilitating learning opportunities on race relation conversations, how systemic racism impacts communities and providing educational tools to those who want to be a part of the solution.
The Bayer YMCA also focuses on long term solutions like providing access to early childhood education in lower economic communities and providing safe spaces with STEM learning for young adults to increase their chances of going to and completing college. The Bayer YMCA also provides mentor opportunities and education to teens and young adults on conflict resolution, how to reduce black on black crime and improving the safety and accountability in black communities.
Couples yoga, or partner yoga is a practice in which two people support each other in poses in a way that enhances posture and builds trust and communication. Working with a partner provides balance in a pose while establishing and maintaining proper body alignment. In this article we’ll talk about the benefits of practicing partner yoga with a romantic partner, but partner yoga can be done with anyone - a friend, sibling, parent or even the person in class next to you. Below are some benefits to practicing partner yoga with your significant other.
It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle of daily life. Before you know it, you and your partner are like ships passing in the night. Only communicating with one another about the necessities of daily life; who is bringing home dinner, which one of you is working late this week, what chores need to be done on the weekend. Our relationships require constant work. If we aren’t intentional about caring for our relationships, we can become detached from our significant others, feeling more like roommates or colleagues than romantic partners.
Couples yoga is a fun and healthy way to spend time together. Schedule a date night around a yoga class rather doing something sedentary like going to a movie. You’ll have fun building memories together while also relieving stress, working up a sweat and doing good for your body. And if you want to make a whole night of it, grab a drink afterwards or treat yourselves to dinner at your favorite restaurant.
Couples yoga will give you access to assisted poses that you wouldn’t normally do on your own. You have the advantage of using your own body as well as your partner’s to increase balance and strength. You’ll leverage the strength of your partner to increase stability and try new stretches and poses.
Simple poses like partner breathing or a partner twist can help cleanse and open up your body. More complex poses like a double-down dog help with balance, inversion practice and stability. As you get more comfortable with partner yoga you can push your limits with more advanced poses like an assisted backbend.
Healthy communication in a romantic relationship goes beyond spoken communication. Understanding the non-verbal cues of your partner can help strengthen your bond and increase your understanding of one another. Working on poses together will bring you in sync with one another and improve both your awareness of your own needs as well as those of your partner.
Of course, physical touch is key for a healthy intimate relationship. Bringing your bodies together through couples yoga will add healthy physical touch will allow you to connect and deepen your bond with one another. If you’d like to give couples yoga a try, be sure and join us for our special couple’s yoga workshop on Friday, February 14th. We hope to see you there!
