One of our core values at Namaspa is Unity. Within this value is woven a recognition of the sacredness and interconnectedness of all of life. Although there are many facets to and levels of the meaning of the Sanskrit word namaste – the most direct translation of which is ‘I bow to you’ – at the heart of why it is spoken and shared aloud and together at the end of yoga classes and other community offerings at Namaspa and across the globe is because it is an intentional and explicit recognition of this interconnectedness, sacredness, and unity within ourselves and with and between one another, the Earth, all of life, and the whole of creation.
One way we are putting this value into action this month is by honoring and celebrating life through honoring and celebrating moms, mothering, and motherhood, in all forms and expressions. Whether you're a mom with children of your own, or someone who has embodied ‘mother’ for different reasons or at different times in your life – caring for family, friends, loved ones, an entire community – we see you. We honor you. We celebrate you. This month and always.
In honor of the moms in our families and across our community and the globe, we invite you to do a short practice of reflection, contemplation, and mindfulness inspired by principles and practices from The Heartmath Institute. It is a powerful way of cultivating experiences of unity within ourselves, with those we love, and beyond.
Sit quietly with your eyes closed, or gazing softly at a candle.
Take 3-5 big, deep breaths, and then let your breath return to its natural rhythm and pace – settling into yourself, letting yourself relax and become receptive.
Place one of your hands on your heart, in physical contact with your chest, and begin to bring your awareness and attention into your hear – dropping down from the activity of the mind, into the authenticity of your heart.
For 2-3 minutes, imagine and feel your breath flowing in and out of your heart, as if your heart were a third lung inside of your chest. Feel your heart expand on your inhalations and relax and contract on your exhalations.
Continue breathing in and out of your heart, and at the same time, bring forward an image or memory, and a felt sense, of your mother or a mother-like figure in your life who you are grateful for.
As you breathe in and out of the heart, and as you hold this person in your awareness and heart, allow feelings of gratitude, appreciation, compassion, love, and/or joy to arise and wash through you.
Feel how you are being transformed by these powerful feelings, and feel how you can and already are sending frequencies of gratitude, appreciation, compassion, love, and/or joy toward this person, wherever they are in space and time — whether they are still living, or have crossed over to the other side.
Allow these feelings to expand beyond the relationship between you and this person you have brought into your mind and heart, and practice actively radiating and sending out gratitude, appreciation, compassion, love, and/or joy to moms and mother-like figures across the globe.
And finally, allow these feelings to expand even more to include Mother Earth.
As you close the practice, notice how your body and Being feels, how the space around you feels, and if you feel a sense of more connection or unity.
Give yourself time to transition slowly out of the practice, and if you have time, spend a few minutes journaling about your experience.
If you feel inspired, you could share your experience with the person you initially connected with in the practice, or another mom or mother-like figure in your life.
Additionally, moms, to show you how much we appreciate and honor you, we have some special offerings for you this month!
On Friday, May 12, 7:00-8:30pm at the Bend Studio, Lauren Davey will be holding a “Mom’s Night Out” circle, which will include sound healing, ceremonial cacao, and connection with other moms. In Lauren’s words, “Put down the weight of the world, come reset your nervous system, and let yourself be held, Mama.” Click here to learn more or register. We hope you’ll join us!
Moms, we support you in treating yourself to small and big acts of self care – and we are also enthusiastic advocates of honoring moms in our lives with a gift of self care! This month, enjoy $20 off massages booked online with code $20OFFMASSAGE (code expires 5/31).
We also love supporting moms on your yoga journey by providing classes and programs for kids! In fact, Namaspa hosts the longest running kids yoga classes in Central Oregon! Our kids classes run in tandem with adult classes (weekly in Bend and monthly in Redmond), so parents can come practice while their kids learn yoga poses and play mindfulness games with a certified kids yoga instructor. Below you’ll find a full list of regular kids yoga classes and other upcoming offerings for kids.
Weekly Kids Yoga at the Bend Lite Studio, Saturday mornings, 9:30-10:45am (kids ages 3-7 years old)
Monthly Kids Yoga at the Redmond Studio, the next one is May 13, 10:00-11:15am (kids ages 3-7 years old)
Kids Yoga Summer Camp: 4 sessions (5 days each), 2:00-5:00pm (kids ages 4+
Session 1: June 19-23
Session 2: June 26-30
Session 3: July 10-14
Session 4: July 17-21
If you’re a mom, parent, educator, counselor, or yoga teacher interested in gaining tangible tools to share with kids, tweens, and teens, check out these upcoming trainings! Research shows that yoga and meditation can help young people of all ages in: building skills in focusing and concentration; increasing self-regulation of emotions and self-esteem; cultivating the ability to be responsive and cooperative; and improving strength, flexibility, and overall resilience. Trainings are led by Deven Sisler, founder of her own Kids Yoga & Mindfulness teacher training and a forerunner in unique yoga teacher trainings for teaching kids, youth, tweens, and teens!
Kids Yoga Training: Older Kids, Tweens & Teens*, May 5-7, 2023 (Friday, May 5, 5:00-8:30pm; Saturday, May 6, 8:30am-5:30pm; Sunday, May 7, 9:00am-1:30pm)
Yoga in Schools Training*, June 2-4, 2023 (Friday. June 2, 5:00-8:30pm; Saturday, June 3rd, 8:30am-5:30pm; Sunday, June 4th, 9:00am-1:30pm)
Again, to all moms and embodiments of mothering and motherhood, thank you. Thank you to you – and to Mother Earth – for the great gift of life.
*Each program earns 20 hours for Yoga Alliance CEU credit OR can be applied towards your full 95 hour Children's Yoga Teacher Training & Certification journey. E-mail Deven with any questions.
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