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As founder and director of
Yoganesha,™ I am passionately devoted to bringing yoga into the lives of
children and to their parents and teachers.
I have taught yoga since
1995 and one of the main things my students tell me is, "I wish I had
started yoga earlier in life. I wish that I had been taught the tools that
yoga has taught me when I was a child."
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Photography ©2004 Ciro Coelho/CiroCoelho.com |
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Since 1998 I have been involved with a
foundation whose vision is to bring the healing
modalities of the East into traditional Western settings. In the
past I have taught yoga to AIDS patients and since 2000 have been
teaching yoga to people living with or recovering from cancer. Through the years I have
observed that stress is one of--if not the leading--cause of illness and
disease. Our society encourages us to do more and work harder, but does
not teach us how to deal with the increasing stress in our lives and in
the world in general.
So, in the
summer of 2000 when the founder of the organization that sponsored the
yoga program with AIDS and cancer patients asked me about my personal
vision for bringing yoga into a traditional Western setting, it was
clear to me. I want to teach yoga to children.
That organization sponsored me
to start my yoga program in the public schools of Santa Barbara in
November 2000. I approached the Montecito Union School District where I
went to school as a child and began my program with four classes a week at
the lunchtime break with any children who were interested. Shortly
afterward, I began an afterschool yoga class for all interested teachers,
who definitely need stress reduction in their demanding careers. It's
important for teachers to learn how to release the tension of the school
day and reconnect with themselves so they are recharged and ready to be
with their students in a calm, aware, and peaceful manner.
With no formal training in
teaching yoga to children, I've called upon my many years of teaching yoga
to adults, child-like creativity, intuitive inspiration, and spontaneous
contributions from the children to teach my classes. The program was such
a success that other schools began calling me to bring yoga to their
schools as well.
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Currently, Yoganesha™
is still going strong and getting stronger. The program has now been at
or currently is at Peabody Charter
School, Santa Barbara Charter School, and San Roque School. Over the
years, the program has also been at Santa Barbara High School and San
Marcos High School. Some of the classes are part of the normal daily
curriculum while others are optional afterschool classes. My goal is to
bring yoga into as many of the Santa Barbara public schools as possible
to help create a model for schools in other towns, cities, and states. |
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Photography ©2004 Ciro Coelho/CiroCoelho.com |
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Every Summer since 2003, I have taught Yoganesha™ Summer Camps at the
Santa
Barbara Yoga Center.
Yoganesha™
continues to grow, as yoga is being recognized to be of great value in
the all-around development of children today. Using art, voice, song,
anatomy, metaphors, games, and science, children are taught lessons that
are applied to yoga movement and practice.
The
importance and power of the breath is emphasized to energize and calm
the body, focus the mind, and open the heart in loving kindness. This
practice brings calmness, balance, harmony, and joy. Yoga helps children
to develop strong and flexible bodies while fostering focused and and
attentive minds. Yoga's valuable knowledge teaches self-acceptance and
will give children the ability to embrace life with courage and grace.
Yoga is fun, but it is also a discipline, so all students are encouraged
to have a good time while developing self-control.
As the
founder and director of Yoganesha,™ I want to give children and teachers
the tools to stay connected to the inherent peace, health, and joy that
most people are born with. I cannot accomplish my mission alone. So my
mission has expanded to teaching yoga instructors, school teachers,
parents, and anyone else who is inspired how to positively contribute to
the cultivation of conscious children through the practice of yoga.
Since 2004 I have been teaching the Yoganesha™ teacher training at
Santa
Barbara Yoga Center. Please see the
Teacher Training Certification
page for more details. Now there is
an expanding group
of Yoganesha™ teachers who have brought the Yoganesha™ teaching
style into other yoga centers, schools,
and states.
Children are
our future, and I want to help nurture a future where all people are
living their own lives and with each other in respect, balance, and
peace. Yoga is a wonderful way to bring this vision to fruition.
Namaste,
Anne Van de Water
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