Today was truly special. Christmas Day happened to be on a Tuesday, when we teach yoga to the kids in Central Juvenile Hall. We were excited to create a special class with the boys & girls in the gym, Rajashree Choudhury, our Board Member, taught the class and brought her son Anurag Choudhury. 

Today we went to visit Camp Gonzales in Malibu. It was the annual Christmas Party with delicious "In and Out Burgers" served from their truck. The Unusual Suspects were there showing a bit of their theatre program- it was incredible to see these kids get up and goof off, come out of their shell and show who they are- kids. There was another program of writing, poetry, rap music and they were amazing! I was so moved to be able to see other programs have the experience we do with these minors in juvenile hall!

Today felt like one of the best days of the year for me! I am so grateful to be a part of working with kids in juvenile hall. Looking at the programs gave me a chance to see what we do too, and I am so touched and blessed. When I sat down to eat I looked at the kid behind me and I knew him from our yoga program at Central Juvenile Hall. He smiled and nodded, said "yeah" he remembered me. Then I saw a few boys wave and come up to talk to us. STILL- they were asking where they can get yoga when they get out!!!

AMAZING!!!

The picture is of Mary Newman at Central Juvenile Hall- taken by Ixel Madrigal in the summer. 

Please check out A + B Photography

Alicia came to shoot our program in juvenile hall.
She said her favorite moment was when I was sitting down talking to the kids and relating, sharing my story about when I was in the same facility when I was their age. The kids are sponges and i love being able to share yoga's healing with them. Check out A+B Photography!

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We tell the kids that "yoga is a gift-  no one can take it away from you."  This catch-phrase of ours never rang more true than today, when Nick and I wandered into the Yoga Kingdom Sanctuary in Pasadena, where an important person in Nick's life was waiting. Naader Shagagi, the founder of Yoga Kingdom, had created a yoga video many years ago that Nick had discovered and practiced to.  He considers it his first steps on his yoga journey.  I was so touched to see Nick embrace his first teacher and thank him for the wonderful gift he gave him.  Naader was so pleased that he could see that his work was meaningful to someone. He said that one is never sure of the impact that they make. Yoga is a gift - to both the teacher and the student. We might not know how we impact the kids in juvenile hall once they leave, but we sure know we impact them weekly when they tell us how meaningful and useful the yoga is in their lives. 
This special moment at Yoga Kingdom will remind me always that a seed is planted when a teacher and student connect.  The teacher may not always know when the seed grows into a meaningful yoga practice, but we do it anyway, with love and attention. Planting that seed is what we aim to do for the kids and it's a blessing to pass along yoga healing.