It was a lovely bit of serendipity when The Yoga Buggy found our Anoo. Let me tell you about it.
Anoo’s kiddos and mine (Miri’s) were in the same after-school tennis lesson at a local community centre. As parents do while watching our kids in gymnasiums on dark Canadian winter afternoons, we began to chat. We were talking about parenting or philosophy, I think, and I remember the happy discovery that Anoo was willing to speak in greater depth than average about the topic. We switched to talking about work, and I mentioned The Yoga Buggy. I remember the amazement on Anoo’s face, that look of finding a surprising and delightful connection. “I’m a kids’ yoga teacher too!” she exclaimed. What were the chances?? Let me tell you: very small indeed. It was a bit of rare luck. And so it began.
It turns out Anoo has a background as a medical researcher and teacher, which are great complements to teaching yoga. It also helps to explain her diligent, methodical approach to her work and thought.
Anoo is an endlessly curious learner and seeker. That’s why it gave me great joy when I learned that she was using some of her pandemic time to do excellent things like sharing her insights through writing and creating a new workshop about Vedic mythology.
Also, there’s this: our team of creative and generous teachers always have resources to share, but up until now we haven’t been filing them away systematically. Anoo has been using her talent for creating order out of entropy by organizing our resource library. This is a boon to our team that will serve us well long into the future.
We are stoked about Anoo’s projects, so we wanted to sit down with her and learn more about her work and thoughts.
TYB: You grew up with the yoga tradition weaved into your childhood. Can you give an example or two about how that informed the way you see the world?
Anoo: I grew up seeing my parents drop food off to new moms, be a reference for job interviews, sit on local committees, even sponsor an orphanage in India -- basically they stepped in, without fanfare, whenever help was needed. As a young child, I thought helping was their hobby - it wasn’t related to their work, it was just something they enjoyed doing.
It was only when I was older did I recognize that they were acting in service. This family value of volunteer work, or seva (service), is a basic tenet of yoga philosophy. In yoga speak, performing selfless acts of service moves us away from ego and connects us to the bigger picture. Since I was a teenager, I have volunteered regularly and looking back now, there was never a time we had a formal discussion about it. For me too, it just became something I did to help those in need, spread love and make meaningful connections.
TYB: There is an important discussion happening in the North American yoga world about how to honour the traditional roots of yoga. What are some intuitions or practices you have taken away from this big topic so far?
Anoo: Thank you for asking -- as a yoga teacher of South Asian origin, I’m glad we are having these conversations. It’s actually fairly straightforward to honour the traditional roots of yoga:
Simply acknowledge yoga’s roots! Much like land acknowledgement, lineage acknowledgement is the first step in honoring the origins of yoga. For example, at the start of a class, presentation or meeting, you could say ”I’m honoured to share the wisdom and practice of yoga with you that has been passed on from teacher to student from the subcontinent of India.” This acknowledges the historical and cultural roots of yoga and recognizes that yogic wisdom is universal.
Go beyond asana! Yoga is so much more than making shapes with the body. Normalize classes that include some introspection (meditation), breathing exercises (pranayama), and any of the other limbs of yoga. Challenge yourself as a teacher to move from a fitness-focused movement class to a class that covers more of what yoga is, and that can still be plenty physical for the little ones.
TYB: Lately you have been working hard at organizing The Yoga Buggy's resource library! It's been great to have so many of our team's "brain children" uploaded and organized in one place. Have you had any surprises or "aha" moments creating a 'canon' of kids' yoga materials?
Anoo: YogaBuggy helped me realize a childhood dream of mine to become a librarian! What I've learned while compiling materials is that kid’s yoga teachers are a generous bunch.. The abundance and calibre of resources -- tips for class management, themed lesson plans, latest info on yoga research - is all readily available. With so much support easily accessible, there’s never been a better time to be a kid’s yoga teacher!
TYB: You recently wrote a beautiful article about using your intuition (and a kids' yoga class!) to support some preschoolers' awareness of racism and how to respond to it. This is a bold and timely move. What advice can you give to other kids' yoga teachers to introduce challenging topics in an age-appropriate way to their classes?
Anoo: Thank you! Some topics are challenging for both grown ups and children. In these cases, grown ups can greatly benefit from doing some work before addressing the issue with children:
Listen to what is being said in the media, by educators and people sharing their experience. Practice discernment. It may make you feel uncomfortable, but that’s ok. Sitting with discomfort is an important part of the work.
Learn. Read the articles, attend the workshops, listen to the podcasts, have the conversations. Be open to receiving information and don't be afraid to form and reform opinions.
As a kid’s yoga teacher, get in the practice of distilling the issue to an age appropriate level without diluting the message. (e.g., “what is happening? - people are being treated unkindly because of the colour of their skin”)
Don’t feel pressure to have all the answers. Simply having the conversation is important enough at this stage. Children care about relevant issues too, but they often don’t get invited to the discussions around them. . Ask them questions, tap into their inner wisdom, hear their stories, give them a voice and space.
TYB: What would you like to share with new/aspiring kids' yoga teachers?
Anoo: When I first started, I got a lot of well-meaning advice like “Be open and go with the flow”, and “Have a plan but be ready to tweak it as needed”. As a lifelong planner and list-maker, this free-spirited approach did not help me at all! Now that I have some experience under my belt, a couple of observations that I think will benefit both dreamers and doers alike are:
Children have an uncanny ability to read your vibe! Before a class, ground yourself- breathe deeply, close your eyes for a few moments, mindfully set up the space -- be fully present and so that you can be there for the kids.
In the beginning, try reviewing the experience after each class -- note what worked, what didn’t hold their attention, did the class plan match their energy, would the games be better suited to a larger group etc.? Soon, you’ll course-correct and develop classes that are authentic to you as a teacher and light up your kid’s eyes when you walk in.
TYB: How can people reach you if they'd like to learn more about your work?
Anoo: You can connect with me at anoo@yogabuggy.com or over on instagram @jasmineyogavancouver
