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Yarn over, pull through...
 
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WINTER 2021

Unraveling & Starting Over

hOMe practices

because home is not just a place, it's a state of being

coaster2
No bones about it: 2020 was a doozy of a year. I stare at photos taken months before the COVID pandemic seized our lives and they show rooms packed with friends at dinner parties or selfies at a concert, our faces fully visible, not a mask or bottle of hand sanitizer in sight. As we entered 2020, some of us thought it might bring clear vision (20/20) and manifestation of our greatest plans. In some cases that came true. But not in the ways we imagined. What has become clear is the racial discrimination that persists in our nation— What is clear, is that our country remains painfully divided due to blatant misinformation and the enabling of hate & violence– What is clear is that there are systems in place that champion economic inequality over social equity. This is the true plague that has been festering even before COVID.
 
Aside from delivering harsh clarity on the darkest parts of our country, 2020 shone light on what’s most important to us: family, home, health (physical and mental), community, creativity, humanity, preserving democracy. As we put 2020 in a box and burn it, let us step into 2021 with open eyes, and a resolve to keep the things that nurture us and to fix the things that do not.
 
Start the new year with an exhale (and inhale): Take the Befriend Your Breath Challenge
Practice with SoulShine Life Yoga for Kids videos online! – subscribe to my YouTube Channel
 
Below I’m sharing:
  • That sometimes we need to unravel in order to mend.
  • How to soften into the places of resistance with Eye of the Needle pose.
  • Alternate Nostril breath to help calm and center.
  • A simple family ritual to ring in the new year: RELEASE and EMBRACE.

Illustration by Eva Bee


April's Musings
Crocheting keeps me from unraveling, but sometimes you have to unravel in order to mend.


unraveling flag-ASloane

“Being American
Is more than a pride we inherit
It’s the past we step into
And how we repair it…”

Amanda Gorman, first National Youth Poet Laureate

Like many others I found my maker-self over the days and months of the pandemic. Picking up crocheting, weaving, macrame, mask-making, and tapestry - I practically dived deep into anything having to do with fiber arts. Mind you this was my way of taking care of myself. Tending to parts of me that I had shelved to pursue more practical paths.
 
But during the stay-at-home orders, I needed more than reading or watching or cleaning and rearranging, or even exercising or planning. I had this intense urge to create.
 
crochet mandalaIt became a bit of an obsession. I love the simplicity of crocheting: just one hook and a skein of yarn. The elegance of transforming one continuous strand of fiber into a cohesive, functional piece of material is divine work indeed. Our life like the strand of yarn is continuous; what loops and knots we fashion as we live and grow make up the unique fabric of our lives.
 
The ties that bind. Spinning our stories. The fabric of our lives. The metaphors are plenty.
 
With all the stress and anxiety of our times I found it difficult to sit still on my mat and meditate. Stillness, usually a safe place for me, brought on panic attacks and irritability. My mind & feelings would not succumb to my usual meditation practice.
 
That’s where crocheting came to the rescue. Each stitch I made became like a meditation in motion. It was the one thing that calmed my nerves. Based on the number of blankets, hats and slippers made there must have been a tidal wave of emotions brewing. pulled threadBefore coming to know crocheting, I would watch my mom labor over a prayer shawl she was knitting for her volunteer group and then having skipped a stitch she would have to unravel the piece to go back and fix it. In crochet terms this is called “frogging” and I used to dread having to undo something that took a considerable amount of time only to remake it all over again. It seemed like such a waste of time. But now that I’ve experienced my own pleasure in yarn-work I know it’s much better to go back and fix a skipped stitch than come to the end of project only to focus on the gaping hole left in the middle.
 
In the past year we watched our lives get snagged, and the fabric of our nation ripped apart. While it was horrifying and discomforting to experience, the whole unravelling of what was familiar and normal was, in a way, necessary for us to see clearly what needed fixing. It feels as if our time has come to “frog” this whole American Story we tell ourselves. The time has come to rework the whole project we’ve been calling democracy and mend it to be truly cohesive and inclusive. Time has come to knit together the gaping holes left behind, stitch by stitch.
 
Lessons I’ve learned from working with fiber arts:
 
patternOne strand alone can fray and break easily. But many strands entwined are stronger than one. Together, and only together, will we see this thing through.
 
In weaving, the warp (vertical strands) is life as it is given us, while the weft (horizontal strands) is what we do with that life. Colors will change and patterns will emerge. Eventually what remains is a full-spectrum tapestry of a life lived.
 
KnotTogetherTo untangle a knot the instinct is to pull harder. But that only tightens the knot. Instead, we must soften into the places of resistance. Softening into the knots creates space. This one in particular feels most pressing. I try to apply this notion whenever I feel out of my comfort zone, or have to find common ground with those I disagree with. Instead of hardening, open my heart to acknowledge the other, to make space for understanding and growth.
 
Those quiet moments of yarning over and pulling through, twisting my hook around the yarn gave me the patience and permission to heal. May we all find our way through this new year with healing in mind and the resolve to “frog” in order to mend the holes so that we can be truly Whole.
 visible mending

I invite you to visit & follow me @whataprilmakes to take a gander at what I’ve been making.
 
Images: Adrienne Sloane’s “The Unraveling” (Society of Arts + Crafts), Sarah C Swett/afieldguidetoneedlework  (Pulled thread),  April Cantor (Reaching Out Knots, Woven detail), Elaine/PatchworkandPoddles (visible mending)


Pose of the Month: Eye of Needle Pose (Sucirandhasana)

Eye Of Needle PoseThis variation on the basic table pose uses the leverage of the ground to help deepen & sweeten the twist. Practice this pose to help relieve tight mid-back and shoulders. Apply the idea of softening into the places of resistance.
 
Place hands and knees on floor, greet the earth. Reach right arm up to sky on the inhale opening up to the right. Next, thread right arm under and through the left arm, twisting to look left, lay side of head to floor. Choose to keep left hand on ground or pressing on the right hand for leverage. For deeper chest and shoulder opening, tuck left arm behind back. Notice where there is resistance, breathe into it. On the exhale soften in belly to deepen the twist and open chest more to the left, keeping hips squared. Be here for 2 more breaths. To unwind, press down left palm on floor in front of face and open right arm out to right or sky and return to table pose. Repeat on the other side.
 
This is a good pose to try after long periods of sitting or carrying a heavy load, or when you need some re-energizing.

image: JaySullivan/Huffpost
Play-with-Me Poses: Partner Wheel (Chakrasana)
partner wheelTake the shape of a spinning wheel to stretch the front of the body (throat, chest, shoulders), flex the spine and encourage the heart center to open.  In this partner pose each person experiences supporting someone else’s opening. Partner A curls up in Child’s pose, arms on floor by sides or tucked under forehead. Partner B carefully sits on edge of A’s buttocks (not the hips—aim for the very end of the body), both feet firmly planted on floor. Using hands on A’s back to brace the lowering, B lays down along A’s back. Ideally B’s head nestles in the crook of A’s neck or back. For different body lengths adjust by scooting bottom lower, or even sitting on the floor for a milder version of this backbend. Breathe 3 deep breaths together: Partner A directing breath to length of back while softening belly to deepen the fold. Partner B can fly arms out to sides or overhead for a deeper stretch on chest and shoulders. To come out of the pose, Partner A rolls up to sit taking B for a ride. Pause for a moment to feel the connection to each other’s back, then switch places.
 
partner wheel modAs always in partner work, be sure to communicate to your partner if something hurts or doesn’t feel right. Modify the poses to match your comfort level. Do forward fold if child's pose doesn't feel good on your joints. Toddlers may not stay still long enough to lay on their backs, and might prefer standing against your back or taking child’s pose atop your child’s pose (double scoops)—feel free to play around with it. Remember to thank your partner for their help when the pose is done.

Images: Hubpages, Barry Blumenfeld (modified partner wheel)
Breathing Practice of the Month: Alternate Nostril Breath (Nadi Shodhana)
Nadis Alt Nostril BreathIn this breath practice you “thread” the breath up one nostril and out the other. By alternating nostrils you balance both hemispheres of the brain and activate the parasympathetic nervous system – the part of us that relaxes us in stressful situations. Nadi Shodhana can help you feel calm and focused.
 
Sitting in a comfortable position with a tall spine, observe a few natural breaths in and out. For hand placement, choose either Vishnu Mudra (“life-preservation seal”—Yes, seal in that life force!) – made by making a gentle fist release last 2 fingers and thumb; or for easier version use index finger and thumb. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils, close off right nostril with thumb then exhale through the left for a count of 4. Keeping right nostril closed, inhale deeply through right nostril for count of 4 then switch: release thumb close left nostril with other finger (index or ring) exhale through the right for 4. Continue this pattern: inhale right, switch, exhale left. Inhale left, switch, exhale right. Start with 4 count breath, working up to lengthening the exhale to be twice the length of the inhale. Aim for smooth transitions, keep shoulders and jaw relaxed, spine tall. On your last exhale through right nostril, release hands to lap and return to natural breath. Notice any new sensations after practicing Alternate Nostril Breathing.
 
Check out this video for a closer look, and join the Befriend Your Breath Challenge.
No better time than the present to try it!

Image: octavesandovertones.com

Family Mindfulness Practice: Release & Embrace Ritual
campfireTransitioning from the old year into the new one is a good time to take inventory of what worked and what didn’t in terms of personal growth and health. It can be a fun ritual to do as a family to share in circle what things you’d like to RELEASE, or let go of, from the last year (2020 gave us plenty!) and in turn what would you like to EMBRACE, bring in more of or generate, for the new year. Optimal times to do a ritual are at the full or new moons, but really a ritual can happen at anytime convenient for your family. I am grateful to my sister, Kim, for sharing this ritual with us.
 
1) LIST. Bring out paper and colored pencils/markers/pen.
Ask each person to write down a list of their words for RELEASE, then EMBRACE.
Draw pictures or images instead if you’d rather. What is most important is that it’s clear to you.
release&embrace2) SHARE. Those who feel comfortable sharing what they wrote down can do so in circle—remember to listen and not judge or comment, simply affirm by listening.
3) RELEASE. Roll the papers into a ball or tube and one by one offer them into the fire.
Our family gathered around a fire pit. A candle in a fireproof bowl will do. Or you can dissolve the paper in a bowl of saltwater.
Witness the dissolving or burning as a way of RELEASING.
4) EMBRACE. Then at the end, join in a group hug as a way of imprinting what is to be EMBRACED for the new year.
 
Images: campfire (callofthewild.com) and nyrelease (acantor)
SoulShine Spotlight
Special people doing special things worth checking out

People's Inauguration LogoThe People’s Inauguration – A groundswell of community driven actions for change and mending the soul of America. We can’t rely solely on government to make change happen. Take the oath and help reimagine the best America we can be. We as a people can rise up together and take ownership of the movement needed to create lasting change. Register to help keep the momentum going!
1/22-2/1 10-days to Activate Revolutionary Love – see the line-up here.
 
Where's April and SoulShine Life this Winter?

Classes and events
 
ZoomTeachingJanuary – Teaching in-person yoga at a handful of preschools. Also offering virtual classes. Stepping up my game with Kumarah Yoga Ultimate Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Leadership Course. For those looking to learn how to teach kids yoga, or teachers needing a refresher Maia H has put together a fantastic course.
 
February – Starting Yoga Club for Middle Schoolers at Friends Seminary NYC! I’m excited for the opportunity to explore yoga and set some healthy habits with this fun bunch   of tweens. Also, getting my second round of the COVID-19 Vaccine. Good riddance, ‘Rona!
 
Need a kids yoga break now? Check out my YouTube Channel for kids yoga with stories and creative movement.
 
whataprilmakesVisit @whataprilmakes and take a gander at what I’ve been making aside from yoga.
 


If interested in continuing or starting kids’ yoga from the convenience of your home via Zoom please reach out to me about private lessons – for you, or a gather a group of friends together. Contact April at april@soulshinelife.com to set up a time.


We're proud to announce that SoulShine Life is bringing Kids Yoga Adventures to the following schools this year:

Brooklyn Preschool of Science
New Playground
Ladybug Daycares & Preschool
West Village Nursery School
Brooklyn Free Space
Friends Seminary NYC*

* - Recently added programs! Welcome to the SoulShine Life community.

If you’d like to see your child’s school on this list please contact me about getting a yoga program started there.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter. 

SoulShine Life hopes to help kids and parents connect to themselves, each other and the nature around them. I believe the spiritual evolution of this nation & our world depends on us raising healthy, happy and whole families that have found that right balance between work and play—no one else is going to do it for us.

You know that saying: “We teach what we most need to learn?” I certainly don’t pretend to know all the answers or even that I’ve mastered all the things I suggest. This is an invitation to take this learning journey with me. I thank you for staying connected not just with me, and not just with your family, but most importantly to yourselves.
Namaste - The Light in Me Sees the Light in You!


April Cantor, RYT has 20+ years of experience teaching yoga and exclusively to children for the past ten. Her company, SoulShine Life, not only provides Kids Yoga Adventures to local preschools and daycares but also helps families & parents reconnect to themselves, each other and nature through Family Yoga Hikes and Partner Yoga Workshops.  
Please visit: www.soulshinelife.com to learn more.
 

Where's April and SoulShine Life?

Classes and events
January – Teaching in-person yoga at a handful of preschools. Also offering virtual classes. Freshening up my game with Kumarah Yoga Ultimate Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Leadership Course (https://kumarahyoga.com/) – for those looking to learn how to teach kids yoga, or teachers needing a refresher Maia H has put together a fantastic course.
 
February – Starting Yoga Club for Middle Schoolers at Friends Seminary NYC! I’m excited for the opportunity to explore yoga and set some healthy habits with this fun bunch   of tweens. Also, getting my second round of the COVID-19 Vaccine. Good riddance, ‘Rona!
 
Need a kids yoga break now? Check out my YouTube Channel for kids yoga with stories and creative movement.
 
Visit @whataprilmakes and take a gander at what I’ve been making aside from yoga.
 
If interested in continuing or starting kids’ yoga from the convenience of your home via Zoom please reach out to me about private lessons – for you, or a gather a group of friends together. Contact april@soulshinelife.com to set up a time.
 
photo: April Cantor


Interested in bringing
Kids Yoga Adventures
to your school or camp?
Contact me at 

info@soulshinelife.com


Merry & mindful mending to us all.


More info at:
www.soulshinelife.com

Please help spread the word and feel free to pass this on to friends, families, schools.
Thanks for taking the time in your busy lives to read this.
Peace,

April signature
 

SoulShine Storytime
Special selections for your reading & listening pleasure

one coverOne
by Kathryn Otoshi
An important concept told through simple watercolors about the power of being the One to stand up against bullying & violence. You could be the One to show how to be kind, how to be a good friend and how to make sure everyone is counted. This is one of my all-time favorite picture books.
 
SceneOnRadio logoScene On Radio Podcast
Season 4: Democracy -
 
 Titled 'The Land That Never Has Been Yet', which was named for a line from a Langston Hughs poem this season is an eye-opening, in-depth look at how economic interests have always driven politics in establishing this nation. What is the purpose/role of government in the US? And has democracy truly been realized? From the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University dive deep into answering these crucial questions. Bingeing on this podcast fueled our family’s 12-hour roadtrip, and filled in many blanks of my understanding of American History.  It’s the “yet” part that keeps me hopeful. An important series to take in – I hope you give it a listen.



 
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