La Costa Heights Elementary School students demonstrate yoga for parents and other adults at the Sonima yoga studio in Encinitas on Wednesday.

ENCINITAS The foundation that created a yoga program that sparked a lawsuit and drew international attention to the Encinitas Union School District has quietly introduced similar programs to two other county schools and to schools in New York.

Gene Ruffin, executive director of the Sonima Foundation, said at an open house Wednesday at the foundations headquarters in Encinitas that there has been no controversy in the programs expansion, and he expects to announce two more schools where yoga will be introduced in the near future.

A University of San Diego researcher who attended the open house said a study on the effects of the yoga program in Encinitas has been completed and that it showed yoga had a positive effect on students health.

The results have been fantastic, Ruffin said.

In 2012, Sonima then called the K.P. Jois Foundation gave the Encinitas school district $533,000 to begin a yoga program and to fund a study of its effects. Last summer the foundation gave another $1.4 million to to expand the program to all Encinitas Union schools as part of districts health and wellness curriculum.

The foundation had planned to create a yoga curriculum in Encinitas that could be introduced to other schools, but things got off to a bumpy start when some parents sued the district, arguing the yogra program was religious and a violation of laws regarding the separation of church and state.

Many other families, however, agreed with district officials who saw the yoga program as little more than stretching exercises.

Although the district had changed the name of poses to crisscross applesauce and other child-friendly, secular terms, a lawsuit filed by attorney Dean Broyles, president of the Escondido--based National Center for Law & Policy, argued that the very act of practicing yoga could lead to interest in Hinduism and other Eastern beliefs.

The lawsuit attracted international media attention and concluded last July with San Diego Superior Court Judge John Meyer siding with the school district.

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School yoga program stretches out

A yoga-based health and wellness program that was piloted in Encinitas schools and drew protests from some parents now is being adopted in Cajon Valley Union School District, Monarch School in San Diego and three New York schools.

The University of San Diego has preliminary research showing students who practiced the yoga classes had more core strength and flexibility than students who did not, as measured in state fitness exams.

The Sonima Foundation, which sponsors the school based yoga classes, held an open house in Encinitas. Executive director Gene Ruffin said yoga is a prudent way to improve the health of children.

The way we use it is a cost-effective means towards stress reduction, flexibility, the California Physical Fitness Test, he said. Our kids are doing better who take yoga.

Ruffin said other school districts around the country are enquiring about the program. Each school district and pilot site develops a custom program to suit its student population, he said. All programs include yoga time on the mat and Common Core state standards for physical education.

Still, some Encinitas parents, who thought it might include religious teaching, questioned the idea of teaching yoga in schools. They unsuccessfully sued the district, but an appeal is pending.

Ruffin said yoga instruction in schools is designed to be kid friendly and fun, and has positive impacts beyond physical fitness.

There is something else there other than physical, he said. Kids do feel better about themselves, other than flexibility and strength, they are getting things other than that from it. Exactly what it is, all I know it seems to be positive, because the results are positive.

Encinitas Union School District has included the yoga classes for two years, as part of a wellness program on character building, nutrition and gardening.

Cajon Valley Union School District began piloting the program this year, and is focusing on fitness benefits. Its program includes yoga, circuit training and recreational sports.

Excerpt from:
Yoga Breathing New Life Into Fitness Classes In San Diego And New York

Published: 22 Apr 2014 09:000 comments

THE idea wowed the hard-to-please Dragons Den panel last year.

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Now a childrens version of YogaBellies, a class for pregnant women and new mums, is coming to Tweeddale.

After buying a franchise, local yoga instructor Stephanie Kitching has decided to set up YogaBelliesKidz sessions in Peebles.

And ahead of the May launch, she ran a taster session with a twist at Newlands Centre in Romanno Bridge.

The event, called Easter Yoga Party, took place last Friday, when children and parents went on an Easter adventure, trying out various yoga postures and singing songs.

Stephanie said: The children were all relaxed and they received daffodils and stickers. The children love yoga and it is amazing how many parents are keen to get their children involved.

The YogaBelliesKidz classes involve yoga and meditation for children, relaxing their minds.

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Yoga kids reach out for new classes

SAN DIEGO - A San Diego yoga instructor is stepping onto her mat Saturday with the goal of raising $30,000 for homeless students.

Kim Bauman, founder of the fundraising group One Love San Diego, organized a three-hour event dubbed Yoga Glow in the Night that will benefit Monarch School, a campus that educates roughly 350 local homeless students.

The event, which will be hosted at the school, will allow attendees the opportunity to be guided through a practice by eight yoga instructors while DJ NikkiNik provides live music.

Bauman, who was adopted when she was just nine months old, said she was inspired to help the local homeless population after a 2011 volunteer trip to Haiti.

"It was the moment that shifted my path in life," she said. "I never really thought a lot about being adopted or what would have happened if I stayed in an orphanage."

After her trip, Bauman organized fundraising efforts for San Diego nonprofits, Outdoor Outreach and San Diego Youth Services. She said she later received a call from Monarch School asking for similar support and developed "Yoga Glow in the Night."

Bauman, who expects more than 400 to attend the event, said attendees will hear from students living in homelessness. There are an estimated 18,000 students who live in homelessness in the region, according to the San Diego County Office of Education.

"So many people are completely oblivious that we have homeless people, let alone, homeless kids," she said. "The event will join people together through yoga. We're all in this world together."

The event will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $100. San Diego business and fitness membership service, Fitnwhich is sponsoring the eventis also pledging a $50 donation for every person who signs up for its service through May 31. For more information, visit fitn.com.

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Yoga instructor hopes to raise $30K for homeless

When it comes to yogi's you could ask any one of them and they'd be quick to shout out their favourite studio or yoga joint. But, with the multiple studios and the myriad of styles and practises popping up everywhere it makes it a little difficult for those who are new to the scene to find the right one. So, we've done the hard work, and carefully chosen an edit of our favourite yoga hot spots in Melbourne that promise to bring out the inner yogi in all of you.

Melbournes Yoga 213 is the sister studio to our one here in Sydney. The philosophy behind their practise looks at yoga not just being about balances and postures, but more about giving you the freedom to be yourself. The studio offers a modern-day style of yoga that incorporates free flowing vinyasa practise with funky hip hop tunes. All levels are welcome here.

12 Garden St, South Yarra, 03 9826 5391

Source: Yoga 213

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With dcor that reflects a luxe contemporary style, One Hot Yoga incorporates slow flow yoga sequences, exploring different postures in a relaxed and heated environment. If youre the type of yogi that likes it hot, then this is the place for you. The studio offers classes that range from 27C to 37C, depending on style and practise. One Hot Yoga caters for any level, even those trying yoga for the first time.

36 River Street, South Yarra, 0409 103 674

Source: One Hot Yoga

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Found! The Best Boutique Yoga Studios in Melbourne

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