Children are our future: Let’s empower them with Peace.
As a mother and life-long practitioner of meditation and Bhakti Yoga, I am an experienced enthusiast of the benefits of yoga for youth. I am so grateful for the opportunity to apply for this yoga scholarship to attend the yoga instructor training with Shiva Rea in Venice, CA beginning on Jan. 27, 2012 (my birthday!!).
Yoga since the beginning…
My childhood flourished with the spiritual practice of Bhakti Yoga (the spiritual path of devotion), and meditation, yoga, and music were an integral part of my daily life. I experienced first-hand how a lifestyle integrated with the values and practices of yoga can truly supports one’s connectedness to the innate sacredness of all life. I remember how this foundational wisdom helped me navigate the ups and downs of growing up, and shaped who I am today.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to pass along these ancient, yet timeless jewels of Yogic wisdom to our rising generation of future leaders. To cultivate peace within and without, to develop inner strength amidst the peer pressures of adolescence, and to strengthen the joy and confidence that comes from knowing we are a part of the greater whole, are my goals in sharing the gifts of yoga with youth.
Supporting our next generation to attain their highest potential
Our youth are our future. What greater investment can we make for the betterment of our planet and global community than to support our children to explore and embody their greatest potential? We as teachers, parents, friends and mentors have a tremendous opportunity to support youth in our communities to develop a solid sense of self. We can support children to trust, love and accept themselves. We can encourage them to speak their truth as compassionate beings, and have the ability to navigate the challenges in life by relying on their inner strength that yoga helps to cultivate.
As a certified Yoga teacher, I would offer free/donation based yoga classes to youth in my community in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, I would integrate the practice of Yoga into events focalized to empower youth to speak their messages to the world through creative global multi-media projects.
Yoga for Life
More than a series of asanas (postures), yoga for me is about the way we move through life. I would like to offer youth the practices for creating a yogic lifestyle that supports greater awareness in all aspects of life. Through the centering of body, mind and spirit, we can move beyond our fears and self-limiting beliefs so that we can fully step into our greatest gifts and joys of our self-expression and share them with the world.
Yoga is an incredible medium; a bridge for our consciousness to connect with our inner wisdom to experience the fulfillment of true peace. I wish attend the Shiva Rea yoga training so that I can better serve youth with the empowering tools of Yoga to facilitate greater self-awareness, peace, humility, strength, self-acceptance and love. Our youth are our future leaders, may we serve them to embody their greatest potential.
With sincere thanks,
2012 Yoga Scholarship Essay
By: Crystal Soufer
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