The girls loooove yoga and are constantly asking if we’re teaching each day. The first class Tara taught was on the terrace was full of giggles, but also a real interest and desire to please. Every day we’ve taught them meditation, (I can’t believe they actually sit still for 3-4 minutes!) chanting Om, basic breathing techniques, Surya Namaskar A & B, and many standing yoga asanas.

Loren and I also did a partner yoga class one night, with lots of demos and Loren in a traditional “lunghi” a men’s skirt. Needless to say some of the poses were limited for him. The girls loved watching and once we let them loose it was the most laughter we heard from them during the whole trip. By the end of our time there, during the last class in the hall where the girls sleep at night, Kaliyani, a skinny little firecracker, let me know that she wanted to continue teaching yoga to the girls, and that she would like to be a yoga teacher. I gave her mine and Loren’s mats to keep, and hope that when we return with the WYC community for the service trip next year, that we’ll have yoga mats for all of the girls…can’t wait to recycle our used mats and start some kind of official program of mat recycling. Hopefully yoga will be a powerful seed for them now, helping them to learn compassion, confidence, and working together…

Thank you beautiful Home of Hope girls for teaching Tara, Loren, and Kristin yoga through your endless hugs, smiles, laughter, and love!!!! We love you!

And huge thank you to Dave for such a special wedding gift making our trip possible (notice where little Selvie is pointing on KC’s shirt…)