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Keywords: Creating an Ananda Space (October 2002)

ORIGINAL QUESTION:

From Heather Bostian, Alameda, CA, YTT & level 2, one course

In the spring I 'm relocating to Flagstaff, AZ to work with the Native American substance-abuse program and teach yoga, so if anyone has ideas about how to create an Ananda "space" on my 2-1/2 acres, let me know. One idea I have is to build a hogan (8 sided Navajo dwelling) for yoga as well as workshops.

Any funding available for that venture??

So many questions, not so many answers?  THANKS, GOD BLESS

Namaste, Heather


ANSWERS:

From Pam Blasco, Yerington, NV, Las Vegas, NV, McCAll, ID YTT 1999, AnandaTeaching 6 years.

Dear Heather,

I am very interested in your exploration of working with the Native Americans. I live and have a studio in northern Nevada. I have been approached about teaching a class to a group on a reservation here. I am scheduled to look at the facility today.

MY concern is about teaching them, as I have been informed they are either very overweight or obese. I am looking to hear from someone with experience to share with me a compassionate asana practice for people who have excess weight. I know I will begin with pranayama and energization. I will also have chairs.

I have read articles in the newsletter by a woman who teaches yoga for large people. I would like to be in touch with her.

Heather, I believe you need to share your inner teaching with them, and at the same time show compassion for the teaching of their ancestry. I believe your commitment to your own practice and open heart is what will have an impact. I think your discernment about your building is telling of your compassion. Meditate and pray for guidance and you will discover what your structure needs to be. You are the foundation. I will be waiting to hear the update.

Joy to you.
Pam


From Rebecca Smith, Olalla, WA, RYT, YTT graduate

Dear Heather:

I am director of marketing for a 33-year -old rehab (chemical dependency) program located in the forests of Western Washington State on 12 acres. I live nearby on 2.5 acres!

I also teach yoga asanas and meditation there to detoxing and newly recovering addicts/alcoholics, among them Native Americans.  I am also teaching in the community at large.  My husband helps teach the meditation piece.  We are expanding our program in the community to include more focus on meditation.

If you wish, write me directly or call and we can "talk."  ( I have been at it for five years.)

Rebecca Smith
rebeccajean@centurytel.net
800-882-6201 -work
www.olalla.org


From Linda Martin, Tempe, AZ, YTT, Summer 2001

Welcome to Arizona, Heather!  It will be great to have another Ananda-trained teacher in the state--there are very few of us!  I live in Tempe and think what you are going to be doing sounds wonderful.  I think a hogan is ideal for your location and programs. I would love to come see your space when you are ready for visitors! 2 1/2 acres sounds awesome!  Small summer programs for campers sounds neat, if your space permits...I can just see it all now....Blessings to you, Linda


From Heather Bostian, RYT, one course level 2 Ananda

Wow, thanks for all the wonderful support and inspiration!

Regarding Pam's question about overweight Indians: First that's mostly due to the wrong fats and tons of sugar in their diets which needs to be addressed. I take in herbal medicines and do lectures on them and leave the tinctures, herbs for them to use. We talk about diet and using lots of dark green veggies to lose weight, I think diet is a huge part of Yoga. Its also about self-esteem which has been beaten out of them by our government in boarding schools.

So being very gentle and playful with them is key, they have a great sense of humor or they would never have survived this long. Never patronize, they are VERY sensitive to criticism and will leave. Doing partner work very slowly seems to rebuild their ability to trust and bond. They are physically very much stronger than any white person I ever met, women and the men. So they won't hurt themselves in postures usually. I would suggest you familiarize yourself with their culture by going to lots of powwows and asking questions and trying to be a part of their community. They will label you a "wanna be Indian." Their defenses are up, rightly so. We have murdered an amazing natural endangered resource to spirituality and I know many whites want what they have and they have been so ripped off by "us" already. So don't take anything that happens personally and don't give up.

Violence is a huge part of their lives due to alcoholism, again they do it to drown the pain of losing their land and culture and language and dress and religion and food and family. They are expected to live peacefully now. Right, so they take it out on each other...this anger. So to introduce Yoga as a way to move through the anger into a place of bliss and peace and self-empowerment is a hook for them. Once they begin to feel the energy move through them they love it.

Some are trying to create jobs for themselves like carpentry, and so to explain that Yoga will help prevent injuries, so they can stretch to reach that board or nail without pulling a muscle helps.

Some have spooky ideas about it and think you're doing Voodoo, they have many taboos within their culture. They might think you're putting magic on them. So explaining the breath to be similar to doing the sweats and the chants we do as similar to the ancient chants we do in sweats. That helps to bridge the gap.

Hope this helps, God knows how precious these people are and need our help to get out of the bottom of the can they've been dumped into. He put them here to be caretakers. Look what happened when they aren't allowed to do their job. I learn more from them frankly, especially once they know they can trust you and that takes a very long time...years. They hate white people to put it bluntly. They want their land back...period. And if you look around, that's actually beginning to happen. I can't own their land so I have to give it back somehow. That's just me though.

Sorry to go for so long, this is a passionate subject for me and has been my whole life for 40 years.

Namaste, Heather