ymcainspirepeaceYOGA FOR PEACE

Table of ContentsPreparationYMCA Peace Building 2Introduction 3More Ways to Focus on Peace 4-7Promoting “Yoga for Peace” 8Hosting “Yoga for Peace” 9

The ClassSample Class Introduction 10Yoga Instruction and Meditation 11-34Aum 35Peace Quotes 36

Follow UpNext Steps 37

Helpful EquipmentNo special equipment is needed for thisprogram. Regular gym mats or evenbeach towels can be used for the yogapositions. Straight back chairs can beused for the meditation sequence.

YMCA Peace BuildingThe YMCA has a long tradition of actively promoting peace. Across Canada YMCAs and YMCA-YWCAs offer activitiesand educational programs to help children, youth and adults explore the many dimensions of peace and discover how they can play an active role.

A main component of YMCA Peace Week is the YMCA Peace Medallion, which is awarded each year by YMCAs across Canada to individuals and groups of peacemakers, who are role models for how any one of us can build peace and a stronger sense of community.

The YMCA’s enduring mission of supporting the personal growth of people in spirit, mind and body, and fostering a sense of responsibility to each other and the global community continues to be fundamental to all YMCA programs and services.

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IntroductionThis guide is designed to assist fitness instructors, like you, to engage others in exploring peace through yoga.

Why Yoga? Yoga is an innately peaceful activity and the goal of yoga is to encompass the overall essence of peace. Yoga also fits well with the mission of the YMCA in Canada, as it incorporates spirit, mind and body into each class.

YMCA Canada has created this Yoga for Peace Guide to assist your Association host a successful “Yoga for Peace” class.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to YMCA Peace Week!

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More Ways to Focus on PeaceBrief the class leaders thoroughly.

• If you already offer yoga at your YMCA, ensure the instructors are well-briefed about YMCA Peace Week and have received copies of the quotes on peace.

• If you do not already offer yoga classes, consider inviting a yoga instructor from the community to lead your “Yoga for Peace” class; brief the guest instructor and provide him/her with the YMCA Peace Week background material. You could also arrange some introductory training for some of your fitness instructors, from a qualified yoga teacher, to prepare the staff to lead the class.

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More Ways to Focus on PeaceSet a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere in the class, in order to help participants relax and fully enter into the experience.

• Choose a location for the class that is most likely to be free of distractions, external noise, or sounds from neighbouring classes.

• Consider dimming the lights in advance of the participants’ arrival.

• You may wish to play some soft background music as participants arrive and get settled in their spots.

• Turn off fans, or turn them to the lowest setting.

• Make sure the room is a comfortable temperature (i.e. warmer than for a vigorous fitness activity).

• If you run your “Yoga for Peace” event as an introductory session for people who are new to yoga, be sure to have a supply of yoga mats on hand.

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More Ways to Focus on PeaceConnect with peace-related organizations.

• Make it a community-wide event and invite participation from yoga studios and peace-related organizations, includinggroups that work on conflict resolution, non-violent communication, mindfulness, etc. Invite the groups to bringbrochures about their work and have a table where all the materials are available.

• Make it a two-part event. Begin with the yoga portion and end with a short inspirational talk by a guest speaker (10 minutes) who could be asked to reflect on the idea that “the responsibility for peace begins with each person, in relationship with family and friends, and extends to community life and national and international activities” (from the World Alliance of YMCAs Peace Statement). Or the guest speaker could be a yoga instructor who could elaborateupon the connections between yoga, inner peace, and world peace.

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More Ways to Focus on PeaceHighlight peace throughout the class.

• Pause at various times during the class and read out one of the quotes on peace from page 36 of this guide.

• Write out some of the peace quotes in advance of the class and put them up on the door and on the walls.

• Make a hand-out of the peace quotes for participants to take with them. There could also be a write-up on the connections between yoga, inner peace, and global peace, which would provide more information than you might be able to share during the “Yoga for Peace” event itself. You could also provide a listing of websites and local organizations involved in related activities, such as mindfulness and non-violent communication.

• Be sure to include the meditation component at the end of the class.

• During the mediation phase, consider inviting people to hold an intention in mind that is related to living out peace in their day-to-day lives. You might suggest that they reflect on something they experienced during the class that they would like to carry with them into the rest of their day or week, e.g. balance, flow, openness, flexibility.

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Promoting “Yoga for Peace”• Post posters within the YMCA and the community to promote the event location and details.

• Create an organizing committee of interested volunteers and staff who will develop a plan on how your Association isgoing to participate in “Yoga for Peace”.

• Inform volunteers and staff about “Yoga for Peace” by including details on meeting agendas in October and November.

• Contact local media (newspapers, radio and television stations) to inquire about coverage promoting your event andpotential partnership or sponsorship.

• Create a media package, including promotional material, event details, and a media advisory.

• Optional approach – Invite media to attend the event.

• Promote “Yoga for Peace” at other Peace Week events.

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• Include a special introduction (sample provided) from a special guest or dignitary who then participates in the yoga class.

• Hold a free “Yoga for Peace” class over the lunch hour and invite local community organizations, businesses and community members to attend.

• Challenge members, volunteers and staff to get groups to sign up to participate and offer prizes or incentives for thelargest group to participate.

• Provide a small giveaway to participants, for example the YMCA Bookmark.

• Run a special youth “Yoga for Peace” class and invite the Youth Leader Corps, youth members, local schools and youth serving community organizations to participate.

• Partner with the City or other community organizations and host “Yoga for Peace” classes within the larger community.

• Offer “Yoga for Peace” classes throughout the day at the various YMCAs branches, in order to reach a larger audience.

• Incorporate peace quotes or information on “Aum” throughout the class to make the connection between yoga and the larger message of peace of YMCA Peace Week.

Hosting“Yoga for Peace”

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Hello, my name is __________ and I am (the) _________ from _______________. (speaker information)

The YMCA is a long time supporter and advocate of peace in all its many forms. For a week each year, YMCAs acrossCanada offer special activities that encourage people of all ages to explore the many dimensions of peace from a personal, community and international perspective.

The YMCA chose yoga as a way to celebrate peace and peacebuilding because the tradition of yoga reminds us thatpeace starts with each of us. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.The worldwide YMCA has observed that “the responsibility for peace begins with each person, in relationships with familyand friends, and extends to community life and national and international activities.” Today’s class offers an opportunityfor personal reflection, to share ideas about peace, and to inspire ourselves and others to build a peaceful world.

Please take a minute to reflect on what peace means to you. (1 minute silence)

Thank you for being here today. Let’s all have a great class!

Sample ClassIntroduction

Warm Up• It is recommended that a short warm up be done before proceedingwith this yoga sequence.

• Any type of gentle movement will do; for example swinging arms from side to side with a slight bend in the knee, feet lifting slightly with each side.

• Arms gently raised overhead and then back down again in a flowingmotion (sun breaths) will warm the body as well.

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Mountain Pose (Centering)• Stand in an upright position with the bases of your big toes touching,heels slightly apart (so that your second toes are parallel). Lift andspread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly downon the floor. Rock back and forth and side to side. Gradually reduce thisswaying to a standstill, with your weight balanced evenly on your feet.

• Imagine a string attached to the crown of your head which is gentlypulling you towards the ceiling, lengthening your spine, pulling your rib cage away from your hips.

• Inhale, widen your collarbones. Squeeze your shoulders up towardsyour ears, then back towards the wall behind you, exhale, and finally let them slide down toward the floor.

• Keep your chin parallel to the floor, throat soft, and the tongue wideand flat on the floor of your mouth. Soften your eyes. Take two breaths.

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Forward Bend• Stand in Mountain Pose, hands on hips. Exhale, bending the kneesslightly, then bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist. Theemphasis is on lengthening the front torso as you move more fully intothe position.

• Keeping that slight bend in the knees, place your hands on your thighs.Stay there if you like OR, if your body invites you to do so, bring yourpalms or finger tips to the floor beside your feet. Press the heels firmlyinto the floor and lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling. Turn the topthighs slightly inward.

• With each inhalation in the pose, lift and lengthen the front torso justslightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forwardbend. Let your head hang from the root of the neck, which is deep inthe upper back, between the shoulder blades.

• To come back up, some people prefer to roll up like a rag-doll whileothers prefer to bring their hands back onto their hips and reaffirm thelength of the front torso. Then press the tailbone down and into thepelvis and come up on an inhalation with a long front torso.

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Lunge• From Mountain Pose bring your arms up (sunbreath) over head, bendingyour knees, coming into your prefered forward bend (hands to thighs or floor).

• (1st OPTION – Hands on Thighs): From your standing forward bend,keeping knees bent, inhale and step your left foot back toward the back edge of the mat, with the ball of the foot on the floor. Step back far enough so that your right knee can form a right angle. Stay here if you’re comfortable, or if you’d like to go further into the pose.

• (2nd OPTION – Hands to Floor): From your standing forward bend,keeping knees bent, inhale and step your left foot back toward the back edge of your mat, with the ball of the foot on the floor. Drop yourleft knee gently to the floor. Be sure you’ve stepped back far enough so that your right knee can form a right angle. Lay your torso close to, or on your front thigh, and lengthen it forward.

• (3rd OPTION – Hands to Floor): Simultaneously with Option 2, firm the left thigh and push it up toward the ceiling, holding the left kneestraight. Stretch your left heel toward the floor.

• Exhale and step your left foot forward beside your right foot. You should be back in your standing forward bend. Repeat the above instructions, stepping back with the right foot.

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Sun Salutation (Half Sun Salute)• Standing in Mountain Pose, inhale while bring your arms over your head(sun breath).

• Come into the forward bend (hands on the knees or floor).

• Step right foot back into lunge (which ever option you are comfortable with).

• After taking a breath in your lunge position, bring the right foot back upto meet your left. Here you should be back into your forward bend.

• Hinge at the hips OR curl your body back up to standing (Mountain) pose.

• Repeat on left side.

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Tree Pose• Stand in Mountain Pose.

• First, determine which arm position you will be most comfortable within this pose: (1) Arms out to the side; (2) Arms raised above head; or (3) Arms in front with hands in prayer held at heart centre.

• Then, back in Mountain Pose, shift your weight slightly onto the leftfoot, keeping the inner foot firm to the floor, and bend your right knee.

• Draw your right foot up and place the sole against the (1) left ankle, (2)calf or (3) inner left thigh. The centre of your pelvis should be directlyover the left foot (make sure the pelvis is in a neutral position, not tiltedforward or back).

• Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Firmly press the right foot soleagainst the ankle, calf or inner thigh and resist with the outer left leg.Place your arms in one of the three positions described above. Gazesoftly at a fixed point in front of you on the floor about 4 or 5 feet away.After a few breaths, return the lifted foot to the floor. Repeat on the opposite side.

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Triangle Pose• With your back against a wall, begin in Mountain Pose, then, while exhaling,step your feet 3 ½ to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor andreach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down,back lightly touching the wall behind you.

• Turn your left foot slightly to the right and your right foot out 90 degrees.Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your rightthigh outward, so that the centre of the right knee cap is in line with thecentre of the right ankle.

• Keeping your back against the wall, exhale and extend your torso to the rightdirectly over the plane of the right leg, bending from the hip joint, not thewaist. Anchor this movement by strengthening the left leg and pressing theouter heel firmly to the floor. Keep the two sides of your torso equally long.

• Rest your right hand on your (1) thigh, (2) shin, (3) ankle, or (4) the floor outside your right foot, whatever is possible without distorting the sides ofthe torso. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops ofyour shoulders – this arm should also be close to the wall, if not against it.Keep your head either looking to the floor, in a neutral position or turn it tothe left, eyes gazing softly at the left thumb. Hold for two breaths. To standupright again, inhale while ‘pulling’ yourself up with the extended arm.

• Repeat on the other side.

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Table Pose• Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directlybelow your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Try to achieve a neutral spine here (no arch in the back). Spread yourpalms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and the tops of your feet laying flat on the mat.

Note: If this is places too much weight on your wrists, gently make afist with your hands and rest the weight on the tops of your fingers and knuckles.

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Cat PoseNote: If any participant finds these next two poses hard on their spine,encourage them to stay in Table Pose, focusing on a nice steady breathand keeping a neutral spine.

• Start in Table Pose. Make sure your knees are directly below your hipsand your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor. Centre your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at thefloor. Attempt to keep your hips level (picturing a cup of water on yourlower back between the hips and not wanting it to spill).

• As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, making sure tokeep your shoulders and knees in position. Release your head towardthe floor, but don't force your chin to your chest. Inhale, coming back to neutral Table Pose on your hands and knees.

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Cow Pose• As you inhale, lift your sitting bones and chest toward the ceiling, allowing your belly to sink toward the floor. Lift your head to look forward, remembering to keep your hips level.

• Exhale, coming back to neutral Table Position on your hands and knees.

• Repeat the sequence (Table, Cat, Table, Cow) two or three times.

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Downward Facing DogNote: Demonstrate this pose first, and if some participants feel its not for them, allow those who choose to opt out of this pose to continuewith their cat/cow/table poses. The rest may follow along with these instructions:

• Starting in Table Pose turn your toes under, gripping the mat.

• Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthenyour tailbone.

• Then, if your body allows, straighten your knees but be sure not to lockthem. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly.

• Press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor and firm yourshoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Hold for two breaths; afterwards, bend your knees,look up towards your hands and slowly bring your left foot into a lunge.Bring your right foot up to meet your left, coming into a forward bend.

• Repeat (starting in forward bend, moving right foot back into lunge,then table pose, then downward dog, right foot forward into lunge – left leg coming up to meet it, finishing in forward bend).

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Sphinx Pose• Lie on your belly, legs on the floor side by side. Firm your tailbone towardyour pubis and lengthen it toward your heels. Then, rotate your thighs inwardly by rolling your outer thighs toward the floor. This helps broadenand lengthen your lower back to protect it in a back bend.

• Reach actively through your toes to the wall behind you. As you move intothe pose, be sure to continue lengthening your tail toward your heels toprotect your lower back.

• Now bring your elbows (keeping them shoulder width apart) back slightlytoward the wall behind you, allowing your shoulders and collar bone to lift slightly off the floor. Keep the back of your neck long and your gaze to the floor.

• If you’d like to go a little further, bring your elbows back more toward the wall behind you (keeping them shoulder width apart), and set your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor parallel to each other.

• Bring awareness to your lower belly, the area just above the pubic boneand below the navel. Lightly draw it away from the floor to create a domethat rounds up toward your lower back. This is very subtle – no sucking in, hardening, or rigidity required.

• Stay for five to ten breaths, then exhale and slowly release your belly andlower your torso and head to the floor.

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Child Pose• Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels,then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.

• Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs, bringing yourforehead close to or on the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from theback of the pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from theback of your neck.

• Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up and releasethe fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of thefront shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.

• To come up, bring your hands to either side of your head. Lengthen thefront torso, and then, while inhaling, lift from the tailbone as it pressesdown and into the pelvis.

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Seated Twist• Come into simple sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in frontof you. Bend your left knee, placing the left foot on the floor close toyour buttock, then slide or inch your right leg slightly forward, keepingit flat on the floor. The left knee will point directly at the ceiling.

• Exhale and twist toward the inside of the left thigh. Press the left hand against the floor just behind your left buttock, and set your righthand on your left knee. Bring your front torso and inner left thigh close together, but do not force it.

• Press the inner left foot very actively into the floor and lengthen theupper body. Gently turn your head to look over your left shoulder.

• With every inhalation lengthen your torso and exhale a little further into the twist if your body allows. (Note: Be sure to distribute the twistevenly throughout the entire length of the spine; do not concentrate it in the lower back).

• Repeat on the opposite side.

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Corpse Pose• Lie on your back, flat on your mat, with a slight tuck of the chin, so that the back of your neck is nice and long. If you have any difficultydoing this, support the back of the head and neck on a folded blanket.

• Rest the backs of the hands on the floor. Make sure the shoulderblades are resting evenly on the floor.

• Soften the root of the tongue, the wings of the nose, the channels of the inner ears, and the skin of the forehead, especially around thebridge of the nose between the eyebrows. Let the eyes sink to the back of the head. Rest here for 5-10 minutes.

• To exit, first roll gently with an exhalation onto one side, preferably theright. Take two or three breaths. With another exhalation press yourhands against the floor and lift your torso, dragging your head slowlyafter. The head should always come up last.

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Meditation Instruction Sitting Postures• The most important element in choosing a sitting position for meditationis to establish a correct posture.

• In order to sit comfortably for extended periods, one must sit with theknees lower than the hips. If the knees are higher than the hips, it isnot possible to keep the back erect with the natural curve in the smallof the back.

• One should sit on a cushion which is fairly firm and at least twelveinches in diameter. Kapok or cotton batting is the preferred stuffing.

Full and Half Lotus• The traditional “full lotus” posture is difficult for most westerners. In it,the legs are crossed so that each foot rests on the opposite thigh. If thisis done correctly, the knees will rest firmly on the floor.

• An easier posture for many people is the “half lotus.” In this, one foot isput on the opposite thigh and the other foot is tucked under the oppositeleg, the heel coming as close into the pelvic area as comfortable.

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Seiza• If one cannot use either of these postures, a third option is to sit “seiza”– the traditional Japanese form of sitting on one’s heels. Kneel on thefloor with the knees about two fists apart and the feet one fist apart.One can sit back directly on one’s heels, or one can place a small, firmcushion between the feet and the buttocks.

• A variation on the “seiza” posture is to make use of a small benchwhich will keep one’s weight off of one’s legs and heels.

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Using a Chair• If none of these are possible, one may use a chair. Ensure that the seatis high enough that one’s knees fall below one’s hips; it may be necessaryto put a cushion on the chair to achieve the correct height.

• Sit forward on the chair and upright with the feet flat on the floor; donot lean back on the chair.

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Taking One’s Seat• Choose the position in which one will be able to sit comfortably withoutmoving for at least 12 minutes.

• When taking one’s seat, bend forward as far possible, then sit back. Thisthrusts the buttocks out and tilts the pelvis forward. Then sit up straight.

• Relax the shoulders and neck.

• Rest the right hand on your lap, palm up, fingers pointing left. Rest theleft hand in the right, fingers pointing right. The thumbs should justbarely touch; in this position, the hands form an oval.

• The chin should be tucked in slightly, as if lifting the top of one’s headas high as one can.

• The eyes are lowered, but not closed. [In some Zen centers, meditatorsface a wall.]

• Breath normally.

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Centering• Inhale normally through the nose; exhale through the nose and holdthe breath a moment.

• Now open the lips and exhale further.

• Repeat this process; inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose,continue exhaling through the mouth.

• One should feel a tension in the region of the abdomen (hara in Japanese).

• It is useful – but not necessary – to focus the attention in this area(roughly the area behind your hands) during the practice.

• After the two initial breaths, breathe naturally.

• Do not try to slow the breath; as the practice continues, one’s breathwill slow naturally.

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The Practice• Count the breaths – “one” for the first inhalation, “two” for the first exhalation, “three” for the next inhalation, and so on up to “ten.” [Do this mentally, not aloud.]

• At ten, start over again at one.

• The count should be concurrent with the breath; all the time you are breathing in, count “one”; all the time you are breathing out, count “two” – drawing the numbers out.

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Distractions• Do not try to block thoughts as they arise. It isn’t possible to do so.

• When your mind wanders, don’t be discouraged (everyone’s mind wanders), just return to “one” and start over again.

• Success is not in getting to ten – some people take a very long time before they are able to do so; success consists in remembering to return to “one” and starting over again when one notices the attentionhas wandered.

Instructional design and change agency

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How Long?• Sit for ten to twelve minutes. [If one continues to practice, one will wantto extend ones period of sitting up to 30 or 35 minutes, but never longer.]

• Periods of 35 minutes may be followed by a five minute period of walkingmeditation before returning to sit.

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AumAum (om) is an important part of yoga and is considered an all-connecting sound – one word with three sounds meaning creation (birth), preservation (life), and destruction (death). Aum has also influenced the creation of sacredwords of many ethnic groups across the globe.

Chanting Aum during yoga deepens concentration, which leads to realization of the divine. It is also seen as a soothingsound, which allows one to retract from the busy world and turn their attention and energy inward.

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Peace QuotesCourage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill, English statesman and author

The world is like a hand and its continents like our five fingers. Each finger is different and unique. Yet it is only when they all work together that whatever we put our hand to succeeds. Dadi Janki, one of IndiaÕs first female spiritual lead-ers

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize winner

Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are. Hafsat Abiola, Nigeria human rights and democracy activist

Actions spring not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian

In a world where there is so much to be done, I feel strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do.Dorothea Dix, American nurse and social reformer

Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs. Vaclav Havel, Czech writer and dramatist, and first president of the Czech Republic

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Next Steps• Assessment of the Yoga class, by participants and instructors.

• Track and report number of participants and provide feedback to International Coordinator.

• Promote other Peace Week activities at your YMCA.

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Production & FundingYMCA Canada Peace Week: Yoga for Peace Guide

Produced by YMCA Canada© Copyright by YMCA CanadaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be modified without prior permission from:YMCA Canada1867 Yonge St., Suite 601Toronto ON M4S 1Y5 T: (416) 967-9622F: (416) 967-9618ymca.ca

The yoga sequences within this guide were created by YMCA of Fredericton staff Jennifer Pott and Marilyn Georgas, with the images based on illustrations by Faith McFarland.

YMCA Canada Peace Week resources are undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

QUESTIONS? Please contact us: services@ymca.ca