YMCA annual Campaign - Help me support the cause!

Thank you to everyone that contributed in any way, shape, or form to the YMCA Annual Campaign!

My personal campaign raised $928 (almost double my original goal) and the entire Copley YMCA raised  $718,118 (far surpassing their goal of $670,000).

https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/5188475

Through generous donations to our Annual Campaign, the Y is able to give every individual the Y experience, regardless of their ability to pay. When you give to the Y, you are making an investment in our community and giving those in need the opportunity to thrive. Last year, YMCA supporters gave over $5.7 million to provide scholarships and subsidize programs and services — helping the Y to fulfill our mission to ensure access for all.

As a leading nonprofit, our Y is making a difference in the lives of 267,666 community members annually — nearly 10% of San Diego County’s population. The need is urgent and growing, and it can’t be met without you!

Health Update Class Cancellations 1:30 pm 3/17/20

During this time if you would like to schedule a private video yoga session please email me at byomyoga@gmail.com and let's discuss your practice needs!

In an effort to participate with State and Local Agencies and in cooperation with locations that host classes in mitigating further spread of COVID-19, the following community yoga classes are put on hold effective March 13, 2020 until April 6, or further notice:

Silver Sneakers/Silver&Fit Chair Yoga (updated)

• El Cajon Monday 1-2 pm
• La Mesa Tuesday 8:30-9:30 am
• Tifereth Israel Wednesday 9:30-10:30 am
• Casa de Oro Wednesday 12-1 pm
• Lemon Grove Friday 12-1pm
• La Mesa Saturday 8:30-9:30 am (through the end of April)

Adaptive Yoga for G.A.M.E.R.S

• Casa de Oro Tuesday 10am & 11am
• Casa de Oro Friday 10am

Kids Yoga (updated)

• Mission Hill Mondays 9:45 am
• San Carlos Tuesdays 4:00pm
• Logan Heights Wednesdays 4:30 pm
• Lemon Grove Thursdays 10:30am (through the end of April

Aso on hold are my classes at the YMCA (Yoga, Sunday 9:30-10:45am and Chair Yoga, Monday 11am-12pm). All local YMCAs have cancelled their group programming, child care, child watch, youth programs, social trips, etc., until further notice. Please see this announcement for details: https://www.ymcasd.org/about-y/news-center/general/important-update.

As per https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/at-least-5-presumptive-positive-cases-of-coronavirus-in-san-diego-county-hhsa/2284267/ 

An advisory was also issued urging senior citizens 65 or older and anyone with underlying chronic illnesses to prioritize staying at home, avoid travel and avoid mass gatherings.

 "We know that this virus is particularly impactful for our senior citizens and those with underlying chronic health conditions, and we are asking those individuals to go above and beyond the establish public health advisories," Fletcher said.

The risk to healthy young adults remains low, Fletcher said, though they were at risk of spreading the disease to the more vulnerable population.

If your regularly attended class is not listed please check your local library listed for details, as I am personally unable to lead the classes until further notice.  Learning about and teaching yoga is both my job and my passion and this decision did not come lightly. Your health and safety is of the utmost importance to me.

Please follow the CDC guidelines to keep yourselves safe, informed, and healthy:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts.html

Childhood Anxiety - personal share and advice from friends, therapists, and therapist friends

The Story:

My son had an anxiety meltdown this morning because we had an orthodontist appointment and he was an hour late to school. He didn’t like the idea of coming into class late. We tried soft talking but he absolutely refused to do deep breathing with me; I tried quiet reasoning & I tried to tell him to imagine how happy his friends would be to see him and I told him I’d walk him into Class. He curled himself into a ball in the school office and wouldn’t relax and regressed into a little boy reaching for the door and whimpering to be taken home.

He wasn’t in any pain he did say that he was a little bit tired I had given him children’s Advil because his teeth hurt a little bit. He hates to be late anywhere & we do our best to make sure that he’s on time but whenever he’s even two minutes late he throws his hands in the air and says it’s not even worth going, so this morning’s hour behind schedule really threw him for a loop.

I tried rubbing his back and softly reminding him that going home wasn’t an option, so he needed to take some deep slow breath‘s until the part of his brain that was worried could let the calm 10 year old part of his brain take over. But I could see in his face that he absolutely wanted to stick with being upset.

As much as I understand that he wanted to be rescued from the situation I also knew that he needed to find a way out of it on his own. the woman in the office eventually came to get him and took him to the nurses station where he could gather his thoughts; he clung to my arms as she walked him away and he started to cry so with my heart breaking I told him I was proud of him and I knew he could be do it and he’d be OK and I’d see him at pick up time.

This happens once in a while when he’s tired and somehow gets it in his mind that he’s going to have a meltdown and I’m going to give in and let him stay home from school. I told him at the beginning of the year that we were going to work really hard to not have days like that because we did it quite a few times last year and he was a little bit older now and we were going to work on him getting through that anxiety. he uses language about it that shows he understands what’s going on and I’m not sure if he’s exploiting it or simply putting words to help explain it to me.

I’m looking for some suggestions to help me find a way to help him work through it so I don’t have to take him off campus? he can always take some time for himself there. I believe in mental health days but I think it’s important that he finds ways to work through this kind of anxiety then just always collapse into a heap and expect mom to rescue him. in the past as soon as I’ve said OK we stay home from school he’s back to normal and wants to play on the computer, Run and jump and socialize so I know it’s just that walking to class and getting through the door that creates the stress.

Short story long maybe I need an appointment with the child psychologist for some skilled advice? 

The (amazing) responses:

1) I’m sorry that happened for both of you. Your instincts and intuition sound right on the mark to me. Some training specifically for emotion regulation for him, when his brain is getting hijacked would be helpful, in addition to the breathing that you wisely suggested. I’m not sure whether Lorraine Hobbs is in San Diego right now, but if she is, I’d recommend giving her a call. She was one of the therapists that adapted the Mindful Self Compassion course curriculum for the teenage brain. She also has expertise with younger kids. From my general common experience, I imagine trying different objects, like a favorite stone, or something to hold, to ground him in his body. Then the soles of his feet, then his breathing. Poor sweetheart, anxiety is a bitch. But the resilience he is building by figuring out he can let it move through him and function where he is supposed to be is invaluable. You don’t want the pattern of anxiety to getting out of the situation by going home to get repeated and repeated, laying down that neural path. All your yoga training is a gift for both of you. I hope you give yourself a lot of love today. It’s so tough being a mom.

2) I have never been a 10 year old boy, but I have had similar anxiety, about being late. For me it was not exactly about the idea of being late, but rather being so conspicuously the center of attention on arrival. It was socially based. There were many times I managed to stay home, play sick and fool my parents starting at an early age. It is in our nature to avoid unpleasant sensations.That being said, I always think it’s a good idea to seek a professional point of view where kids are concerned, as long at it doesn’t just end in a prescription. This also being said by a kidless person.

3)  I can relate to this hard enough to hurt. I had two years of one of my children not being able to get out of the car for school without crying. It was insanely stressful for both of us. I often arrived at work crying. We ended up with two things that helped. (And I realize this isn't the same exactly as the anxiety for being late...ours was a general daily thing). We came up with a routine in the car to look at images on my phone together of the child's choice .... Mt. Everest and lowriders. Lol. Then, I had enlisted the help of the school psychologist and my child was allowed to go to her office first. Sit. Chat. Relax. Focus. Without me. It worked eventually. XO

4) As a school nurse I saw several students over the years with this type of social anxiety. I created a chillax space in my office where kids can come and just “be” until they could relax enough to try some calming down methods. When a person is in the middle of an anxiety attack, it is sometimes impossible to attempt deep breaths etc. I know, because I have an anxiety disorder (which is now controlled through medication, and, no I am not suggesting medicating your son). I didn’t start meds until I was 60.

5) 

6)  I suggest a orienting approach, might be able to practice it as a game. It's a little like the post above mine, but in contrast I would say do not coach the breathing. For me and others, trying to focus on breath increases anxiety

7) That's a bummer. In my experience, I would say the best strategy is to have a little check in with the teachers (and if he has one, a school counselor). This would give him the sense of security knowing that there is a team, working together to support emotional regulation issues.

8) Very common problem with many people and children! CBT is proven to be very effective, but not a quick fix by any means. http://www.cw.bc.ca/library/pdf/pamphlets/Mighty%20Moe1.pdf and https://childmind.org/.../behavioral-treatment-kids.../amp/

9) Social stories with the support of a social worker or psychologist could help with coping strategies. Hugs

10) Does he see the school psychologist? This can be a big help. Not only can work with him on strategies, recognizing and coping with feelings, but it helps the child to know they have someone safe and supportive at the school when these things come up.

11)  There are a lot of great suggestions in these posts. First, kudos to you for holding your ground but in a supportive way. I’m sure it was hard. I like “How to Prevent Anxiety Attacks” post. Another program or concept is the “Zones of Regulation” by Leah Kuypers. Also, nothing wrong with getting advice from the school psych, social worker or counselor.

12) You did everything right IMO. I think it’s good to reinforce it’s okay to do things even when we are upset or anxious. That it might turn out okay if we don’t retreat, hide, or avoid. That life is about feeling those feelings and still moving forward. The day might get better, stay the same, or sometime get worse. But it’s just a day, just a moment, just a very strong wave of emotion. It’s possible to move forward and completely feel like you dont want to or can’t. This is what I wish I had been taught. That my emotions were a) okay and valid b) that I could still do the hard thing.

Wear PINK on 10/30 in SD to support the fight against Breast Cancer

The Family and Community Engagement team in collaboration with San Diego Unified Police Services are wearing pink on to show support for those affected by Breast Cancer.  Join us in showing community support and posting your photos to social media.

Yoga instructor embraces Lakeside Health Awareness Month

Previously unseen article from the East County Californian. I had no idea this article was published... Wow.

http://eccalifornian.com/article/yoga-instructor-embraces-lakeside-health-awareness-month

Yoga instructor embraces Lakeside Health Awareness Month
Special to the East County Californian
Wed March 23, 2016 05:23pm

By Katherine Finnegan

Small business owner Jackie Gadd is embracing Lakeside Health Awareness Month with complete dedication. Gadd does not promote a healthy lifestyle to community members only during the month of March, however. Gadd is the owner of BYOM Yoga, which provides yoga classes to community members of all ages at different locations. As a certified instructor, she incorporates music, books, and crafts into yoga, as well as a diverse blend of styles to encompass all ages, interests, and skill-levels to promote physical and emotional well-being and an all-around healthy lifestyle for those in her community.

California State Sen. Joel Anderson was honored to provide Gadd of BYOM Yoga with a Senate Certificate of Recognition for her service.

"It is great to have BYOM Yoga participate in Lakeside Health Awareness Month. Jackie's dedication to empowering her students to improve their health is honorable, and her spirit of giving back to the community is inspiring. I am appreciative of her selfless service," Anderson said.
Since she began teaching in 2007, Gadd has worked at multiple schools and gyms in the area. Perhaps most astounding is her program for seniors held at local libraries. The program originated for seniors with qualifying insurance, but in her efforts to reach out to more community members, she has opened up the classes to all, free of charge.

"As long as I'm not renting space, I can offer it for free, and whoever comes and qualifies, great, and whoever doesn't, come anyways. And now I have people coming in that are my age, young adults, people bringing their teenage kids in, so it's become a community place to come do yoga," Gadd said.

In addition to the community aspect that Gadd so eagerly strives for, her classes promote physical, emotional, and mental health. "There isn't a guarantee that it's always going to provide the same benefits, but what we stress in our yoga training and the results that I like and I've felt is when you take a minute to slow down and breath, you have an opportunity to improve the quality of your moment, so you're taking a break. You're paying attention to how you're breathing, and you can kind of get on top of whatever situation you're in," she said.

Other benefits range from increased flexibility and muscle tone, relief from joint pain, and improved digestion, to stress relief, mood improvement, and a sense of serenity.

Gadd expects to renew a county-funded yoga program for young adults with mental disabilities at six local libraries in order to extend the health benefits of yoga to everyone in the East County community. For more information on BYOM Yoga visit Gadd's website at www.byomyoga.blogspot.com.

New Studio In Town - HAPA Yoga

In the spirit of supporting local business, women-owned business, and YOGA businesses, I wanted to let you all know about a lovely new studio in east Mission Valley called HAPA Yoga. One of the best parts of this new studio is that they offer child care all day. HAPA stands in part for HAPPY PARENT and I am part of that group now!

They are running a few specials but the best for trying them out is their(wait for it...wait for it...) FIRST CLASS FREE!!!! If your offspring is with you, pay just $6 to have them entertained by some very sweet staff members that will even change a diaper for you.

Classes offered include warm and hot yoga, vinyasa, pilates, TRX, Yin, prenatal and more - their schedule is FULL and they have two class rooms for practice meaning there is always something good going on. They even have KIDS yoga classes! They have a complete locker room with showers so you don't have to go back to work (or home, or out) sweaty.

I took the TRX training class with the straps and was deliciously sore for days. Today I dropped in to the 80 degree class and followed it with a hour of Yin inspired practice and felt FABULOUS!

There is also a terrific Groupon out now for them that offers $29 for 10 classes, $39 for 10 classes with childcare, or 20 classes for just $52 (new students only). If the Groupon expired before you can grab one, they do have a $20 first week special.

Then, after your first package, you can pick up their awesome unlimited monthly deal for $125 ($145 with childcare) or just a single, five or 10-class pass. They even have a student discount.

Location is in the same strip mall as Tuesday Morning just a few doors down from the new Karma Boutique, and a ubiquitous (but convenient) Starbucks.

Check them out here - their website is fresh, upbeat, and easy to navigate, and they even have a mobile compatible format (bonus!).

Free Yoga at the SD Museum of Art

http://thehookup.flavorpill.com/artofyoga2012_sd_landing/

Cultural groove site Flavorpill is hooking up with Naked Juice to present the Art of Yoga at the gorgeous San Diego Museum of Art on Wednesday, August 8th, and they'd love for you to join them.

RSVP for your spot at the event, which features instructor Katie Brauer, a live DJ set by Mental Physix, and free Naked® Pure Coconut Water. The first 100 event entrants score a free yoga mat, but they promise that everyone will leave reinvigorated, replenished, and refreshed. Doors open at 6pm, class starts at 6:30pm.

Page asks for a promo code but I don't know about one - so try to sign up anyway :)