Roots Tribe Yoga* consists of – but is not limited to – the following aspects:

*Note: we’ve abbreviated Roots Tribe Yoga in this section as “RTYoga” to identify and distinguish the particular brand of yoga that we teach and practice as a means of International Development

1. Love:

First and foremost, RTYoga works from a place of Love. Every decision, action, word, and thought should come from a place of Love. Of course, it’s a process that we all continue to work on, but since Love is essentially what we are trying to foster and cultivate, we start by being role models and living from a place of Love.

Love is the most powerful force in the Universe!

2. Movement:

Movement is essential to RTYoga. Along with asanas, we explore different kinds of movement including dance, self-expression, and movement games. The important part is to get people into their bodies, leading to personal embodiment. Movement is fundamental to health in myriad ways. So let’s make it fun, and let’s get moving!!

3. Breath Work:

Breath is life! Learning how to breathe properly has enormous benefits to our health on every level, including physical, mental, and emotional. Breathing, or pranayama, is an important part of traditional yoga, and of RTYoga: we spread the practice by incorporating fun breathing games, bringing increased awareness to the breath, exploring how the breath affects our minds—and vice-versa.

“Exhaling twice as long as you inhale signals the “all clear” to your nervous system and decreases your stress response.”

-Toni Bergins

4. Safety/Unity:

We want everyone in RTYoga classes to feel safe. This means creating a ‘container’ for students and RTYoga facilitators to support one another, allowing each other to explore different parts of themselves, and feel at ease with sharing experiences. Creating a feeling of safety within the group leads to a sense of community within the group. This is the first step towards creating a greater sense of community within the Human Tribe as a whole, and reinforces our name and mission, Roots Tribe Yoga.

5. Fun and Games:

RTYoga is FUN. That doesn’t mean that every moment is for laughing or goofing off, but there should be a strong undercurrent of fun and enjoyment. This will make the students look forward to RTYoga, attend classes, and be prepared for the more serious aspects of the practice, such as mindfulness and meditation. Games are a great way to practice yoga and provide a plethora of benefits to the students.

6. Music:

Every person, regardless of culture or experience, can relate to music. RTYoga includes as much music as possible to make the experience more accessible to everyone we teach, across the globe. Whether it comes in the form of playing music during svasana, dancing to music, creating music, using mantras, or simply singing together, we use music as the mortar between the bricks that create a solid entity that is inclusive of all.

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of our soul.”

-Plato

7. Integrity:

Yoga is a way of life. It consists of a way of living that is devoted to self- improvement and constant practice. RTY aims to create fun classes, but also to create an avenue through which its students can learn to bring the practice of yoga off of their mats and into their daily lives. This is achieved via optional homework assignments, class discussions, group sharing, and Seva challenges, for example. The Yamas and the Niyamas may be useful in exploring integrity and yoga off the mat.

8. Laughter:

Along with movement, laughter is the best medicine of all. We foster laughter so as to maintain the best possible state of mind in which to practice yoga on and off the mat. You are encouraged to research and practice Laughing Yoga: it’s easy and so very fun!

9. Creativity:

Creativity (innovation, problem-solving, out-of-the-box thinking, imagination, originality, individuality, expression, to name a few) is one of the most important skills a person can have. RTYoga greatly values creativity and strongly encourages the cultivation of creative competency through activities of creation such as creative movement, drawing, journaling, and even singing.

“Imagination is the gateway to creating the life you want.”

-Toni Bergins

10. Exploration:

We want to create a space in which children feel at ease to explore. This includes their movements, emotions, minds, and actions. After students have become comfortable with the classes and the practice of RTYoga, a great way to do this is to have them set goals for themselves. Goal-setting is a great way to focus our intentions on a specific ambition or target and to track our progress. Start with small goals that are achievable so as to build feelings of confidence and enthusiasm for moving forward.

11. Mindfulness:

A major piece of traditional yoga is cultivating mindfulness, alternatively referred to as awareness, consciousness, alertness, headfulness, and regardfulness. The practice of mindfulness alone could make an enormous difference in the world. Awareness of our bodies, our minds, our emotions, our actions, our thoughts, and our words is what leads to honesty, a genuine nature, humility, and feelings of Unity. There are many ways to cultivate mindfulness, but two of the most common ways are through the practices of meditation (dhyana) and discussion.

12. Meditation:

Meditation, or dhyana, is a means of slowing down in order to become more mindful. We often focus on the mind during meditation, but it could also be used to become more aware of what is happening in our physical body, our emotional body, our energetic body, and even our intuition. A fun way to get kids into meditation is to tell them about some of the yogi superpowers such as clairvoyance, telepathy, and intuition. A good starting point is discussing how to tap into our intuition and how to trust the information it provides to us.

13. Spirituality:

This is an integral piece of the puzzle. It is important not to present yoga in a way that might clash with preexisting spiritual and religious beliefs. However, an important part of yoga is the notion and feeling of belonging to a something that is greater than us as human beings.

14. Self-Care:

Self care is a vital part of yoga and it is an important life skill. We explore the practice of self-care in class, to begin to build habits of self-compassion, positive self talk, and-ultimately-self love. What begins on the mat eventually get carried off the mat and into the rest of a yogi’s life.

15. Emotional Intelligence:

The ability to recognize our emotions and to use them as a guide for thinking and behavior is of paramount importance. It is a skill that is often expected but seldom explicitly taught. In RTYoga we incorporate myriad games and practices that help students learn how to identify, manage, and express the feelings that life brings us. Emotions are a a form of information; a means through which we can better understand ourselves, and those around us. Let us celebrate the color they bring to our lives.