Meet Sat Naam Yoga In Schools Teacher: Laura Riley

Laura Riley: Yoga Instructor/Lawyer & Social Justice Advocate

Laura came to Los Angeles seven years ago to attend law school at USC. Before pursuing her law degree she lived and studied yoga in New York City. When she isn’t teaching with Sat Naam, Laura works as a public interest attorney at the California Women’s Law Center.

“Transformational social change doesn’t just happen at the policy level,” she says. “For true change to take root it has to happen at a very personal level.” This is a belief that is mirrored in Laura’s personal practice and pursuit of yoga. She insists that studying and teaching yoga, in all its forms, compliments and bolsters her work as well as her personal pursuits.

“Our entire lives can be yoga. For me, social justice work is another form of Karma Yoga.”

What attracted you to teaching yoga to children in schools?
I took a yoga teaching workshop in New York from one of my teachers, Mona Anand, and always thought it would be wonderful to teach in the playful, open-hearted way that kids require of us. I also think that it's important to develop skills that yoga can provide, like mindfulness and intention setting, early on in life.

What is the greatest challenge you face in this kind of work? What is the greatest reward?
I think the greatest challenge is balancing discipline, which they (the students) need, with fun and freedom to explore the poses and breath. The greatest rewards are the descriptions of what the children see, hear, feel when they meditate. What they describe is truly magical.

Do you enjoy teaching a certain age group? If so, why?
They are all wonderful in different ways but I do love how unselfconscious the younger kids are, from Kindergarten until grade three.

“Transformational social change doesn’t just happen at the policy level. For true change to take root it has to happen at a very personal level.”

What have you learned from your students since you started teaching yoga in schools?
How important and fulfilling it is to stay open.

What advice do you have for others who are interested in this kind of work?
Stay open to the children's body language and verbal requests. Get creative with your approaches but reinforce poses and sequences they know to develop confidence.

How has your role as a teacher informed the other work/endeavors you are pursuing?
This role shows me so much joy from the students and in turn gives me so much joy. It is a weekly reminder that this type of exchange is possible and natural in all settings. It also helps me balance my work as an attorney, which by nature, can be antagonistic.

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Meet Sat Naam Yoga Teacher Jess Hoffman

Jess Hoffman: Yoga Instructor/Massage Therapist

Jess' fascination with yoga and meditation started early on as a child in Western New York. She realized at a young age that there was more to people, life, and the universe than what met the eye. Jess loves to explore the subtle and energetic elements of her practices and teachings. 

She started practicing yoga as a college student at Boston University while studying philosophy and religion. She considers herself very much a student of life and has a deep passion for learning and teaching. Her life path led her around the world and through a varied exploration of career choices. 

When the dust finally settled, she realized that it was her passion for yoga, healing, and relationships that led her to teaching and using yoga, bodywork, and energy-work as her modalities of choice.

What attracted you to teaching yoga to children in schools? I had worked in schools for several years before becoming a yoga teacher and massage therapist. I taught art to elementary-aged children at an after school program. I was a substitute teacher, as well as a math and English tutor at a high school in inner city Boston. It had been several years since I worked with kids when I realized that I missed it and the rewarding nature of the work. I had left education because I wasn't pursuing my passions - like yoga - so I thought why not integrate my love for yoga with my love for working with children? 

“I am so fortunate to have a career that I am passionate about that I have chosen with complete confidence. ”

What is the greatest challenge you face in this kind of work? What is the greatest reward? One of my greatest challenges is to make sure that all of the students are involved and participating in the practice. I think that realizing that the class is not going to look exactly how I want it to is part of this. We are working with some challenging students who are not necessarily going to be able to sit still or be quiet for most of the class. But I think at the end of the day this is fine as long as they've engaged to the best of their abilities in the practice. As for the greatest reward, on the first day of my training, I witnessed an entire first grade class, sitting in sukhasana, with their hands in gyan mudra, their eyes closed breathing deeply together and it was such a beautiful image that will be forever burned into my memory. 

Do you enjoy teaching a certain age group? If so, why? I think that first and second graders are my favorite because they are, for the most part, a little more grounded and conscious of their space than kindergarteners. Meanwhile, the third and fourth graders can think that they are a little bit "too cool" for school. Many students in first and second grade look at you with magical eyes, and they are still so innocent, honest, and imaginative. So many of them are smiley and love practicing yoga.

“...If you have a passion for yoga, and teaching kids, it’s incredibly fun and rewarding. I am very honored and proud to be doing this work. ”

What have you learned from your students since you started teaching yoga in schools? Just keep going. Some days or classes can be particularly challenging, but no two days or classes will ever be the same. So keep teaching because everything will be different the next go around.

What advice do you have for others who are interested in this kind of work? It's definitely not for everyone. However, if you have a passion for yoga and teaching kids it's incredibly fun and rewarding. I am very honored and proud to be doing this work. 

How has your role as a teacher informed the other work/endeavors you are pursuing? I definitely am much more attuned to the language that I use not only in my classes, but in my life. Using language that is clear can be incredibly difficult. It's very important to know your audience. And while language is important, not everyone learns best through auditory cues. So, body language, movement, participation, and speech are all equally important when it comes to communication and learning. Sat Naam is helping me transition to a full-time career in the healing arts with yoga and massage therapy. I am thrilled that I am aligning my career plans and goals to the very essence of my being. I am so fortunate to have a career that I am passionate about that I have chosen with complete confidence. 

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Who is Sat Naam? Getting to Know Our Teachers

In cities like Los Angeles, where yoga studios are about as abundant as Starbucks, we tend to think of yoga as a primarily physical practice enjoyed by mostly white, middle and upper class people (also predominantly female). However, there is a growing effort to teach more varied forms of yoga to a still more diverse population. Teaching yoga to children and youth is one aspect of this shift and has become a popular business model for many a yoga teacher.

But teaching yoga in a school setting, particularly to children who come from different socio-economic backgrounds, is still finding its footing. Sat Naam is one of the organizations in LA and across the country attempting to make yoga in low-income schools a more regular occurrence. Over the past eight years, Sat Naam has sought out and trained dozens of yogis (some certified teachers and others not) to visit classrooms from Compton to Sun Valley and teach a curriculum that brings breath, mindfulness, and movement into the lives of young people. 

Many of Sat Naam's teachers are former educators, artists, or yoga enthusiasts who have experienced first hand the benefits and joys of the various branches of yoga. Many are also former or current residents of the areas in which they teach. In the coming weeks we will be sharing stories and insights from the teachers who represent Sat Naam. These profiles and tidbits are our way of putting a face on the sometimes abstract or romanticized work done by people who are trying to better their communities. 

Make no mistake, this work is not easy, but it can be immensely rewarding. Sat Naam teachers are equipping future generations with the tools they need to operate in an increasingly complex world while also learning a great deal about themselves and the city they call home. If you are a certified yoga instructor and would like to learn more about a part time or substitute teaching position with Sat naam visit: http://bit.ly/1y8r7WX and http://bit.ly/1sMAYnG.

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