Yoga 4 Teens ~ Breathe For Change Campaign

Hi, my name is Kristen. I’ve been serving my Olympia, WA community for the last two decades through yoga, sound healing, meditation, reiki, massage, doula services, mindfulness, childbirth education and girl empowerment. It has been an honor and a gift to serve thousands of individuals, lifting them with love, compassion, inspiration and education. Thank You, Olympia!

I have been practicing yoga and working with young people since 1994. I became a yoga teacher in 2001 and have taught kids, teens and adults yoga classes ever since. In 2007, I developed my first Yoga 4 Girls Program and I continued offering monthly yoga sessions for the next 5 years. In 2012 I created a curriculum for a Week-Long Empowerment Program and from 2012-2016, I offered quarterly Day-Long Programs and three Week-Long Programs per summer through my sole proprietorship. In 2016, I turned my business into the nonprofit Empowerment 4 Girls. From 2016-2022, in my time as the Co-Executive Director, Marketer, Program Director and Program Facilitator of the organization, we served nearly 2,000 tween and teen girls. Thank You!

Last year, I experienced a devasting event and find myself in a life transition. With each obstacle there lies an opportunity for growth and change.

I find myself embracing new career endeavors and professional partnerships. I recognize my purpose is to uplift others, especially youth. I started a new Teacher Training (TT) through Breathe For Change (BFC) and it will run from January - July 2023.

Mission & Vision

"Breathe For Change is a movement of passionate educators and leaders healing ourselves to heal our world. We lead mind-body and social-emotional wellness trainings that unite, train, and support educators and community leaders in enhancing individual and collective well-being. We envision all people inspired, educated, and empowered to be their whole and brilliant selves in their lives, relationships, and communities."

200-hour Wellness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training

"Our 200-hour Training will equip you to teach inclusive yoga practices to adults and young people, and be a leader of social-emotional learning, wellness, and mindfulness in your school, district, or organization. Trainees complete the curriculum and practice teaching in the areas of self-study, asana (physical yoga postures and anatomy), meditation, philosophy, and social-emotional learning. Training graduates become Breathe For Change Certified 200-hour Yoga Teachers and Social-Emotional Learning Facilitators (SEL*F), and are eligible to register as an RYT 200 (200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance."

Training Outcomes

Through this comprehensive 200-hour Digital Wellness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training For Educators and Community Leaders, I will become even more equipped and empowered to teach inclusive and trauma-informed yoga classes to adults and young people, as well as design and facilitate wellness and social-emotional learning workshops and professional development programs for our schools, districts, and organizations.

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, I’ll become a Breathe For Change 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher (200 CYT) & Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator (SEL*F).

I will use this additional 200-hour Yoga TT and 200 SEL Certification to develop and implement a new curriculum for a Yoga 4 Teens Program. This BFC training will allow me to bring more mindfulness, yoga and SEL (social-emotional learning) into our community and local school districts. I’m already collaborating with other Educators and Graduates of BFC to develop Classroom Modules, Family Wellness Weekends, Staff/Faculty Support, Summer Programming and Professional Development Sessions for our community. Another dream is to work with professionals at the district level to bring these tools into the curriculum of our local and global districts.

My new Yoga 4 Teens Program (Y4T) will serve 13-17-year-old youth! Y4T will begin with 60-minute weekly classes starting on March 2, 4:30-5:30 pm at Fusion in Olympia. These classes will include a brief check-in, breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, SEL, mindfulness, sound healing and positive affirmations. Throughout my BFC TT, I will incorporate what I've learned into the program. I will also continue to work with my new cohort of professionals to develop more opportunities for youth to tap into their essence of self-care and self-empowerment.

Data Shows:

"Meditation is used to rest the mind, body and spirit. This, in turn, has many mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. Mindfulness meditation, specifically, is gaining a foothold in disease prevention and treatment.

Several studies in school settings also show improved attention and behavior. Some research has shown benefits for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, school performance, sleep, behavior problems, and eating disorders. For example, a trial of 300 low-income, minority urban middle-schoolers using school-based mindfulness instruction led to improved psychological functioning and lower levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

There are also physical benefits as it calms the nervous system and decreases stress hormones. Studies have shown benefits for gastrointestinal symptoms, obesity, headaches, high blood pressure, pain sensitivity, and immune function. For example, a trial looking at the effect of mindful breathing meditation at a summer camp of 166 teens at risk for cardiovascular disease found that breathing awareness produced a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate." (https://www.healthychildren.org)

Feedback from my previous programs:

"Many thanks to Kristen Rubis and her awesome Yoga! This woman is changing the world with her fierce passion. Kristen is empowering a new generation of youth to feel loved and valued in their own skin. Go, Kristen!!!!" ~K.E. ~Mom, Olympia.

"Kristen's yoga class was so much fun! I had an awesome time learning and spending time doing yoga. It really made me appreciate the art form even more. In class, I learned how to take care of and love my body. I had an awesome experience with Kristen!" E.A. ~age 15

"If I were to choose one word to describe my experience with Kristen’s Yoga Camp I would say it’s life-changing, as I could tangibly feel the seeds of confidence and self-love that were planted in each youth's heart. Kristen is an amazing, loving steward of the next generation and her unique contribution inspires me and makes me hopeful for the future." D.R. ~Apprentice

I will use this GoFundMe Campaign to support my B4C TT as well as marketing for my new Y4T Program. I will also use some of this funding towards a Scholarship Program for my upcoming weekly classes.

Campaign Goal:

$1,750 BFC TT (Jan - July 2023)

$150 Marketing (website, social media, postcards, promotion and flyers)

$100 Scholarship Program for Y4T

Total: $2,000

Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity. If you are interested in learning more about BFC TT, my new Y4T Programs or collaborating in any professional way, message me. Please pass this on to friends, family and colleagues. Thanks!

In deep gratitude,

Kristen Rubis (she/her)

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