Testimonials

Owner of Heaven Meets Earth Yoga Studio

I am currently using the Radiant Child Yoga Program at Rose Hall Montessori School in Wilmette, IL. I have been teaching children once-a-month for the last two years, in preschool and kindergarten there.  The response has been amazing by both the children and the teachers.  The administration hired me because they see that the Radiant Child Yoga Program is rooted in peace and respect which is congruent with the teachings of Montessori education and teaching the “whole child".

Next, I have been invited, but have not yet executed, a yoga program at Children’s Memorial Hospital for the partially hospitalized and fully hospitalized children with behavioral disorders.  I have also been asked to teach yoga and meditation to the parents of these children.  I intend to get this program off the ground this year.

Also, I presented Yoga and Meditation for Children at the Pangea Conference for Integrative Medicine here in Chicago. This conference allowed me to interface with pediatric physicians associated with Children’s Memorial Hospital (oncologists, General Internists, etc. were present).

My credentials include B.S. in Speech from Northwestern University; international workshop presenter, RCYP Facilitator, book author, writer/producer, environmentalist, philanthropist, entrepreneur and yoga studio owner.
 
Blessings,
Lisa Faremouth Weber
Chicago, IL

Radiant Child Yoga Facilitator

My brother Ajit and I are going to North Bay, Ontario in a few weeks to teach teachers how to incorporate yoga at school. We will be teaching teachers in the french public school board. The registration is going well. They have bought 30 of your Fly Like a Butterfly books. My father, and his wife are making this possible. He is a recently retrired super-intendent of the French Public School Board for Northern Ontario and she is a teacher.

There is a lot of interest for yoga in North Bay and the surrounding areas. If you ever wanted to teach your workshops there they would surely be a hit and they would be sooo grateful. Let me know. It would be fine to teach in
english. It may be a great opportunity to have Fly Like a Butterfly published in French.

Thanks and blessings,
Tania Frechette / Meher Kaur

Therapist at Missouri School for the Blind

Dear Shakta,

I was one of the attendees at your St. Louis Radiant Child Yoga Workshop. I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your presentation! I learned quite a bit too, and I use many of the things I learned with the kids I work with at the Missouri School for the Blind. I particularly wanted to tell you that I love listening to your Children's yoga CD. I chant along during my 1 hour trip into work. It gives ideas about things to do with my kids, but most of all, it helps me in dealing with traffic! I arrive at work much calmer than I used to! Even more importantly, I sing some of your songs with some of my kids. One little girl is non-verbal, (there is emerging communication) but now when I do physical therapy with her I sing "Fly like a Butterfly", and she is imitating the words and now moves her arms. She laughs and smiles and sings along in her own way to your music!

This has helped us both, because she had not been easy to work with. As a victim of "shaken baby syndrome" she has suffered severe vision impairment, gait dysfunction, inability to speak or eat regular food as well as behavior disturbance. She was making gains before, but the music has helped her tremendously. What a gift, Shakta! Thank you!

(Note from Shakta: I replied to her email a few weeks later and she sent me the following email.) To give you an update, this little girl now finishes the incomplete sentences we use with the words 'butterfly' and 'sky', and she has learned 'stop' 'go' 'walk' and 'outside' and 'yes' and 'ball'!

Thanks again,
Carol Bernstein

Pediatric Physical Therapist

Dear Shakta,

Hi.  I am writing to you because I recently received your e-mail announcing your "Happy and Cozy" CD. Congratulations!  I am so looking forward to hearing your CD and sharing it with the children I work with. Please let me tell you a little bit about myself and the work I am doing.  Before I begin, I want to tell you that your Radiant Child yoga workshop was the first training I attended more than four years ago and started me on this wonderful journey and life path that I am so blessed to be on.  You made a deep impression on me at that time, not only with the knowledge you shared with me, but with your gentle and loving spirit, and you have served as a role model for me ever since.  I saw you at Kripalu a couple of years back when I was doing the Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training and I thanked you for your guidance at that time.  I can imagine how many individuals you talk with every day and help along their path so of course I don't expect you to remember me.  I just want you to know what big influence you have made in my life, and in hundreds of children's lives as a result, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My name is Martha Gold. Currently, I am working as a pediatric physical therapist in a New York City public school, with children who have multiple handicaps, in the South Bronx. Many of the children I work with have cerebral palsy, impairments secondary to stroke, Down's Syndrome, spinal bifida, mental retardation, autism, and other neurological diseases. The children range in age from 9-21. We have approximately 600 children in our school, with about 300 children who are wheelchair dependent. Our physical therapy department consists of approximately 25 occupational and physical therapists. In addition to providing physical therapy for the children, I implemented a yoga program more than four years ago. The yoga program I began is a great success and I  lead several large group classes each week with as many as 40 children with physical, mental and emotional handicaps in attendance. I have trained several therapists at my school to teach their own yoga classes. Today, the majority of the therapists at the school are involved in some way with the yoga program and the teachers and Principal have been very supportive. The popularity of the program has grown immensely. The program started with five girls with mild to moderate cerebral palsy doing yoga and has grown to this. The children really adore the classes and can't get enough of yoga. I have found my life purpose and I can't get enough of sharing yoga with them.

In addition, to teaching yoga classes to children (with and without physical disabilities), I provide trainings to therapists, teachers, parents, and other like-minded individuals on how to teach children of all abilities yoga.  In fact, I played a major part in creating a workshop entitled Yoga for All:  Finding the Ability in Disability.  This workshop was presented to approximately 200 physical and occupational therapists within the Department of Education two years ago.  As a result of this workshop, several yoga programs started in District 75 schools (special education schools) throughout the five broughs.  Because of the overwhelming positive feedback, I decided to make it available to interested individuals outside of the schools.  I am so excited about this because as a yoga practitioner, as well as NYU graduate with a Doctorate in physical therapy and a Kripalu Certified Yoga Teacher who has taken several certification courses to teach children yoga, I know the benefits of yoga. I have witnessed the amazing physical, mental and emotional changes in myself, as well as in the children I have worked with over the past four years, since I have implemented the yoga program. What is more, they can't wait to do yoga and many say it is the highlight of their week. One beautiful 14-year-old boy I work with named David is challenged with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. He is very bright and sensitive. He has a beautiful aura about him and a smile that can brighten anyone's day, but often he falls into a depression because he is all too aware of his limitations. He constantly tells his mother, "its not fair that I can't walk and my brother can." Well his mother told me that David talks about yoga class all of the time and how much he loves it. She said that David said to her, "yoga class is the only thing that takes my mind off of not walking." Talk about bringing tears to my eyes and touching my heart. No amount of money could inspire me to work harder at what I am doing than that one statement.

My intention is to open up an after-school yoga program called Yoga Wonderland, specifically for inner city kids of all abilities. Eventually, I would like to see this program spread to several inner city neighborhoods. I have been blessed to work with so many amazing children from the inner cities, ranging in ages from a few months old to 21. I recognize that given the proper guidance and a safe place to come to participate in a positive practice such as yoga, these kids will have a better chance to "shine their lights" and resist the negative force that the streets and their life circumstances can have on them.  My vision is to make Yoga Wonderland a community for children of all abilities to get in touch with their divineness. 

The children I work with are so amazing. I have a DVD of the kids participating in yoga classes and whenever I show this to people of all backgrounds, they are very moved and inspired. I have watched the footage hundreds of times and I myself am moved every single time.  I am continually looking for new and exciting things to bring to the children to deepen their knowledge of yoga.  This year I implemented chanting and a drumming circle to the class.  These kids are so spiritual and open - I am completely convinced that they are enlightened souls that are here for the evolution of all the souls that care for them.  Isn't it funny, people pity them when in reality they are probably here for the evolution of our souls, not theirs. 

I, along with my colleague Jessica Rascoll, DPT, teach a one day workshop entitled:  Yoga Wonderland:  Creating a Fun and Therapeutic Yoga Class for Children of ALL Abilities.  We teach this workshop using space donated by Columbia University.  We also teach this workshop to the Doctor of Physical Therapy students at Columbia each year (for the past three years) as part of the pediatric curriculum.   We look forward to teaching this in additional physical therapy programs.   In addition, we do on-site workshops at pediatric facilities, schools, day care centers, etc.  Your workshop is listed in the section I have in my manual for Educational Resources.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this long e-mail.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Also, if there is anything I can ever do to assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be very honored to be your assistant in one of your workshops if you ever need help.

With respect and gratitude,

Namaste,
Martha Gold

AMS Montessori Educator

Dear Shakta and Kartar,

I want to thank you both for the wonderful course--RCYP level 3-- this past weekend. I have seldom experienced such lucid direct transference of spiritual information. It contacted me on many levels and rang so true.  My soul said, "yes, finally you are speaking to me and I hear you!”
Consider Heart and Soul Work with Children, level 3 as possibly being the first course before Radiant Child 1 and 2 in order to help lay the groundwork within the parent’s and teacher’s heart and mind before they proceed with the children.   It had that effect on me, I felt much more focused and prepared to teach this week.
Thank you again for providing the platform for my heart to release and my mind to expand in such a natural and loving way.  This was a “for real” experience and I will always remember to remember " We are all angels."

Namaste  
Mary Keel,
AMS Montessori Educator
The Children’s House,
Reston, VA