Day 8 - Yoga & Tiny Toones

Another day and more great experiences.  After our ambitious housebuilding project yesterday,  we got off to a rather leisurely start (9:30 a.m., as planned) this morning and made our way to a Kundalini yoga studio to work out some sore muscles and learn about how yoga is being used to make a difference in Cambodia.

After making our way to the rooftop studio, the instructors provided us with some background knowledge about what Kundalini yoga is and how it is being used to help people throughout Cambodia recover from a number of maladies, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Then it was time to get down to work.  What followed was a one hour class where we worked on breathing and stretching, all the while performing mantras or chants.  Everyone did a great job of participating even though it was a little outside of our comfort zones.

Mrs. Shepherdson  was our resident expert and modelled the poses for us and reminded us of our posture and the importance of straightening our spine.

We then went to lunch before before giving the students an opportunity to work on their negotiating skills at the Russian Market.

The next stop on the magical mystery tour was at an NGO called Tiny Toones, which uses hip-hop music and dance to reach out to the youth of Phnom Penh.  We had a tour of the facility and learned about their music, recording and dance studios where students perform and record their own music.  Tiny Toones also has a computer lab and classrooms where students participate in more traditional learning. 

At the end of the visit, the group congregated around their indoor/outdoor stage where we were entertained by the b-boy and b-girl dance moves of Jamil, Z, Ms. Potosky and Mrs. Shepherdson.

Both of today's learning opportunities were very special and helped us to see how our fundraising and donations were helping people in Cambodia in very unique, meaningful ways.