Empowering Youth through Mindfulness, Yoga, and Outdoor Experiences with Preston Slaughter (69)

Are we teaching them self-care? Are we teaching them awareness of the self and awareness of others? Are we teaching them compassion?

Hi everyone and welcome to how the Wise One Grows. Let's take a moment to just settle in and land here together by taking three deep breaths. So, wherever you are, just take a moment to notice where your body connects to the earth beneath you and just let yourself breathe into that point, let yourself be held by the earth and then soften your shoulders, down your back and take a big breath in and a big breath out. Two more Inhale, fill your chest, fill your belly with air, exhale, open your mouth, let it all out. One more big inhale and exhale and then return to that connection point to the earth beneath you and you can slowly open your eyes as you return to this space. Have you ever grown separately, but together with someone? That's what my relationship with today's guest, preston Slaughter, has been like. Preston and I recently reconnected over the two things that have helped us grow over the years yoga and mindfulness. Yoga makes you feel strong, peaceful, happy and courage. Recently, preston started an organization called Local RVA to help youth build inner toolkit.

Local is an acronym and it stands for Local Outdoor Creative Aware Learning.

After traveling throughout her 20s and exploring different passions, such as photography and yoga, preston returned to our hometown of Richmond, virginia to share the healing modalities that she had come across.

Didn't really know how to bring them all together to create a great community. Ultimately, what I knew I wanted to do, which was to work with youth and to teach these concepts of mindfulness, of yoga philosophy and of rewilding, of really getting back to our roots and tapping into our creativity, tapping into our breath to become better versions of ourselves. These are tools that I wish that I had had when I was younger, and it took me until about 25, 26 years old to really find these ancient practices of yoga and meditation and be like, wow, this stuff works for me and no one taught me this stuff. I had a very privileged, supportive upbringing. Just to think about all the people out there who could really benefit from these tools, especially our youth.

Preston took some time to reflect on her purpose. After her 30th birthday, and without knowing who it was for, preston created a presentation that focused on helping youth build inner toolkit.

And I sat down on my computer and I just never felt anything flow out of me like this. I just created local adventures. I had all of these photos from kids just living in the park system and loving and doing all these fun camp activities. And these elements and practices that I have done myself, that I've started learning and really devoting myself to, are things that our future generation could really benefit from.

By taking time to explore, heal, listen and grow within herself, Preston brought local adventures to life to share with others.

A year and a half later, we are still beginning our journey here, but we are working with schools, we're working with community centers, we're working with the park system and we're doing lots of cool stuff. So I'm excited.

When something lights you up and helps you feel good, you just want to share it with everyone around you. Totally yeah. So I love to hear that that something that has benefited you so much. I've really enjoyed seeing the way you're integrating the core root of these practices into schools because, as someone who has worked in schools trying to share yoga, philosophy and mindfulness practices, it's hard. It's hard to rally a group of kids, it's hard to take it deeper than just the classroom management. Can I get you to listen to? me right now and to get them go deep. But the moments when you do, there's so much potency there and there's so much that you can see they really need, because the more you can be empowered within yourself, the more empowered you are to move in the world around you. Yoga helps me share my positive energy with all those around me. So what do your programs look like for kids? How do you?

do that? Yes, it's a great question and it looks different every time. Yeah, when we go into the classroom, it can be tough. It can be tough to build rapport with these kids, to get them to trust us right off the bat. That's not always the case. I do think that building rapport is probably the main, most important thing. So really seeing these kids for who they are, showing up vulnerably as yourself, sharing things about yourself that other teachers or authority figures might not be sharing, letting them know that you're human too, kind of like getting on their level, that's where I try to begin every class remembering their names, remembering things that they like, and then interacting with them in that way. And so the way that my classes are typically structured are that I will come in with a theme and the first week we share about the kochas and the layers that we'll get into, but the second and third week we're talking. The theme is usually always stressed. And I will talk to them, have an entire class or two about stress, and right away I can see that these kids want to talk about what's stressing them out. They want a space to journal, to discuss, to just have an open conversation about things that are on their minds, and a lot of times they're coming into the classroom with friendship drama or things that have happened that day or in their home life that are affecting them, and so I'll just give them the space to journal.

Mindfulness helps me write down who I see and how to help other people.

Usually we'll have a journaling session for five minutes, then a discussion for about 10, 15 minutes, then we do some movement and I'll teach them practices that can release stress and or whatever the theme is. So other examples of themes are like trust or acceptance.

Some things that I've learned is that, like it's okay to be broken Um like today we talk about trust.

It's very broad themes where we can kind of get into what this means and what the meat of those practices are and how those things show up in their life. And then we always, always, always end with Shavasana, and so even if we didn't do a lot of movement, we do end with stillness, and it can be really tough for kids to stay still, but the cool part is that they always take to it. So sometimes it takes a couple weeks, but by the third or fourth week I'll have these kids coming in begging for Shavasana and it's just. It's so clear to me and to them that their bodies are appreciating this downtime.

Yeah.

We don't have downtime like this, like structured into our day. We're expected to go home and find that time on our own amongst all the homework and home life situations, and so to have even just those 10 minutes at the end of a class and often at the end of the day, if these schools are after school programs or these programs are after school, then it makes such a big difference.

Yeah.

And they really take to it and it's cool to see that they they essentially realized that it's just glorifying time.

Yeah, you know, yeah, and for those who who are listening, you might not know, shavasana is like typically what you experience at the end of the yoga class when you're laying down, and it's very calming and I love. I love that you're ending every class that way, because it sounds like I'm like picturing the program in my head and it kind of seems like you're holding a space for all of them, like you're holding a space for their, their challenges, you're holding a space for them to move and maybe be a little silly and like share other energy, and then you're holding space to let them rest, which is a necessary part of being a full person, and I think so much. I think there are a lot of parts of society that are starting to now acknowledge the importance of rest and reclaiming that and taking it back. But that is not how we were raised. That is not like the norm in society. It is like it's a rebellious thing to claim that rest. So I think giving them space to know like you need rest too, and so much so that, like every class will end this way that important is such a gift that you're giving them.

It's a really cool thing to watch, because it takes them a while to to get still, and sometimes they don't and just to have the lights out, to have everyone being quiet, and then something that I emphasize a lot, because I'll see them whispering with their friends giggling, chatting and, I'll emphasize, worry less right now about the person next to you and focus more on yourself, and I just feel like we don't have that opportunity often. Work, taught, teamwork and work together and all these concepts that are great, but the self care aspect is not really like focused on in school, and so you see these kids, they're like wait, but I want to share this thing that's happening in my brain with my friend, as opposed to just learning how to process it, learning how to be in their own body for just a couple minutes learning how to watch the mind settle in that way, and then I'll also notice their tendency to like rush out of Shavasana and just like run to go, put their shoes on, run to their backpacks, run to the door and so coaching them through, like actually waking up really, really slow, and something else that I'll emphasize as well is telling them the benefits of this. So why are we doing this? And I'll quiz them every time I come in why do we breathe again? Why do we do yoga again? Why do we get still? And so they're not just doing it to do it, like they actually are starting to understand intrinsically why these practices are rewiring their nervous system and then they feel it happening in real time.

That's so important. I really love the way that you're like deeply relating with them on every level, like I think so much of school systems in the way quote unquote adults approach youth, is like this almost hierarchical dynamic of like I know more, you know less, I am the authority, you do what I say. But I think, coming in and first like being a person with them, to being vulnerable, like I remember I was teaching in ESL yoga program and at first, like my Spanish is not where I want it to be, so I was like teaching more in English and I was like these kids don't respect me. So I spent like hours studying, trying to teach my program in Spanish and like butchering it. But when I did and when I was making mistakes they started. That's when I got their respect and that's when they would listen to me and that's when they would open up and that key connection of showing, I think, like the best way you can teach someone is through your example and I think what you're doing to it. That relates to like we're taught so much, like you were saying, to compare to others, to work with others, focusing on the other versus the self, but the more an adult individual is reflecting on their self-experience, the more a youth can like relay that back. And I think that's why this program you're teaching is it seems so impactful. Because you're like I know through my direct experience these are the ways this has helped me. It's not just because someone told me to do it, it's because I've genuinely benefited from it. So then you're like offering that seed to someone else and you're like here like take a bite, try it, see how it feels for you and they're able to get that back.

Yes, yeah, and it's. I mean, we all know that kids are sponges right, like they're absorbing everything in the moment, whether or not there you can see that happening it is. And so we're teaching them math, we're teaching them science, we're teaching them, you know, writing and reading and all of these core components. But are we teaching them self-care? Are we teaching them awareness of the self and awareness of others? Are we teaching them compassion? Are we teaching them love? Are we teaching them resiliency? Are we teaching them stress management tools Like I am so passionate about this being in every school, every community center having some sort of just class to de-stress. Like that's what I really. That's what my programs are right and we call them yoga, we call it mindfulness, but really it's just 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the structure of the school, to come into a classroom where nothing else is expected of you other than just to release your stress. And you know, I had a testimonial from a kid come up to me the other day and say, the quietest kid in the classroom, who doesn't really participate, doesn't share a lot. And she drew me this really cute, like Yin and Yang painting she was a drawing and a painting and she handed it to me and she was like I made this for you. And I just want to let you know that I know I don't participate in your class a lot, but I've learned so much and it's just like those little moments where I'm like I am on the right path, I'm doing something right here, because there are times as well where I can get really frustrated and can be really hard. I mean, I've seen fights break out, I've seen a lot of stuff that's not really fun to witness, but that's when I try to remind these kids that these are the moments that these toolkits will come in handy. And speaking of toolkits, that's really what it is. They're stress management tools right. Like. We all are going to come up against stress in our lives in various aspects. It's inevitable and so you know I try to teach the kids to build a toolkit with a repertoire of stress management tools, starting with the breath. Very simple, some type of movement practice, whether that's, you know, the sports outlet for the athlete, or whether that's just a slow stretch at home to music, or you know a creative dance, or it can look like so many different things and it will look different for every child and every human, and then just really engaging in activities that bring them joy right, yeah, do you mind talking?

I love that you're like landing in on how these toolkits are so different for everyone and it comes back to this key element of joy. Do you mind talking about why joy, like why is that so important in this? And you do work with the Koshas in these programs. Do you mind explaining to people who don't know, like, what are the Koshas and why is that, how do you work with them and why is that important for someone to develop their own inner toolkit?

Yes, so the Koshas are, in yogic philosophy, a five-layered concept that you know. We have our physical body, of course, but then we also have these more subtle bodies that exist below the surface, and they all are intertwined and work together to create us, to make us who we are. We have our physical layer, the one that we are most in touch with. We interact with the physical world every single day, like I'm seeing your physical body across the table. Yeah, you know how we express ourselves, what we wear, the makeup we put on how we present ourselves like. Are we in shape, are we in touch with our body? Are we confident? How do we move body? Language? That is, you know, the probably most important layer in terms of how we interact with other humans. And then we have our mental layer, which is just quite literally, our brain thoughts, you know, ability to make decisions, logic, reason, problem solving, all of that stuff.

I probably live there the most. That's probably true.

And then we have so it keeps going deeper. Then we have our emotional layer, and this one is one that can be a little bit harder for some people to get in touch with. What feelings are present for us on a daily basis, you know, or even an hourly basis. Our emotions are constantly changing, so that one's pretty self-explanatory. And then, even deeper than that, we have our energetic layer, and this one's a fun one to talk about. I try to get the kids to describe what energy is to me.

Ooh, how do they describe it?

And so the word that I'm looking for is vibe. Okay, and so actually that's what I'll ask them, because when they think of energy, they think of you know, getting your energy, or like, how much energy do you have?

Like running really fast around the track really, and that's not exactly what it means.

Yes, it's tied to that, but, energetically speaking, like what is your vibe? They?

can relate?

I'll ask them like can you describe a vibe? And some of the quotes of that are just hilarious. They're like, you know, when you're driving in your car with the windows down, listening to music, and I'm like, yes, that's a vibe. But then let's start thinking about like vibes that we pick up on from other people. So, have you ever walked down the street and just gotten like a really bad vibe from someone, but you're not sure why?

Yeah.

And like even the people who aren't super in touch with energy and all of that stuff will still say yes, I've felt that before. It's pretty common. Or have you ever walked into a room and just known that everyone's talking about you, Like those kind of things? Or, on the flip side, have you ever met someone where you're just like I want to be near this person?

Yeah.

I want to be friends with them. Something about them is drawing me to them Like that's a vibe and, whether or not we know it, we are all putting out a vibe into the universe and seeing the kids like process, this is kind of funny because they're like looking around Like you know you can just see them.

They're like yeah, the sexy never runs.

They're starting to like notice these subtle energies and it's a cool concept and it's it sounds woo-woo but it's really not when you think about it just in terms of a vibe.

Yeah, I love that you call it a vibe. That's like very relatable for for you.

And it's still hard to explain and put into words because it's really just a feeling. And so then we go even deeper than that and we have what they call, in yoga, the joy body or the bliss body. And you know, this can be described in so many different ways. It's could be described as like some body, or enlightenment, or for a regular person, it could just be described as flow state. Or you know the feeling that comes up when you're doing something, so when you're so present and so lit up in the moment doing an activity that you truly love, yeah, and so that's what we call our joy body in at local adventures, and that's really the foundation of what we want to do is to help give kids toolkits so they can cope with stress when it comes up and also engage in activities that bring them joy and light them up. Like I tell kids all the time you and I are walking examples of this Like we have really found a life that tap that allows us to tap into our creativity, into, you know, our mindfulness practices or yoga practices or hobbies, making our hobbies, this podcast into a career. And so I'll tell them that I'll be like I teach yoga as my job. I run retreats. I'm a photographer. I'm here because I want to be here. This is what I like. I've created a career out of the things that bring me joy. And that also blows their minds because they don't have many examples of that in their life. And so I'm like you like sneakers Great. Like go chase that. You like basketball Amazing. Follow that path. You're into anime, Like it's just so. It's like directing them to these small hobbies that may just seem like things that they like to do when they go home or something that's kind of you know off to the side in their life, really trying to direct them to follow those inklings, yeah, and that you can make a career out of that stuff.

Absolutely that joy, body, that bliss state comes in when, like all of Koshas are starting to intertwine, like they're not so separate but we're integrating all of them, all of who we are, into one moment, into one activity. And I think people are so neglected of that and people are told so much by society, so much by everything else, like you have to do X, y and Z to be a quote unquote successful person in the world. But if we look at the world today, you know no one has that answer. That answer is going to be different for everyone. So I love that you're bringing it to each kid like here are tools that can help you find that within yourself and empower you as you go out in the world to like step into that. No one is going to tell you what to do. You're going to know how to listen to yourself and like be your own internal compass to guide you.

Yeah, you won't have the voices of your friends on either side of you saying you know, this is what I like, this is what the right thing to do is. It's really it is building that skill of listening to your intuition. And you know, I jumped ahead a little when I'm talking about career, because I'll sometimes mention that to the kids who are a little bit older, but ultimately that's not the goal. The goal is to just help them do these things more so that they are happier and healthy. Yeah, I mean, it's very simple, like I think to yesterday when I was kind of in a funk and I was like I could just lay here on this beautiful day and watch TV or take a nap, but I'm going to jump on my mountain bike, even though I don't feel like it, and I ended up just having this beautiful ride. And I thought of this because, you said, when all the Kosha's are intertwined, it's like it usually happens, this flow state or this joy state usually happens when you're either doing something physical, like a physical activity, or a creative activity or both. And so mountain biking is a great example because and you'll notice this or skiing, or paddling or some fast paced sport or running, you'll notice that when your mind starts to wander, you'll like slip up.

Yeah, like you can not pay attention Exactly.

You have to be in the moment, and the more focused you are, the better your lines are, the more in a groove you are, and that's what's happening. That moment is so beautiful because all of your Kosha's, all of your layers are aligning perfectly to create this beautiful flow state.

Yeah, as you're talking about this program in schools, like to me, that's what this podcast has been Like. I feel like it's been like I want to create a space for people to tap into that intuition, tap into that joy, tap into that prajna, that wisdom within themselves, so that we can drown out the voices of what social media is telling you or your parents or society thinks you should be at this phase of your life and tap into, like, what is truly right for me in this moment, how can I best honor myself here, how can I best be with myself here and step into that as we grow on? And there's so many elements that interweave to that. But I think it's so, so important to be having this work in schools and to be doing it in such an intentional way, like so many after school programs and I've been a part of them where it's like you're going in and maybe you're trying to teach things, but the real meat, the real core of these things gets lost. But I really love that. It's such an integrated, key component of the why, and every time you step into a room it's not just saying like, okay, I'm going to let you run around the track because that's good for you, which, like, yeah, that's true, but here we're going to explain to you all of the why's, and that's going to deepen the desire of the individual to like, go deeper and deeper in there.

And I really let the kids be the guides too. If something's not working or if they're just really uninterested, I'll ask them what are topics that you would like to explore? What are yoga poses that you've seen or heard about that you want to try? What would you like to get out of this class? And so just building again, building that rapport with them and creating that trust is really important.

So one of the core values of this podcast and one of my motivations for showing up for this is Dana, and Dana is a Sanskrit and Polly word that is all about giving from the heart. It's a practice of giving from the heart and, honestly, it's at the heart of this journey we're on together. One of the intentions of this podcast is to shed light on the ways we can support each other as a collective community, and it's my deepest intention and desire to grow and build a strong foundation and stable funding for this podcast so that we can support not only this podcast but also use this platform and our dream team to make meaningful contributions to various nonprofits and people doing impactful work in the community. If you have the financial capacity, you can practice Dana by joining the dream team for as little as $3 a month. This is going to help to establish that foundation so that the podcast can have stable funding and so that we can also support organizations in the community. And if you don't have financial capacity, you can still practice Dana by sharing an episode that you love with a friend or a loved one and leaving a review. Earlier, when you were explaining these programs, you talked about rewilding, so do you mind explaining what rewilding is and why it's important? And I think this will tie in, but how? Why nature is such an important part of your programs and why is this a key component for people to connect with, to connect with their joy bodies?

Yes, yes, so as of right now, we're mainly teaching yoga and mindfulness in the school system, and that's not just yoga, of course, it's all the things we've been talking about, and that's, you know, during the school year, and then we'll transition to doing a lot more outdoor summer camps during the summer, and nature-based learning is just so important because it's so much more organic than this structured, institutionalized version of learning that we have in school system.

And.

I'm not downplaying that. I think that's important as well. But we all know that there's different types of learning styles and different children are going to connect differently to different styles of learning. And so when we're outside, when we're engaging with nature, when all the walls have crumbled, everything around us, all the boxes are down, we really can come back to our roots. It just provides such a more organic way for kids to get their hands dirty, to explore something new, learn new skills. I know for me personally, nature has been is one of my biggest healing friends.

Yeah, definitely, friend is the right word.

Yes, and so I don't know where I would be without my nature-based practices. And so, yeah, when we talk about rewilding, we're really just talking about stripping down from these identities, from things that we tie ourselves to in the classroom or while we're studying, just stripping down from all of that and coming back to our roots, bare foot on the ground, smelling the smells of the park system, feeling the heat of the sun and really just being present in the moment. I think nature helps me do that more than anything else.

Yeah, and I think nature really. I mean there are so many benefits to nature and when I think back about what you said of dropping into that joy body, that bliss state, nature almost requires that of us too. We have to be listening to our senses. We have to be really present in the moment, especially if we're on the river or on a trail where there's roots, and if you're like me, you're going to trip and fall a million times if you're not paying really keen attention. And it's often something I think people there are a lot of people who really fear nature and she is powerful, so there's an honoring of like yeah, I can bow down to that. But also, how can we still develop a relationship with this thing that seems so vast and great and really break down those barriers? Because to me, connecting with nature like you called nature a friend that's how I see it too it's another relationship we have. It's a connection with ourselves and the people around us, and we're often denied that space or we're often not encouraged to step into that space. But even if you don't live in Richmond, there's nature around you all the time. I guess what would be your advice to someone Like how can you start to integrate a little bit of nature based learning in an average day, even if you don't live in?

Richmond. Yeah, I think that's a great question and I think these practices can all start in the home, in the yard, if you have one, or the balcony or the patio, or in your local park, however small a green space is just finding a daily practice. To come back to yourself, whether that's your morning routine or whether it's having a non-negotiable that you're going to take time for yourself outside every single day. I mean, I know for me I have some non-negotiables every single day which are to spend time outside, even if it's cloudy or rainy, to find time for movement, even if it's legs up the wall, or a simple stretching practice, to find time for stillness, which we all mean and it can be really hard and then to find time for without technology. And so the cool thing about nature is that if you go for a walk in nature you can kind of do all four of those things at once right. That's what I've found with nature-based practices are that it drops me so much into the present moment that I'm not thinking about my phone. My thoughts are immediately simmered down and I'm usually moving because I want to explore the trails, I want to explore what's around me, and so I think anyone can engage in these practices. I mean, your local park is the best place to start, and any type of stream, any tree, any bush, I mean we can get really basic with it and just say, go, sit under a tree and just be still for five minutes. These are really ancient practices that are a remembering of sorts. If we've forgotten how to be still, we've forgotten how to connect to living beings. I mean, even getting a couple of house plants inside is a great way to interact with something else and think less about ourselves and our narratives and our stories and start to notice or pet right, start to notice patterns of other living things around us really drops us into the present moment.

Yeah, and I love that you call it a remembering right. It's not about adding anything Really, it's just like peeling back those layers of the onion, coming back to the core of who we are, coming back to the core of human life and its connection to the earth. So, yeah, if you are in a busy city and there's a tree on the sidewalk, how can you get to know what kind of tree that is? Can you spend time by that tree more and more? It might seem silly, but if you practice, if you try it and see, do I feel better when I do this? What if I try it this way? What if I try it that way? Just time to, I think, be with something greater than ourselves and getting out of our head, getting out of our technology bubbles helps to heal our nervous system so much and really can help to open up our minds and the way we see the world around us and engage with it.

I know that I haven't always been that way as well. I wasn't really taught to identify local plants or wildlife, and my partner now is so in tune with that stuff. We'll be in the middle of a conversation. I'll be like did you see that, osbray? But I was talking. He's like, hey, but did you see?

that.

It's been an ongoing practice for me to just train my eye to notice that movement, to notice those things outside of myself and stop living so much inside of my own narrative. I think that's really what nature does ultimately, is allows us to step away from these things that are constraining us and holding us to a certain identity or standard and just humble us. In a way. It's really humbling being.

How do you bring that nature element into the classroom when it is during the school year? How do you?

integrate A lot of times. Whenever we can. We'll go outside for our practices A lot of times as well, if we're having an off day with classroom management stuff, we'll take a mindful walk. That's a great practice to see how slow you can walk, see how slow you can move, see what you can notice. Look around the room, notice something new. Look out the window, notice something new. Very simple practices that are ultimately training you to focus. We're training that focus muscle, or that part of our brain that works like a muscle, actually can be trained like a muscle to focus. That's what we're doing when we meditate. That's what we're doing when we take a mindful walk. That's what we're doing when we disconnect from technology or when we have an intentional conversation. Is we're training that focus muscle? There's so many different ways to do it. Incorporating the outdoors is one of the best ways, even in small doses.

Yeah, how are you taking care of yourself to like continue sharing what you love so authentically? That's something like I ask because I want to know Like I ran into that burnout doing after school programs myself, like I hit a wall where it was like it just wasn't. I wasn't able to teach or give in the way that felt authentic to me, or like I didn't feel nourished enough myself to keep giving in that way. So how do you resource yourself to continue showing up for these practices and the work that you're doing?

Yeah, I think that's a great question. I think it's one that can apply to everyone, no matter what work they're doing. And I'll just go back firstly, to what I was talking about earlier, my morning routine and my four non-negotiables, which. I am not perfect, I don't do those things every single day, but I do know that when I am doing them I'm fear and healthier, and so that's stillness, movement, nature and time without technology. And you know, it also goes back to that conversation of the joy body. I have not always had all these hobbies like mountain biking and paddling and adventuring and writing and reading, like I. My hobby list just is endless right now and it's such a great feeling, but that hasn't always been the case. I just remember when I was in a teenager, in high school or college, my dad said to me and he's a man of little words, a few words and he said to me you know, preston, you should really get a hobby. And I just remember being so offended by that because I was like, what do you mean? Get a hobby? Like this is my, my friends are my hobby. Like partying is my hobby, like I love my, like, but I wasn't really happy. Yeah, he recognized that in me he recognized that I wasn't mindful. Yeah, I wasn't being mindful or aware of myself. I wasn't truly happy and of course I thought I was, but looking back, it's just. It's such a beautiful lesson and I think that my hobbies keep me sane, and my hobbies are a lot of adventure, sports, a lot of time outdoors and a lot of time by myself. I spend a lot of time by myself. I'm an introvert by nature always happen, but haven't always known how to tap into that, and so I've just found hobbies such as mountain biking or trail running or even just meditating on rocks by the river is a hobby, it is, it's a great one, and those are the things that keep me sane and allow me to to teach this stuff right, because if I wasn't practicing this stuff, then I wouldn't feel confident teaching it.

How did you find these hobbies for yourself? Like what, what? Shifted from that time where your dad, like, gave you that advice and you're kind of, like you know, annoyed by it, to the point where you're like, oh, like what? If I try this?

Yeah, I mean, I think it was it wasn't overnight. These things don't happen overnight. These toolkits don't happen overnight. These stress management tools, these practices, these hobbies none of it happens overnight. It's an ongoing practice. I will say, though, that when I did my yoga teacher training, when I first like really like the year or two that I really started getting into yoga Change my life, because I just became more embodied and I mean, when we say embodied, it makes you think of the Kosha's right, like my chakras, my, my Kosha's, all these, however you want to think of it I felt aligned, I was living in alignment. When I was living Yoga principles and that's not just the physical movement of awesome, also all the other things that come alongside yoga philosophy. Yeah, it didn't happen overnight, it was an ongoing process, and I do think that my, my family had a huge part in showing me what their hobbies are, and my mom's a full time artist, my dad is living his best life retired, golfing, mountain biking, playing guitar every single day and so just having that example of what hobbies are and what it's like to have those practices was huge for me, and so I hope to do the same thing for my future kids, and just any kids that I work with is show them how to find hobbies that they love and just do more of that. Yeah, like it sounds so simple, and it is, but it's. It's an ongoing practice.

I think that's kind of what nature gets us back to Like, the more we can peel back the layers of all the other stuff and come to like the simple core of who we are. You know it's hard work to do that, but that's a lot of where the answers lie. How can each of us, I guess what advice would you give to listeners? How can we tap into our inner toolkits and our joy body and how can we help a youth in our life with that as well?

Yeah, that's a great question, I think, just leading by example, right, like finding the things that bring you joy. Every following the advice of this whole conversation, following the things that bring you joy, finding your hobbies, finding your passions, doing more of those, creating your own self care routine, your own toolbox that's going to look different for everyone. I do recommend having some sort of breath work or movement and movement practice and nature practice in there and then just staying true to yourself and if you do find yourself in a relationship with a child who needs you, like, be vulnerable, show your vulnerability and be consistent, be trust, like allow them to trust you by showing up again and again and letting them know that you care, whether that's your own child or, you know, a friend kid or your teacher. Building that rapport and treating children like they're equal, yeah, right, because kids, we have so much to learn from kids 100%.

I think a lot of that remembering is like trying to remember our childlike nature and the wisdom we had at that.

Yeah, it's so true, it's a mutual benefit here.

How can people stay up to date with local RVA and support you and your work?

So I have a new website that's up and running. It's localadventuresrbaorg. We are always looking for new partnerships with schools, organizations, community centers. Even we do one-off events. We've done workshops for teachers before. I also work at a new studio called Wholeheart Space, which does prenatal, postnatal kids and family yoga. That's awesome. Y'all should check that out. And then we actually just got awarded our first grant which is super exciting through the City of Richmond, the Positive Youth Development Fund, working in partnership with NextUp, to run a whole repertoire of programs this summer, and what we're doing with it is we're going to do a yoga and paddle camp on the James River.

That's amazing.

It's my dream, yeah, and I'm so, so excited. We got a really busy summer ahead of us. As of now, there's no. You can't really sign your child up for a local adventures course because they're all already associated with certain community centers. For example, we work a lot with the Boys and Girls Club, we work with Peter Paul, we work with different middle schools all around Richmond. So, unless your child is already enrolled at one of those schools, you can't just sign up for a local adventures program. However, I do see that expanding and changing within the next year or so, especially now that we have access to more funds and our resources are starting to grow and our partnerships are growing. You can sign up for our newsletter on the website and just stay posted, because this is only the beginning.

Yeah, and I'll have all the links in the show notes for you to stay up to date with Preston in this work. Thank you so much for the really powerful and intentional work that you're doing and for having this conversation with us today.

You're welcome. Thanks for having me.

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