OUR KARMA PROJECT
YOGA IN SPANISH FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
There are children living at Mercy First Foster Care Facility who are un-accompanied minors. Many of these children crossed the border alone, seeking safety from violence in their home countries in South American. Many of the children have experienced or witnessed abuse or trauma, and live with the resonace of it every day. They attend school and live together on the campus of the facility, seperated from their families and friends.
The mindfulness, breathing and connection to community that yoga practice provides creates a safe space for these children to relax, and we hope to positivly impact the quality of their lives by offering them tools in their native language to move through stress and reaction. And in turn they improve the quality of our lives by sharing their light with us! |
OUR TEACHER
EDNA GONZALEZ DAU
Edna Gonzalez Dau has more than 20 years of professional dance experience and expresses her love of dance by teaching. Over the years, she has taught dance classes for children and adults, in a variety of disciplines. In 2008, Edna obtained the first of four licenses in Zumba Fitness. Beyond dance, Edna is also a lifeguard and swim instructor, and in 2014, she achieved another lifelong dream by becoming a certified yoga instructor. Edna currently teaches regular classes in Zumba, spin and yoga in the Huntington, NY area. While Edna continues to pursue her goals in yoga and fitness, her most recent achievement is becoming certified as a teaching assistant for special-needs students. She currently works at the Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station.
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MERCY FIRST FOSTER CARE FACILITY
MercyFirst, a 501 (c) 3 organization, is one of New York’s leading not-for-profit human service agencies. Founded as an orphanage in 1894, the facility in Syosset provides residential care to children from birth through adolescence, including children who have been abused and neglected; youth with serious emotional problems; teenagers and young adults who are without family; and families coping with the stress and pressures of poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, and substance abuse.