Amy MacConnell and Nicole Rijelle Thompson have crafted a consumer product with no glowing lights or Internet connection — a board game — and wedded it to an ancient discipline, yoga.
You could call it old-fashioned. But the two Hermosa Beach yoga teachers believe that their game, Turasa, is more relevant than ever in the age of screen-time and text-neck.
Their product has been out for several years, and will be released in a second edition at an event at Equinox South Bay next Saturday. Turasa pairs the in-person interaction of a traditional board game with the active physicality of yoga postures. The goal is to engage distracted youth while bringing out the playful side of adults, something that might not be possible, they say, with a digital interface.
“Parents and kids don’t spend quality time together any more,” MacConnell said. “People told us, ‘Make it an app!’ But that’s not our philosophy.”
Turasa has a board around which players move, but has little in common with more competitive games like Monopoly. There is only one token or game piece that is shared by all players, a modification designed to encourage cooperation. Players draw cards to move with poses, and everyone does the pose on the card.
The game has caught on locally, and has been sold in several South Bay Studios. It has also found a home in the classroom.
At the Children’s Place, a Torrance Montessori School, children will break out the game during the school’s yoga sessions, and play it about once a week, said school leader Jennifer Jenquin.
“I think the kids like it because they get to participate in creating what the pose is going to be,” Jenquin said. “It takes the yoga routine and turns it upside-down, makes it more unpredictable.”
Many yoga historians believe that the modern yoga asana practice originated as a way to instill calmness and discipline in unruly youngsters. It has since developed into a billion-dollar segment of the fitness industry, with classes and studios geared primarily toward adults.
But “kids yoga” is a growing sub-field in which MacConnell and Thompson both have extensive experience. Specialized classes and teacher-training sessions can now be found throughout the South Bay. MacConnell began her yoga career as a Bikram teacher, but grew tired of the limits of the regimented practice, and founded Club Kids Yoga in 2007. She now teaches group and private lessons in various places each week.
The path toward Turasa began as a personal journey. MacConnell and Thompson noticed the benefits that the practice had on their clients, and were looking for a way to deepen the connection for their own families. (Both are single moms.) They found various products designed to engage younger yogis, but found that they “lacked soul.”
“As moms, we wanted something that could communicate spiritual values through play,” Rijelle said.
Each of the creators has relied on yoga to deal with various struggles that they face.
Thompson’s daughter suffers from Crohn’s disease, an incurable bowel disease. Her daughter recently spent two and a half weeks in the hospital. Thompson brought Turasa into the hospital, and it helped the time go by.
“The most challenging things is having your child be sick and not knowing what to do,” Thompson said.
MacConnell has experienced several deaths of those close to her over the last five years, including her husband. She says that, in teaching yoga to kids, she is constantly learning things about herself.
Among her clients is Casey Rohrer, a Hermosa youth with cerebral palsy. The can often be seen around town in the midst of their “walking meditations.” Casey will also be working the counter at Soho Yoga on Hermosa Avenue Thursday at noon.
Casey’s brother Luke has played the game for a few years now, and says is still a favorite around the house.
“I like doing all of the yoga poses,” Rohrer said. “I’m usually pretty silly with it.”
The kids have it right, McConnell and Thompson say: a little silliness every now and then keeps things in perspective.
“Being with Casey, looking at the challenges he faces in everyday life and seeing the positive attitude he is able to bring is inspiring,” MacConnell said. “He is the kind of guy who will take you out of yourself.”
The forthcoming second edition will have cards and poses featuring children with disabilities. MacConnell and Thompson believe that Turasa can offer the same kind of benefits to players young and old.
“It’s a philosophy of getting to one place together, and having fun along the journey,” Rejille said. “Be present, be loving, be fun.”
