Have you given yoga a try yet? Maybe you joined us last week...What do you think? Maybe you are wondering, what is yoga anyway?

Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. The practice we do here in the U.S. is a modified version which primarily focuses on the physical aspects of this ancient practice through yoga ‘poses’ and breathing techniques. Yoga has been shown to help manage stress,
promote relaxation and all sorts of positive health benefits such as; feeling less anxious, improving coordination, strength, flexibility and balance, improving self-awareness, improving focus and concentration and feeling more/ less energized.

First, print these pages, or pull them up on your computer so you can see them.  

If you printed them, cut out the cards and arrange in a stack so you can pick a pose randomly, or arrange them all face up so you can create a sequence of poses that flow together.

Move through each pose at your own pace!  While in the pose, call out the affirmation written on the card.

Throughout the practice, make sure you remember to breathe! Breathe in and out through your nose most of the time, and every once in awhile, take a big deep breath in through your nose and exhale through you mouth, making a loud HAAAAAA sound while you push out the air.  

​Remember: Focus on your breathing. Can you feel the air moving in and out through your nose?

Activity compliments of ​https://wyqualitycounts.org/

Now it's your turn to make you own card or set of cards!  Think of an animal and create your own yoga pose for it.  Draw the pose as best you can on the card and name it!  Share a photo of your cards on our Alaska 4-H facebook post so that other 4-Her's can try them out!

Ready for more? 
Kids: Take a free yoga class here!
Yoga Class for Teens
Relieve Anxiety with this quick 4 minute session!

Engineers are the people who design and build machines, systems, or structures.  They figure out how things can work together to complete a job.  We want you to do the same!  Here's a little bit about what we'd like you to design: 
​
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope.  In its simplest form, it consists of a spool attached to a hand crank. Winches are the basis of machines like tow trucks, steam shovels, elevators and water wells (Thanks Wikipedia!)

Design and build your own hand crank winch using the supplies in your house!  See how much weight you can lift in your bucket, snap a photo and share on the Alaska 4-H facebook post for this challenge.

Need a little help?  In the video below, Marla Lowder of Tanana District 4-H, shows you how she met this challenge, and walks you through one way to do this project. 

Our Kodiak 4-H bakers are really missing their monthly "Breads" project meetings.  They'd like to show you how to make a delicious blueberry scone!  
Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lemon
• ⅓ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. old-fashioned oats
• 2½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1⅓ cups plus 1 Tbsp. chilled heavy cream**
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 cup frozen blueberries, preferably wild
• 1 large egg yolk

The Directions, as described here:

1. Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400°. Finely grate zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl. Add ⅓ cup sugar and massage with your fingertips until mixture looks like wet sand and is very fragrant. Set aside remaining lemon for another use.
   
   
2. Add 2 cups flour, 1 cup oats, 2½ tsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt to bowl with sugared zest. Whisk to combine.
   
   
3. Whisk 1⅓ cups cream and 2 Tbsp. honey in a medium bowl until combined.
   
   
4. Slowly drizzle cream mixture into flour mixture, tossing with a fork to disperse liquid and hydrate flour. Stop mixing when you still have a few dry spots.
   
   
5. Add 1 cup blueberries and fold mixture with a rubber spatula, taking care only to mix until blueberries are distributed throughout and you have a sticky dough. It’s okay if some of the blueberries bleed or get broken up.
   
   
6. Dust countertop liberally with more flour and turn out dough. Pat down into a 1"-thick square, flouring hands lightly to prevent sticking as you work.
   
   
7. Mix 1 egg yolk and remaining 1 Tbsp. cream with a pastry brush in a small bowl. Brush yolk mixture all across surface of dough.
   
   
8. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbsp. oats and 2 Tbsp. sugar over.
   
   
9. Using a knife or metal bench scraper, cut dough into 4 quadrants, then cut each quadrant in half diagonally so you have 8 triangles.
   
   
10. Transfer each triangle to a large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly.
    
    
11. Bake scones on upper rack until tops are lightly golden all over and bottoms are golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet. Serve warm.
    

****For a nondairy option, try using full-fat canned coconut milk instead of the heavy cream.

If you don't have heavy cream, try whole milk!  This recipe uses milk instead of cream

Get Creative with it, like this 4-H'er did in the Tanana District:

Everyone has a "Mr. Nelson" in their life, someone who could use a little cheer. Maybe it's a grandparent who's missing you, a friend with a birthday coming whose party has been cancelled, a teacher you miss seeing...Our 4-H motto is "To Make the Best Better"... Today, we challenge you to make someone's day better!

Get out a pencil and paper, and write a letter to someone you know or maybe who you don’t know (I am sure the senior centers or hospitals in your area could use some cheer for their patients!) Send some sunshine to them in a letter. Maybe include some art work, or make the card you write the letter in (Excellent inspiration in the photos below!). Stick a stamp on it and send it today. It’s a gesture that won’t take you much time, but will mean a lot to the person getting your mail! 

Don't forget to take a photo for us and share on Alaska 4-H Facebook page or with your local district!

Another 4-H'er chose to make Thank You cards to deliver to all the people in her community that are helping out during this difficult time:

Today is a treat! 
Kenai Peninsula 4-H'er, Melanie, will be leading a watercolor zoom party for all Alaska 4-H'ers to join. 

Download zoom here if you don't already have it.  When it's 11 AM, open up zoom, and type in the Zoom meeting: 825-916-1925.

A few helpful hints:

• Take note of the materials list (watercolors, paper, mixing tray, 3 brushes 1/4'' or smaller) and be prepared so that we are all ready to start our project when Melanie starts.
• The meeting room will be open at 10:40 to allow folks to login and get settled.
• Please mute your microphone upon entry into the room.

To make the paint (Thanks Martha!)

• In a mixing bowl, mix 4 tablespoons baking soda with 2 tablespoons vinegar until fizzing stops. Add 1/2 teaspoon corn syrup and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Mix until a uniform consistency.
• Pour the mixture into individual egg carton cups, deviled egg holders, mini muffin tins - whatever you've got! - filling each about a third to halfway.
• Add five to 10 drops of food coloring to each cup, mixing in thoroughly, to reach desired colors. (Experiment, we had green, yellow, red and blue food coloring and check out all the colors we got!)
• Allow paints to set overnight. Use paints on watercolor paper with a wet paintbrush.

Note: we followed a set of directions that said freezing the paints would speed up the setting process.  We would NOT recommend doing that. 

Step 3:  Do the yoga positions, remembering to breathe deeply and with purpose at each position.  This was difficult for these superheroes, but I think the older 4-Her's would have an easier time focusing.

During each superhero pose, I had them repeat the phrase we were modeling (see captions for phrases).

For the ocean poses, I had some fun with them and didn't tell them what animals they were posing as, they had to guess. 

We got this idea from Tanana District Agent, Marla Lowder.  She found the initial idea here, but finding herself without many supplies, she decided to make it her own own.  We challenge you to do the same:  Use what you've got in your house.  Marla shows you her method in the video below.

What will you use?  Think about what floats! Make your boat, float it and then snap a picture and send it to us at kodiak4h@gmail.com, or post it to our Alaska 4-H facebook page. 

Step 3: Add pages to your journal
 
You can use any kind of paper you want for the middle. Make sure you have at least 6 pages inside for our suggested prompts but you can have more to create your own as well.
 
Step 4: Attach pages and covers together 
 
Hole punch each page and cover in approximately the same place.  This can be two or three holes and each hole should be at least 2 inches apart. Cut a small piece of string for each hole and tie everything together. ​

How did she do? 
​Using the Alaska 4-H judging form, watch the demonstration again, but this time, be the judge!  Fill out the form at home and let Dr. Iacobucci know how she did.  Scored sheets can be e-mailed to kodiak4h@gmail.com.

The Challenge:  Take a patient's heart rate at home.  

• Have a family member help you and take some photos while you're at it.  Upload to our facebook page to show you did it!
• Feeling comfortable with it? Want to share with others?  Create a demonstration video and have your family and friends judge you!