One of my favorite themes for a Kids Yoga class is that of pets. It’s an easily relatable subject with a lot of poses already built in. Add some music and some kidding around, and you’ve got a great Kids Yoga class! What Kind of Pet?: Begin by talking about a pet you...
We've all heard about the benefits of meditation practice, but how do we start, especially with kiddos? Kidding Around Yoga is here to help! We've created this 30-day MEDITATION CALENDAR to provide you and your family (or your school classroom) with a daily meditation...
Black History Month was first imagined by Black educators and the Black United Students at Kent University in 1970, and six years later, during the bicentennial celebration, President Gerald Ford recognized BHM as “…the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected...
A couple of years ago, my daughter’s friend was struggling. I’ll call her Melody. Upon turning 12, Melody suddenly became self-conscious and embarrassed by her changing body. She began “shrinking” into herself, truly trying to hide from the world. Eyes cast down,...
It seems there's never an end to the to-do list, for you or for your kiddos. I'm here to tell you to give yourself, and your children, a break! A YOGA break, that is! A short break during work time has been shown to have real benefits for children (and adults) of all...
At the end of each of my yoga classes (both kids and adults), I invite my students to tune out the noise from the rest of the world, pull the energy they’ve scattered to everyone else back to themselves, find a comfortable lying position, and just rest. This sacred...
The constant wiggling. Bouncing. Darting eyes and fidgety fingers. Sometimes it can be really tough for our little people to just be still. Whether in a formal school environment, sitting at the dinner table, or just learning to control their reactions, teaching...
In your mind, picture an empty plot of land being prepared to plant a garden. The garden plot lies warm in the sun. The soil has been turned and is well-nourished with rich, organic compost. Earthworms, ladybugs, butterflies, and bees are plentiful to keep the garden...
All of us are bombarded with advertisements, pressured to always gather more, and are rarely satisfied by simply being. This is especially true for our children, as they may not yet have the ability to filter through the materialistic messages; instead, their "need"...
Kindness is an important part of practicing yoga. In your physical yoga practice, you want to be kind to your body. And, out in the world, you want to be kind to others. In my children's yoga classes, we practice Karma Yoga – performing acts of kindness with no...
“For real change to take place, the body needs to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of the present.” -Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. from The Body Keeps the Score The basic elements of a yoga practice (movement, breath work, and meditation) help...
First of all, how awesome is the job title "Happiness Researcher"? Apparently it is a real career and Shawn Achor is just that - a happiness researcher out of Harvard University and author of The Happiness Advantage. His TedTalk on happiness and success is one of the...
It's funny, isn't it? The place we spend the most time, day and night, is the exact same place we know the least about. Our brain is the ultimate mystery. The bunch of gooey cells and invisible stringy nerves that inhabit our skulls control EVERYTHING in our lives....
There are A LOT of activities for children to participate in these days, aren't there? Every sport ever invented (including some straight from fictional stories, like Quidditch) has a team kids can try out for. Your three year old likes wearing a tutu? There's about a...
Here in the northern hemisphere, we are stepping deeper into the autumn season. The temperature changes, the colors change and the daylight changes all affect our children in obvious and subtle ways. Let's help them embrace the inevitability of change and the beauty...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
