It's a tale as old as time - a child is so upset, so wound up, or so inconsolably sad that he/she cannot communicate the problem. Mom sees the struggle and gives a simple direction: take deep breaths and count to ten. And it works! Now if you asked the Mom how or why...
Today's blog was written by Whitney James, a KAY kid who is now a freshman at Elon University. While we don't always use Sanskrit in our kids' classes, many of the asanas in modern yoga practice come from the backstories of Hindu deities. This doesn't mean that we...
Imagine this: you walk into an empty room (maybe a classroom, a yoga studio, or a gymnasium). Well, it's not quite empty... there are 8 children scampering around, hopping from yoga mat to yoga mat, excited to start their yoga class with you! You better have a plan, a...
Meditation may be a new trendy buzzword, but the practice of settling your mind has developed over many centuries in several philosophical and religious traditions. Let's take a walk down Meditation Memory Lane! C.5000-3500 BCE: Wall art showing people seated in...
Turn down the lights and turn up the fun! With a little planning and a lot of creativity, you can create a memorable yoga experience for the whole family. • Decorations: Of course, this means glow sticks! You can get them at most dollar stores, so load up. Some can be...
I am a scavenger - I love to find the treasures within the junk. I think of myself as an educational MacGyver. Give me some random object and I'll figure out how to teach with it. This habit (gift?) started when I was a student-teacher, finishing up my Elementary...
Pompoms might just be the perfect kids’ Yoga prop. They are inexpensive, colorful, lightweight, and have innumerable creative uses. I always bring a big baggie filled with pompoms to my kids’ Yoga classes to use in many ways: Pompom Poppers: Cup your two hands...
When you think of balance, what do you think of? A ballerina delicately perched on toe point? A tightrope walker? Maybe a waiter carrying a platter of dishes? Being able to physically balance is a vital part of functioning as a human. If you can't balance, you can't...
My obsession with hiding little notes started when, as children, my sister and I would spend summers at my grandparents’ house in Florida. Spending lazy days walking the beach, reading, watching MTV (a luxury we didn’t have in my small hometown), and generally being...
All of us are bombarded with advertisements, pressured to always gather more, and 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" for...
It's very trendy to practice yoga these days. Like being "green", it seems everywhere you turn, someone is selling yoga. There are clothing lines hocking $80 yoga tank tops, websites offering props, books, and DVDs of the "latest" yoga style, and even discount...
We've all heard the old saying, "Laughter is the best medicine". Turns out, it isn't just an old-wives'-tale. Scientist have found that laughter has the exact opposite effect on the body and mind as stress! When you laugh you: Lower your blood pressure by 6% (laughing...
Can you spare a minute? Just one minute is all it takes to check out of the chaotic, busy real world, and check into your own body and mind. Mindful Minute practices are simple and effective ways to settle into an aware state, rather than just moving robotically...
Of all the mindfulness practices I have taught to children (and adults!), the Loving-Kindness Meditation is by far my favorite. The words are precise, like poetry, and their positive meaning is undeniably powerful. In fact, I use a variation of the Loving-Kindness...
**A warning about using balloons in your kids' yoga classes: do NOT use balloons with young children, as they are a choking hazard. Also, be aware of any latex allergies before using balloons with any age** Balloons may be the most perfect prop to use in a kids' yoga...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
