by Amanda James | Aug 2, 2021 | Asanas, Benefits of Yoga, Breathing, Yoga Activities, Yoga at Home, Yoga in Schools
Swami Vidyananda said breath control is “your most portable form of stress management.” In a yoga practice, the art of controlling your breath is known as pranayama. “Prana” is your energy and life force. “Ayama” simply means...
by Jacquie Bullard | Jul 29, 2021 | Asanas, Benefits of Yoga, The Joy of Teaching, Yoga in Schools
Many adults tend to think of yoga as a solitary practice. However, with kids it tends to be very much a social event, so ice-breakers are a very important element. For classes where kids don’t already know each other, we can bring in fun ways to help them learn names;...
by Amanda James | Jul 22, 2021 | Benefits of Yoga, Meditation, Science of Yoga, Yoga Activities, Yoga at Home, Yoga in Schools
Kids are naturally egocentric, and I say this as an educator without judgement and malice. The revolutionary child psychologist Jean Piaget described “Egocentrism” in 1951 as a natural part of a child’s development. He said that until the age of...
by Amanda James | Jul 5, 2021 | Asanas, Benefits of Yoga, Books, The Joy of Teaching, Yoga Activities, Yoga at Home, Yoga in Schools, Yoga Stories
We all know that a yoga practice builds strength, flexibility, and co-ordination. Did you know you can also use the ancient practice to build literacy skills for even our youngest yogis? Yoga teaches sequential thinking and planning: Listening to and following...
by Kara Levy | May 31, 2021 | Asanas, Benefits of Yoga, Videos, Yoga in Schools
After teaching yoga at a public school, I was asked to integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into my school’s curriculum. I was excited for the challenge and interested in how the children would interact with the lessons. After planning my...
by Amanda James | May 24, 2021 | Benefits of Yoga, Meditation, The Joy of Teaching, Yoga Activities, Yoga at Home, Yoga in Schools
When I taught 4th grade, common refrains in the classroom were, “Pay attention!” and, “Focus on what you’re doing!” And then it hit me – of course the kids’ attention was scattered everywhere. With 20 other kids fidgeting and making noise, shenanigans in the hallway,...
