If you practice yoga, you are likely familiar with the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Written thousands of years ago, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali explores the eight-fold path, or ashtanga (which translates to “eight limbs”). This is the foundation of yoga philosophy and...
Let’s start with the bad news. Teens spend an average of 30 hours per week in front of screens. Television, computers, smart phones, and video games are changing teenagers’ bodies, their visions, and their minds. All this time being sedentary with a screen glowing...
*Today's blog was written by Whitney James, a former KAY kid and current Elon University student* About twice a month I babysit two little girls whose parents are some of our family friends. The girls are 7 and 5 so getting them to calm down and stop running around...
I work with children between the ages of four and six. All of them have Autism diagnoses, and some also have ADHD. Any time I think I’m having a stressful day, I am quickly humbled when I think of the kids I work with who are in an almost constant state of stress or...
I’ve been practicing yoga for nearly 15 years. I’ve been a yoga instructor for 12 years now. I’ve read about chakras and nadis. Patanjali and Iyengar populate my bookshelves. I’ve lost track of how many mats I’ve used (and lost). But nothing, no teacher, no book, no...
While we might look back at our childhoods wistfully, conjuring up images of ice cream cones, fireworks, and sleepovers, the truth is that growing up is hard. Family situations, peer interactions, physical challenges, and societal pressures all weigh on children no...
When you think of winter sports, you might think ice hockey. In my house, hockey has been something my sons and husband have participated in since they were toddlers. To be a proficient hockey player you need to have sturdy legs for skating, a strong core for...
So you want to be a Kids Yoga teacher? Good choice. It's the BEST way to change the world. Check it out: Kids are honest and open - you know what they really think about the class As a teacher that started out leading adult yoga classes, I’ve sometimes walked away...
Breathing is the bridge between our mind and body. It is a very powerful force to heal and to be more aware. In yoga, we call breathing practices pranayama and it is a big part of a yoga practice. In Sanskrit prana means breath or vital energy and yama is the control...
For me, living in a touristy area in Costa Rica, I get to meet yoga students from around the World. I have an interesting perspective on what people experience in yoga classes and of the yoga culture in different cities and countries across the globe. Something that I...
If you’ve been following this 3 part journal then you know what to expect with part 3: self care! Finally, a little attention on the self. Technically, if I were following the rules of self care this should have been first and foremost, because the number 1 rule in...
If you’re a Kids Yoga teacher, I would be willing to bet that one of your main goals in life is to reduce the amount of stress in children’s lives. There are several things however, that I have seen well-meaning Kids Yoga teachers do in class that are common triggers...
Alright, now we know that COVID is effecting more than just our physical bodies, but our mental and emotional selves as well (see last week's blog). So what can we do to ensure that our kids are not storing all of this stress and are processing this possible trauma in...
Whenever I see a young child wearing a mask, the little psychologist in me screams, “Is this going to totally mess you up down the line?” No, I do not mean the physical ramifications of wearing a mask for so many hours a day, but how does growing up in a fear-based...
If you were born doing something, one would assume you are near-perfect at it. As land-dwelling mammals, breathing through the nose is something we do, without pause, from the microsecond that we come into this glorious world. Yet, surprisingly, it took a yoga class...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
