Pranayama. It’s the biggest word that all children (and adults) need to learn right now. So what is pranayama anyway? Simply put, it's focused breathing. Each breathing practice has its own rhythm and sequence, but they all help our bodies calm down... even when...
"I didn't tell you this at the beginning of class because I wanted it to be a surprise," I gently share with the children lying down with their eyes closed and bodies (mostly) still. "These yoga mats underneath you are actually magic carpets and they can take you...
There are plenty of TV programs that are so wildly popular, that sooner or later you’ll see the characters all over the place, like at birthday parties or when you shop at Target or another major store. PJ Masks is one of those shows. My daughter has gotten so caught...
The Lion King is a beloved Disney movie - first the cartoon from 1994 and then a live-action remake in 2019. Filled with humor and heart, it is the perfect theme for a fun-filled yoga class! Here are some ideas: Sleeping Lion: Form a circle. One child is the lion and...
Paul Bunyan, the legendary giant lumberjack, is a folkloric hero of North America. Tales of his great strength and success spread wide across the continent; with rumors of his beginnings varying from the Pacific Northwest to Maine and just about anywhere in between!...
I have been teaching yoga for almost 5 years and have taught many styles to a variety of bodies and age groups. By far one of the most challenging classes I teach is Mommy & Me Yoga. There’s nothing like it to make me feel like a huge success and complete failure...
Playing games seems like simply child's play, doesn't it? You set up a situation, have pre-determined rules and a goal, and then go about reaching the goal, either competitively or cooperatively. Simple, right? Not so fast. There's an entire psychological theory that...
You Are Special by Max Lucado is an amazing book, one to be considered for sharing in yoga class. I believe it will resonate wildly with your little yogis. If you haven't read this book, here is a brief summary from Teaching Children Philosophy...In a village, there...
One of the many paradoxes of our modern life is the idea of seeking mindfulness while moving through mindless habits and situations. Life can, at times, leave us dry, empty and with a sense of dissatisfaction with who we are, with what we do with our time, with the...
Can kids meditate? My answer to this is, yes, absolutely! I was pleasantly surprised the first time I realized I could just sit and meditate, however brief, even as my daughter played with her toys nearby. She came and sat down to imitate me and looked like a pro; she...
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...
I remember a group of kids I taught that loved to fall! They were 2-4 years old and whenever I asked them to balance on one foot, they’d go, “Wha-, woe, woe, whoa, whoaaaaa!” and come crashing down dramatically as if they were trying to balance on a bucking bronco....
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...
Thanksgiving is a tradition many of us today recognize as beginning in 1621 at Plymouth with the Native Americans and the Pilgrims after the first harvest in the “New World". It was actually more of a harvest festival and they gave credit for all the bounty and...
There are many reasons to be thankful for yoga, such as increased health, decreased stress, and a chance to unwind. This also applies to kids too! There are much cooler reasons why kids (and adults) should be grateful for yoga. So, in honor of Thanksgiving, here are 5...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
