Saucha, or purity, is one of the key ideas Patanjali wrote about in the Yoga Sutras. It is vital in clearing the mind and creating a strong, healthy body. Most kids are probably not concerned with purity, especially when making messes is so much more fun! Of course,...
Many in the northern hemisphere look forward to the month of March. This is when the spring or vernal equinox occurs, usually around March 19-21. The spring equinox signals the transition from a long, dark winter to a light-filled spring. Of course, in the southern...
Have you been noticing the daffodils making their buttery appearance? Or the mama birds already sitting on their nests? Perhaps the first bud sprouting on the branch? These signs of spring herald the Vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, Spring Equinox...
YAY! It’s finally March and one of my family’s favorite holidays is fast approaching—St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you’re not Irish, as my Dadai’ (DAH dee in Gaelic), or Da for short, always said, “Everyone’s a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!” And he’s right—just...
Think back to the good ol' days of recess and PE when you were a child. Do you remember playing classic games like Hopscotch, Duck Duck Goose, or Freeze Tag with your best buddies? There is a reason classic games are still played today - they are FUN! So why reinvent...
Strings of beads used during prayer or meditation are an ancient and international tradition. In fact, the word “bead” actually means “prayer” in Middle English. Catholicism uses Rosary beads, Islam uses Subha and Tasbih beads, and Buddhism and Hinduism use Mala...
February is the month of love. The greeting card companies have a hay day! The colors pink, red, white, and purple get worn out. And everyone overdoses on chocolate and those little candy hearts with messages on them. I thought I would share some ideas for the yoga...
An Ayurvedic teacher once said, “An illness is a function of the loss of the inner smile.” What is the inner smile? Where is it, exactly? And, if it is so important to health, how do we do it? How do we maintain our inner smile, even when our outside world may not be...
Tibetan Prayer Flags (sometimes called Peace Flags) are a 2000 year old tradition from Nepal. Called Lung ta, or “wind horse”, Prayer Flags originated when sacred texts were written on cloth banners. Traditionally, the flag is made of cloth torn into a rectangular...
They are cute, fluffy, and super wintery, although you may not want to try to cuddle one! What are they? Polar bears, of course. Kids love learning about animals, especially these unique bears. A polar bear themed yoga class is the perfect opportunity to blend...
Children are whole beings- body, mind, and spirit. They are not just their thinking minds that are able to solve math equations or remember the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s lessons on peace and tolerance. They are their physical bodies, that can...
Winter brings with it the challenge of being indoors for longer periods, but our classes still need to foster creativity and mindfulness. How can we get our students' brains working and able to maintain a peaceful state all winter long? By trying out new activities,...
All kids love snow (especially those here in sunny Florida who wish it would snow all winter long). To take advantage of their enthusiasm for snow, I like to do a wintertime yoga class each winter. I went online to find images of the following winter activities and...
Winter is definitely here. Since I previously did a Halloween obstacle course class that my students adored, I figured a winter obstacle course would be fun, too. And it was! It was challenging, imaginative, and relevant to yoga. These are my favorite ideas for a...
As we end off what for many has been a particularly challenging year we may question how we can enable our kids to look positively into the future and look forward to the rewards and challenges that a New Year holds. The art of manifestation tells us that we have to...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
