NAMASTE! When I took my Kids Yoga teacher training with Kidding Around Yoga, the fun and energetic Sargeant Saluations (their version of Sun Salutations) quickly became a favorite part of the curriculum. And then I attended my first weekend of 200-hour yoga...
Road Trip Yoga for the Family
Aaaaah..the Summer family road trip. Miles of highway in front of you, countless pit-stops, license plate games and sing-along behind you. Hours (upon hours) of time in the car, sitting. Just sitting. You know what you need right? Some car yoga! Get the peanuts in the...
Focus Your Super Powers
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,...
What is a Hoberman Sphere?
A Hoberman Sphere: lights up children and adults’ eyes alike is a great teacher’s assistant catches your student’s attention (especially when nothing else can) shows how our lungs expand and contract (and showing always works better than telling, doesn’t it?) was...
My Favorite Prop: Pinwheels
Yoga classes do not need props, but boy are they fun! There are so many props to choose from that it is hard to narrow down my favorite. After teaching for a few years, I have a better idea of which I tend to use the most and why it is my favorite. Maybe that will...
Choosing Teams Without Tears
While yoga is often celebrated as a non-competitive activity, there are certainly times that groups and teams need to be formed in order to play a game or complete a task. As you would guess, this process sometimes leads to hurt feelings and frustration of being "left...
Sound: More Than Meets the Ear
When you hear a bell ringing, you are listening to energy making a journey. -Sarah Schain Sound is an important part of the human experience. Just think about how music makes you feel! Songs, their melodies and rhythm, their patterns and harmonies can make us get up...
Teaching Ahimsa
The first time your child rolls out her mat in a yoga class, she is exposed to many new words, which shouldn’t be surprising, really. The practice of yoga is from ancient times, for many of us it is from a foreign culture, and utilizes an unfamiliar language...
Mom! I Can’t Sleep!
We've all been there. Lying in the dark, desperately trying to go to sleep, but growing more agitated and alert instead. It's bad enough when adults suffer from insomnia, but when kids do? Then the whole family suffers the consequences. Avoid that with a few bedtime...
Springtime in the Peaceful Garden
You can begin a Spring-themed class with a guided visual during meditation: kids sit in BUTTERFLY or CRISS-CROSS APPLESAUCE. Tell them to close their eyes and imagine a beautiful flower with lots of petals in their favorite color. Next, tell them to reach out and...
Spring Cleaning with Yoga
When my two children were little, they loved nothing more than to “help” me do chores around the house. Of course, to them, chores included pulling all the books off the shelves, banging pots and hiding under the laundry basket. As the saying goes, "If you can’t beat...
Yoga and Occupational Therapy
As a former special education teacher in Florida for over sixteen years, I worked side by side with many occupational therapists (OT). When a student receives occupational therapy as part of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) the OT will work with them on improving...
Groundhog Day Games
February 2nd is not only Groundhog Day, it has also historically been, and continues to be, celebrated as the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. It has been called Imbolc, Candlemas, and Oimelc, and is a time of celebrating the lengthening of days...
Give Your Kids a Break: Yoga Stretches for the Classroom
Imagine this job description: Large institution looking for workers able to stay focused and still for long periods of time. Proper penmanship, reading skills and math knowledge are required, as are excellent listening skills and the ability to work well in a group of...
The Yoga Tree – Teaching the Eight Limbs to the Youngest Yogis
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...



