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 about 7, children are...
A lovely way to spend a lazy afternoon is to rest in the shade of a big tree - the branches and leaves rustling above you and the soft earth feeding its roots below you. Trees provide a sense of timelessness and patience, of strength with flexibility. That union...
With a nod to the great Aretha Franklin, we all need a little respect ("just a little bit"): respect for others, for the earth, for ourselves. As a children's yoga teacher, I have found that teaching about respect in its various forms takes more than a quick...
I'm the first to admit it - one of my favorite parts of teaching yoga to children and adults is kicking off my shoes and being barefoot! Not only is it more comfortable, but going shoeless is good for you, too! You gain better control of your foot position, it...
It's that time of year, again. The Easter Bunny has come and gone, leaving tons (literally tons) of plastic eggs behind. Rather than throwing the plastic eggs away to inevitably end up in a landfill or in the stomach of a bird or critter, let's yoga-fy the eggs with...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Kids have so much energy….until they don’t. When little ones complain that they’re too tired, sometimes they really are tired and other times, it might be their way of saying, “I’m bored,” “I don’t want to do that,” or “I’m sad.” At this point in the year, as we...
Scarecrows and autumn go hand-in-hand, so bring the fun of the farm right into your yoga classes with these scarecrow-themed games and activities: Scarecrow Pose: Let's start with the basics, Scarecrow pose! While it isn't a "traditional" posture in the yoga...
Here in the northern hemisphere, we are stepping deeper into the autumn season. The temperature changes, the colors change and the daylight changes all affect our children in obvious and subtle ways. Let's help them embrace the inevitability of change and the beauty...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
