Many adults tend to think of yoga as a solitary practice. However, with kids it tends to be very much a social event, so ice-breakers are a very important element. For classes where kids donโt already know each other, we can bring in fun ways to help them learn names;...
Can You Build Literacy Skills Through Yoga?
We all know that a yoga practice builds strength, flexibility, and co-ordination. Did you know you can also use the ancient practice to build literacy skills for even our youngest yogis? Yoga teaches sequential thinking and planning: Listening to and following...
STEM: Yoga and Movement
After teaching yoga at a public school, I was asked to integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into my schoolโs curriculum. I was excited for the challenge and interested in how the children would interact with the lessons. After planning my...
Focus Your Super Powers
When I taught 4th grade, common refrains in the classroom were, โPay attention!โ and, โFocus on what youโre doing!โ And then it hit me โ of course the kidsโ attention was scattered everywhere. With 20 other kids fidgeting and making noise, shenanigans in the hallway,...
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...
Yoga + Math = Fun!
According to Dr. Roger Sperry, 1981 Nobel prize winner for brain research, โ90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.โ If this is the case, why in the world are we making kids sit still to learn? To that end, Iโve...
Teaching Ahimsa
The first time your child rolls out her mat in a yoga class, she is exposed to many new words, which shouldnโt 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...
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...
Meditation in the High School Classroom
On the first day of my second year teaching high school French, I knew that my sixth period was going to need some serious magic to get them to calm down. The bell rang for class to begin, and I looked around at 35 boys (yes, 35 BOYS)ย who were bigger than me, all...
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...
Teens Need a Technology Time-Out
Letโs 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 teenagersโ bodies, their visions, and their minds. All this time being sedentary with a screen glowing...
What Teaching Kids Yoga Has Taught Me
Iโve been practicing yoga for nearly 15 years. Iโve been a yoga instructor for 12 years now. Iโve read about chakras and nadis. Patanjali and Iyengar populate my bookshelves. Iโve lost track of how many mats Iโve used (and lost). But nothing, no teacher, no book, no...
Breathing Activities for Kids
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.ย In Sanskrit pranaย means breath or vital energy and yamaย is the control...
Virtual Yoga Games for a Virtually Perfect Kids Yoga Class
One of the (positive) surprises of teaching yoga online (through FB Live, IG Live, Zoom, Teams, etc.), is that I am able to teach children that live across the country (and world)! Little yogis that I wouldn't have had the honor of teaching have been able to join in...
Build a Kula
You can search high and low and never find your perfect parent tribe. Some parents just stop looking and rely on family to support and care for our children. Some families donโt always have those resources and rely on a crew of parents navigating this wilderness of...