The Kids Yoga Resource

WIN a Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck!

Our Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck "Rocks" reports Donna Freeman of Yoga in My School...and she's giving one away! She writes:

You really, truly need to get your hands on the fabulous Yoga 4 Classroom card deck. Today.

This well thought-out deck is packed with yoga and mindfulness ideas that are easy to use in the classroom. Ideal for Elementary Schools, and even Middle Schools, the deck is comprised of 67 over-sized (6″x8″) cards, sturdy enough to withstand daily use by teachers and youth.

Lisa Flynn of ChildLight Yoga has done a fabulous job  of providing step-by-step instructions as well as additional creative applications on every card. The illustrations by James Vaughn are bright, cheerful and depict children of diverse ethnicities and abilities...

Read the full article and ENTER TO WIN a deck here!

By the way, if you don't already follow Yoga in My School, you should. It's an absolute goldmine of useful information, including radio interviews and articles for kids' yoga teachers, parents, educators and others interested in sharing yoga and mindfulness education with children.

WMUR's NH Chronicle features Yoga 4 Classrooms and ChildLight Yoga

WMUR-TV's NH Chonicle TV News program recently featured ChildLight Yoga and its affiliate school program, Yoga 4 Classrooms, based in Dover, NH.

The thorough piece features interviews with Founder, Lisa Flynn and Lead Instructor, Sharon Trull, as well as with staff, students and the Principal of Horace Mitchell School in Kittery, ME. In addition, the program features clips from the Y4C program in the school, the newly published Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Ceck and shows a bit of the studio and boutique in Dover, NH.

Read more as featured in the Yoga 4 Classrooms blog...

or

Watch now...

Yoga Calm's Flying Eagle DVD: Kids Teach Yoga

Are you looking for a short yoga DVD to share with your child or your classroom?  We found a great one!  Yoga Calm’s Flying Eagle DVD inspires the imagination through yoga poses, breathing techniques, focusing techniques, and music.

The entire DVD is about 30 minutes long, with the primary yoga class lasting for just over half that time, which is just right for children ages PreK-Grade 5.  The most endearing feature of the class is that it is led by a child.  The leader is great at giving directions, she encourages the other students to take the lead occasionally, and she continually asks the students to praise each other.  These are impressive, subtle ways in which positive re-enforcement and social skills are demonstrated. 

The class is built around the theme of the Eagle, and emphasizes our connection to nature through poses, visualization, and music.  After warming up with a focused breathing technique, simple and repetitive yoga poses are woven throughout the leader’s narrative, often encouraging the children to visualize themselves as Eagles. 

Some standout elements of the video include:

•    A meditative exercise centered on the Eagle and the Grand Canyon. 

•    In another segment, a child performs her original song written about the Eagle.  (Later, in an interview with the creators of the DVD, we learn that the whole DVD actually originated after the student presented them with the song after being inspired by one of their yoga classes!)

Other special features include:

•    Informational video about Eagles

•    Interview from creators of video who talk about the inspiration for the video, and about how yoga can positively affect the behavior of children (included for parents)

•    Focusing activity- involves tossing a ball back and forth 10 times without dropping it. Best for a group, but suitable for two people as well

The best audience for this DVD is the K-5 age group.  It keeps children’s attention and the length of yoga class is just long enough to really immerse children into the theme of the Eagle. 

After using the DVD, my own son felt calm and refreshed, as the title promises.  It also peaked his curiosity about Eagles and the Grand Canyon, so be prepared for your little person to request a search online for images and information when the DVD is over! 

The poses are in the easy to moderate range of difficulty, providing comfort in the easier poses, and challenges in the slightly more advanced poses.  The entire program is put together beautifully, from the setting to the class participants.  The participants display a wide variety of body-types and ethnical diversity, which makes the concept of yoga approachable for any child. 

Children, along with their parents and educators, will like the unique aspects of this DVD which make it stand out from a traditional yoga DVD.  Yoga Calm Flying Eagle could be very useful for a parent or educator who is interested in settling bodies and focusing minds while presenting some education on the life and qualities of the wise, majestic Eagle.

See a clip here! 

For more information and to order this DVD, click here.

Cari Quater is a writer and longtime yogi and parent of two young yogis, students of ChildLight Yoga.

Yoga Calm is a leader in the field of yoga and mindfulness education for children. For more information about the work of Yoga Calm, visit www.yogacalm.org.

Kids Yoga: Training for Life

by Marge Ely, RYT 200 and Certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor

No matter how young your children are, it’s never too early for them to learn yoga!

Even if you’re familiar with the many benefits of yoga, the thought of your child practicing yoga, sitting quietly, breathing, and stretching can be difficult to imagine. It’s even harder to imagine that our children are stressed and need tools for relaxation and wellness. “How can they be stressed? They are kids,” we say.

But whether we realize it or not, our children are growing up immersed in a culture of stress. They are overwhelmed at every turn in their uniquely modern lives. Just watching the adult lives around them would be enough to induce anxiety, but their own pressures in school include learning more content sooner and pleasing both parents and teachers. They worry about being accepted by friends and face judgment by others who may not be their friends. The social forces are enormous as they try to assimilate what the media tells them about how to look, dress, and act. Ever-increasing electronic devices are a double-edged sword, offering fun and escape, yet still bombarding them in sensory overload.

Throw in a heavily scripted schedule of sports, clubs, and play-dates, and if you are doubting the wisdom of adding yet another activity to your child’s schedule, then you’re on the right track.

Yoga, however, is a life preserver in this sea of stress.

Introducing yoga can counterbalance stress factors and help your child become more grounded, thoughtful, and balanced. Yoga can break the cycle of anxiety and give them tools to become healthy adults with a strong body and mind.

You may be thinking, “My child won’t still long enough for a yoga class!” Don’t worry, they won’t be expected to. A knowledgeable teacher will help kids explore yoga postures and philosophies through song, games, activities, and books. At the end of class, they will even practice relaxation!

As your child grows, yoga can remain fun and also very beneficial for overall health and wellbeing. If your child is athletic, a yoga lifestyle (poses, good nutrition, and time for stillness and meditation) can help build muscle strength, mental focus, balance, and coordination, all which will improve their performance.

Yoga can instill confidence and self-acceptance in children who suffer from anxiety and low self-esteem, while aiding them to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly. For children who have a tough time paying attention at school, practicing yoga can help them calm down and focus, giving them tools to control behavior and improve concentration. As your child becomes a teen, yoga can help balance their emotions and develop a greater self-esteem and positive body image.

Classes for your children are available at yoga studios nationwide, and many instructors have received special training for working with children. Give your children the gift of yoga; they can start at any age, and the benefits will last a lifetime.

Article reprinted with permission of the author from Be Well World.com.

Marge Ely, is a certified instructor in both adult and children’s yoga as well as a professional photographer. Her mother first showed her yoga poses when Marge was in elementary school. As an adult, she turned to yoga for stress relief and later discovered yoga’s benefits for pregnancy and childbirth. Marge has been teaching yoga at Sol Yoga for six years and leads the Little Sols Kids programs. She can be reached at marge@solyoga.org.

Story yoga for kids stretches the body AND encourages literacy and imagination

Guest Post by Judie Hurtado.

If you have children, have met a child or been around children in any capacity, then you know that they love hearing a good story. Most children thoroughly enjoy being read to.  As a kids (and adult) yoga teacher and a mom to two girls, I’m all too familiar with being asked to read them a book.

When I teach kids yoga classes, I often read a book and incorporate yoga poses that go along with the book.  They love it!

Below is recent story I created and shared.  I highlighted all the words that are yoga poses.

A Beautiful Sunny Day

I took a walk on a beautiful sunny day. Hello Sun! (Wave hello to the sun with both arms).  I saw a tree with big green leaves.  Then I saw an Apple tree. I reached up high to pick an apple.

I cleaned the apple with my shirt. I looked at it, smelled it and took a bite. I chewed and chewed.

A bird came over and took a bite. Another bird came over.  (The children shared what kind of bird was eating their apple). I liked sharing my apple.

A butterfly flew on my shoulder! Then it flew off to a flower.  I decided to smell the flower. (Again, the children shared what type of flower they saw).

A bumblebee was also next to the flower. It buzzed and buzzed. (Children make buzzing sounds).

I was tired so I decided to take a short nap.  Breathe in and breath out.  Ahhhh…..

I woke up and stretched. When I looked around, I wasn’t at the park. I was in my own bed. It was all a dream!

The children especially enjoyed the ending.  One little girl asked me to read the story again without the yoga poses.  The class was a great success. 

Whenever I read a story, I am sure to engage the children and invite them to use their imagination.  For example, I asked them to tell me what kind of apple they picked or what colors were on their butterfly. The children love participating and are very eager to share!


Judie Hurtado, RYT, has been practicing various styles of yoga for over 13 years but has always been particularly drawn to vinyasa. She has studied with many teachers, including Jennifer Kohl at Lotus Yoga in Montclair, where she completed her 300-hour yoga teacher-training program. She received her Kids Yoga Certification through Karma Kids and Every Kids Yoga: Teaching Yoga To Children with Special Needs through Craig Hanauer.  She is also a Reiki Practitioner and a Health and Wellness writer.  She can be reached at judie.hurtado@gmail.com. She also blogs about her fitness and spiritual adventures at www.judiesjuice.wordpress.com.

Message from Lisa Flynn, ChildLight Yoga: 
Notice as well, the story need not be complicated or overly verbose. A good rule of thumb...the younger the children, the simpler the story. Use familiar objects, sights and sounds. And, don't be afraid to let them stretch their bodies and imaginations by encouraging them to make up poses where there may not be an obvious choice. All in all, story yoga (whether using books or self-creations) encourages literacy skills and imagination while stretching the body.

What stories do you share with your children? Could you weave in some yoga poses?  Please share!

For more on utilizing story and storybooks in kids' yoga classes, check out these previous posts:
Bringing Children's Books to Life with Yoga: Part I
Bringing Children's Books to Life with Yoga: Part II