Princesses are loved by little girls. Out of my three darling daughters, two of them have been princess aficionados. I have lost count of how many princess parties, princess costumes and princess cupcakes I have been responsible for organizing and creating. So if you are in a similar situation and have a special little princess in your life who is looking for something princess themed and fun to do, you are in luck because this article is all about how to create a princess themed yoga class. It is fun, easy, and will involve your princess and her court of closest friends and advisers.
First of all, you need to define what kind of princess is desired. I personally like my princesses to be friendly, adventuresome, creative, problem solvers, graceful, full of integrity, compassionate, and lovers of fine chocolate. I most often use Dancer Pose to represent the princess.
This game is always a hit and can be used as a warm up, to review poses, simply to fill a few minutes, or to change the pace of the lesson especially if kids are getting a little wiggly. This is a fun way to teach listening skills. Studies also show that this game improves self-control and restraint of impulsive behavior. Furthermore, playing Swami Says attunes children to the power of example as we automatically want to follow the leader but sometimes need to choose our own actions (in the game) and path (in life). Teach leadership skills by allowing children to take turns being the ‘Swami’ and calling out poses to perform. I usually review 4-7 poses that we will be using before beginning the game to make sure everyone knows what’s what.
Swami Says
This game is played like the playground favourite ‘Simon Says’, however this time the Swami is in charge. The ‘Swami’ calls out instructions such as, “Swami says Cat pose.” Everyone performs Cat pose. If the ‘Swami’ calls out instructions without “Swami says” then everyone should disregard the instruction.
I never play so that kids are ‘out,’ instead simply remind them to listen carefully and reward their great auditory and yoga skills. Usually we all have a good laugh and continue on. Speeding up the poses ‘Swami’ calls out will make this much more difficult as will simply using the suggestion “Swami says Do this” while performing the pose desired. The later also works really well with younger kids or those new to yoga who don’t know the names of the poses yet but do know how to do them. Another tricky suggestion, once your class is good at this, is to say one pose but perform a different pose. Ohhhh, I knew you’d like that.
Have fun and play a yoga game today!
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe via RSS or e-mail and get a monthly yoga game and so much more delivered directly to you.
Kids Yoga Class this week we learned how to meditate. The kids didn’t really understand what it meant to meditate and most likened it to relaxation. So with the help of Meditation Owls (thanks Alluem Kids) we discovered how easy it is to meditate and look inside to learn more about ourselves. They really liked the Sa Ta Ma Na to the Twinkle, Twinkle melody and my five year old keeps singing it this evening. One of the parents was very impressed when her child explained what it meant and showed her how to do this simple meditation technique before leaving. She said, “I can’t believe it. They remember everything. I’ve been coming to yoga for 4 years and still can’t get it straight.” Maybe the adults need a Meditation Owl as well. After creating the Owls and practicing our meditation, we did a variety of poses after the theme – Things that Fly: Pigeon, Eagle, Crow, Helicopter, Airplane, Superhero. We also snuck in a quick game of Swami Says before finishing in savasana. It was a great class. Here are a few photos for your enjoyment.
Mantras are sounds, syllables, words or phrases which can create change. A saying from the Vedas states “Speech is the essence of humanity.” As such, our speech has the power to influence ourselves and our world through vibration and intent. The most well known mantra is Aum or Om. Kids and teens love to chant mantras. They offer a way to connect with their inner selves, to heal, to become grounded, to access hope and to increase positive emotions by stimulating the left hemisphere of the brain through their vibrations.
Please enjoy Two-ey and Minty as they sing the mantraLoka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu from the indomitable Beth Lapides.
Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu
OM
Shan’ti Shan’ti Shan’ti
This chant means
Loka = world
Samasta = the whole/together
Sukino = the transcendal happiness
Bhavantu = let there be
Shan’ti = peace
or “May peace and happiness be unto the world.”
Enjoy the trans-formative powers of this mantra anytime. This video will bring a smile to your face while the words will change your heart and perspective on the world. Om, Shan’ti.
Welcome to 2010 and Congratulations to Lynette Mattke, the winner of the Mini Mandala Designer Classic giveaway. Lynette entered a comment on the article Mandala Magic – Teaching Kids About Meditation, sharing her experiences with mandalas in Sri Lanka and at the Smithsonian Museum where some monks were creating one. Click here to read her entire comment and read Mandalas Universal Across Cultures to learn about Tibetan sand mandalas such as were produced at the Smithsonian. Upon learning of her good fortune to start the new decade, Lynette said:
What a wonderful New Year’s surprise! I am excited to try out the kit with my kids. They all love art and especially colors and patterns, so I think they will be delighted with the Mini Mandala Designer.
Congratulations Lynette. Your Mini Mandala Designer Classic will be in the mail today.
Watch for more give-aways throughout the coming year. Become a Fan on Facebook so as not to miss a single one.
Mandala means circle in Sanskrit and they are well known in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. However, mandalas are not limited to eastern philosophies and practises. In fact, mandalas have been the focus of meditation, contemplation and admiration across the world and throughout the centuries. A circle within a circle is a pattern found in nature. At our very basic level each cell has a nucleus, each atom is a mandala. The opposite is also true. As you contemplate the sun, moon, planets and the cosmos, mandalas become apparent as a basic element of the universe.
The circle is a universal form with tremendous symbolic meaning. It is simple and yet contains the eternal. It reminds us of our relation to the infinite world both beyond and within our bodies and minds.
Mandalas With Kids
Many school districts have regulations regarding spiritual instruction in the classroom so omit religious connotations when working with mandalas in the public school system. If you are using it as part of a yoga class, prayer group or religion class, incorporate belief teachings as appropriate.
Mandalas are a visual and physical tool for meditating. Mandalas are to be visually appealing so as to absorb and calm the chatter of the mind. When meditating it is important to first set your intention and to select a mandala that appeals to you. There are an innumerable array of mandalas to choose from inspired by various religious and cultural backgrounds. Alternatively you can create your own mandalas using various mediums: sand, string, crayons, paints, chalk, collage, tile, glass, fabric, etc.
Colouring Mandalas
Producing individual, multicoloured mandalas is a creative and personal process. It is a calming, nourishing expereince which does not require any expertise and as such can be used with all ages. This exercise can provide deep insight into our lives and ourselves. Colouring mandalas helps children process their emotions through colour and art, and is a well known method of art therapy. To find numerous printable mandalas visit Free Mandala. There are also Christmas Mandala and Halloween Mandala colouring pages. Thanks to KarmaSpot Blog for suggesting this activity.
Communal Mandalas
You can also create larger group mandalas as part of a special occasion, workshop or celebration. This is a way to cooperatively work together, deepening connections, and building ties while exploring the use of symbolism. Group mandalas can be made from any material and can take minutes to days to complete. Visit The Mandala Project for ideas on group mandalas or to learn how to get your class involved into something grander than themselves.
Mandala Give Away
As my Christmas gift to you, I will be giving away a Mini Mandala Designer Classic to one lucky commentator. This fun mandala creator lets kids explore their creativity and make their own mandalas using basic templates. Just add paper and some coloured pens and you’re set for hours of entertaining and creative fun. To enter the draw leave a comment below. You have until New Year’s Day.
