Original Air Date: January 9, 2012

Donate to Bridge of Diamonds HERE. To get involved with the Bridge of Diamonds Haiti Mission contact:

or call 301-656-9606.

Related posts:

1. Kira Willey: Music, Yoga and Life Musician and yoga instructor Kira Willey shares her experiences of...
2. Shakta Khalsa For the Love of Children Live radio interview with Shakta Khalsa where she shares insights...
3. Kids Yoga Develops Reading Readiness Most academic and career accomplishments depend on success in building...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Yogainmyschool.com is thrilled to announce the release of The Pet Store, an interactive Kids Yoga Flipbook.

This flipbook is a wonderful way to share the joys and benefits of yoga with kids. Enjoy imitating animals found at a Pet Store – kittens, puppies, parrots and more – using yoga poses. With engaging full color photos and detailed pose instructions little yogis will be captivated and eager to participate in this child friendly yoga practice. Visiting the Pet Store will never be the same.

Enjoy this audio version of My Favourite Colour Guided Visualization - text accompanies corpse pose.

If you’re looking for a hardcopy, a PDF version is also available HERE for only US$1.97.

Discover how to teach yoga using children’s picture books during our upcoming teacher training webinar: Yoga for Literacy Pt 3: Ohmazing Children’s Literature, Tuesday, Jan 17, 2012, 9:00pm EST/6:00 pm PST.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the Instructor’s Guide for The Pet Store filled with additional information on the what, why and how of using thematic yoga adventure stories when teaching yoga to kids. You’ll also get monthly tips and updates on all the fabulous Yogainmyschool.com resources.

Related posts:

1. Yoga for Literacy Webinar Series: Teach, Engage, Succeed Reach a new level of mastery when teaching, engaging and...
2. Webinars YIMS’s video webinars provide quality teacher training and professional development...
3. Webinar Registration Yoga for Literacy Register here for our upcoming Webinar Yoga for Literacy: Ohmazing...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Most children’s yoga classes are of the yang variety: energetic, strong, mobile. This reflects kids natural tendencies toward movement, activity and spontaneity. However, kids sometimes become overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, overtired and sad. At our home this is often the case in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays. There is so much going on with concerts, parties, shopping, exams, get-togethers with friends and family, etc. that my kids (and I) simply need some down time.

The Winter Solstice provides a lovely opportunity to delve into a child friendly yin practice. This is a wonderful way to provide space and time for purposeful relaxation. Yin yoga also assists in turning inward and helps children connect with their intuition and personal wisdom, finding peace in a quieter, slower yoga practice.

Yin Yoga Poses for Kids

• Child’s Pose – balasana
• Rag Doll Pose
• Wide Angle Forward Fold - upavishta konasana
• Happy Baby Pose – ananda balasana
• Sphinx Pose
• Legs up the Wall Pose - viparita karani
• Sleeping Swan (aka Reclined Pigeon)
• Reclined Twists
• Reclined Cobbler’s Pose – supta baddha konasana
• Savasana with Eye Pillow & a blanket
• Supported Savasana – legs on a chair or a bolster under the knees

Kids Yin Yoga Best Practices

• Allow the children to set the pace holding poses for as long as children allow, once they start to fidget, move along
• Encourage longer holds with a timer or counting breaths
• Approach with curiosity and wonder
• Speak slowly, calmly – children will take their energy cues from you
• Pretend you are practicing in deep water, every movement is slow and purposeful
• Allow space for feelings of sadness, fear, anger
• Most important – Breathe

Meditation for the Winter Solstice

Related posts:

1. Finding Your Still Quiet Place with Amy Saltzman Join us for easy to implement techniques which are proven...
2. Benefits of Music in Kids Yoga Class Using music in a children's yoga class is a wonderful...
3. Daily Act of Kindness: Breathe This is an excerpt from Integrity is a Muscle: a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Enter to win a copy of this DVD by leaving a comment telling about a challenge you’ve overcome to get where you are today. Contest closes November 30, 9:00 pm MST.

Vishnu’s Ohmazing Journeys is the newest DVD from Yogiños Yoga for Youth and is a celebration of Indian culture. This kids yoga DVD recounts three different adventures of Vishnu, a supreme God of Hinduism and Indian mythology.

Vishnu’s Ohmazing Journeys recounts three Hindu myths with Vishnu taking on a different role/ avatar in each one to overcome challenges and find great treasures.

The first is of Vishnu as the Tortoise, the second with Vishnu as a Boar and the third is Vishnu as the Boy Krishna.  Yogiños founder, Beth Reese does a fabulous job of intertwining yoga poses with the stories and includes clear alignment cues such as root to rise, hug the mid-line and shoulder blades on your back, thereby teaching body awareness and mindful practice of the poses.

A continual theme throughout all three stories is that of making “ohmazing” choices and trusting in your strong foundation in order to meet and overcome life’s challenges. The links between yoga practice on the mat and application in everyday life off the mat are clear, age appropriate and useful. In addition, Yogiños stays true to their tri-lingual base intertwining English, Spanish and Sanskrit throughout the DVD and including a full Spanish version.

The Bonus Tracks extend the educational aspect of the DVD expanding knowledge about the Crow Collection of Art, a herb garden and environmental conservation through prAna’s Natural Power Initiative.

I found this DVD ideal for tweens as it is smart, educational and culturally rich. I especially appreciated the beautifully performed story of Krishna and and Kaliya told through Indian dance. Enjoy this video trailer.

To Enter: Enter to win a copy of the DVD with a comment below stating a challenge you have overcome to get to where you are today.

Additional entries:

• Comment on or Like any one of the videos on the YogaInMySchoolTV Channel on YouTube – comment here so I have your e-mail
• Like Yogiños on Facebook and comment
• Share this giveaway on Facebook with an @Yogainmyschool.com mention or on Twitter with an @DonnaKFreeman tag (share daily for maximum chances of winning)

The give away ends on November 30th at 9 pm MST. The winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted by e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Buy yourself a copy of Vishnu’s Ohmazing Journey here through PayPal for $15.95 USD. Yogiños graciously provided a DVD for this review as well as the give-away. The opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Related posts:

1. Kids Teach Yoga: Flying Eagle Soars Inspired by Ryley's song about eagles, Flying Eagle encourages children...
2. Enrich Body, Mind and Heart with Move With Me Action Adventures Kids yoga product review and giveaway. Children's yoga expert Leah...
3. Elahi Yoga Resources Ideal for Preschool Yogis Meet Buzz. "Buzz is a curious little bee" and he...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Founder of the  program Still Quiet Place, Amy strives to teach mindfulness skills to youth (Pre-K to college) so that they can reap the rewards and live a engaged, full, calm and rewarding life. Join us for easy to implement techniques which are proven to develop focus, increase attention, decrease anxiety and allow you and your children to interact with compassion with yourself and others. Tap into your “Still Quiet Place” within.

Original Air Date: November 14, 2011

Connect with Amy on Facebook or on StillQuietPlace.com.

Stay tuned for Reflections 2011 with guests Amy Ippoliti, Christina Sell, Kristin McGee, Roseanne Harvey of It’s all yoga, baby and more.

Related posts:

1. From Monkey Mind to Peace of Mind Dr Catherine Phillips, founder of the Mindfulness Institute.ca discusses MBSR...
2. Prison Yoga Project with James Fox James Fox shares how and why he brings yoga to...
3. The Blissology Project with Eoin Finn Get to know yogi, surfer & blissologist Eoin Finn as...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This activity, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s pebble meditation, connects students to aspects of nature and the different kinds of strength that make up the whole.

In this Little Flower Yoga version of a pebble meditation practice, we incorporate movement, drawing and journaling, along with the a mindfulness practice, to create a complete experience for our students. You can do this activity all at once, or you can break it up into smaller parts and practice it with your children over several sessions. Using small stones to represent each of element is something that supports the students and provides a grounding energy to the activity. Four different colored stones will represent the following: mountain, tree, flower, still water.

To introduce this activity you want to give the students a chance to explore the feeling of each element. A wonderful way to do this is to allow the students time to draw each element as part of their practice.

1. Give each child 4 stones (one of each color – and tell them that these stones represent a mountain, a tree, a flower and still water) and 4 index cards, and ask them to put them on their mat in front of them.

On the first card, ask the students to draw a picture of a mountain. Now pick up your first pebble, which will represent a mountain (you can let the students choose which color best represents a mountain to them). Tell the students that a mountain represents strength and stability, and that inside each one of them is a mountain that is strong and steady, no matter what is happening around them. Have them hold the stone they have chosen, come into mountain pose, and then practice saying the following together: “Breathing in I see myself as a mountain, Breathing out I feel strong.” Repeat this 3 or 4 times, and then take one or two breaths silently together. Have them write along the bottom of their drawing Breathing in I see myself as a mountain, Breathing out I feel strong. Optionally, on the other side of the card, they can draw a picture of themselves in mountain pose.

2. The next element to explore is a tree. Invite the students to draw a tree on the next index card. Then pick up the pebble that represents a tree, and come to stand in tree pose. Tell the students that a tree represents balance as it reaches its roots down into the earth, and it’s branches up to the sky. Let them know that they have the balance of a tree inside each of them, and that this balance will help them live a healthy life. Practice saying together: “Breathing in I see myself as a tree, Breathing out I feel balanced.” Repeat 3 or 4 times, and then take one or two breaths silently together. Have them write along the bottom of their drawing Breathing in I see myself as a tree, Breathing out I feel balance. Optionally, on the other side of the card, they can draw a picture of themselves in tree pose.

3. The next element is a flower. Have the students draw a flower on their third index card, and have them choose a stone to represent flowers. Then come into flower pose. Tell them that a flower represents joy and beauty. Inside each of us is a flower that is always growing, keeping us joyful even during hard times. Practice saying together: “Breathing in I see myself as a flower, Breathing out I feel joyful.” Repeat 3 or 4 times, and then take one or two breaths silently together. Have them write along the bottom of their drawing Breathing in I see myself as a flower, Breathing out I feel joyful. Optionally, on the other side of the card, they can draw a picture of themselves in flower pose.

4. The final element that we will explore is still water. Have the students draw still water on their fourth index card. They might need more support with this drawing, and you can discuss still water being a lake or pond. Tell the students that still water represents calm and peacefulness. Inside all of us is a vast lake of calm still water that helps us keep our life peaceful. Have them hold their last stone, and come into savasana. Practice saying together: “Breathing in I see myself as still water, Breathing out I feel peaceful.” Repeat 3 or 4 times, and then take one or two breaths silently together. You can extend this element by allowing the children to rest in savasana either in silence or with some gentle music playing. Once they have come out of savasana, have them write along the bottom of their drawing Breathing in I see myself as still water, Breathing out I feel peaceful. Optionally, on the other side of the card, they can draw a picture of themselves in savasana.

5. After children have explored the feeling of these elements through postures and visualization, a journaling activity helps make the experience even more concrete and meaningful, and gives them time to reflect. You can use pages that you have created and photocopied for the students, or you can just have them write and complete the following thoughts in a journal:

Mountain: I feel strong when_________________________________

Tree: I feel balanced when___________________________________

Flower: I feel joyful when____________________________________

Still Water: I feel peaceful when________________________________

Jennifer Cohen Harper is a leading voice in the children’s yoga community and dedicated to making yoga and mindfulness practices accessible to all children regardless of circumstance. She is the founder and director of Little Flower Yoga. Based in NY, Little Flower directly serves over 700 children per week in NYC schools, and reaches many more through staff development, school consultations, and a world wide network of trained teachers. Jennifer leads the well respected Little Flower Yoga Teacher Training for Children program and frequently collaborates with other organizations to bring yoga for children to places as diverse as tent cities in Port-au-Prince and FAO Schwarz in Manhattan. Jenn is a  founding member of the Yoga Service Council, and an active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Association for School Yoga and Mindfulness. Children love Jenn’s willingness to engage in mutual silliness, while also appreciating the genuine respect that she has for her students of all ages.

Related posts:

1. Kids Yoga Poses – Flower Pose Flower pose is a fun individual or group pose which...
2. Two Minute Mindfulness Practice Here is a simple two minute mindfulness practice/lesson to repeat...
3. Giant Yoga Board Game Jump into a life sized yoga game packed with poses,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Thanksgiving Yoga Playlist

• Turkey in the Straw
• Over the River and Through the Woods
• Thanksgiving Day by John McCutcheon
• Thank You For the Music by ABBA
• Thank You by Dido
• Kind & Generous by Natalie Merchant
• What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong
• I Thank You by Sam & Dave
• The Thanksgiving Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole
• Thank You, Mom by Good Charlotte
• Thanksgiving Theme by Vince Guaraldi from “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”
• Beautiful by Marillion
• Sanctuary by Donna De Lory

Thanksgiving Kids & Teens Yoga Class

Related posts:

1. Benefits of Music in Kids Yoga Class Using music in a children's yoga class is a wonderful...
2. Dinosaur Yoga: A Yoga Class for Kids The perfect kids yoga class for budding paleontologists everywhere. Become...
3. A Day at Kids Yoga Camp Children are often intrigued by the idea of yoga camp....

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Years ago when expecting my oldest I learned about the benefits and healing properties of essential oils. Quickly adopted into our household were lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile. Then, this summer I discovered a fab company that uses these same oils and others in a variety of products to sooth and nourish the skin. Lilyfern Botanicals produces fabulous hand-crafted, natural skin care products that promote health and balance.

Happy Baby Kit

I was thrilled when given the Heal Baby Balm and Calm Baby Massage Oil for a review. Now, I no longer have an infant at home, but that didn’t stop the entire family from enjoying these beautifully blended products. Throughout the summer my kids loved using the balm on their mosquito bites: no sting and the itch was immediately gone. We also used the balm on scraped knees, sunburn, dry heals, cuticles and every other skin irritation imaginable. I was continually amazed at how versatile and effective it was and loved the fact that there were no chemicals or other nasty add-ins to harm my family.

The Calm Baby Massage Oil was equally as impressive. It has a lovely light scent and a little goes a long way. When they were little I used to give my babies a massage after every bath to calm and soothe them and really wish I had this handy pump dispenser filled with a mix of nourishing apricot kernel and sesame oil then. For this review I used it on all members  of my family and was impressed with its feel and texture during massage and will definitely be stocking up on more.

Lilyfern Botanicals has generously donated one Happy Baby Kit as a giveaway. The kit includes Heal Baby Balm (25ml), Calm Baby Massage Oil (30 ml), and Clean Baby Body Wash (250 ml).

How to Enter

Enter to win by leaving a comment which mentions one Lilyfern product you’d like to use and why. Visit Lilyfern’s on-line store for full product line.

Additional entries can be made by:

• liking Lilyfern Botanicals on Facebook – comment here letting me know you did
• sharing this contest on Facebook with an @Yogainmyschool.com link – one entry per day allowed
• Tweeting this contest and including an @DonnaKFreeman tag – 3 entries per day allowed at least one hour apart each

Contest ends Friday, October 28th at 9:00 pm MDT. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and will have 48 hours to reply. Winners names will be published here, on Facebook and Twitter.

Read more about Lilyfern Botanicals in this recent Edmonton Journal article.

Lilyfern Botanicals generously donated the products for this review and giveaway. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Related posts:

1. Tender Tootsies Foot Massage for Fabulous Summer Feet Discover how to give a fabulous foot massage to keep...
2. Kids Teach Yoga: Flying Eagle Soars Inspired by Ryley's song about eagles, Flying Eagle encourages children...
3. Enrich Body, Mind and Heart with Move With Me Action Adventures Kids yoga product review and giveaway. Children's yoga expert Leah...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This 3-part series includes:

1. Once Upon a Pose: What, Why & How of Yoga Adventure Stories – Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011
2. Reading Readiness with a Twist: Yoga & the Development of Early Reading Skills – Nov 2011
3. Ohmazing Children’s Literature: Books that Rock Kids Yoga Class – Jan 2012

Register for Part 1 – Once Upon a Pose

In this series you will learn:

• the proven most effective teaching modality for kids
• the 8 components for fun, creative kids yoga classes
• how to incorporate reading readiness skills seamlessly into your yoga classes
• the best books to inspire and engage kids

Who should attend? Yoga for Literacy is ideal for:

• pre-school and elementary teachers
• yoga instructors
• day care providers
• health care professionals (OTs, PTs, speech pathologists, pediatric nurses, pediatricians, etc)
• camp organizers and counselors
• parents & grandparents

For more information and to register for Part 1 Yoga for Literacy: Once Upon a Pose – Oct 25, 2011, 6:00 PDT/9:00 EST

Sign up for our newsletter (see RH side bar) for dates and times of Part 2 and 3, coming November 2011 and January 2012. All those who attend all three webinars will receive a Yoga for Literacy Certificate from Yogainmyschool.com.

Access the YIMS Library of Teacher Training Webinars

Related posts:

1. Webinar Registration Yoga for Literacy Register here for our upcoming Webinar Yoga for Literacy: Ohmazing...
2. Yogainmyschool Teacher Training Webinars Now Live Yogainmyschool Professional Development lets you learn from and interact directly...
3. Kids Yoga Develops Reading Readiness Most academic and career accomplishments depend on success in building...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The good folks over at Addriya have done it again. Created another fab yoga card deck, this time with a focus on small spaces.

Yoga for Small Spaces includes 52 large sized (5″x7″), heavy duty cards that can withstand lots of use. Each card features a yoga activity which can be done in a small space such as an office, classroom or airplane. The front of each card has a fun graphic which shows the pose and an object the pose is inspired by. The back is packed with information including step-by-step instructions, benefits, modifications and a positive affirmation.

One of the things I like best about the cards is the color coding system. Each card has a border which defines the health and behavior benefits such as Red: to help ground and support especially good for people that are nervous, anxious or fearful or Yellow to help foster self-esteem, risk-taking and leadership. I find this super helpful as a reference tool when preparing classes.

For years I have taught a popular Yoga with a Chair class in schools and for professional development workshops. Everyone is always amazed at the thorough and fun workout you can get by sitting in a chair. This yoga deck added to my repertoire of poses and is handy for a quick yoga game.

So if you think you can’t do yoga unless you move the furniture or have a yoga mat, block, strap and other props, think again. With Yoga for Small Spaces yoga can be done anywhere and the poses are ideal for all ages and abilities.

You can purchase your own deck for $19.99 from the Addriya on-line store.

To enter to win leave a comment below sharing the most unique location you’ve ever done yoga.

Additional Entries:

• Follow Addriya Yoga on Facebook and comment back here
• Share this review on Facebook with an @yogainmyschool.com mention (multiple entries allowed-max of one per day)
• Tweet it including an @DonnaKFreeman mention (multiple entries allowed- max of three per day, one hour apart): “Small Spaces Yoga Cards #giveaway @DonnaKFreeman @addriya“

Addriya generously donated resources for this review and giveaway. The opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Contest ends Friday, October 14th at 9:00 pm MDT. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and will have 48 hours to reply. Winners names will be published here, on Facebook and Twitter.

Update: Congrats to Julie Johnston who was very excited to win the Yoga for Small Spaces card deck.

Related posts:

1. Enrich Body, Mind and Heart with Move With Me Action Adventures Kids yoga product review and giveaway. Children's yoga expert Leah...
2. Yoga Man to the Rescue: Sun Salutations for Kids Yoga Man saves the day teaching kids Sun Salutations so...
3. Elahi Yoga Resources Ideal for Preschool Yogis Meet Buzz. "Buzz is a curious little bee" and he...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.