I’m often asked when should children begin to practice yoga. My response is always “They are never too young.” In fact my children began soon after birth and toddlers believe the entire world is their yoga mat while many of their intuitive actions resemble yoga poses.

My First Yoga: Animal Posesby Abbie Davies is a lovely book ideal for the youngest yogis. The book comprises 10 animals poses including Monkey, Flamingo, Dog, Lion, Butterfly and others, accompanied by basic explanations and one major benefit for each. I especially like Mark Dormand’s darling illustrations of the animals and then a child doing the pose on the facing page making it easy to use and understand.

Ideally this book is suited for children ages 18 months to 3 years old. Older children may find it too simple. Personally I’d love to see a board book version which could withstand the rigors of regular use by busy little people.

There is also a handy iPhone app which provides flashcards of the illustrations in the book along with a narrative. I can definitely see using this in daycare centres and pre-schools or even handing it to your toddlers for them to amuse themselves.

Truly My First Yoga is a wonderful introduction to yoga and a great way to share mind/body activities with the little ones in your life. Leave a comment saying how you share yoga with your little yogis and your name will be entered in the draw. Draw date: June 30, 2010.

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Yoga Poses with Parachute

Space children evenly around the edge of the parachute. Perform various yoga poses while holding on with one or two hands. Some fun poses include: mountain pose, tree pose, warrior I and II, dancer and chair pose.

Popcorn

Place a number of balls (pingpong balls, tennis balls, beach balls, etc.) on top of the parachute. Everyone makes waves with the parachute and bounce the balls like popcorn. See if you can keep them all on the parachute or, alternatively, bounce them all off.

Mushroom

Everyone crouches down on the ground holding the parachute. On the count of three everyone stands up and raises the parachute above their heads. When the instructor says “Go” everyone brings the parachute down behind them to the ground and they sit under the parachute on the edge. You can tell a joke, riddle, or story while under the parachute.

Cat & Mouse

Pick two kids to be cats and two kids to be mice. Cats stay on top of the parachute, crawling trying to find the mice, who are crawling under the parachute. All other children are holding the parachute making waves to conceal the mice. Once the mice are found, it is time for new cats and new mice. Remind the cats that pouncing will end their turn.

Shark Attack

Chose 2-4 lifeguards and 2-4 sharks. Have the remaining children sit on the ground with their legs extended under the parachute and make waves with the parachute. The sharks crawl under the waves and try to drag children into the sea by pulling gently on their feet. When a child feels a shark attack he/she must yell for a lifeguard to save him/her. If the lifeguard gets there in time they can pull them out from under the parachute and they remain shaking and making waves. If the shark is successful the child becomes a shark. Remind children to not pull legs or arms very hard and to be careful under the parachute to avoid crashes.

The Grand Ole Duke of York

A song with actions

The Grand Old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill (Parachute Up)
And he marched them down again (Parachute down)
And he marched them to the left (Walk to the left)
And he marched them to the right (Walk to the right)
And he marched them up (Parachute Up)
And he marched them down (Parachute Down)
Oh what a silly sight (Shake the parachute really fast)

The Yogainmyschool.com Yoga Games page has a complete listing of fun and interactive games that will take your yoga class from good to great!

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Recently Manley sent me a copy of Battle with the Bugs, the second audio story and workbook in the series of Human Body Detectives. Each story takes Marrin and Pearl, characters based upon and voiced by Manley’s daughters, on health mysteries where they are magically transported into the body on an adventure.

With each audio CD comes a workbook full of crosswords, games, puzzles, jokes and stickers. My children immediately gravitated toward the stickers and colouring pages, while I had to gaffaw a few times at the corny jokes.  For example:

• “What do you call a germ who wants to have a good time? A FunGi (a fun guy)“
• “What did the left eye say to the right eye? Between us something smells.” 

I was most impressed that Manley didn’t simplify terminology (how many children’s books do you know that use the word ‘macrophage?’), but provided real information in a kid friendly manner. And don’t be surprised if the adults in the room also learn a thing or two about how the body works. Here is a teaser of the book for your enjoyment.

If you are looking for a fun, creative resource where children are teaching children in an engaging way, you’ll want to get your hands on these great books. They can be found at Human Body Detectives and on Amazon.

I can’t wait for the release of The Heart Pumping Adventure, Marrin and Pearl’s third adventure into the human body, due out this spring.

Dr Heather Manley has generously donated a copy of Battle with the Bugs to one lucky Yoga In My School Reader. Leave a comment below to enter into the draw.

Extra entries:

Email this post to 3 deserving friends and cc: donna@yogainmyschool.com.

Contest runs through April 30, 2010. Good luck.

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Amy Bevan (The PranaMama) enjoys using small, smooth, shiny stones in her kids yoga classes. These stones can easily be found at dollar stores, discount garden supply stores and craft stores. They are relatively inexpensive but are one of the heavier yoga props to cart around. “Magic stones” are a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day and connect with our planet.

Amy suggests using them in this manner:

While the small, smooth, shiny stones are a great play object for the tactile learner, the larger ones can also benefit kids who have a hard time settling down at night or simply relaxing after a busy activity.

In my pre-school yoga classes, I used these stones during Savasana, or the relaxation phase of class.  Once lying down with their eyes closed, I would lead a guided visualization. (Visit Magic Stones Help Calm Kids for an example.)

I would then pass out a magic stone to each child.  I remind them that this is their magic stone to keep, and by holding it in their hand, they can be transformed to the meadow, and to a feeling of peace and relaxation.  I suggest they can keep it in their pocket, their backpack or by their bedside.   Most kids are thrilled and want to compare theirs to the other children, and immediately share where they plan to keep it.

It’s amazing how a small, simple object can represent rest and relaxation, as well as peace and security, to a child.  You could also make up your own story about the stone and its magic powers.  I gave my own daughter a magic stone during a period of being afraid to go to sleep without one of her parents lying down with her, telling her it was a magic stone that would keep her safe and warm at night, helping her to fall asleep peacefully.  She would hold it tightly in her hand and allow us to leave her at bedtime.  My husband enjoyed more time together, instead of one of us spending the evening in the dark, waiting for her to fall asleep.  Everyone wins!

 Amy Bevan is a freelance writer, local reporter and host of The PranaMama, an online wellness and lifestyle magazine, and frequent contributor to the ChildLight Yoga Blog, The Kids Yoga Resource, as well as certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor and Itsy Bitsy Yoga facilitator.  Amy resides in South Berwick, ME with her husband and two young children.

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Young children can benefit greatly from practicing yoga. They have seen their parents take out their mat at home or head off to yoga class and are eager to participate just like Mom or Dad in their own yoga session. Lazy Lizards Yoga offers a DVD, yoga mat and clothing specifically designed for ages three and up.

My five-year-old was thrilled the day her mat arrived. She eagerly unwrapped it on the kitchen floor and immediately starting doing the poses printed on it. A few days later she proudly brought her mat to Kids Yoga class where the other students checked it out throughly, again imitating the poses conveniently displayed on it’s surface. This yoga mat made her feel like the coolest kid in the class.

Some poses are given child-friendly names which was somewhat confusing to my child as she has been doing yoga for years and was somewhat confused when Tree Pose (vrksasana) was called Flamingo Pose. Yes, it does look like a Flamingo, but I always make an effort when teaching children to let them know the real pose names as well as any adaptations we’ve created. Renaming yoga poses, however, is nothing new to yoga for kids as the process (movement, breathing, looking inward, etc.) is more important than the label.

The program’s principle focus is obviously the children. Throughout the DVD, fun, creative poses and activities are taught at age appropriate levels. A sense of play and exploration prevails as the instructor gently leads children through a warm-up, mat poses, and additional activities in an outdoor park setting. My personal favourite was making a pizza which focused on forward bends. The DVD also gives adults a good sense of what a yoga class or practice will be like with pre-schoolers, and how to encourage them to try the poses and stay on task.

 The combination of DVD and mat help make practicing yoga an independent activity. Children are able to take ownership of their yoga practice which builds self-esteem.

Based on the Radiant Child Yoga program developed by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, Karen Allaire’s Lazy Lizards Yoga is a fun introduction to yoga for young children.

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 Upon learning of his good fortune Andre said,

 I am excited to have won a copy of What I See, I Can Be. I look forward to using it in kids yoga class in the near future.

Thanks to everyone who commented. I love to give things away and spread the yoga love. There are some more great give aways in the works so stayed tuned and keep those comments coming.

If you are looking to win a copy of Once Upon a Pose zip over to The Kids Yoga Resource as they are giving away a copy this week.

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The typical gross motor delay, low muscle tone and impaired coordination of ASD often result in low self-esteem and lack of confidence which can extend to other areas of life. Yoga is an appropriate and enjoyable physical program which improves strength and tone in the muscles, develops balance, and increases body awareness. Even fine motor skills will be improved as yoga emphasizes being in tune with the entire body, hands and fingers, feet and toes.

Children with ASD may also suffer from sensory issues including sensitivity to light, noise, taste, texture, or smell. Furthermore, they may repeat movements that seem uncontrollable (stim behaviours). Yoga can help with these symptoms by soothing the nervous system and allowing pent-up energy to be released from the body in a non-competitive, peaceful manner. 

The breathing techniques and guided visualization exercises also assist by reducing stress, teaching coping techniques, and providing a sense of calm and acceptance. Once a child has learned some of these exercises they can use them anytime, anywhere.

When teaching yoga, take things slowly, introducing poses incrementally as comfort levels allow. Work on basic poses (Mountain, Tree, Cat, Warrior, etc.) and breathing exercises. Build one pose at a time, gradually adding more options.

To create visual stimulation and connections, line up stuffed animals or pictures of animals at the front of the room. Follow the line of animals, doing the pose for each in turn, creating an effective pattern. A similar exercise is to place the stuffed animals or pictures in a pile and have them picked at random, doing the corresponding pose each time.

Music is also a powerful tool for children with ASD because it provokes engagement and interest. Drumming, chanting, singing and moving to music are effective ways to engage individuals and helps to stimulate the emotional center of the brain.

A fantastic resource for teachers or parents wanting to use yoga for children with ASD is Yoga For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Dion E. Betts. For further information regarding Autism Spectrum Disorders, visit the Autism Society of Canada or Autism Today, which has over 2,500 articles and many resources.

Watch for more articles on this important topic with expert in yoga for children with autism Rachel Greb of Yoga Sprouts. Subscribe through RSS or e-mail today so as not to miss a single one.

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Janet William’s book What I See, I Can Be is a lovely guided yoga flow for children. The book is beautiful with engaging colour illustrations of each object and two sweet children, one boy and one girl, doing the corresponding pose. Some of the poses included are mountain, tree, triangle (kite), cat, cobra, child’s (mouse), bow, and seated forward bend (oyster). The yoga flow itself is well thought out and child appropriate, with step-by-instructions that are easy to follow.

Williams has done a lovely job of engaging children’s imaginations with her vivid descriptions. I especially like Bridge pose (drawbridge).

I lie on my back and I place my feet on the ground. I bring my feet close to my bottom and my knees point to the sky. A ship is ready to leave the harbour and head out to sea. I put my hand on my back and lift my tummy high into the air. I breathe as the ship slowly sails under the bridge. I am a Bridge. When the ship is through, I slowly lower the Drawbridge by bringing my back flat onto the ground.

I fully appreciated the included audio CD as it enabled my five year old to follow along independently doing the poses with the book at the front of her yoga mat. When asked which pose was her favourite, she answered, “The lying down one” referring to the Meadow page where the children are lead through an active progressive muscle relaxation while in Corpse pose. I think this age is ideal for the book and they will enjoy the calming music while being able to do yoga all by themselves. The book is aimed at children 3-9 years old.

The series of supporting materials is one of the great things about this book. A colouring and activity book, poster of poses, and teacher resource materials help round out this resource for teachers, parents, day-care providers or health professionals who may not have a back ground in yoga but want children to enjoy its many benefits.

Williams firmly believes in promoting healthy and active children. This book is a wonderful way in which to do exactly that.

The book has a special introductory price of $23.97 CAN +taxes and is available at Childrens Yoga Books.

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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.

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• stay motivated to healthy living
• get inspired to tackle new challenges
• keep yoga in your heart
• find the time to do it all
• enjoy life

throughout the coming year. I’ve found a number of inspiring and fun yoga calendars available for 2010 to help. Here is a run-down of my favourites.

Yoga Journal 2010 Wall Calendar

As always the YJ produces a beautiful and inspiring calendar. The location shots are as amazing as the yogis performing the poses.

Innerwear Clothing 2010 Calendar

Clean and light hearted. You’ll enjoy these photos of 16 LA yogis having fun and performing amazing poses. I can’t decide if my favourite photo is April or October. All proceeds go toward Casa de Milagros orphanage in Peru.

Yoga Dogs 2010

For the dog lover with a sense of humour. My kids especailly love this calendar and have been trying to get our Sharpei cross Buddy to perfrom the poses. You go Yoga Dog!

Yoga Cats 2010

Can’t forget the cat enthusiasts. If only I could be so flexible. Visit yoga cats to see all the pictures. This addition is for Jean, my mother in law.

Daily Yoga Meditations 2010

Daily mediations to keep you on your personal yoga journey. Lovely and insightful. I’ll use these to set the tone for my adult classes and provide focus during savasana.

Wishing you all the best in 2010.

Become a fan on Facebook and join the growing community of YIMS enthusiasts.

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