Yoga In My School » benefits

Five Good Moments: Focus on the Positive to Increase Happiness

DonnaKFreeman — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:42:58 +0000

Mindfulness Games for Kids & Teens

We often get stuck on negative moments and enlarge their significance. This game teaches children and youth to pay attention to the events of each day and intentionally focus on the positives. It encourages paying close attention, living in the moment and appreciating all that life has to offer. Learning to pay attention to how different moments/events make us feel is an important skill leading to emotional intelligence, improved self understanding and greater compassion and empathy.

Five Good Moments

Suggest to your ‘Negative Nelly’ (my apologies to all the positive Nelly’s out there) that they pay attention today/this week to moments that make them feel good and try to find five different ones. The moment might be a thought that inspires, a view that is lovely and makes them pause, an interaction with someone, etc. What it is doesn’t matter. What matters is that for at least a moment it made them feel good. You do the same. When you get together at the end of the day/in class next week, share your five good things with one another.

We do this as a family each evening, each person saying one thing at a time in a circle, and call it “Thankful For.” Often at the end of a full day the responses are, “I’m thankful for bed, pillows, sleep, etc.” When the offerings get generic and often repeated (my family, my friends, my home) we remind the kids to think of something specific from today (a trip to the park, the colours of the clouds at sunset, the taste of fresh picked berries, etc). We also occasionally switch it up by saying “If I were so-and-so (the family member to their right or left) I would be thankful for…” This is always an interesting exercise and prompts some insightful observations. It also helps teach children to think about others and what happened of importance in someone else’s life that day.

Over the next while YIMS will be providing numerous mindfulness and compassionate living exercises and games so be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) in order to get them delivered directly to your reader or in-box.

photo by Hamed Saber

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Kids Yoga Poses – Deer Pose – Marichiyasana II

DonnaKFreeman — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:02:58 +0000

This pose is often referred to in kids yoga as deer pose because it resembles a deer bounding through the forest. I often use this pose to represent deer, gazelle, springbok, even zebra, and as we look back over the shoulder we are watching for lions, wolves, or other predators who may be chasing us. Technically it is called Marichiyasana II, or the Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi version II (there are three versions) . Marichi is the son of Brahma (creator of the universe), one of seven great sages, and is considered as the Vedic Adam or the ‘father’ of humanity. Whatever you call it, this pose is a wonderful twist that helps to balance the body, tone the internal organs, and strengthen the spine.

marichiyasana ii

Deer Pose – Marichiyasana II

Sit, feet stretched out on the floor in front of you
Bend the right leg placing the foot a hand’s span from the left thigh
Hug your knee with both arms and sit tall
Place the right hand on the floor behind you, inhale as you reach up with the left hand
Exhale and twist your torso to hug your right knee with the left arm, look behind you
Release, returning to center
Repeat on the other side

Benefits:stimulates the liver and stomach, tones the digestive system, opens the shoulders and spine, improves posture

Watch this video of how to perform the pose.

Visit the alphabetical list of poses for a full listing of yoga poses that are safe and fun for kids and teens. More poses are added regularly so be sure to subscribe via RSS or e-mail to have them delivered directly to your reader/in-box.

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Beat with Heat with Yoga for Summer: Guest Melina Meza

DonnaKFreeman — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:08:09 +0000

Gear up for summer sizzle just in time for the summer solstice with seasonal yoga tips from Melina Meza, BS Nutr, 500-RYT, of Seattle’s 8 Limbs of Yoga Centers. Discover how adjusting your lifestyle in accordance with the seasons improves life’s natural rhythms and prevents seasonal imbalances. Summer brings fire and water elements to the forefront. Melina will share ayurvedic tips for keeping cool including food, routines and the what, when and how of asana practice. Maintain a yogic life while on vacation or during the typical summer slow-down as you beat the heat and stay happy and healthy mentally, physically and spiritually.

Original air date: June 17, 2010

Learn more about seasonal yoga and Melina Meza on her website. You can also find her on YouTube and @melinameza on Twitter.

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My Favourite Colour: A Guided Visualization for Relaxation

DonnaKFreeman — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:28:06 +0000

Relaxation is essential. Learning to relax is key to a healthy lifestyle, stress relief, and knowing oneself. Children today are over-stimulated, over-programmed, and often have no idea what true relaxation looks or feels like. I often encourage educators, parents, health professionals and youth leaders that if nothing else from all that yoga has to offer for children, please, please teach the children in your life how to relax.

For all of you who have attended my workshop Once Upon a Pose, this short guided visualization will bring back wonderful memories of the last few minutes we spent together exploring the world of children’s yoga. My Favourite Colour is the guided visualization included at the back of the FREE e-book The Pet Store/L’animalerie, which you can download by entering your name and e-mail in the right side bar.

So close your eyes, sit back, and breathe.

Many more guided visualizations for relaxation which are easy to do with children are included in the book Once Upon a Pose: A Guide to Yoga Adventure Stories for Children, Chapter #6: Relaxation.

I hope you have a wonderful day filled with light, vitality and energy. Namaste.

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Planting Seeds of Personal Growth in Life’s Garden

DonnaKFreeman — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:50:14 +0000

I love spring! It’s my favourite season. Finally the long, dark, cold days of winter have been left behind, the earth begins to awaken, the first flowers burst from the ground to brighten each new dawn.

This year spring was late, very late, in arriving to Alberta. In fact, it snowed on May 30th. Insane country that I live in. Now, however, everyone is rushing around trying to get their gardens in before it is too late. You see our growing season may be short (June to September) but with 16-18 hours of daylight in June and July (yes, the sun sets around 10:00-10:30 and rises about 4:30-5:00) and rich fertile soil, things grow well.

Every year I anxiously look forward to digging around in my garden plot. My children are each given a section to cultivate and enjoy the trip to the green house to select their flowers and vegetables. Last year my son grew a salsa garden filled with tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilantro. My girls often get distracted by beautiful flowers but also like to throw in some brocolli, spinach, and carrots. Then for about one or maybe two weeks they water it faithfully and daily check to see if anything has grown. Just when they are about to lose interest the first green shoots emerge through the soil.

I love to take this time to teach them about what needs to happen under the surface before you can see the results. It’s much like life. Change and personal growth doesn’t usually begin on the outside. It has to take root, to germinate deep inside of us long before we can see any visible differences. Some seeds take a while and you can’t rush them. However, if they are a good seed and you tend them carefully, providing adequate water and sunshine and fertile growing conditions, then the seeds will flourish and grow to bear beautiful flowers and delicious fruit.

So dig in, plants seeds, and watch in amazement at the growth which results.

A great site with tips and how to’s for getting kids into gardening is Gardening with Kids.

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Kids Yoga Poses – Gate Pose – Parighasana

DonnaKFreeman — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:56:06 +0000

Gate pose is a lovely side stretch which resembles a beam (parigha) used to latch a gate. This is a terrific pose for kids because it teaches balance while maintaining a solid foundation. It also focuses on elongating the side body, an often forgotten part of the torso, which helps to improve posture. Be careful not to collapse on the folding side by focusing on lifting both sets of side ribs. As well, its common for the lifted arm to come to the front of the body, so be sure that the gaze goes under the arm which will open the chest (fantastic for asthmatics, allergies, or anyone with pulmonary issues). I use this pose with stories such as Garden Delight and Farmyard Fun or anywhere someone needs to enter a special or magical place by going through the gate. You can also use the Double Gate #2 as a partner pose for a butterfly.

Gate Pose – Parighasana

gate pose

Kneel tall, extend the right leg out straight to the side, toes forward
Keep your shoulders and hips squared to the front
Place the right hand on the right leg
Reach overhead with the left arm, keep reaching over toward the right, feeling a lovely stretch along the left side
Gaze forward or look upward toward the inner elbow and hold for a few breaths
Repeat on the other side

Benefits: stretches the side of the torso, opens the shoulders, stretches the hamstrings, increases lung capactiy by lengthening the intercostal muscles, improves circulation and spinal flexibility.

Double Gate – Partner Pose Variations

Face your partner. Come into Gate Pose reaching for your partners straight leg with the underside arm and joining your raised hands overhead (as if you are unlatching a gate which is almost out of reach).
Kneel beside your partner. Extend the outside leg straight. Reach away from one another with the upper arm (looks like butterfly wings).
Kneel a distance away from your partner. Extend one leg toward your partner so that the feet touch. Reach the arm overhead until you join hands forming an arch. You can join both hands and perform a simple twist by bringing the upper arms down then back up, repeating a few times.

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Good Posture Vital for Kids and Teens

DonnaKFreeman — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:41:47 +0000

“Stand up straight!”

We’ve all heard it, maybe even said it. But what does it mean? Most often the response is tensing the muscles, sticking the chest out and pulling the head back. WRONG! The spine has two natural curves (called double C or S curves) which help to maintain balance, allow movement and absorb shock (like springs). When you stand up straight you need to allow these natural curves to do their work. As you do so, your posture, muscle tone and overall health will improve.

Why Bother with Good Posture

Poor posture looks bad – slouching conveys a lack of interest, energy and vitality
Poor posture is unhealthy – bad habits can cause problems with joints, muscles, the spine & internal organs
Good posture commands respect – carry yourself with confidence and others will look to you as a leader
Good posture feels better – optimism, good health and positive self esteem result from working with the body instead of against it

Standing Tall: Discover the Mid-line

Properly performing mountain pose is the first step to improving and maintaining good posture. Your aim is to learn about the mid-line of the body which divides the body into front and back, left and right. For most individuals this means

standing a little more onto the front of the foot instead of resting the weight back on the heals
allowing the hips to become level by balancing equally on both feet
engaging the core muscles to support the spine
leveling the shoulders to form a T with the spine
imagining the crown of the head lifting up as if attached to a helium balloon

When first learning how to stand up straight it is sometimes helpful to use a full length mirror to visually reinforce what level looks and feels like. Numerous other yoga poses are fantastic for improving posture. Check out the Alphabetical List of Poses for more information.

StraightenUp has this poster with easy to do exercises for kids which help promote good posture.

Sitting Tall: Wow, Sitz Bones

One pose that is extremely helpful to teaching good posture when sitting is boat pose. Whenever I teach this pose, the students and I discuss sitz bones (ischial tuberosity), those boney protrusions on the bottom of the pelvis, and how they differ in purpose with the tail bone (coccyx). It’s important to sit on your sitz bones, its what they were made for, not on your tail bone, to maintain proper curves of the spine, allow the internal organs space to function, permit full use of the lungs, and lengthen the hamstrings.

An easy way to discover your sitz bones is to sit on the floor with your feet in front of you, legs bent, hands on knees. Extend your spine and lift your chest. You are now on your sitz bones. Roll back so that you are sitting on your tailbone. Roll forward and feel your sitz bones ‘click’. Repeat rolling back and forth until you are aware of how it feels to sit on your sitz bones.

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Yoga during Algebra? – Donna Freeman talks about the benefits on Breakfast Television

DonnaKFreeman — Mon, 10 May 2010 06:28:57 +0000

Yoga during algebra? A good arguement for it in this BT Bite!

It’s great for your breathing, flexibility and stress relief and it isn’t just for grown-ups. Donna Freeman is the founder of YogaInMySchool.com, an innovative program aimed at kids and teens, and she joins Breakfast Television with a few young friends.

Teens are at an ideal age to practice yoga. It helps them de-stress, focus, develop mentally, emotionally and physically, get to know themselves and become all they can be.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Once Upon A Pose – Donna Freeman on Breakfast Television – Edmonton

DonnaKFreeman — Mon, 10 May 2010 06:15:05 +0000

Yoga instructor Donna Freeman chats about her new book, Once Upon a Pose, which makes it easy to bring yoga into the classroom during this BT Bite. She also brings some kids along to demonstrate various poses and show how fun and easy yoga for kids can be.

Once Upon a Pose is written specifically for parents, teachers, daycare workers, youth leaders, health care professionals and anyone interested in promoting healthy living for children. At a recent conference one attendee said, “This is by far the best teacher resource I’ve ever bought.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Tim Thomas Hockey All Star & Yoga Master

DonnaKFreeman — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:59:40 +0000

The Boston Bruins are on a roll. Monday night they won against the Sabres and are now heading into the next round of the NHL playoffs.

Tim Thomas, a goalie for the Boston Bruins, uses yoga to enhance his hockey performance and stay on top of his game both physically and mentally. Check out this video to discover how he does it.

Tim Thomas is considered one of the Top 10 Goalies in Bruins History. We are thrilled with the example he is setting for young hockey players and other elite athletes.

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