Donna Freeman, founder of Yoga In My School and host of the podcast, recently sat down and chatted with Joanne Spence about her new book Trauma Informed Yoga (release date March 9. 2021).
Listen to their conversation about trauma, the importance of becoming trauma informed, polyvagal theory and why it’s important, and specific tools that everyone/anyone can use to help self regulate.
Enter to win a copy of her book. Contest runs March 1-8, 2021. Open to all 18 years of age and over. Winner will be contacted via email. Multiple entries encouraged.
My gift to you this holiday season. Daily doses of peace, calm, and connection. Enjoy 25 days of movement, mudras, and meditations that invite joy and reduce stress through short videos that foster calm and connection in your life.
Mindfulness in schools is a hot topic. Studies prove its effectiveness at helping children reduce stress, self regulate and focus.
Now available is a series of Mindfulness Moments board books to enable even the youngest child to cultivate skills to feel calm wherever they are. Musician, kids yoga expert and author, Kira Willey, joins us to talk about her latest endeavor to help children manage body, breathe and emotions.
Listen to the podcast here
Some topics we cover:
the importance of music, movement and mindfulness
the evolution of Kira’s career from musician to author
how to teach the littlest yogis mindfulness
ways to incorporate mindful moments into your day
Enter to win the giveaway
Enter below to win a signed copy of Mindfulness Moments for Kids: Breathe Like a Bear OR Mindfulness Moments for Kids: Listen Like an Elephant. Kira has one of each book. Two winners will be chosen. Multiple entries allowed. Contest open to resident of USA and Canada. Contest ends Oct 26 at 12:00 am.
Bea is anxiously waiting for her friends to show up for her birthday party. Discover how Bea’s thoughts take over and what she does to find calm so she can enjoy her party.
We’ll discuss the rise in anxiety issues in youth, how mindful breathing and visualization can help manage anxiety, and the importance of mindfulness in schools to promote physical and emotional well-being.
Listen here
Enter to win a copy of Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree
Contest runs midnight April 12 to April 19 and is open to participants in the USA and Canada. Multiple entries allowed including daily tweeting. Enjoy and share!
This is one of my favorite mindfulness techniques. I often use it at the beginning of class to set the tone and allow everyone the opportunity to slow down and check in. The activity can be done anywhere but this script is for a classroom where students are seated at their desks. I highly recommend it, especially for teens and tweens. Speak slowly, allow for pauses and space for participants to look inward.
Body, Mind, Mood, Breath
Invite everyone to get comfortable sitting back in their chair or with heads down on desks. Maybe eyes are closed or turned down to encourage focus and minimize distractions.
Turn the attention inward to how you are feeling.
What is going on in your body? Is there any tension? Softness? Aches? Openness? Just notice without judging or trying to change it.
Now observe your mind. What is it’s level of activity? It is busy? Calm? Stuck on one thing? Or jumping from thought to thought?
Now notice your mood. How are you feeling today? What are you bringing into class? Can you name the mood you are currently in? Allow whatever it is to be without judgement.
Now turn your attention to your breath. Notice the inhalation and the exhalation. Is it fast, slow, steady, ragged, smooth, warm, cool? Where in your body do you feel the breath?
Take two more breaths. Simply observe. When you are ready open your eyes.
Kids have big emotions. Often they don’t know how to manage these emotions, what to do, how to express themselves or how to find that place of calm inside.
Today’s guest on the Yoga In My School podcast is Sara Pletcher. Sara is a teacher and author passionate about helping teachers help kids. She writes about topics that lead to important conversations to foster awareness, self regulation and integration. Her latest book, Ride the Wind, is a colorful exploration of feelings and thoughts.In her creative way our heroine Genelle, taught by her Mom, shows us how to Ride the Wind through mindfulness and visualizations.
Join us as we explore contemplative practices for young children. Discover tips on teaching kids how to manage emotions and ways you can support your children in fostering mindfulness and meditation practices to last a lifetime.
Gabi Garcia is passionate about helping kids to be kind to themselves, to listen to their bodies and to their hearts.
Join Yoga In My School founder, Donna Freeman, as she chats with counsellor, teacher, author Gabi Garcia about how we can foster positive self talk and emotional awareness in children.
Gabi’s beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written books, Listening to My Body and Listening with My Heart, are for parents, teachers and practitioners who are helping children learn mindfulness and calming practices. Discover tools that you can use today with the children in your life. You may even find yourself employing self-regulation and self-compassion skills more often in your own life.
Listen to the interview here:
Gabi Garcia Books Giveaway
Enter to win copies of Gabi’s books in either English or Spanish below.
Contest runs June 7-14 and is open to participants in USA and Canada. No purchase necessary. Winner randomly chosen will be contacted via email or Instragram messaging and have 24 hr to claim their prize.
Lazy 8 Breath or Infinity Breath is one of my favorite shape breathing techniques. I find this shape extremely soothing. Added bonus is the cross lateral work that connects left and right hemispheres of the brain helping to calm and focus.
When teaching young children provide them a printout which they can trace with their finger as they learn how to practice Lazy 8 Breath.
Once you have learned the technique you can trace an imaginary lazy 8 with your finger on your desk, your hand, your thigh, wherever. Repeat 8 times since it’s a lazy “8”.
This breathing technique is especially effective to calm and focus. Use it before exams to overcome test anxiety and invite a relaxed, alert state of mind.
For more breathing and mindfulness techniques join our Teacher’s Lounge.
We are thrilled to share with you the new I Am Peace by Susan Verde. Susan recently found time to chat with us about the book.
I Am Peace invites all to calm our busy minds by focusing on the here and now. With touching illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds I Am Peace shows a variety of ways to connect with self, nature and others through compassionate awareness.This empowering book provides children numerous mindfulness tools they can use to calm down and the peace that comes from enjoying simple pleasures.
Listen Here:
Yoga In My School podcast on iTunes
If you enjoyed this interview rate and review the show so others can find it.
Once you have visited Yoga In My School on Facebook, click I VISITED, then Tweet the giveaway for additional entries. You can Tweet daily. Enter often for your best chance to win.
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helps students and educators handle the stress of modern life through mindfulness, movement, neuroscience and positive psychology.
Mindful Essentials for Educators
Bring Mindful Essentials to your staff
Empower your staff with tools that help students to calm down, self regulate and manage stress. Discover easy to implement and highly effective tools and strategies to reduce stress, promote well-being and produce positive school outcomes. We offer in-person and virtual video conferencing workshops making it convenient and easy to learn and implement Mindful Essentials into your organization. World wide service available.
Email: info@yogainmyschool.com
Call/text: 780-903-6544
Mindful Essentials Classroom Sessions
Bring Mindful Essentials to your students
Each session of Mindful Essentials incorporates mindfulness tools in a straight forward and intentional way using five elements
Breathe
Connect
Affirm
Stretch
Relax
These elements teach fundamental life skills which can be immediately applied into daily life to help manage the stress of modern life. Classes include video, discussions, mindfulness practices, movement session and relaxation.
The world needs more love, compassion and understanding.
Metta is a Pali word meaning Loving Kindness. This is a simple yet profound practice which directs our intentions to wishing ourselves and others happiness and peace. Loving Kindness Meditation helps us understand that all beings deserve compassion. I always use this meditation during February to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Loving Kindness Metta Meditation (length 5:35)
We love teaching the magic of mindfulness to kids and teens. It’s easy and amazingly effective. Learn how.
This holiday season cultivate a sense of gratitude and loving kindness with this quick metta mindfulness practice.
Close your eyes, take a couple slow deep breaths
Imagine someone who is loving and kind – a friend, relative, pet, teacher, spiritual leader, mentor
Take a moment to bring their image to mind and feel as if you are looking into their eyes
Imagine that person saying to you “May you be happy. May you be healthy, May you be safe. May you be at peace.” (You can use your own words or aspirations)
Now say the same words back to that person with feeling and intention
Now imagine your family or those who you will spend the holidays with, some of which you may not always get along. Wish them well using these same words.
Allow these words and the feeling behind them to resonate within you. Take your time. Invite gratitude and loving kindness to grow within your heart and mind.
Enjoy your holidays with a greater sense of thanksgiving and love for all.
Trauma Informed Parenting with Hala Khouri November 10, 2022
The incredible Hala Khouri is our guest in this episode of the Yoga In My School podcast.Hala brings her extensive expertise in somatic experiencing, psychology, social justice, movement, and mindfulness as we discuss trauma informed parenting. Discover parenting with curiosity and awareness of our own conditioning so we can be more sensitive to the complex […]
