It is heartbreaking when children are diagnosed with cancer. The treatment affects not only them, but their families, doctors and communities as well. The treatments for cancer exhaust the body and it is difficult to watch as children become ill and bed-ridden from cancer treatment, when they would normally be out growing, playing baseball, having sleepovers and painting nails. During this treatment, both the minds and the bodies of children take a toll. They become exhausted, lose muscle, have stunted growth and  high levels of stress. For these reasons, many doctors have started recommending yoga as a therapy along with the normal cancer treatment regimen.

The breathing and meditative practices utilized in yoga are especially helpful to children, both physically and spiritually. On a spiritual level, it reduces the amount of stress and anxiety for both the children and their families. When we breathe, we breathe in prana, or life energy. By breathing slowly and deeply, children can learn to rid themselves of excess anxiety and emotions. It is also a way for parents to learn to remain calm and stress-free. When the parents are calm and reassuring, it allows for a better experience for the children.

Using breathing techniques also helps on a physical level. The body is able to eliminate more toxins and work more efficiently as more oxygen enters into it. The treatments for cancer are extremely toxic, which makes this technique beneficial. A breathing practice is also very helpful to children suffering from cancers that can inhibit their breathing, such as rare aggressive disease mesothelioma that is triggered from asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and wheezing. When breathing deeply using techniques taught through yoga, these symptoms can lessen.

During cancer treatment, children are often bed-ridden and hospital-bound. Their muscles deplete, and they are not engaging in the normal play that enables them to gain muscle and flexibility. Practicing asanas can help children gain back muscle strength, balance and flexibility. Asanas can also help children to gain more energy, which is something that many families say is an incredible benefit of yoga during cancer treatment.

A recent study completed by the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota has shown that yoga is a positive experience for both children and their families, and it can reduce anxiety in adolescents and adults. Yoga has proven to be an enjoyable practice for both children undergoing cancer treatment and their families. It can help to improve their physical health, energy levels and stress levels. Doctors, families and children have reported immense benefits from this treatment. After cancer, yoga gives children the techniques to live a more fulfilling and aware life.

Jillian McKee is a yoga enthusiast and cancer activist. She works as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Her time is spent mostly on outreach efforts and spreading information on complementary and alternative medicine use in cancer treatment. You can contact her at jilliansmckee@gmail.com and check out @CancerAlliance on Twitter and the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance on Facebook

Watch this video of a recent CBS report on alternative therapies which assist children diagnosed with cancer.

Photo from Crochet for Kids Cancer.

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Which is your fave?

How many varieties can you come up with?

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A new super hero is ready to squash harmful stress in Young Yoga Master’s Yoga Man vs The Stressor Sun Salutation Training Package. Taking her cue from comic books superheros Aruna Kathy Humphrys has created a child friendly, adventuresome and entertaining way to help children learn not only the poses which make up Surya Namaskar but also to teach them correct breathing, mental discipline and stress reduction principles.

This extensive package includes 112 pages filled with well prepared, age appropriate information and useful print-ables such as:

• Colouring Book: full page and quarter page versions of each pose
• Handout Activities: matching, fill in the blank, etc.
• Teacher’s Aid: with alignment details to ensure proper execution of each pose
• Pose Manual: detailed instructions including colour photos of boys performing the poses, precautions and super hero verbal cues ex: “Activate your core muscles at your ‘Power Centre’.”
• Games & Activities: 11 games to teach and expand application of Sun Salutations
• Secrets of the Sun Salutation: insight into our relationship with the sun and the light of consciousness

My favourite part of the package is the Games & Activities which provide creative ways to teach children about stress and ways to deal with it in their lives. Varying in duration (15-60 mins) each game is inspired by Sun Salutations, use the pose cards from the Colouring Book, and include reflection questions to deepen and expand the practice. The 11th Bonus Activity encourages groups to perform 108 Sun Salutations and provides instructions and hints on how to successfully hold a yoga fund raiser with kids.

Humphrys has taken a theme and developed it to the hilt. Boys everywhere will connect with Yoga Man in this classic battle of good vs evil. As they learn Sun Salutations children will become superheros and develop the skills to conquer The Stressor in their own lives.

Young Yoga Masters has generously provided a free giveaway of Yoga Man vs The Stressor (value of $39.00) to one lucky Yogainmyschool.com reader.

To enter leave a comment below telling of what Sun Salutations mean to you or some insight you gain when contemplating the sun (warmth, light, etc.)

For additional entries:

• Visit Young Yoga Masters on Facebook and post on their wall about the giveaway
• Share this review on Facebook with an @yogainmyschool.com mention (multiple entries allowed)
• Tweet about the contest on Twitter with an @DonnaKFreeman mention (multiple entries allowed) “Yoga Man teaching resource #giveaway rocks @DonnaKFreeman http://bit.ly/gYPXrg”

Contest closes on May 2nd, 2011 at 9:00 pm MDT. Winner will be chosen at random and their name will be posted here, on Facebook and Twitter.

To purchase a copy of this downloadable kids yoga teaching resource visit Young Yoga Masters.

For more information on how to encourage boys to do yoga check out the Yoga for Boys Interview.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sara Guenther who won our giveaway of Yoga Man vs. The Stressor. Thanks to all who entered. Watch for our next giveaway – a copy of Flying Eagle: Kids Teach Yoga DVD by Yoga Calm.

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Jillian is here to demonstrate. First she is going to reach way up on a big inhale, and exhale she is going to flop all the way down with her knees slightly bent and her arms are going to go up behind. Inhale reach all the way backup. Exhale come down again. Perfect.

Now we are going to get Jillian to turn to her side so that you can see it from a different angle. She is going to do this 10 times in a row in quite quick succession inhaling and exhaling at her own pace.

This is a great exercise. It…

• teaches how to move with the breath
• teaches how to take complete inhales and exhales
• improves flexibility in the back body while being a soft exercises, available to all
• helps to improve brain function - stimulates the proprioceptors through movement

For more information about yoga in classrooms and yoga for kids and teens please visit Yogainmyschool.com. Namaste.

Be sure to visit Yoga In My School TV on YouTube for more great videos on teaching yoga to kids.

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Musical Mats

Teacher Prep

Set out one yoga mat per participant. I often do this in a circle, oval or large rectangle with all mats facing into the center. Onto each mat place a yoga pose card. Try ABC Yoga Cards for Kids, The Kids Yoga Deck, Elevator Series Pose Cards, or make your own using our alphabetical list of poses. Have a bunch of fun, upbeat music uploaded to your iPod.

How to Play

Before beginning to play, review all poses to make sure everyone knows what they are expected to do and how to practice the poses properly and safely. Have students stand in a circle on the outside of the mats. When music plays students walk, skip, hop, walk backwards, etc. (something different each round is fun) around the mats. When the music stops each student claims a yoga mat and performs the corresponding pose on the mat’s yoga card. Encourage students to find a new mat each time.

Teacher’s Assistant Variation

Put out enough mats for one per student minus one (i.e. 15 students, 14 mats). Each time the music stops one student will be left without a mat. They are the Teacher’s Assistant and get to help everyone else perform their pose, giving suggestions and encouragement. Sometimes children will delay choosing a mat in order to be the Teacher’s Assistant. Make it understood that everyone will only get one opportunity to be the assistant. If someone really doesn’t want to be the assistant make a pose into a partner pose and go onto the next round.

Partner Poses Variation

Choose a partner. As the music plays walk together around the mats, holding hands or arms linked if desired. When music stops claim a mat and perform the partner pose which corresponds to that mat. This is great fun for a Family Yoga class or anytime you want to build connections and develop cooperation and social skills.

Themed Musical Mats

Pick a theme and choose only yoga poses and music which correspond to the theme. This is great for birthday parties, to reinforce concepts in a school unit (Insects, Shapes, Amazon, etc) or for seasonal yoga classes (Valentine’s, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween, etc)

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Bug Yoga

Preschool children love bugs. So today we are going to learn how to do some Bug Yoga. I’ve got Garner and Marcus here to help me.

The first pose we are going to do is butterfly pose. This pose stimulates the heart and stretches the thighs. You can tell the differences between a butterfly and a moth by the directions that their wings stay when they are at rest.

The second pose that we are going to do is dead bug pose. This is a great activity to open the hips and build listening skills.

The third bug pose that we are going to do today is spider pose. Sitting in row like a train while in easy pose we are going to sing the song Itsy Bitsy Spider. Switch places and sing various versions of the song. For example: The Edmonton Spider.

The Edmonton spider went up the water spout

Down came the snow and froze the spider out

Out came the sun and it didn’t do a thing

So the Edmonton spider stayed frozen until spring.

I hope you have enjoyed Bug Yoga today. The next time that you are out walking and your kids are totally engrossed in the creepy crawlies across the sidewalk make sure you come home and do some bug yoga and get them into their bodies, into their minds, into their spirits. For more ideas on teaching kids and teens yoga please visit http://www.yogainmyschool.com. Namaste.

What other Bug Yoga poses can you think of?

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Chair Pose – Utkatasana

Have you ever felt really sluggish and tired at school. Here’s a great way to energize your day. It’s called chair pose, utkatasana.

To do this pose you need to stand up nice and tall with your feet slightly apart. Then, bend your knees and stick your bum out as if you were sitting on a chair. From there, reach your arms up with your palms facing together. This is a fantastic pose to work the hips and the thighs and improve your lower body strength.

To really get a boost in your day we’re going to combine utkatasana with a breathing technique. As you inhale, reach up. Exhale, breathe out and bring your arms down with a ‘ha.’  Inhale reach out, exhale ‘ha’. Again. Up and out. Inhale up, exhale out. One more time. Inhale up and exhale out. And then return to standing.

Shake your legs out a bit before we go into the next part of this pose.

Chair Pose with a Twist

For the second part we are going to do utkatasana with a twist. So standing in mountain pose with your feet slightly apart. Come into chair pose, sitting your bum down, keeping your knees parallel to one another. Bring your hands to namaste in front of your heart. Inhale lengthen your spine. Exhale bring your elbow to your knee. Press your hands together. Press your knee against your upper arm. And keep breathing throughout the pose.

This kind of gets hard to do and you might feel your legs start to shake a little bit. That’s OK. Don’t worry about it.

Inhale come back to centre. Exhale and twist to the other side. Perfect. Very nicely done. Keep breathing. Remember you are working at increasing your energy and your strength. One more breath. Finally come back to centre and stand up.

And that’s utkatasana. It’ll help increase your energy whenever you are feeling tired.

For more kids yoga poses visit the alphabetical list of poses.

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Chair Dog (Downdog with a Chair)

Laura is going to show us how to do Downward Facing Dog pose with a chair, otherwise known as Chair Dog. Using a chair place it in front of you. Now, grabbing onto the back of the chair with your hands, you want to place your feet a little bit further back so that eventually your head comes down in between your arms and you make an ‘L’ with your body. If it’s difficult to make an ‘L’ because of tightness in the hamstrings or lower back, bend your knees and then push your hips back as far as you can push them. Your back will gradually lengthen and flatten. From there, if it is comfortable, straighten your legs maintaining the length through your back.

Hold this pose for a few breaths feeling the energy from your fingertips through to your hips and from your hips down into the ground and your feet. When you are ready come back to standing. And that’s Chair Dog.

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Standing Ragdoll Pose

To do Ragdoll Pose you want to reach way up with your arms, and then slightly bend your legs as you fall forward reaching for the floor. Let your head hand down, your arms hang down. Let go. Shake your head yes, shake your head no and take some deep, long breaths, letting your body sink a little bit further to the floor with each exhale. After a little while press into the floor with your feet and slowly roll yourself back up to standing one vertebrae at at time. Bring your hands to prayer or leave them by your side for one last inhale and exhale.

Seated Ragdoll Pose

Sitting on a chair, widen your feet and your knees wider than hips distance apart making sure that your knees are over the ankles and the feet are facing forward. From here reach up on an inhale, exhale keeping the length through the body cascade your torso through your knees. Bring your hands toward the floor, bending the elbows. softening your throat, letting your head hand down. Release the tension. Take a deep inhale, and exhale with an open mouth, ‘haaaaaaa.’ This is a fantastic pose for opening the hips, releasing tension, lowering blood pressure and simply to de-stress. Stay here for 5-15 breaths and when you are ready, slowly roll yourself up, taking your time, and return to a seated position.

Enjoy the feeling of rest and relaxation throughout the remainder of your day.

For more kids yoga videos visit YIMS TV on YouTube.

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Tricky Tree: Group Yoga Pose

In order to build focus and concentration a great pose is Tricky Tree. This is a partner or group pose.

Facing your partner or into the group, everyone needs to raise the same leg and give it to the person standing beside them. In this case we are going to raise the right leg, giving to the person at our right. This takes some teamwork and a lot of balance.

So once you are in the pose, you can then repeat something which requires rote memorization such as the days of the week in French.

dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi

When you are finished its nice to either step out of the pose, or if you are in a safe environment with no sharp edges, you can gently fall to the floor.

And that’s Tricky Tree.

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