Guest post by Edward Stern

It is no secret that life is stressful for children. Peer pressure, academics, and trouble at home, coupled with a busy extracurricular schedule, scarcely give kids a second to breath let alone decompress. Stress builds up overtime, and very few children are actually given the tools to deal with the stress of school and being an adolescent.

Yoga provides a perfect outlet for stressed out youngsters and gives them the tools to deal with stress in the other facets of their busy lives. At the very least, it is a time out of a given day to focus on their own physical and emotional well-being and put negative feelings on the backburner.

Many parents feel athletics are a good stress reliever for their child, and in many cases they are, but oftentimes the competition from other players and their coaches only adds to stress. Yoga is a non-competitive way to do a healthy physical activity without adding stress.

Yoga also provides the tools students need to deal with stress outside of the studio. They learn to meditate and learn breathing exercises for calming. Students can learn to find a quiet classroom and perform these rituals to take a second for themselves, away from all the pressures of school, academics, and other students.

Students who learn yoga and its ways of dealing with stress get a head-start in life. A large part of the battle of growing up is learning how to manage oneself in a healthy manner that strikes balance and finds ways to achieve emotional and physical well-being. A healthy body inspires a healthy mind and vice versa. The lessons learned in yoga will be ones seldom found elsewhere — teachers do not have the time to teach stress management in their classrooms, which are already stressful environments, and guidance counselors are overloaded and often undertrained.

Yoga classes offer something schools cannot: a true peace of mind, and a way to return to this peace of mind amongst times of stress, disorder, and unease. Yoga gives children a leg up by teaching them how to release complex emotions, ones made more difficult by the sheer act of being inexperienced in the world. The teachings of yoga are time-tested and have been helping adults manage their stress; now, it is time for children to receive the same tools.

Edward Stern is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on Accredited Online Universities for Guide to Online Schools.

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Welcome to labyrinth week. This week we’ll be exploring the wonderful world of labyrinths and how children and teens can use these ancient tools to discover themselves, learn mindfulness, reduce stress, increase fine and gross motor skills, practice math, gain appreciation for nature, explore world history and much more.

To kick off the week we have an interview with Rev. N. Elaine Nagy, the Labyrinth Facilitator at the St Albert United Church, where on the last Friday of every month they hold a labyrinth walk.

Q: What is a labyrinth?

A:  It’s a path. The kind of labyrinths that we use in place like a church, or in a garden, it’s a path that’s used often to help people connect with something beyond themselves.

Q: Why do people walk labyrinths?

A: The reason I walk a labyrinth is that I find it an easier way for me to connect with God. Lots of times people who start walking labyrinths have had some big change happen in their life. They are sad for some reason, or they are having to make a big decision, and so when they walk on the labyrinth it is an opportunity to let go of what’s bothering them, it’s an opportunity for them to understand what they are worried about in a new way. And sometimes it helps them to feel a lot better about what is going on, so that they feel more peaceful.

Q: Where are some famous labyrinths?

A: The most famous labyrinth in the world is in Chartres Cathedral in France which is about 45-60 minutes by train to the west of Paris. The reason its so famous is that is the only labyrinth from the middle ages left intact in a church. I’ve been to that labyrinth. It’s a stone labyrinth in the floor. This is a picture of it right here. Labyrinths used to be popular for hundreds of years and then they fell into disuse and so they got ripped out. The story I like to tell about this labyrinth is that it used to have copper in the center of it but it doesn’t anymore because Napoleon needed the copper. He was a famous leader in France. He was so desperate for metal to fight his wars that he even took the copper out of the middle of the labyrinth for his cannons and for metal to fight his enemies.

They say that originally that piece of copper had a Greek mythical figure in it because even though it is old, there are labyrinths that are much older: in Greece, in Crete. There are labyrinths there that are thousands of years old. And then among the Hopi people of Arizona they have labyrinths that are very old too. Labyrinths have been found in rocks and caves, thousands and thousands of years old, in different parts of the world. But the one in Charters you can actually see and still walk.

Q: Do you have any advice when walking a labyrinth?

A: My biggest advice would be to not treat it like a toy, but to treat it like something special. It’s not a trick. It’s not a puzzle. It’s a special place. The same way that you probably have special places you’ve been, someplace you’ve been on vacation, or grandma’s house, or someplace you like to be. I hope that a labyrinth might be a place that you enjoy going to. Whether just to be alone with yourself, or to think about something, or to just feel good and peaceful. So if you treat it like that, rather than a place for playing games, though children love to be free and to run in labyrinths and that’s a good thing. Always remember that it is a special place and that it’s meant not only for us to enjoy but for us to connect with something bigger than ourselves. I think my advice would be enjoy them, but always remember that it’s a special place.

Thank you.

Thank you for asking.

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Calm Your Class in One Minute with a Breathing Sphere

guest post by Jim Gillen

Because breathing patterns have such a profound effect on our general health and mental states, breath awareness is at the heart of almost all yoga practices. Breathing interacts with and affects the cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal and muscular systems. It also has general effects on sleep patterns, memory, energy levels and concentration.

Watch a baby at rest, and you’ll see a good example of healthy breathing. The pattern is relaxed, slow and wavelike. Every bone, muscle and organ moves with each breath. Unhealthy breathing, by contrast, is rigid or inappropriate to the situation and often exhibits excess muscle tension.

While abnormal breathing patterns vary, they’re often high in the chest, overly fast and shallow. Often, there’s no pause at the end of the exhalation. There may even be breath-holding or gulping. Such habits reinforce feelings of tension, agitation and anxiousness. By contrast, a healthy breathing pattern elicits a relaxation response, shifting the nervous system from fight-or-flight mode to a state of relaxed alertness.

One of our favorite ways of teaching and encouraging children to breathe healthfully is by using a Hoberman breathing sphere – a popular children’s toy that’s basically a geodesic dome made of jointed segments. By lightly pushing or pulling it on opposite sides, you can make it expand or contract, accordion-style. The movement serves as a visual model for the type of breathing we want the kids to imitate by helping them see and synchronize their breath with movement.

How to Use A Hoberman Sphere

The teacher or other supervising adult may lead the group or – something we like to do – encourage one of the kids to lead, establishing the breathing rhythm. As the leader slowly expands the sphere, all inhale deeply and slowly through the nose, from the belly. The leader then pauses, emulating the short, natural pause that happens at the “top” and “bottom” of each healthy breath. As the leader contracts the sphere, all exhale through the nose just as slowly.

This efficient diaphragmatic breath is like watching the waves at the beach, with each breath swelling up from abdomen to chest and back down again.

The expansion-contraction cycle may be repeated as many times as necessary, but we find 5-10 cycles to be effective for helping the group calm and focus through this simple breath work.

Rhythm and slowness are two keys to using a breathing sphere effectively. By  consciously  slowing  our  breath, especially the exhalation, we can  facilitate the relaxation response even more and develop some control over how our nervous system responds to our environment.

In the classroom and school environments such breath work lends itself readily to focus and mindfulness, preparing students to learn. Speeding thoughts slow. The body as a whole relaxes. Body and mind become centered, grounded. Thus, many teachers, counselors and administrators start their classes off by leading students in breathing with a sphere. Some schools have even used these breathing practices at assemblies or over the school intercom to calm and focus their students.

With the powerful visual representation of a healthy breath, no other words or descriptions are necessary. This tool can be effectively used by teachers who have no yoga experience and is particularly useful for second language learners, visual learners and children who struggle with anxiety and self regulation.

Synchronized breathing in a group exercise is also useful for developing a sense of community and safety as the group’s energy coalesces by breathing together. Simply, we are affected by each other’s breathing patterns. Conversely, it’s hard to relax and concentrate when we are around stressful breathing patterns. And when teachers learn, practice, and model healthy breathing, their classes become calmer and more productive, with corresponding benefits to everyone’s health and well-being.

Jim Gillen, RYT-500, is the cofounder of Yoga Calm, director of Still Moving Yoga in Portland, Oregon, and co-author of numerous education articles and Yoga Calm for Children: Educating Heart, Mind, and Body

Breathing spheres are available through the Yoga Calm Store.

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With that in mind I’ve started to readjust bedtime to more closely reflect a school night. Knowing that it takes about two weeks for any routine to become part of daily life this process begins now so that we are ready the night before that first day back to class.

Here are some yoga tips to creating a bedtime routine that will lead to a restful sleep for children and parents alike.

1. Reduce Stimulus – Children need a winding down period before hitting the hay. In order to maximize a restful sleep begin about an hour before bed to reduce sensory stimulus. In yoga this is called pratyahara (the 5th limb of Yoga according to the Yoga Sutras by Patañjali). Take away video games, turn the TV off, lower the lights, introduce soothing music or the blessed sound of silence. The body will transition from activity to inactivity beautifully when given time to adjust and flow smoothly into relaxation.�
   

   ragdoll pose

    

2. Connect – Taking time to connect with your mind and body is essential to health and wellness even for little ones. Encourage your children to do some restorative yoga poses such as child’s pose, ragdoll, hero’s pose and gentle twists to get the kinks out and reduce muscular strains and stresses from the day’s activities. Also, be sure to take time to connect with one another. Read a story together, chat about the day, share your lives, concerns, hopes and simply enjoy one an-other’s company.
3. Establish a Routine – Children thrive on predictability and structure. In yogic terms this is called tapas (self-discipline). Establish an order of events (1. cleanup, 2. bedtime snack, 3. brush teeth, 4. yoga b4 bed, 5. read together, etc.). Create a chart with easy to follow graphics. This is helpful for all children whenever they are learning a routine, but especially for pre-schoolers and those with special needs.
4. Be Content – Practice santosha (contentment) one of the yoga niyamas (observances) by learning to be happy with who you are, where you are, and with what you have. Encourage the attitude of what you have is enough and that there is satisfaction and happiness to be found in each day. Five Good Moments is a simple gratitude game you can play daily with your children to develop a thankful heart and mind.
5. Practice Pranayama – Yogic breathing techniques are extremely effective at reducing stress and anxiety which often hit children as they are laying in bed waiting to fall asleep.  Swimming Stuffies and Take 5 are wonderful breathing exercises that help connect the mind and body. Even very young children can develop breath awareness and practice these safe and simple techniques before drifting off to sleep.

Be sure to allow sufficient time (about an hour) in order not to rush your children as they transition from the day’s activities to calm relaxation. Speak in a calm tone of voice and provide 2-5 minute warnings whenever an activity will change (“In five minutes you’ll need to put away your toys and get into PJ’s.”). Most importantly love your children. Use the time before bed to demonstrate daily how important they are to you.

Remember it takes time to create a routine and fine tune it to your personal needs. Stick with it and you will create a better sleep environment, manage stress and anxiety, as well as calm and nurture yourself and your loved ones.

Another article with great yoga inspired ideas is Bedtime Bliss on the Kids Yoga Resource.

Photo by flickrized

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Stuffed Animals Assist with Children’s Breathing Exercise

Ever wonder how to get your preschooler to slow down for five minutes and take a deep breath?

Swimming Stuffies shows you how using a stuffed animal as a prop can promote deep, calm, relaxed belly breathing. This technique uses a favourite stuffed animal, placed on the belly.

The goal is to have the child use their belly breathing to lift the stuffed animal on an inhale and lower it on an exhale. This action makes the stuffy appear to swim in the waves of the breath. This technique is extremely effective with pre-school and special needs children and is included in the book Once Upon a Pose.

Swimming Stuffies: Pranayama for Kids

This is Greer demonstrating swimming stuffies, a lovely tool for teaching children how to inhale and exhale with belly breathing.

So she is laying in corpse pose and we’ve placed a stuffed cow on her tummy. As she takes a deep inhale the cow will rise. As she exhales the down descends. She slows her breath and allows the cow to ride the waves, to swim in the ocean of breath. Its very calming and relaxing, and a wonderful tool to use to teach children how to belly breathe.

Enjoy swimming stuffies with your kids today. Namaste.

Be sure to check out the other great kids yoga videos on YogaInMySchoolTVon YouTube and let me know what you think.

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Mindfulness means “the awareness that emerges through  paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally to the unfolding of experiences moment by moment.” (Joh Kabat-Zinn) It is an active process involving staying aware of the external environment and the internal bodily sensations in the present moment without judgement, positive or negative.

Children live in a world of being told what to do: what time to wake up, what to eat, where and when they have various activities such as school, sports, music lessons, etc. This can lead to going through the motions of living without conscious awareness. For example, if you ask them what they ate for lunch they may not be able to tell you. This in not simply because of poor memory, but more likely because they were not paying attention at the time.

Children are often much closer to their experiences than adults. Watch an infant experience anything for the first time; they look at it, touch it, feel it on their face, taste it. Every experience is fresh and new. They live in the moment reacting emotionally and immediately to stimulus, then moving on to the next experience.

However, children also exists on auto-pilot, are easily distracted, are forgetful, lack concentration, have poor self-control and often do not understand themselves or the world. Mindfulness exercises address these concerns and can assist children in living with attention and awareness of themselves and their environment.

Keeping the needs and abilities of children in mind is key when adapting mindfulness exercises to various age groups. Children learn through concrete activities with clear, descriptive instructions. They also enjoy engaging their imaginations and creativity. And don’t forget the power of humour or the need for play.

Be sure to start with brief activities which will lead to success. Beginning with a five minute focus activity will be better than a 15 minute seated meditation.

Like all activities, mindfulness training improves with practice. As they learn mindful techniques, children can practice independently in everyday life: as they walk, as they eat, as they play. Purposefully engaging in their various activities will actively shape the mind helping children to live deeply each moment of daily life.

In the coming months we’ll be posting specific techniques and methods of teaching mindfulness to children and adolescents. Be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) to receive these articles as they are published.

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