Whenever I teach yoga to kids and teens I talk anatomy. What part of your body is working in this pose? Can you feel that in your abs? Which part of your body do you use when your breathe? are all standard questions even for Pre-School and Kindergarten aged students. I keep the questions and discussions age appropriate realizing that 5 year olds and 15 year olds have different frames of reference and comprehension levels.

I am a firm believer in being familiar with the body in order to understand how to best keep it healthy and happy. As individuals come to understand and appreciate the many functions their body performs, they are better prepared to take care of it. For example, understanding that a complete breath begins in the abdomen, permits the diaphragm and ribs to perform their functions, assists in getting adequate oxygen into the body, and helps reduce stress.

Knowledge of anatomy brings consciousness to yoga practice and helps individuals talk about their body without embarassement. In fact, recently I taught a group of 20 teenage girls about mula bandha or Root Lock. You should of seen them all blush. It was great! We’ve all got these parts, we’d better know what they do and how to take care of them in order to use them properly, avoid injury, and maintain good health.

Here are a couple on-line resources to help reinforce the topics and activities from yoga class which teach kids/teens anatomy.

Anatomy for Kids

A complete site with movies, word finds, online quizzes and activities is How the Body Works on KidsHealth.com. Kinetic.com also has a fun anatomy game called InnerG where body parts (ie: liver, heart, teeth, blood, etc) need to be placed into the body. As you do so, supporting information and recipes to keep that part strong and healthy are provided. My seven year old daughter thoroughly loved testing these sites out.

Anatomy for Teens

For Jr and Sr High School students more detailed anatomy learning games can be found at Anatomy Arcade with Whack-a-Bone and Poke-a-Muscle, among numerous others. The top level of these games are challenging and a great interactive way to learn anatomy. If you really want to get into anatomy including reviews of  iPod and iPhone apps, dissection videos, and learning inter-actives visit Think Anatomy.

During your next yoga class with kids/teens be sure to take the time to teach anatomy whether for basic understanding or more in depth comprehension of how the body works. Its quite a miraculous thing. How do you teach anatomy to your students?

February is Teacher Convention Month in Alberta, Canada. This is a time for teachers to enrich themselves personally and professionally. I teach various workshops to help teachers bring yoga into their schools and lives. Each workshop lasts approximately 75 minutes at conventions, but are ideally suited for 2-3 hour in-service sessions. Here are a few workshops which can be used for in-service or PD Days. If you are interested in learning more or in booking a workshop for your group/school please contact donna@yogainmyschool.com

Once Upon a Pose

Yoga stories for children fulfill numerous curriculum requirements and are a fun, fully interactive teaching methodology. Learn how to use basic yoga poses in story format to enrich the classroom experience, improve physical fitness, reduce stress, increase attention span, and engage students on a totally different level. Stories in French also provided. A fun, high energy workshop with great ideas to use today. Come prepared to actively participate. K-6 applications in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, Art, Music and PE. Also meets the DPA Requirement.

Yoga for Teens

The ancient practise of yoga can have a tremendous positive impact on adolescents. Benefits include improved self-esteem, better academic performance, increased attention span, and greater stress management. This fully interactive workshop will progress through seven types of yoga poses (standing, balance, forward bends, back bends, inversions, twists and arm balancing) as well as include relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. Come prepared to actively participate and discover how to use yoga with your students. Applications to Physical Education, Fit for Life, CALM, Physics, Biology, Algebra, Social Studies, English, Foreign Languages, Drama, Counselling and school athletic teams.

Yoga with a Chair

Yoga with a Chair is a fun way to work yoga into your everyday routine. Reduce fatigue, prevent carpel tunnel, improve posture, strengthen your core, and open your hips all while using a standard chair. This workshop will surprise you as you discover the many adaptations to the poses and the incredible workout you can get while sitting down. Come prepared to participate and leave with numerous tips and techniques on how to use yoga at the office, in the classroom or while in a wheel chair.

These are just a few of the possible Professional Develoment workshops offered. For a complete listing of in-service workshops visit the In-service Page.

Getting kids and teens to set goals is part of teaching them how to achieve success in school and life. I know whenever we attend Parent Teacher Interviews the teacher always encourages our child to set some goals for the coming term. We then review the goals at the following Parent Teacher Interview to see how the child is progressing.

Students are also sometimes asked to consider who they want to be by the end of the year, in five years, by the end of high school, etc. This is pretty heavy stuff and involves teaching them the concept of putting their best effort forward starting today. Or as Stephen Covey puts it, “Begin with the end in mind.”

For yogis this means accepting where, what and who you are today, while working to improve yourself one breath, one pose, one meditation at a time.

To help teach this idea to children there is a fun and interactive website www.futureme.org. It’s an e-mail service called FutureMe which allows individuals to send themselves a future e-mail. E-mails can be sent anywhere from one month to 30 years in the future.

The site is very easy to use. In order to send an e-mail simply:

1. Type in your e-mail address
2. Write a subject, such as, “Congratulations Graduate”
3. Write a message to your future self
4. Choose to make your message private or public
5. Choose a date on which to receive the e-mail
6. Enter the verification code
7. Click the ‘Send this to the future’ button
8. Check your inbox to verify your e-mail address

Then forget about it until you receive it in your e-mail sometime in the future.

How cool is that!

Applications I can see for this include:

• writing an e-mail at the beginning of the year to receive just before final report cards
• setting a goal for the term, such as, “I will contribute more in class.”
• Grade 1 students writing a message to be received prior to leaving Elementary School
• sending yourself an e-mail at the beginning of a major project detailing how you accomplished this goal and the things you hoped to learn
• Teens writing advice to themselves

The possibilities are limited only by your creativity. Have fun and get motivated to put your best into living today.

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Many teachers want to bring yoga into their school. However, they are not sure what steps to take in order to make this desire a reality. Over the course of the next few months I will outline a step by step process which, when followed, will enable teachers to bring the benefits of yoga into their classrooms and schools. For Step 3 we are going to get creative in the possible ways yoga can be incorporated into the school setting. Step 1 – Know the Benefits can be found here. Step 2 – Find Examples can be found here.

Step 3 – Get Creative in How You Will Incorporate Yoga into Your School

Often when people think of practicing yoga with students they think of gym class. This is a wonderful place to begin. However, there are a number of ways to bring yoga into your school with gym class being only one possibility. Here are a few creative suggestions.

Sports Teams

Using yoga as a cross training tool is becoming mainstream. It helps develop core strength, improve pulmonary efficiency, prevent sports injuries, develop balance and focus, increase endurance and flexibility, and relieve stress. For more information visit How Yoga is Used as a Cross Training Tool For Teen Athletes. Encourage coaches throughout your school to access these benefits by incorporating yoga into their training routines. Starting with Sun Salutations and then moving into sport specific stretches is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this.

DPA

The Daily Physical Activity Requirement, standard in schools in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, is a perfect place to incorporate yoga into your school. This educational standard aims at increasing student health and fitness levels with 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Yoga is an easy, economical, non competitive way of meeting this requirement and best of all the kids LOVE it. One of the easiest ways to do this is to download THE PET STORE (see right side bar).

Yoga Club

Start a yoga club which can meet during recess or lunch break. This will require some expertise in yoga on your part or involving a yoga instructor willing to help get the club up and running. Having a standard meeting place and investing in school owned yoga mats simplifies physical requirements. Clubs can be hugely successful and provide an opportunity to work with kids who are keen to learn more than the basics.

Yoga Breaks

Yoga breaks are 5-10 minute stretching and relaxation intervals spaced throughout the school day. They are extremely effective at reducing stress, promoting concentration, and providing balance. I often encourage kids to perform simple twists in their seats if they are feeling sluggish or tired as it will increase their energy level and clear their minds creating a more receptive learning situation.

CALM

Career and Life Management class is a wonderful opportunity to teach healthy living and stress management skills. A Yoga Unit could be taught which employs a more yin style workout and focuses on breathing exercises, affirmations, and guided meditation. You may also want to include Yoga Journal Writing as a means of introspection and personal development.

Character Education

The philosophy behind a yogic life as explained in the yamas and niyamas correspond beautifully to character education initiatives. Bringing yoga into the classroom supports and reinforces these initiatives and teaches basic societal values and virtues. For a number of ways in which yoga teaches specific elements of character education visit the Character Education page.

Special Needs

Yoga is extremely useful as a therapy for special needs individuals. It has been proven successful with ADHD, autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and in many other situations. In addition, yoga benefits children with asthma teaching them their triggers and how to breathing efficiently and effectively.

Gym Class

There are a few options when introducing yoga in gym, PE, or Fit for Life classes. Read Help! My High School PE Class Wants to Do Yoga. One of the most successful ways is to use a 3-5 class Yoga Unit which includes breathing exercises, a variety of poses (standing, balance, forward bend, back bend, twists, inversions, arm balancing), and relaxation techniques.

Yoga Class for Credit

The greatest commitment when bringing yoga to your school is to develop and get accreditation for yoga  in the program of studies. This would involve working with the school administration, school district and local governmental agencies responsible for education. I’m thrilled about this possibility as the students would truly benefit from a more in depth study of a yoga practice and lifestyle but realise it is a huge endeavor.

This is a continuation of the post Mandala Magic – Teaching Kids About Meditation. Here I’ll examine some of the cross cultural representations and usages of mandalas throughout the world. As I researched this post I was amazed at their universal application and beauty. I hope you enjoy learning about mandalas as you discover the wealth and knowledge of the great world cultures and religions. This would be a very interesting Social Studies or World Religion topic of discussion or research project and would open students’ eyes to cultural inter-connections and global commonalities.

If you haven’t yet entered to win a Mini Mandala Designer leave a comment on this post now and you too can access the wisdom of the ages by creating your own mandalas. Draw date is January 1st, 2010.

Buddhism: Representing the highest levels of spiritual development, mandalas are extensively used in Buddhism. Some of the most incredible are the sand mandalas created by Tibetan monks. These are highly artistic endeavors fanning out in geometric form from a central dot. The pure devotion and perfection of the work is remarkable and an act of worship in and of itself. Each color has specific symbolism: bue=infinity & healing, white=knowledge & longevity, red=life force & fire, green=harmony & vigour, yellow=renunciation & earth

Hinduism: Yantra mandalas resonate with energy and beauty. They are meant to engross the mind and bring one to a higher level of enlightenment. Their outermost ring is a flame representing the burning of impurities as you enter the mandala. The inner ring of lotus petals symbolises the ‘pure place.’ Mantras (recitations) and mudras (hand symbols) often accompany mandala meditation.

Judaism: The Star of David is a common motif in mandalas and was used extensively before being adopted as a Jewish symbol. It represents fire and water, male and female, heaven and earth, light and dark. These opposing forces linked together symbolize unity and harmony or the reconciliation of opposites. Franz Rosenzweig framed his philosophy of Judaism around the image of the Jewish star, composed of two triads: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption; God, Israel, and World.

Christianity: Christian mandalas appear in rose windows (some of the most notable are in Chartres, Strasbourg and Notre Dame Cathedrals). They are also found in halos which are a representation of spiritual character through the symbolism of light. Rosaries and labyrinths are other Christian examples of mandalas and are used as a focus for spiritual meditation. Hildegard von Bingen is a 12th century German Benedictine nun who recorded visions in mandala form in her art.    

Mesoamerica: The Aztec calendar is a mandala. Both the sacred calendar (Tonalpohuallia – 260 day calendar) and the seasonal calendar (Xiuhpohualli – 365 day calendar) are depicted in elaborate mandala form. At the centre of the calendar is the sun god, Tonatiuh. He is surrounded by the five world creations. These calendars underscore the importance of each day and are a representation of the belief that time goes in cycles. These calendars work together as a wheel within a wheel and realign every 52 years.

Celtic: The Celtic cross, knot, and triquetra are beautiful mandalas perfect for meditation. They have a dual meaning, as an art form and as a symbol of the voyage from earthly realm to the Otherworld of Celtic legend. The intricate designs are contained within the ‘eternal circle’ which relates to the Wheel of Life. These are meant to assist in each person’s spiritual journey and are a tool for coming into contact with our origins, visions, desires and devine ancestry.

Native American: Navajo and Pueblo Indians create sand paintings during complex healing ceremonies. The paintings consist of representations of deities, animals, lightning, rainbows, plants, and other symbols which accompany a chant. Upon completion of the ceremony the painting is destroyed. The circular design represents the sun, the full moon, the earth and eternity. Other First Nations symbols using circles are dream catchers, feather, sun and wind, and labyrinth mandalas.

Aboriginal: Aboriginal art are depictions of Dreamtime which invent and maintain creation myths that are seen as ’sacred time’ because it is a time before anything else could exist. Aboriginal people of Australia use ground art in sacred ceremonies. Ground art is created by men only and is a extensive ritual accompanied by chanting. Mandalas are also seen in bark paintings. Artist employ numerous symbols made from dots, concentric circles, curved and straight lines to create these amazing art forms.

Another area of research would be to find mandalas through the sciences. For example they can be found in geology, physics, biology, chemistry and astronomy. But we’ll save that for another day.

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Journaling has long been a tool for achieveing better emotional and mental health. It is a remarkable device for easing concerns, identifying hopes and fears, allowing the creative process to flourish, and connecting with your inner self. Journals help to identify your personal wisdom and realize that you are wiser than you once believed as ideas and solutions flow from deep inside. The process of uniting your conscious and sub-conscious mind through ink and paper, in black and white, empowers and enlightens, connecting us with our true selves and shining a light on who we truly are.

Adding journal writing to your yoga practice allows you to access these transformative benefits and takes the process from being simply a physical experience to becoming a window to the soul. 

You never know what you will learn till you start writing. Then you discover truths you never knew existed. – Anita Brookner

There are two way to use journalling: prompted or free flow. Both have their advantages and disadvantages as well as a place within the yoga journal experience.

Prompted Journaling & Yoga

Prompted journaling is when the teacher assigns a topic for students to journal. For example: “We’re going to do Pigeon pose and I want you to pay attention to what your hips are telling you. We’ll then spend a few minutes recording the thoughts and feelings this pose generates.” Journals also are a wonderful place to record personal affirmations, set goals, and recognize our strengths and weaknesses. Topics I’ve used include:

• Comfort is relative – how do backbends teach this idea?
• How does doing Fish pose help you look at life from a different perspective?
• What do you feel while doing Eagle pose? What do you feel after?
• What images come to mind while doing Warrior pose?
• Let’s write an affirmation for Mountain pose. Everytime you do Mountain Pose repeat this affirmation to yourself.
• Which is your favourite yoga pose and why?
• What do you want/need to get out of class today?

Free Flow Journaling & Yoga

Free flow journaling occurs as an organic result of the yoga experience. Allowing yourself to simply reflect upon the experience, identifying and putting into words your thoughts, feelings, insights, etc. while upon your personal yoga journal, is an enlightening endeavour. It is not uncommon for yoga asanas and breathing techniques to release strong emotions. We often hang onto negative emotions such as fear, anger and sorrow because we have not dealt with them adequately in the past. Our bodies remember and hold these feelings deep inside. A regular yoga practice will release this negativity and tension, allowing us to return to a state of happiness and relaxation. Journaling these experiences will hasten emotional recovery and is widely used as a self-discovery and therapy tool.

How to Use Yoga Journal Writing

In children’s classes I almost always provide a prompt. This helps the children get to the journaling without wasting time on wondering what to write about. Younger children can draw a picture of their feelings and insights while older ones can put these into words.

Teens and adults are more familiar with the journal writing process and can adapt it to the yoga classroom generally without difficulty. Since this is the case I will use both techniques while encouraging them to ponder and explore their yoga practice. Yoga classes that begin with setting an intention are a wonderful place to start if students seem stumped for a topic to journal.

Entries by my students have ranged from sketches and quick insights, to lists and pages and pages of emotional outpouring. The lovely thing about journal writing is you can’t get it wrong. It is a snapshot of who you are today. There are a number of fantastic yoga blogs which serve as journalling for the authors. Some of my favourites who share the more emotional/trans-formative side of their yoga practice include:

• Everyday Yogini – Nona’s life through yoga coloured glasses
• Grounding Thru the Sit Bones - Brenda shares her life & revelations from the mat
• It’s all yoga, baby – Roseanne probes into yoga culture and community
• Karmaspot’s Blog – Jen shares thoughts on yoga for kids and parents
• Lifebloom Yoga – Abby’s creative expression of yoga in her life
• Linda’s Yoga Journey - Linda explores the world and her personal yoga journey
• The PranaMama – Amy provides yoga from a Mom’s perspective
• The Queen of Bohemia Cleans Her Own House – Sydney connects yoga and emotional recovery
• YogaChickie- Lauren writes about her life and the insights gained from yoga
• Yoga Demystified – Bob entertains and educates through poetry and probing questions
• Yogic Muse – Brooks reveals her personal journey one yogic step at a time
• Yoga With Spirit - Amy applies yoga to her life