Teaching Shapes with Yoga

Using yoga as a tool to learn shapes is fun, kinaesthetic learning at its best.

Children are able to become the shapes in various forms and sizes, using their hands, their bodies and their friends. This is an ideal way for children to experience and explore the world and move from non-verbal, physical understanding to abstract, mental comprehension. Performing shape yoga helps children grasp, internalize, and retain concepts in a creative and informative manner. In addition, using yoga to teach shapes improves communication, cooperation, problem-solving, creative thinking, analysis, observation and other skills key to success in school and life.

Learn Shapes Easily with Kids Yoga

The booklet, Shapes: A Kids Yoga Class, is ideal for pre-school, kindergarten and elementary school classes. I have taught this class with children aged 2-12 in schools, day cares, kids and family yoga classes, and at yoga summer camps. There are lots of ideas for various ages so use what works best for your group.

Have fun and play shape yoga today!

Shapes: A Kids Yoga Class

Shape yoga makes learning playful, novel and enjoyable: exactly what young children love. The 15 page booklet is packed with ideas on how to create shapes using yoga including mudrās (hand gestures), individual, partner and group poses, breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, and a guided visualization. There are also numerous additional resources (games, music, crafts, books, flashcards) to support your shape yoga experience. Have fun and play shape yoga today!

Price: $7.93

Shapes: A Kids Yoga Class includes mudrās and poses for:

• circle
• diamond
• triangle
• star
• crescent
• rectangle
• zig-zag
• heart

Additional resources:

• Yoga Games including – What Shape am I?, Lost My Shape, Shape Tumbling, Shape Patterns, Star/Black Hole
• Music suggestions
• Numerous links to crafts, printables, worksheets, mandalas
• 10 Children’s literature recommendations
• Guided Visualization (perfect for savasana)
• Shape Flashcards

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Yogainmyschool.com is thrilled to offer three downloadable kids yoga classes. Family Time, Man on the Moon and Tour of India are fun, engaging and a great way to teach yoga to children. Expert in yoga for children and teens, Donna Freeman leads these 30 minute classes and is joined by young yogis who demonstrate real kids practicing yoga, making the videos easy use at home or in the classroom.

Based on stories found in Once Upon a Pose, these classes reinforce themes taught in school, involve children physically, mentally and emotionally in the learning process, reduce stress through movement, breathing and relaxation, and improve mental and physical health and well-being.

Available for download in both PC and MAC formats, these videos are now available for the introductory price of only US$9.99 each.

Visit the Yogainmyschool.com Store for details/to purchase.

Practicing yoga with kids has never been easier!

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Aesop’s Fables are well loved the world over for their entertainment value and moral education. Here Sydney Solis adapts The Farmer and the Fox into a yoga story perfect for kids yoga classes. See also The Lion and the Mouse from last week.

From Sydney Solis of Storytime Yoga – See original post Mercy or Revenge? Aesop Stories and Yoga for Children

There was once a farmer who had a large wheat farm. One day he discovered that a fox had been eating some of his chickens. Furious, he vowed revenge. “I’ll get that fox!”

The farmer finally caught the fox.  ”Now you will pay for what you did to me!’ He soaked a rope in oil, tied it to the fox’s tail and set it on fire. The fox was aflame, but it squirmed and broke lose. It ran from the farmer and dashed into the wheat fields that were ready for harvest. All of the farmer’s wheat fields caught fire, destroying his farm and all of his crops.

Yoga Asana:

Who is this story about?

Farmer: Warrior I, virabrhadrasana I, II and III

Fox: Downward dog - adho mukha svanasana

What happens in this story?

Fire: Bound angle pose, baddha konasana

How does the story end?

Running through the fields on fire – Upward facing bow pose, urdva dhanurasana – then rolling side to side, spreading fire as you roll. Then run around the room!

Shavasana and Meditation:

See the farmer in your mind’s eye. See the fox. Think of someone that has harmed you and who bothers you. Smile at that person. Send love and forgiveness.

Discussion:

How are you like the farmer? Have you ever been angry about something someone did? What happened? What did you do? What was the outcome? How would you change what you did? How are you like the fox? Was there a time when you harmed another? What happened? What did you do to make amends for what you did? Is it ever too late to apologize or forgive? Does two wrongs make a right?

Think of a time when you were angry. Where do you feel the anger in your body? In your belly? Heart? Touch that spot. What is the emotion behind the anger? Were you shamed, afraid, betrayed?

How can we deal with the anger we may feel when we are wronged?

• Breathe
• Take a time out
• Talk about it with someone

For older children and teens: Contemplate and discuss the following quotes:

• “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” – Ghandi
• “Mercy is setting the prisoner free only to discover the prisoner was me.”
• “In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over he is his superior.” – Sir Francis Bacon.
• “If you are slapped on one check, turn the other too.” The Bible Matthew 5:43
• I mount the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Affirmation:

• I am peace in every step. I am peace in every breath. I am peace.

If you enjoyed this post and are looking for more check out Yoga for Literacy and the Language Arts Page. Be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) or sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on this topic.

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Ah, Dinosaurs! Kids love ‘em and most pre-schools, early education programs and elementary schools include units which study these amazing creatures. So if you have a budding paleontologist in your home or are looking for a fun way to get your kids moving, learning and engaging their imagination here are a number of suggestions for Dinosaur Yoga. A word of warning before beginning: some children get scared of an entire room full of kids roaring and imitating dinosaurs and may end up in tears. Be sure to let everyone know that this is simply pretend and for fun. If someone is not comfortable with the noise level or the fierce nature of the poses encourage them to cover their ears or have the entire group be quiet dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Yoga

Dinosaur Breath: Inhale through the nose and exhale with a roar! Repeat. Vary the volume, length of exhale/inhale.

Pterodactyl: Sitting or standing use your arms as the wings in Flying Bird Breath: raise your wings as you inhale, exhale and lower your wings. Vary the speed of each part of the breath to glide, swoop and dive through the air. My classes often fly through the space, skimming over the water, diving down mountain cliffs, soaring on the up currents, plunging to grab a prehistoric fish from the lake, etc.

Dinosaur Nest: Have students become dinosaur eggs in a nest, huddled together in child’s pose. Depending on the number of children, feel free to have more than one nest. One child per nest gets to be the Maiasaura mother and take care of the nest, going to collect food and feed the young as they hatch. Alternatively have them hatch out of their nest and imitate baby Maiasaura – this is super cute.

T-Rex: Stand with feet shoulder’s width apart, knees bent, hips extending behind you in chair pose. Bend arms at the elbows close to your sides, hands hanging down with two fingers extended for claws. Growl and hunt for prey trying to imitate the tyrant lizard.

Velociraptor: Come into Warrior III by stepping forward with one foot, lifting the back leg off the ground and leaning forward. While balancing on one leg use your arms to try to catch imaginary dinosaurs. Repeat on the other side.

Triceratops: Sit in horse stance with legs wide apart, bending the knees. Make your arms into horn shapes by bending the elbows and aiming them forward at an angle, reach the neck long to create three horns and imagine the bony frill.

Brachiosaurus: Version A – stand in mountain pose and reach arms as high as they can to eat leave off the trees. Version B – step into standing splits by placing one foot in front of the other then raising the back leg as high as possible while lowering the hands to the ground and head toward the knee. Use the raised foot as the brachiosaurus’ head to eat with the toes nibbling the leaves off the branches. Repeat on the other side.

Ankylosaurus: Come into Table pose with the hands under the shoulders, knees under the hips. Imagine your back is covered with bony armor. Extend one leg out behind you and gently swing it back and forth using the foot as a club tail. Switch legs and repeat.

Woolly Mammoth: Imitate a woolly mammoth by crossing the arms, keeping the top arm extended to use as the trunk, bend the bottom arm and bring the fist to your chin to create a tusk. Imagine thick shaggy hair and long curly tusks as you slowly cross the frozen tundra and glaciers. Pretend to pick up items off the floor with your trunk.

Dino Stomps: Lift one leg high, say “boom!” as you stomp the foot firmly onto the ground. Repeat alternating legs. This is a lovely way to ground and connect with the earth. Or play Laurie Berkner’s We Are the Dinosaurs while children act out the song.

More Dino Music:

Visit Dinomusic.com.au for lots of fun options.

Game:

Dinosuar Hide ‘n Seek: Have children hide in child’s pose throughout the space. Teacher (or one student in turn) pretends to be T-Rex looking for a meal (keep it fun & light) and dinosaur stomps among the sleeping dinosaurs.

Craft Suggestions:

• Dinosaur Paper Plate Craft from Kids Craft Weekly
• Dinosaur Feet from Activity Village.

Additional Fun:

I fell in love with these cute Dinosaur jokes on book marks to print and give to kids or simply use to have fun with during class.

Much thanks to all those who contributed ideas including Sandi Posey of Enlightened Child, Amy Bevan of The PranaMama, Lisa Flynn of Childlight Yoga, Aruna Kathy Humphrys of Young Yoga Masters and Jennifer Hess of Karmaspot’s Blog. Love it when we collaborate!

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Aesop’s Fables are well loved the world over for their entertainment value and moral education. Here Sydney Solis adapts The Lion and the Mouse into a yoga story perfect for kids yoga classes. Watch next week for The Farmer and the Fox.

As told by Sydney Solis of Storytime Yoga – See original post Mercy or Revenge? Aesop Stories and Yoga for Children

Once upon a time there was a great lion.  Roaming in the jungle, he spotted a tiny mouse and pounced on it. “Ah ha! I have caught you!” The lion roared. “Now I will have a tasty snack!”

The little mouse shook in fear, but found the courage to say, “Lion, please, I beg you. Do not eat me. If you spare my life, I promise to return the favor and help you one day.”

“Ha! How can such a little mouse do anything important for such a great creature as I? I’m hungry!” And he lifted the mouse up by its tail and opened his great jaws wide.

“Please! I am sure I can help you one day! Give me a chance. Such a great creature as you surely has the power to spare some one his life!”

“All right. I will let you free,” the lion said, and went to sleep under a tree.

The next day, the mouse met the lion again, but  this time the lion was caught in a net from a trap that hunters had set for him. The Lion looked at the mouse with sad eyes and said, “Dear friend, can you help me?

And the little mouse looked at this great beast trapped and helpless. Then the mouse said, “Of course!” And went to work gnawing the ropes with his teeth and setting the lion free.

Yoga Asana:

Who is this story about?

Lion – Lion pose, simhasana, – roar like a lion, the great courageous and powerful creature that you are.

Mouse – Child pose, balasana, – then squat, bring hands to chest like a mouse and walk around squeaking. No matter how small you are, you are capable of big things!

What happens in this story?

Net – Upward facing bow pose, urdva dhanurasana, or upward boat, urdva navasana, The trap of pride, fear, anger, hatred and revenge.

Gnawing – Opening and closing mouth wide, exaggerating chewing motions, puckering mouth to exercise the muscles of the face.

What is the benefit of showing mercy?

An Open and Free Heart , Peace and Freedom- Camel pose, - ustrasana

Shavasana and Meditation:

Visualize a lion in side your heart. See its radiant, golden mane. Feel its strength, courage and power. The lion’s power comes from his peaceful abiding. He knows that his strength and power comes from divine goodness, forgiveness and love. He does not harm others but grants them mercy and freedom instead.

See a little mouse inside your heart. Know that that little mouse is capable of great things – kindness, intelligence, quick-thinking. Nothing is ever too small to be of no importance. Know that you are important. Practice acts of kindness small and large.

Discussion:

How are you like the lion? Have you ever had the opportunity to have power over another? What did you do?

How are you like the mouse? Have you ever been bullied or threatened by someone bigger and more powerful than yourself? What did you do?

What do you think would have happened if the lion ate the mouse instead of freeing it? How would that have affected the lion’s ability to be freed from the net?

Make a list of creatures in your life that are small and helpless. How do you treat your pet, baby sister or the spider in the bathtub? How does remembering the way you treated them make you feel? Happy? Proud? Ashamed?

How can we treat others who are different from us in looks, clothing, language, religion and nationality with respect and dignity?

Look at your body. Every human being has the same fingers, toes, bones, ligaments, organs and muscles.

Affirmation:

• I use my power for love and mercy toward all creatures in the world.
• I treat others as I wish to be treated.

If you enjoyed this post and are looking for more check out Yoga for Literacy and the Language Arts Page. Be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) or sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on this topic.

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Body Chalk Board is a great way to increase body awareness and sensory perception. Learning to rely on touch alone is a challenging skill and helps to focus attention and improve mindfulness. In the ‘olden days’ my sisters and I would play Body Chalk Board on long car trips. (Yes, we did have cars back then.) Today, I often use this technique when reviewing spelling words with my own children or often to simply tell them I love them with a short message written on their palm. It is always a hit when we pair up during kids yoga class and children try to spell the names of the poses on one another’s backs before practicing them.  This game is also fantastic for learning cooperation and communication skills. You may even want to try it with your teens to keep them connected to their body.

Body Chalk Board

Divide group into pairs. Sitting in easy pose (sukhasana), often referred to as criss cross, with one partner in front of the other use your partner’s back as a chalk board. Using a finger draw numbers, shapes or letters of the alphabet on the ‘chalk board’. The person whose back is the ‘chalk board’ guesses what is being drawn. Wipe the ‘chalk board’ clean with flat palms from top to bottom or side to side before switching roles.

For more of a challenge send a message via the ‘chalk board’ that the person in front writes down letter by letter as it is received.

To encourage sensory development and awareness do the same thing using other parts of the body: stomach, soles of feet, palms of hands. This is a wonderful game for children with sensory processing challenges (SPD, Autism, ADHD, etc).

Visit our Yoga Games page for more amazing & fun yoga games to enjoy yoga with kids and teens.

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