Janet William’s book What I See, I Can Be is a lovely guided yoga flow for children. The book is beautiful with engaging colour illustrations of each object and two sweet children, one boy and one girl, doing the corresponding pose. Some of the poses included are mountain, tree, triangle (kite), cat, cobra, child’s (mouse), bow, and seated forward bend (oyster). The yoga flow itself is well thought out and child appropriate, with step-by-instructions that are easy to follow.

Williams has done a lovely job of engaging children’s imaginations with her vivid descriptions. I especially like Bridge pose (drawbridge).

I lie on my back and I place my feet on the ground. I bring my feet close to my bottom and my knees point to the sky. A ship is ready to leave the harbour and head out to sea. I put my hand on my back and lift my tummy high into the air. I breathe as the ship slowly sails under the bridge. I am a Bridge. When the ship is through, I slowly lower the Drawbridge by bringing my back flat onto the ground.

I fully appreciated the included audio CD as it enabled my five year old to follow along independently doing the poses with the book at the front of her yoga mat. When asked which pose was her favourite, she answered, “The lying down one” referring to the Meadow page where the children are lead through an active progressive muscle relaxation while in Corpse pose. I think this age is ideal for the book and they will enjoy the calming music while being able to do yoga all by themselves. The book is aimed at children 3-9 years old.

The series of supporting materials is one of the great things about this book. A colouring and activity book, poster of poses, and teacher resource materials help round out this resource for teachers, parents, day-care providers or health professionals who may not have a back ground in yoga but want children to enjoy its many benefits.

Williams firmly believes in promoting healthy and active children. This book is a wonderful way in which to do exactly that.

The book has a special introductory price of $23.97 CAN +taxes and is available at Childrens Yoga Books.

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Then over the weekend the PranaMama sent me this great article from Active.comwhich tells of the link between brain function and activity. Charles Hillman, one of the researchers, commented “The fit kids processed information more quickly and performed faster and more accurately than their sedentary peers. Exercise can really affect cognition, just as it affects muscles.” In fact,

According to neuroscientists, exercise increases blood flow in the brain, encourages activity between the neurons, and even promotes new neurons to grow in the hippocampus, which plays a major role in memory and learning.

“Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function,” says Harvard psychologist John Ratey, M.D., and author of the book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.

So yes, yoga really will make you smarter and now science is proving it.

This is great news for teachers. Suddenly the DPA Requirement isn’t just about healthy bodies and habits (though those goals are valid in their own right). Its also about how to maximize children’s learning potential. 

So crack out the yoga games, get your downdog on, do a few washing machines at your desk, or be majestic as a mountain and know that you are feeding your brain. You’ll feel better, be healthier, and best of all be smarter.

And as a Mom I’m relieved to know that my children are brilliant!

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