Yoga In My School » free

Yoga Adventure Stories for Kids

DonnaKFreeman — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:46:31 +0000

Join Donna Freeman, teacher and kids yoga instructor as she explores this method of teaching kids.
Kids of all ages love stories. They also love to do yoga. Learn what a yoga adventure story is, why teachers, parents and caregivers should use them, and how to use a yoga adventure story to increase flexibility, develop strength, improve balance and reduce stress. Tap into the power of the easiest, most effective way to teach kids yoga.

Original Air Date: 10/27/2009 3:00 PM

This podcast comes from the Yoga In My School Blog Talk Radio Program. It is 15 minutes long and will provide the background theory needed when using yoga adventure stories with children.

Receive your own copy of a FREE yoga adventure story by downloading The Pet Store/L’animalerie in the right hand side bar. This is a hugely popular story as most kids either have a pet or want a pet. As an added bonus you’ll also receive the Yoga In My School newsletter which provides fantastic content and tips for teaching kids yoga delivered directly to your mailbox about twice a month. This insider’s version of Yoga In My School highlights current trends, hot topics, and all the latest articles, podcasts, training, conversations, contests and videos for teaching yoga to kids and teens.

What is a Yoga Adventure Story Yoga adventure stories provide context for kids yoga classes allowing:...
8 Dirty Truths About Teaching Kids Yoga Kids yoga classes are different from adult yoga classes. Before...
Stuffed Animals for Yoga Class Helps Kids Focus I often use stuffed animals when teaching children yoga, especially...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Life Lessons for Kids from the Law of the Harvest

DonnaKFreeman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:54:59 +0000

The Law of the Harvest

This week was our first killing frost. In this part of the world the first frost is as inevitable as the sun set. However, exactly which morning will bring said frost is always an unknown. So gardeners in the area become expert gamblers, trying to coax one more day on the vine out of their tomatoes before harvesting their crop. Often leaving root vegetables to be dug after their tops lay wilted and dying.

I must admit, however, this year September was very kind with temperatures into the 20s & 30s (Celsius) until the last week. These extra days of heat helped ripen and sweeten the fresh produce until it was bursting with flavour. I swear my cherry tomatoes taste like candy and I’ve never had such huge beets or onions.

Each year in the spring my children help plant the garden. They each get their own plot where they can choose what to plant. Often it is a salsa garden with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs as we love fresh salsa. Other top choices include spinach (a quick gratification seed), carrots (fresh from the garden taste so good), broccoli (always fun to harvest with a knife) and marigolds (so happy). We dig around in the earth, get dirty, find worms, as they make a row and carefully (or not so carefully) sprinkle the seeds, cover, and water. The kids are very diligent about keeping them watered and daily ask if they get to fill a bucket from the rain barrel to water their precious plot of dirt, at least for the first week. Then like all children, they become distracted, and move on to more pressing activities (ballgames, bike riding, play dates).

Their efforts, even though unseen to their young eyes, have begun to germinate and send out roots. Through a little diligence, some gentle reminders, watering, weeding & waiting soon those first green shoots of spring will burst through to the sun. That is my favourite time of year. Everything is fresh and new, full of potential waiting to be taped.

Then the hot lazy days of summer roll around: a time for growth, development, reaching deep into the earth, striving for the heat of the life giving sun. Now we get to care for our charges. Watering on hot days, pulling weeds when they threaten to take over, itching to pull a carrot top before it is ready. This is the waiting period. The plants are left to do what they do best, grow into their potential.

And now it is harvest. A beautiful time of year with its vibrant colours and invigorating temperatures, but one which always leaves me a little sad. The glory days are behind us and the cold, long winter ahead. April seems so far away, yes half a year of snow and cold. Why do I live here? (a topic for another day) The garden needs to be harvested, the bounty of the growing months eaten, enjoyed, put away into jars and freezer bags to be enjoyed later.

Life Lessons

I love teaching my children to garden because there are so many life lessons in this annual exercise. We are truly like the seeds we plant. With a little care and attention, some regular weeding and watering, we may also be able to reach our full potential and be truly useful, productive, flavourful, and beautiful. Also the lesson of planning a project, actually starting it, following through, and reaching a close over a period of months is indispensable in our day of instant gratification. Then, of course, come the lessons in hard work, diligence & patience. As well, the importance of taking care of the earth, connecting with its life giving force, and a responsibility to tend living things is reinforced in a very real manner. Finally, there is the payoff as we make salads, salsa, soups, chocolate chip zucchini bread, and all manner of delicious things out of what we have grown ourselves.

It’s sad to see the growing season come to a close. Now we get to dig out the scarves and mittens, put away shorts and summer dresses. I think I need to find a satisfying indoor project to get me through the coming winter. Scrap-booking? Organizing my disaster zones? Painting? A new yoga practice? Something to stimulate my mind and spirit while I hibernate. Let me see… What potential lies in these dormant months?

Planting Seeds of Personal Growth in Life’s Garden I love spring! It's my favourite season because I get...
Yoga Teaches How to Explore and Accept Life Changes Change is inevitable. Our reactions to change determine much of...
Put Me in the Zoo – Old Favourite: New Lessons This year during summer vacation my six year old loved...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Kids Yoga at the White House – a Celebration in Friendship

DonnaKFreeman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:45:09 +0000

Last spring to celebrate the 131st Easter Egg Roll, a group from Zuda Yoga in Sacramento, along with teachers from MBody Yoga in Florida, Cleveland Yoga & Downdog Yoga in DC, were invited to be the first to do yoga on the White House Lawn. For 12 hours non-stop they offered kids yoga to the 30,000 people attending the event, the theme of which was “Let’s Go Play.” The entire event was designed to help encourage American youth to lead healthy and active lives.

An excerpt from their write up about the event reads:

“The yoga comes naturally to the children as we play with poses on our mats. We progress through series of animal asanas in chorus of Mooos, Meows and Howls. We conquer our fear in Peaceful Warrior and fly high to let our light shine bright in Airplane. The parents and children show much trust in us, sometimes holding hands or climbing in our laps.We teach that yoga is about friendship and seeing the good in others. Each one of us is perfect just the way we are.”

Supposedly all the Obama women (Grandma Marian Robinson, First Lady Michelle Obama, and First daughters Sasha & Malia ) all enjoy doing yoga. One report about the event asks “Could this be the beginning of mainstream acceptance of yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle? To have it promoted by our nation’s highest family is a pretty good endorsement for many.”

I don’t know about the political fallout from adding yoga to the list of endorsed activities, but I think its pretty cool when you can do yoga on the White House Lawn. What a fun way to spend the day. Celebrating life, joy and unity in the shadow of such a building.

Thanks to elephantjournal for sharing. Here are a bunch of photos from the event.

Cinco de Mayo Kids Yoga Fiesta Fun I love Cinco de Mayo. Maybe its the lively music,...
Kids Yoga with Stuffed Animals YogaInMySchoolTV presents Kids Yoga with Stuffed Animals. Today we're here...
54 Fun Family Activities for Summer Yoga Style After having successfully completed another school year you can't wait...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Celebrate Yoga Month – Share Yoga with a Child

DonnaKFreeman — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:08:08 +0000

September is Yoga Month! And the organizers over at Yoga Health Foundation would like to encourage you to promote mind body fitness education in schools. For a $30 donation you will receive a Yoga Fitness DVD for kids as well as have one sent to the teacher of your choice. You can choose from one of three DVDs – Preschool, Elementary, Youth. So surprise your favourite teacher with a back to school gift that will keep on giving throughout the school year.

To do my part I’m teaching 3 free kids yoga classes to the St Albert Public Library Sept 11th & 12th. Moms & Tots is for preschoolers and their Mom and we’re off to visit the Pet Store. Kids in Grades 1-2 will hit the high seas with a Pirate themed story. And if you are in Grades 3-6 we’re heading to the Amazon for an amazing eco-tour adventure. Contact the SAPL Children’s Services Desk to register.

If you want more information on how to get involved or create your own event follow this yogamonth link. Thanks to YogaDork for keeping up all up to date on news and events in the yoga community.

What is a Yoga Adventure Story Yoga adventure stories provide context for kids yoga classes allowing:...
Princess Kids Yoga Class Perfect for Birthday Parties Princesses are loved by little girls. If you have a...
5 Tips for Quality Downtime in Edmonton’s Child Magazine Edmonton’s Child Sept 09 The article 5 Tips to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Free Yoga exercises for dryland training for teen athletes

DonnaKFreeman — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:57:26 +0000

A friend recently asked:

I coach a girls Pee Wee Rep hockey team in Trail/Castlegar, BC. They are 12-13 year olds who play primarily against boys teams throughout the year until girls playdowns at the end of the year. We will be starting dryland training next month which will continue once a week throughout the season until Provincials in March. Currently our dryland program consists of a varying combination of long distance progression running, sprinting, stretching, agility/mobility/speed excercises, core work and finishing with some sort of team building game. Can you recommend any age-appropriate yoga excercises for these girls? It would have to be something that a novice like myself could employ. Thanks Donna!

So here are some free yoga exercises to meet these needs:

The best thing for all teen athletes is to learn Sun Salutation A – it is a full body workout that builds strength and flexibility and works as a wonderful warm-up for dryland/pre-season training. You’ll want to repeat Sun Salutations continuously, following the flow of your breath, for 10 mnutes, or longer if you have time. Here is a great video tutorial which includes clear technique pointers for beginners.

Other yoga poses for athletes to include would be:
Warrior pose

warrior pose

Dancer pose

dancer pose

Low lunge
Pigeon pose

pigeon pose

Boat pose

boat pose final position

Finishing by lying on the ground hugging your knees to your chest then bring them to one side while looking in the opposite directions (reclined twist) and finally corpse pose (savasana). Staying for 5-10 minutes following a guided relaxation to focus the mind and relax the body.

corpse pose

I hope this helps and give ‘em hell this season!

I’ll be updating this post over the next few weeks with complete yoga pose descriptions so follow along on Facebook or subscribe to my RSS Feed.

Yoga Applications to Social Studies Curriculum – Warriors Lesson plan for Warrior pose - students examine and understand...
Yoga Used by Olympic Athletes in Preparation for 2010 Olympic athletes Emily Cook and Katherine Ruetter comment on how...
Playlist for Teen Yoga Class I've been playing with the playlist for the Hot Yoga...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Relaxation Techniques

DonnaKFreeman — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:37:36 +0000

Learning how to relax is an essential skill in today’s fast paced world. Luckily there are numerous easy techniques that one can employ which are easy, free, and safe.

In general these techniques involve focusing your attention on something calming and increasing awareness in your body. As you learn to relax, you become more aware of the body’s stress response, and can make a conscious effort to use relaxation techniques to prevent stress from spiralling out of control.

Here are three major types of relaxation techniques:

Autogenic relaxation – autogenic meaning ‘self generating,’ this technique involves using visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. You repeat words or suggestion in your mind to help your relax. You may imagine a peaceful place. You focus on your breath, slowing your heart rate. Or you may centre your attention on different body parts, relaxing each in turn.
Progressive muscle relaxation – this technique focuses on tensing momentarily, then thoroughly relaxing each muscle group. This teaches the body’s memory the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. Often you start at your toes and progressively work your way up to your neck and head.
Visualization – taking mental visual journeys to peaceful, calming places and situations is the key to this technique. During visualization use as many senses as you can, including smell, sight, sound and touch.

I’ve used all three of these during corpse pose (savasana) or final relaxation. Kids love them and always ask to do ‘that sleeping thing’ again. Often adults come to yoga class specifically for the last 10 minutes when they finally get to lie down and do nothing.

corpse pose

These are easy skills to teach and regular relaxation sessions will lead to slowing your heart rate, lowering blood pressure, reducing muscle tension and chronic pain, improving concentration, and boosting confidence to handle problems.

So sit quietly & put your head down or lie on the floor and take a mental and physical five minute vacation. It’s the best thing you’ll do all day!

My Favourite Colour: A Guided Visualization for Relaxation Relaxation is essential. Learning to relax is key to a...
Four Ways to Help Your Kids Become Stress Free Recently I was fortunate to be able to interview Lori...
Yoga Helps Kids Unwind and Get a Good Nights Sleep Bedtime is often one of the most stressful times of...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.