This game helps attune individuals to all the sounds in their environment. It is wonderfully versatile and can be played with one other person, a group, or all alone. In addition it builds concentration and memory. This game encourages open attention as it requires continual scanning of the environment. It is also a sensory game helping to focus on one sense at a timewhich is helpful when working with children with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and other sensory challenges.

Do You Hear What I Hear

Before you leave to walk somewhere, especially if you are going on a route you’ve taken many times and want to engage the participants attention, ask the children to help you guess the number of different sounds you’ll hear along the way. Then while walking, say “I can hear a _____________” and wait until the others hear that sound too. Keep walking and let everyone have a turn identifying sounds. Keep a running tally of all the sounds. Can you recall each one? In order?

Alternatively you can do this game while stationary. Have everyone sit comfortably, or lay down, and close their eyes. Tune into the various sounds around you. The hum of the lights, music playing in the distance, a clock ticking, air conditioning or a furnace turning on or off, a friend’s breath, your own beating heart. Mentally note each sound, then move on, continually scanning for ones which weren’t even aware of before this moment. After a few minutes, open your eyes and share with the group the sounds you heard.

Do You See What I See Variation

Instead of “I can hear” use “I can see” and point out to each other anything interesting you see. You could also be specific and look only for a certain type of thing. Only red things? Only new things, such as a recently bloomed flower or newly painted fence?

For a complete listing of yoga and mindfulness games visit the Yoga Games Page.

Photo by cesarastudillo

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Ever since the development of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator during WWII, there has been great interest and debate regarding psychological preferences and cognitive style. One underlying theme, however, is present: people demonstrate various strengths and weaknesses in the ways they acquire, retain, and organize information.

Individuals may prefer concrete experiences or abstract theories, use reflective observation more often than active experimentation, or tend toward random or sequential organization patterns. Knowing your favoured style allows you to capitalize on strengths and adapt the learning process and techniques to greater advantage. Furthermore, learning styles theories continually support the integration of various approaches in order for learning to be most effective.

Marsha Wenig’s YogaKids program is based on the eight intelligences all people exhibit as explained in Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory, developed in 1983. Marsha’s work demonstrates how the eight intelligences relate to yoga, and how basic asanas can stimulate multiple intelligences simultaneously.

Yoga can be applied across the curriculum, and can promote greater learning through incorporating numerous abilities and senses. When students’ senses are involved in more ways they integrate learning and experiences and retain this acquired knowledge much more readily. One example of this which engages verbal, visual, body and naturalist intelligences is to discuss the unique qualities and breeds of dogs, using a photo of a dog, then perform Downward Dog pose. You may even want to enjoy this very brief video of doga (dog yoga).

I’ve found that children will remember a pose even two years later, with no re-enforcement during that time, after having taught yoga in this manner. The contextual nature of the yoga and the kinesthetic performance of the asanas work hand in hand to support learning and retention.

Yoga truly rises to the challenge of being a physical activity, which reinforces and enlarges the classroom experience. Try yoga today with your students and explore the many ways it can incorporate a variety of learning styles to meet curriculum requirements. Visit the page Yoga Classroom for curriculum applications, yoga games and more.

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