This is Part 1 in a four part series on Om for Kids and Teens. Watch for Part 2: Chanting OM: How to Teach Kids to Chant (Video), Part 3: To Om or Not to Om and Part 4: The Benefits of Om coming soon.

Yoga Chanting for Kids & Teens

Often when I visit a class for the first time a number of kids come in right away, sit cross legged, hands in the air, thumb and index finger joined, and spontaneously chant “om.” Their natural curiosity and receptivity always makes me smile. They are so adorable in their sweet innocence as they connect with this universal sound and mudra (hand position).

Teaching Om

Now for a little guidance.

One of the easiest, and most approachable, ways to teach “om” is to break it down into A-U-M.

Sit cross-legged, place your hands on your knees in gyan mudra (thumb and index finger forming a circle, other fingers elongated). Aum is generally considered to have 3 1/2 measures: A, U, M and silence. Close your eyes, inhale then exhale as you perform Aum, repeating three times. The sounds ahhhh starts in our chest at the heart center, moves upward with the ooooo sound in the throat center, and ends with the sounds mmmmm, which vibrates the higher centers in the head. (~Once Upon a Pose, p. 4)

It’s fun to play around with variations in volume, pitch and timing. As with any yoga practice, approach “om” with curiosity and openness to see what feels right to you.

Three Symbols of Om

If you’d like to go all Hindu with your students you can explore the symbolism behind the sound. According to the Mandukya Upanishad,

Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it.

Each tone of “om” relates to a time of life, a power and a Hindu deity/philosophy.

A = birth, creative power (Brahma)

U = life, sustaining power (Vishnu)

M = death, destructive power (Shiva)

silence = bliss, pure consciousness (Turiya)

How do you teach “om” to kids and teens?

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“As you affirm, God confirms.” ~ Steve Gold

Steve Gold is known for his soul touching, positive music which he shares extensively at yoga workshops, retreats and festivals. His latest album Let Your Heart Be Known is an exploration in heart melting goodness as he combines America acoustic-guitar, blues, African rhythms and kirtan. Steve’s life mission is to build community through music and anyone who has enjoyed a workshop with him will agree that he does this and so much more. Employing the power of music to heal, connect and inspire, Steve’s melodies, rhythms and lyrics lift and soothe. Join Steve as we discuss inspirations, community, yoga and more.

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Find Steve on Facebook at Steve Gold Music and on Twitter @stevegoldmusic.

To purchase songs from Let Your Heart Be Known visit CD Baby.

Upcoming Interview: Feb 22nd – Yoga for Arthritis and POM2012 (Power of Movement) with Kim McNeil

iTunes Downloads

Check out the 60+archived interviews available for download on iTunes: includes guests Bob Weisenberg, YogaDork, Cora Wen, Sadie Nardini, Elena Brower, Anna Guest-Jelley, Leah Kalish and many more.

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Music to Express Gratitude

Thanksgiving Yoga Playlist

• Turkey in the Straw
• Over the River and Through the Woods
• Thanksgiving Day by John McCutcheon
• Thank You For the Music by ABBA
• Thank You by Dido
• Kind & Generous by Natalie Merchant
• What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong
• I Thank You by Sam & Dave
• The Thanksgiving Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole
• Thank You, Mom by Good Charlotte
• Thanksgiving Theme by Vince Guaraldi from “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”
• Beautiful by Marillion
• Sanctuary by Donna De Lory

Thanksgiving Kids & Teens Yoga Class

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Kira Willey shares her experiences in sharing music, practicing and teaching yoga and living with a heart full of color.Through Fireflies Musical Yoga for Kids and her award winning CD Dance for the Sun Kira brings the love of yoga to young and old. Going from being a music teacher and Mom to receiving a phone call from Dell Computer to use her song “Colors” in a major ad campaign, Kira’s life has taken some interesting turns. Unique and whimsical, Kira’s music includes a variety of genres and has touched lives around the globe. Get the inside story from Kira herself and maybe even a preview of her next CD – yeah!

Original Air Date: August 5, 2011

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You can get in touch with Kira through Fireflies Yoga.

If you’d rather download the interview and listen later visit Yogainmyschool.com on iTunes. While there check out any of our more than 45 interviews with other leaders in the field of yoga and mindfulness.

Watch for upcoming interviews: Aug 24 with Jason Magness of Yoga Slackers and Sept 2 with Radiant Child Yoga founder Shakta Kaur Khalsa.

Here is a fantastic printable for the song ‘Colors’ from OMazing Kids Yoga.

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What to expect when you attend kids yoga summer day camp

Children are often intrigued by the idea of yoga camp. However they and their parents may not have any idea of what they are really going to be doing during their time at camp. Here is a list of some activities you can expect from a well organized kids yoga camp.

Yoga Poses: Children will learn numerous yoga poses and spend time each day practicing physical yoga. In doing so they will develop strength, flexibility, balance and confidence. However, many camps are half day, or about 3 hours long. Logic, and a child’s attention span, tells you that children will not actually be practicing yoga poses the entire time. What else happens at yoga camp?

Mindfulness Activities: Learning to tune into your mind with awareness and compassion is an essential skill to developing emotional and social intelligence. Mindfulness activities may include meditation, mindful eating, mindful listening, mindful movement, breathing exercises, communication games, and more.

Yoga Games: There are numerous yoga games ideal for camp environments. Games teach social skills, patience, turn taking, reinforce concepts, and provide oodles of fun. Some of my fave yoga games include Yoga Jenga, Musical Mats and Swami Says. Visit the Yoga Games page for a full listing to make your yoga camp the best ever!

Stories: Children love a good story. By combining physical movement with creative story telling the stories take on new dimensions, fully explore meaning and integrate learning. Yoga Adventure Stories, children’s literature classics and creative story telling all find a home at kids yoga camp.

Environmental Appreciation: Part of practicing yoga is learning to appreciate and care for the environment. Many of the yoga yamas and niyamas support eco-conscious living including ahimsa (non-violence) brahmacarya (conservation) and tapas (self-discipline). Re-duce, re-use and re-cycle will be taught in word and deed.

Crafts: Imagination and creativity abound at kids yoga camp. Crafts teach fine motor skills, reinforce themes and develop a sense of accomplishment. They also form a link between the child’s camp experience and home where children can share what they have learned and proudly display their crafts.

Music: From chanting to expressive movement and much more music is an integral part of yoga. Mantra yoga is the yoga of sound. Kids yoga camp may use a Tibetan Singing Bowl, drums, and other instruments to create sound or have numerous songs on a kids yoga playlist to encourage creativity & self expression, teach rhythm & coordination, and improve mood & well-being. Discover the benefits of music in a Kids Yoga Class.

Relaxation: Imaginative relaxation helps children to de-stress and increases self-awareness. They may float on clouds, drift down a river or imagine their favourite colour. Each day of yoga camp will include some form of relaxation leaving children refreshed and renewed.

This summer Yogainmyschool.com is offering week long Kids Yoga Camps at The Water Garden at The Enjoy Centre. Running July 11-15 from either 9:00-12:00 or 1:00-4:00 children aged 5-11 can experience a yoga intensive made just for them. Call 1-780-504-5022 to register.

For more information on kids yoga camps visit Benefits of Kids Yoga Camp.

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Music serenades our lives, adding significance to moments, people, and events, connecting us to our experiences, emotions, memories and dreams. Truly the soul has an innate love of music. In addition, sounds have a profound influence on our cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional development, behavior and social skills. There is scarcely a single function of the human body which is not affected by musical tones.

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.  ~Plato

Using music in a children’s yoga class is a wonderful way to allow them to develop their bodies and minds. From simple nursery rhymes to custom written kids yoga scores, children will respond positively to melodies and movement.

Benefits of Music in Kids Yoga Class

Music:

• connects and brings people together, helping us interact one with another
• engages our emotions and has a powerful impact on mood and energy levels
• teaches rhythm, timing, orientation and coordination
• focuses the mind and increases concentration
• develops language and speech skills
• improves listening skills and phonetic awareness
• encourages creativity and self expression
• enhances overall health and a sense of well-being
• increases intelligence and brain connectivity

Best of all kids don’t really care is you can sing or not. So let lose, crank up the tunes, sing a favourite song and dance like no-one’s watching.

For inspiration check out these samples of using music in a kids yoga class: Star Pose, Bug Yoga (spider pose), Shark Attack. Or fill your mp3 player with catchy tunes and enjoy these musically inspired yoga games: Freeze Dance and Musical Mats.

Some valuable resources for your kids yoga class include:

• I Grow withYoga: Yoga Songs for Children – by Childlight Yoga
• Come Play Yoga – by Karma Kids Yoga
• Dance for the Sun – by Kira Willey
• Musical Yoga Adventures – by Suzi Frank and Linda Lara
• Stress Free Kids – music CDs for relaxation by Lori Light

For more information on music in kids yoga visit The Magic of Music on the Kids Yoga Resource.

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