Star pose is a great pose to teach balance and coordinate movement with music. Star pose is ideal for pre-school and school aged children. Children with special needs also enjoy this pose. You can do this pose individually but in this video we’re doing it with a partner. Practicing this kids yoga pose with a partner provides an opportunity for success for individuals with developing balance skills to enjoy a sense of accomplishment. In addition it builds social skills and develops the coordination necessary to transfer weight from one side to the other, increasing strength and core stability. 

Star Pose

Hello, I’m Donna with Yogainmyschool.comand today I’m here with my niece, Nadia. Nadia and I are going to show you how to do star pose. So if you’ve ever wondering what you can do with pre-school children and yoga here is a great activity.

Let’s make a five pointed star with our bodies. First extend your legs nice and wide. Then reach your arms out. Now twinkle your fingers. Next twinkle your toes. And can you sing Twinkle Little Star with me?

Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are,

Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky,

Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

That was perfect, thank you so much.

With that in mind I’ve started to readjust bedtime to more closely reflect a school night. Knowing that it takes about two weeks for any routine to become part of daily life this process begins now so that we are ready the night before that first day back to class.

Here are some yoga tips to creating a bedtime routine that will lead to a restful sleep for children and parents alike.

1. Reduce Stimulus – Children need a winding down period before hitting the hay. In order to maximize a restful sleep begin about an hour before bed to reduce sensory stimulus. In yoga this is called pratyahara (the 5th limb of Yoga according to the Yoga Sutras by Patañjali). Take away video games, turn the TV off, lower the lights, introduce soothing music or the blessed sound of silence. The body will transition from activity to inactivity beautifully when given time to adjust and flow smoothly into relaxation.�
   

   ragdoll pose

    

2. Connect – Taking time to connect with your mind and body is essential to health and wellness even for little ones. Encourage your children to do some restorative yoga poses such as child’s pose, ragdoll, hero’s pose and gentle twists to get the kinks out and reduce muscular strains and stresses from the day’s activities. Also, be sure to take time to connect with one another. Read a story together, chat about the day, share your lives, concerns, hopes and simply enjoy one an-other’s company.
3. Establish a Routine – Children thrive on predictability and structure. In yogic terms this is called tapas (self-discipline). Establish an order of events (1. cleanup, 2. bedtime snack, 3. brush teeth, 4. yoga b4 bed, 5. read together, etc.). Create a chart with easy to follow graphics. This is helpful for all children whenever they are learning a routine, but especially for pre-schoolers and those with special needs.
4. Be Content – Practice santosha (contentment) one of the yoga niyamas (observances) by learning to be happy with who you are, where you are, and with what you have. Encourage the attitude of what you have is enough and that there is satisfaction and happiness to be found in each day. Five Good Moments is a simple gratitude game you can play daily with your children to develop a thankful heart and mind.
5. Practice Pranayama – Yogic breathing techniques are extremely effective at reducing stress and anxiety which often hit children as they are laying in bed waiting to fall asleep.  Swimming Stuffies and Take 5 are wonderful breathing exercises that help connect the mind and body. Even very young children can develop breath awareness and practice these safe and simple techniques before drifting off to sleep.

Be sure to allow sufficient time (about an hour) in order not to rush your children as they transition from the day’s activities to calm relaxation. Speak in a calm tone of voice and provide 2-5 minute warnings whenever an activity will change (”In five minutes you’ll need to put away your toys and get into PJ’s.”). Most importantly love your children. Use the time before bed to demonstrate daily how important they are to you.

Remember it takes time to create a routine and fine tune it to your personal needs. Stick with it and you will create a better sleep environment, manage stress and anxiety, as well as calm and nurture yourself and your loved ones.

Another article with great yoga inspired ideas is Bedtime Bliss on the Kids Yoga Resource.

Photo by flickrized

Welcome to Shark Week! Yoga for Kids

Here is a fun version of Shark Pose (Dolphin Pose) especially for kids. Once you know how to do Shark Pose combine it with a favourite camp song for an engaging kids yoga activity.

This activity develops numerous skills in children such as turn taking, language ability, musical intelligence, and kinaestetic learning. Plus it’s simply lots of fun.  And, you may find yourself unable to stop singing the song.

My favourite part is at the end when they go from the frenzy of SHARK ATTACK to the calm of Namaste.

“Hello. My name’s Donna with Yogainmyschool. Today I have three young yogis with me.

Hi, I’m Greer and I’m 6 years old.

Hi, I’m Ellie and I’m 7 years old.

Hi, I’m Alea and I’m 8 years old.

Today these young ladies are going to show us how to do Shark Attack!

Baby Shark, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Momma Shark, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Grandpa Shark, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Daddy Shark, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Shark Attack! na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Two notes. That’s all you need. And everyone knows they are in for Shark Pose. The Jaws Theme  Song continues to terrify and kids far and wide can’t wait to get into this basic inversion.

Shark Pose/Dolphin Pose

Hello, this is Donna from Yogainmyschool and I’m here today with Alea to show you how to do Shark Pose, known in most adult yoga classes as Dolphin Pose.

Hi, my name is Alea and I’m eight years old.

• The first thing you need to do, to do Shark Pose is come onto your hands and knees. Do you see how her hands are below her shoulders and her knees are below her hips? That’s perfect.
• The second step is to lower yourself to the ground on your elbows, intertwining your fingers.
• The third step, curl your toes under and lift your hips high in the air. Let your head hang loose. You can shake it ‘yes.’ You can shake it ‘no.’ And do you see how her body forms a triangle. That is supposed to be the fin of the shark.

Shark Pose is a really good pose for strengthening the shoulders, the chest and building stamina. After a few breaths, you can come on down, and return to sitting.

Thanks Alea for showing us how to do Shark Pose.

Visit the Alphabetical List of Yoga Poses for a complete listing of yoga poses that kids love.

Children with asthma have unique physical challenges. More and more children are being diagnosed with this respiratory complaint with a 160% increase of asthma cases since 1980. In fact almost 7 million children in the US have asthma . This Blog Talk Radio episode will focus on three types of yoga poses and three breathing exercises which help alleviate symptoms of asthma in children. Please always continue to take perscribed medication and use these exercises in addition to your Doctor’s recommendations.

Original Air Date: 12/15/2009 3:00 PM

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

marichiyasana ii

Deer Pose – Marichiyasana II

• Sit, feet stretched out on the floor in front of you
• Bend the right leg placing the foot a hand’s span from the left thigh
• Hug your knee with both arms and sit tall
• Place the right hand on the floor behind you, inhale as you reach up with the left hand
• Exhale and twist your torso to hug your right knee with the left arm, look behind you
• Release, returning to center
• Repeat on the other side

Benefits:stimulates the liver and stomach, tones the digestive system, opens the shoulders and spine, improves posture

Watch this video of how to perform the pose.

Visit the alphabetical list of poses for a full listing of yoga poses that are safe and fun for kids and teens. More poses are added regularly so be sure to subscribe via RSS or e-mail to have them delivered directly to your reader/in-box.