This is a guest post by Bernardette Kalyan-Salgado and is part of our My Favourite Props series.

Scarves are a typical prop for dance classes however I have found them to be very useful in yoga as well.

Body Awareness

Use the scarves during warm up. Waking up the body placing the scarf over the toes, knees, etc. Younger children and those with special needs in particular love the idea of “waking up” the body parts.

Asana

Use the scarves as a prop to hold with several asanas/poses, it is a challenge for older students. Poses such as Warrior (arms up holding the scarf open looking up, focusing on the scarf), Dancer and for balancing poses such as Crow it can be used as a focal point.

Games

Common games such as freeze dance become fun and different with a scarf in hand. It also gives a difference sense of spatial awareness for the child.  Playing games such as “Yogi Says” is also fun, ex. “Yogi Says, place your scarf on your head.”

Scarf Breathing

Laying down placing the scarf on the belly creating awareness for deep belly breaths. Placing them over the face and blowing them upward attempting for lift off.

I find scarves to be such a handy prop. It is easy to be creative with them they can become water, clouds etc. in a story or movement experience. Most importantly they are light in weight if you have to carry them around. Having a set in two different types of material is also very interesting to see the children explore the texture and how it moves differently.

Bernardette is a RYT 200 instructor based in Florida. She combines her background in dance with yoga to create fun Movement Yoga for Children classes.

If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out all the ideas on the our My Favourite Prop page. Learn how to use feathers, hula hoops, stones and stuffed animals to name a few.

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Saucha in Your School & Life

At a recent Teacher In-Service training which I taught one of the participants was looking to collect donated mats in order to have a set for her classroom. I encouraged her to do this as many people don’t know what to do with their gently used mats when they acquire a new one or may have an unused mat at home (gasp, horror!) One of the most important aspects of collecting donated mats is how to clean them. It was especially important in this case seeing as her students have a variety of special needs including compromised immune systems.

Regular yoga mat cleaning needs to be something on your yoga radar – odor, germs, bacteria…need I say more. Unfortunately, many people have no idea how to do this, or even that it needs to be done until the odor becomes rather offensive and child’s pose is no longer a pleasant experience. My favourite explanation is by Eco Yogini because it is eco-friendly and doesn’t involve compromising the yoga mats with detergent or the washing machine.

The recipe is simple.

• one part vinegar
• three parts water
• 10 drops tea tree oil (optional)
• a couple drops lavender oil (optional)

When I do this I simply toss the mat into the tub, just barely cover with warm water, add a couple glugs of vinegar and some dashes of tea tree oil. Swish vigorously for 2-3 minutes. Lift the mat from the resultant brackish water, shake off excess and hang outside on an overcast day.

In a school environment you’ll want to make cleaning yoga mats a regular occurrence as a general public health and wellness practice as well as to preserve the yoga mats for use during the years to come. The easiest way to do this is to have the students spray & wipe after use. Yes, this is an extra step at the end of yoga class, however it will teach respect for the supplies, instill basic cleanliness habits and demonstrate responsibility (you used it, you clean it). You could also make this part of the duties of the school’s Yoga Club which you’ll organize just to get out of having to clean 30 yoga mats all by your lonesome on Saturdays.

Yoga is much more than a number of poses done on a mat. Saucha (one of basic tenets of yoga known as yamas & niyamas) means cleanliness of body, heart, mind and environment. Practice saucha today and clean your yoga mat. Better yet, show a child or teenager how to clean their mat and share this knowledge with the next generation of yogis.

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Guest post by Jennifer Cohen Harper

There are dozens of potential uses for a singing bowl in a children’s yoga class, but the one that is the most potent is also the absolute simplest. The activity described below has a unique way of engaging children’s cooperation in the exact manner that you hope, while at the same time showing a profound respect for their independence.

At the beginning of every class, no matter how many routines you develop or guidelines you give your kids, there is a certain amount of noise, movement, conversation and other distraction that is a natural part of the transitions that children go through during their day. Sometimes there is complete chaos that threatens your ability to start your class in the peaceful, centered and happy state of mind that every yoga instructor hopes for.

This point of transition, where you set the tone for the entire experience that both you and your students are about to have, is a particularly challenging one to navigate. You must bring all of your students attention together at the same time, there is often noise so if the kids are going to hear you it might mean raising your voice, and all of the conversation that your students are having with each other are compelling to them and they are going to need some pretty good motivation to wrap them up. This can lead to frustration on the part of the teacher, and a gradual escalation of your voice until you are actually yelling at your students before you have even started your class.

There is a better way. When I begin a children’s yoga class, my goal is fro the children to turn their attention to me naturally, because they are interested in what is about to happen. I also want to respect that all of the conversations they are having are important to them. They are not doing anything wrong by having these social interactions during a lull in their very managed day, and I do not want to make them feel as through they are in some way bad because they are communicating with each other.

Rather then say anything at all, I recommend using a singing bowl in a very deliberate way to let the students know that you are about to start class. The following steps are so simple, but the honor the students by giving them time to transition gently, wrapping up whatever they are saying and doing with no abrupt shift, no implication that they are doing something wrong, no order, no anger and no raised voices. If is important to follow these steps slowly and remember your intention – a group of children who feel respected, engaged and happy to be in your presence.

Singing Bowl Opening Ritual

1. Enter your classroom with a relaxed, happy attitude. Smile at your students and allow them to adjust to your presence in the room before asking them to do anything at all.
2. Go to where you are setting up your space. Put your things down in a slow and deliberate manner, keeping any clutter to a minimum. Place a singing bowl next to you. Always handle the singing bowl with gentle respect. You want to create a sense in the children that the singing bowl is something very special and something to be treated with care. This naturally make is more interesting to them.
3. Settle onto your mat and model for the children a grounded and mindful seat. Take a few deep breaths. Pick up the singing bowl, and hold is at heart height. Make sure you are treating the bowl with reverence, and that you are directing your gaze and energy at it, rather than looking around at the kids. As the students notice what you are doing, they will look where you look.
4. After a few moments and a few breaths, gently ring the singing bowl. Keep your gaze fixed on the bowl until the sound completely dies away.
5. After the sound of the bowl is gone, look around at your students and make eye contact. If many of the kids are still not with you after the sound of the bowl is finished, take several breaths and then ring it again. Be careful not to show any frustration or annoyance. This ringing of the bowl is an invitation to your students, not a command or a reprimand.
6. There will be a moment of quiet after the sound finishes, when the children’s attention is turned to the bowl and to you. Take advantage of that moment (and it may not last long) to draw them in. Depending on whether the children are still up and about of they are on their mats, say good morning, ask a question, give them an interesting piece of information, or move directly into an activity. This is your opportunity to start class from a  place of engagement. Try not to be overly concerned if every single student is not completely silent or still when the bell finishes ringing. As long as the general orientation of the class is towards you, you have a space to being your teaching.

This method of beginning gets more and more effective as you use it. The children learn the routine and many will begin to get themselves set up for class just by watching you take the singing  bowl into your hands. Remember that the singing bowl must always be treated as something special – don’t ring it in anger or frustration or desperation or it will lose it’s meaning. Your attention to the attitude you convey at the beginning of class will make a tremendous difference in the attitude of the children. Become a model of patience, grace and loving acceptance. Invite your students on a journey, and you may be surprised at how willing they are to participate.

Jennifer Cohen Harper is the founder and director of Little Flower Yoga, a unique organization that provides education based yoga programs to schools and youth organization, teaches creative and nurturing classes for children and families, and trains teachers to engage, encourage and inspire joy in all students. Come grow with us.

This a continuation of our My Favourite Prop series written by experts in the yoga for kids and teens field. Visit our Yoga Props page to view the complete collection including how to use feathers, hula hoops, puppets, hoberman sphere and many more.

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Incorporating a daily mindfulness practice into their day is a wonderful way to help children and teenagers connect to themselves, improve happiness, reduce stress and increase focus. Mindfulness is a tool which can be used throughout our lives and increases awareness of the present without judgement. Ideally this practice will be repeated at the same time each day (for example after lunch recess) to help instill the habit of mindfulness and reap the greatest benefits.

Here is a simple two minute mindfulness practice/lesson to repeat daily and includes one minute of mindful listening and one minute of mindful breathing.

• Sit quietly, lengthen your spine by reaching the crown of the head to the sky, feet or bottom firmly connected with the earth, close your eyes.
• Bring your attention to the sound you are about to hear. Listen until the sound is completely gone.
• Ring a mindfulness bell, or have a student ring the bell. Use a bell with a sustained sound or a rain-stick.
• Raise your hand when you can no longer hear the sound.
• When most/all of the students have raised a hand ask them to slowly and mindfully move their hand to their stomach and feel their breathing.
• Breathe in and out, paying attention to the breath as it moves in and out of the body. Is it warm? cold? shallow? deep? smooth? even? ragged? long? short? Breathe in, breathe out.
• Ring the bell after one minute to end as students open their eyes and resume their day.

Here is an mindfulness bell audio clip that you can use for this activity if you don’t happen to have a chime, bell or rain stick on hand.

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.

Visit our Mindfulness Category for many more games, activities and techniques which teach children and teens to live mindful lives. We add new content all the time so be sure to subscribe (e-mail or RSS) to receive these posts directly to you.

Photo courtesy of cogdogblog

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Guest post by Cheryl Crawford and Amy Haysman

Eye pillows are one of those little things that make a big difference. The simple gesture of placing an eye pillow on a student as they transition into savasana (corpse pose) builds trust and becomes a ritual that kids and teens look forward to each class.

As teachers, when the students move into savasana, we are able to quickly assess who is fidgeting and having trouble closing their eyes. We use eye pillows because the shape contours to the face, blocks out light and calms the active muscles around the eyes. By applying gentle pressure to the pillow, we help relieve tension in the eyes and forehead and impart our tranquil energy to settle each student. We say “If your eyes are still moving, your attention is in your head. Invite your eyes to the back of your head.

Bring your attention to your heart center and breathe there.” Expanding the heart space is a sure way to turn inward and center. When we are in our heart, we experience more joy and can truly connect with others. Kids and teens thrive when they feel connected and of service. We teach them how to place an eye pillow on someone’s eyes with reverence, cradle the friend’s head and lengthen the back of their neck and then gently lower their head back down.

We also use eye pillows to teach balance and breathing techniques. In balancing poses, an eye pillow on top of the head helps students keep their head and body steady. The weight of the pillow provides a slight resistance that the students can use to extend into. They love the challenge of keeping the pillow on their head as they transition from one balancing pose to another.

When lying down, placing a pillow on a particular part of the body helps the student bring their awareness and breath to that area. The pillow isolates an area such as the low belly and gives students a tactile and visual cue to the flow of their breath. Savasana is the perfect pose to teach beginners how to focus on their breath. It is easier to tune into the breath with closed eyes and an eye pillow helps especially young children keep their eyes closed for minutes at a time. Savasana can be silent or a beautiful song may enhance the experience. Reading an inspirational poem or guided visualization while the students’ minds and bodies are calm and receptive is a powerful way to reinforce the yogic theme.

We believe eye pillows are so valuable that we created our own product line. Our eye pillows are made of organic hemp with removable washable covers. The lavender ones enhance relaxation through aromatherapy. We also offer unscented ones for those who have sensitivities to smell. For more information please email info@gogrounded.com.

Cheryl and Amy are the founders of Go Grounded and can be found via the Go Grounded Facebook page.

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A rope can be a useful yoga prop. This video demonstrates one way to use a rope in a kids yoga class. Rope Walking is a mindfulness activity which teaches focus and concentration. It also improves balance and coordination while providing a calming activity that is both challenging and soothing in nature. This mindfulness activity is ideal for individuals with ADHD as it allows for movement while developing mind/body awareness.

Rope Walking

Today we have three young yogis who are going to show you how to do rope walking.

For younger children (or those with special needs), they can walk on the path made in between the rope. Walking all the way to the center.

For older children, they can walk on the rope. This increases the diffficutly of the exercise and helps them to learn balance, body coordination. It helps them to teach where they are looking they want to place their feet. And is a lovely exercerise to teach them how to do a walking meditation. Of course, once they get really good at it they can do various activities such as jumping or walking a little faster.  But for the most part, simply walking along a rope is challenge enough.

And that’s how you do rope walking.

More yoga and mindfulness activities can be found on YogaInMySchoolTV on YouTube.

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