Bug Yoga

Preschool children love bugs. So today we are going to learn how to do some Bug Yoga. I’ve got Garner and Marcus here to help me.

The first pose we are going to do is butterfly pose. This pose stimulates the heart and stretches the thighs. You can tell the differences between a butterfly and a moth by the directions that their wings stay when they are at rest.

The second pose that we are going to do is dead bug pose. This is a great activity to open the hips and build listening skills.

The third bug pose that we are going to do today is spider pose. Sitting in row like a train while in easy pose we are going to sing the song Itsy Bitsy Spider. Switch places and sing various versions of the song. For example: The Edmonton Spider.

The Edmonton spider went up the water spout

Down came the snow and froze the spider out

Out came the sun and it didn’t do a thing

So the Edmonton spider stayed frozen until spring.

I hope you have enjoyed Bug Yoga today. The next time that you are out walking and your kids are totally engrossed in the creepy crawlies across the sidewalk make sure you come home and do some bug yoga and get them into their bodies, into their minds, into their spirits. For more ideas on teaching kids and teens yoga please visit http://www.yogainmyschool.com. Namaste.

What other Bug Yoga poses can you think of?

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If you are looking for a creative and engaging way to teach children to respect their bodies and the environment, it has arrived. Whale Yoga by Next Generation Yoga founder, Jodi Komitor, is sure to be a hit with children aged 2-8.

Inspired by the humpback whales off Maui, Jodi created a series of yoga poses imitating the behavior and movements of these OMazing animals. The photos and videos of whales and the ocean help children to identify with these beautiful creatures and increase their imaginative play as they become whales through fun and creative yoga inspired activities, which include: Whale Breath, Swimming Whales, Ocean Waves, Sleeping Whale, Breaching, Humpback Pod, and more.

The love Jodi has for children is evident in all she does. Her smile, engaging demeanor, playful attitude and easy to follow instructions will resonate with young yogis. They will also enjoy the sweet child yogi models who accompany Jodi on her Whale Yoga adventure providing a wonderful example of how children perform the poses.

In addition to the 20 minute yoga class, this DVD includes a Whale Yoga flow ideal for older children or once your child is familiar with the poses, an interview with Jodi, and a music video for the song ”Wild and Living Sea” by Ron Franklin and the inspiration for Whale Yoga.

This DVD is perfect for teaching appreciation for the ocean and respect for the amazing creatures with which we share our world. Homeschooling parents and teachers will easily be able to incorporate this DVD into lessons plans and science curriculums. My own children now have listed a whale watching tour as their top pick the next time we visit the ocean. I especially liked the video footage of a momma and baby whale waving their tails. My youngest and I were glued to the screen as we waited for the baby to imitate it’s mother’s actions. Too cute!

Watch this trailer of the splashing good time that is Whale Yoga.

Next Generation Yoga generously provided a copy of this DVD for review as well as the giveaway.

Whale Yoga is available for $18 USD with 2% of proceeds being donated to Save the Whales. Buy it here.

Enter to win a copy of this DVD by leaving a comment telling of an experience you’ve had with whales.

Additional entries:

• Follow Whale Yoga on Facebook & leave a comment back here
• Facebook Entry: Share on FB including the link to this review and a @Yogainmyschool.com insertion in your facebook post – multiple entries allowed
• Tweet it including an @DonnaKFreeman mention – multiple entries allowed: “Amazing Whale Yoga DVD #giveaway http://bit.ly/b4Huok @DonnaKFreeman @NGYoga”

Draw date is November 30, 2010 at 10:00 am MST. Enter often and share the Whale Yoga love.

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Mindfulness

Labyrinths are a right brain meditation activity. In other words labyrinths develop creativity and imagination while focusing and calming the mind and body. Using labyrinths as mindfulness tools will reduce stress and increase concentration helping to create an optimum learning environment in the classroom.

Gross Motor Skills

Whether you are walking precisely, hopping, skipping, or playing along the path, a labyrinth will develop gross motor skills such as coordination, balance, body awareness, and spatial orientation. These skills are essential to proper physical development in children and also prepare the body for fine motor skills.

Fine Motor Skills

Finger labyrinths help refine fine motor skills. Using a finger or pen to follow the path in to the center and out again requires concentration and develops the small muscle movements in the hands as well as finger/eye coordination. Coloring labyrinths furthers this development.

Social Studies

Labyrinths are found throughout the world. Explore numerous countries (France, Italy, Estonia, Sweden, India - use the World Wide Labyrinth Locator for more)  and cultures (Roman, Greek, Hopi, Religious) to learn the use and symbolism of labyrinths.

Language Arts

Labyrinths have been used as a metaphor, cultural symbol and narrative structure in literature and film. Examining their use and various examples throughout history is an interesting and illuminating journey. Journaling about any lessons learned or insights gained while walking a labyrinth is a valuable self reflection exercise. Here are some observations from youth.

Math

From patterns to advanced calculations, labyrinths are a mathematicians playground. Understand patterns by learning to draw a labyrinth. Tony Philips provides lesson plans and activities which connect math with labyrinths here. Examine the geometry of various labyrinths.

Science

Build a labyrinth out of materials used during science lessons: tulip labyrinth, rock collection. Observe local bird species with the help of a birdseed labyrinth. Celebrate Earth Day by building a labryrinth with found items in nature: sticks, leaves, twigs, rocks, sea weed, grass, etc.

Physical Education

Walk, run, skip, hop, jump, backwards, forwards or sideways through the labyrinth. Get the heart rate up or bring it down. Compare how your body feels and the energy various activities create. In the winter enjoy building a snow labyrinth with snowshoes.

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As a family we also would watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom every Sunday evening and join Marlin Perkins as he traveled around the globe sharing his love of wildlife and the many dramas that unfold in the animal kingdom. And of course, there is World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with their work to sustain nature and save endangered and threathened animals.

Needless to say, I’m a big fan of protecting endangered and threatened species. I figured with all the animal yoga poses it would be natural to mix the two. So when I found these great colouring pages of a variety of precious species  at Kids for Saving Earth I knew it was meant to be.

Read the full article on elephant journal.

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I am a firm believer in being familiar with the body in order to understand how to best keep it healthy and happy. As individuals come to understand and appreciate the many functions their body performs, they are better prepared to take care of it. For example, understanding that a complete breath begins in the abdomen, permits the diaphragm and ribs to perform their functions, assists in getting adequate oxygen into the body, and helps reduce stress.

Knowledge of anatomy brings consciousness to yoga practice and helps individuals talk about their body without embarassement. In fact, recently I taught a group of 20 teenage girls about mula bandha or Root Lock. You should of seen them all blush. It was great! We’ve all got these parts, we’d better know what they do and how to take care of them in order to use them properly, avoid injury, and maintain good health.

Here are a couple on-line resources to help reinforce the topics and activities from yoga class which teach kids/teens anatomy.

Anatomy for Kids

A complete site with movies, word finds, online quizzes and activities is How the Body Works on KidsHealth.com. Kinetic.com also has a fun anatomy game called InnerG where body parts (ie: liver, heart, teeth, blood, etc) need to be placed into the body. As you do so, supporting information and recipes to keep that part strong and healthy are provided. My seven year old daughter thoroughly loved testing these sites out.

Anatomy for Teens

For Jr and Sr High School students more detailed anatomy learning games can be found at Anatomy Arcade with Whack-a-Bone and Poke-a-Muscle, among numerous others. The top level of these games are challenging and a great interactive way to learn anatomy. If you really want to get into anatomy including reviews of  iPod and iPhone apps, dissection videos, and learning inter-actives visit Think Anatomy.

During your next yoga class with kids/teens be sure to take the time to teach anatomy whether for basic understanding or more in depth comprehension of how the body works. Its quite a miraculous thing. How do you teach anatomy to your students?

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Traditionally Sun Salutations (Suryanamaskara) are performed upon arising while facing the Sun. This makes the front side of the body the east side, and the back side the west side. Many yoga poses when translated from the Sanskrit refer to the body in this manner. Thus Pachimottanasana is literally pachima = west, uttana = intense stretch or intense west side stretch: commonly known as Seated Forward Bend.

seated forward bend

Sun Salutation is actually a sequence of poses which flow together with the breath. Each inhalation and exhalation leading to a new pose. This sequence stretches the major muscles and develops concentration. There are a number of versions to Sun Salutation, the traditional version has 12 poses joined together. I enjoy this clear, precise video instructional which your students can follow along with.

It only takes a few moments to do one Sun Salutation. Once you feel the heat beginning to flow, continue with this coordination of movement and breath for 10 minutes or longer. This tunes your body to the stimulating power of the sun and creates a positive frame of mind.

If you are looking for a challenge there are groups that celebrate the fall/spring equinox and World Peace Day (Sept 21) with 108 repetitons of Sun Salutation as a form of moving meditation. Check out this article from Prana Flow NZ for more on how this feels. I think this is the yogic equivalent of running a marathon, but am intrigued by the idea and will begin to add one more Sun Salutation to my morning practice each day in order train my body for such an endeavor. You may want to consider learning Sun Salutations with your kids and then perform a few rounds (kids definitely should not be doing 108 of these) in honor of this celebration.

I hope that as your kids study the sun, you will explore Sun Salutations as a kinaesthetic learning methodology. For a more indepth look at Sun Salutations read Here Comes the Sun by Richard Rosen at Yoga Journal. Greet the sun; enjoy good health and a positive outlook.

If you enjoyed this article subscribe via RSS Feed or e-mail as curriculum applications of yoga poses and concepts will be provided weekly. I’d love to receive your feedback as to how your kids responded to this activity.

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