Gaining an understanding of the energetic body provides a deeper understanding of our connections, subtle energy and how we interact with the world.
This lesson plan provides an overview of the seven principle chakras and introduces tweens and teens to yoga practices of breath, movement, mantra and meditation to balance the energetic body. It includes a brief explanation of the chakras, an origami rainbow visual/craft, suggested practices for each of the seven chakras and an audio chakra meditation.
Faced with a room full of hormonal teens on yoga mats: what do you do? how do you connect? How do you get them engaged?
Teaching teens is unlike instructing any other age group. They’re not kid and not yet adults. They still like to play but don’t want to be treated like children. They crave approval but will give you tons of attitude just to keep things interesting and establish their independence.
This manual walks you through how to teach teen yoga. It provides wise, practical and time-tested tips, tools and techniques that help teens manage stress and develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. These methods can be implemented immediately with adolescents as well as in your own life.
This manual walks you through how to teach teen yoga. It provides wise, practical and time-tested tips, tools and techniques that help teens manage stress and develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. These methods can be implemented immediately with adolescents as well as in your own life. 57 pg full color PDF.
Mindful eating is a way to enjoy and find pleasure in one of the most ordinary things we do. Most of the time we are so busy devouring, mindlessly, we miss the satisfaction and true enjoyment of consuming food and drink. Being conscious of what you eat involves taking the time to truly observe, savour and appreciate what we put into our bodies. It also includes using our best wisdom and knowledge to choose wholesome foods, being conscious of what is involved to get them to our table.
It is becoming more and more popular for professional athletes to use yoga. The Los Angeles Lakers (basketball), the Miami Dolphins (football) and the Chicago Cubs (baseball), the New Zealand All Blacks (rugby) use yoga as a training tool for the entire team roster. Individually Pete Sampras (tennis), Annika Sorenstam (golf), Sean Burke (hockey) and Evander Holyfield (boxing) along with many others practice yoga to stay at the top of their game. Truly yoga is a perfect cross training technique complementing and expanding each athletes abilities.
Yoga extends athletic training by:
Increasing core strength
Improving pulmonary efficiency
Reducing performance anxiety
Preventing sports injuries
Improving concentration
Increasing flexibility
Enhancing range of motion
Developing balance and focus
Increasing endurance
Teaching relaxation
Relieving stress
Teen athletes can access these same benefits through developing a regular yoga practice which works with their sport(s) of choice.Teens who incorporate yoga into their training will find they are healthy, injury free, and better able mentally to be at the top of their game.
The most effective way to use yoga for athletes is with Sun Salutations. Sun Salutations offer a full body workout achieving greater strength and flexibility. They are ideal as a warm up routine, to use on ‘down days’ when there is not a practice or game scheduled, and during the off season. Simply performing Sun Salutations for 10 minutes a day will improve athletic ability.
A second way to use yoga is through developing mental concentration. Practicing yoga works your mind making it stronger, better able to respond and react. In addition, by practicing relaxation, visualisations and yoga breathing on game day athletes calm the mind, prepare the body, and focus energy and intent. These skills will take what you have gained through practice and provide a competitive edge.
To get the most benefit from yoga, teens should enroll in a Yoga for Teens class. These classes cater specifically to teens developing physical and mental abilities. Alternatively many sports teams now offer yoga cross training. If yours does not, talk to the coach and other team members to see if this can be arranged.
Hello, my name is Donna Freeman, founder of Yogainmyschool.com. Today we’re here to talk about the wonderful sound OM.
Invariably when I go into a school or to teach children, somebody in the class who has never done yoga before will come in, sit down on their mat and go like this, “OOOMMMMM!” They are all excited to begin chanting. So, I’ll show you how to do that properly and the aspects of OM you can teach to children.
Today Alea has joined me. She is going to learn a few mudras, hand positions that you can do while chanting OM. As well as the different aspects of the sound itself.
Now when you chant OM, it’s really helpful because the vocalization changes the energy in your body, it provides healing energy. It enhances your overall health. It calms your emotions and quiets the mind while providing relaxation. And increases the sense of togetherness.
When you chant om, a lot of people, because of how it is written in English, think it is just two sounds O-M. I actually prefer the written form A-U-M, for OM, because that represents much better the sounds which you are producing.
There are three and a half parts to om. The first is down here in your belly. It is a big aaaahhh sound. And then the uuuuu sound is up into your chest. From there the mmmmm comes to your head. It’s like a buzzing bee. Then there is blessed silence. When you OM you have those parts to it.
The other part is a mudra if you are comfortable with that. The two most popular are anjali mudra, or namaste hands. Anjali meaning heart. So you can bring your thumbs to your sternum. The other would be gyan mudra where you make a circle with your index finger and thumb and the rest of your fingers are extended, and then you place that on your knees. You can choose whichever one of those you like. Or if you are not comfortable with either one you don’t need to do it either.
Join with us in oming three times. Close your eyes. Inhale.
AAAUUUMMMMM
AAAUUUMMMMM
AAAUUUMMMMM
Take a deep breath. Bow your head. And allow your eyes to fall open.
Very nicely done.
So I hope that helps for when you are teaching OM to children and teens and bringing the lovely sound of yoga into your life. Have a wonderful day. Namaste.
Trauma Informed Parenting with Hala Khouri November 10, 2022
The incredible Hala Khouri is our guest in this episode of the Yoga In My School podcast.Hala brings her extensive expertise in somatic experiencing, psychology, social justice, movement, and mindfulness as we discuss trauma informed parenting. Discover parenting with curiosity and awareness of our own conditioning so we can be more sensitive to the complex […]
