The Kids Yoga Resource

Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck Making a Difference for Kids in Africa

The Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck has been making its way around the world by yoga teachers, school professionals, counselors and many others working with children internationally.

Here is an inspiring story we recently received from Lynn Deutsch, Peace Corps Volunteer working in Botswana, Africa:

"I am a 55 year old Peace Corps Volunteer in the small village of Mmathethe, Botswana.  My primary job here is to infuse a Life Skills Program, and in thinking how I was going to get through to the primary kids, many of whom don't speak English yet, I thought what better way to inspire them than to do life skills via The Yoga 4 Classroom cards.  Having been a Child Psychologist for 21 years, and a Yoga enthusiast, I've always loved the connection between life and yoga, the work done on the mat finding it's shadow in life's situations. 

With these African children bursting with energy, yet having little staying power, possibly due to the lack of nutrients in their diet, this is the perfect venue for them---not only to increase their health, but to instill a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.  With their enthusiasm for the poses, they know that every kid is a winner here!  The kids are practicing poses like Boat and Chair on a daily basis now with the teachers, and when I walk about the village, kids flock to me showing me the poses learned. 

A funny thing happened my first day teaching it: all sorts of kids were peeking in the window, and I was trying gently to shoo them away...well, they were relentless, and I was becoming a bit frustrated with kids outside, and then one kid in the class shouted out--"breathe into the balloon, teacher!" It was so funny, and I guess at least I know that they're absorbing the meaning of what I was trying to teach.

Time will tell how these children will translate yoga to life, but working with them is a pure joy and an experience I'll never forget".

Inspired? You too can be the change!

Perhaps you'd like to support the Africa Yoga Project dedicated to bringing the gift of yoga to multiple communities across Africa. Among other organizations, the Yoga Service Council, Yoga Activist, and the Give Back Yoga Foundation are also promoting yoga service to address the needs of various populations and communities in need of the transformative and healing power of yogic practices.

To learn more about the Yoga 4 Classrooms program, Professional Development and Trainer Intensives, check out our website www.yoga4classrooms.com. You can also follow our blog for more stories about yoga programming in schools and related resources.

Maternal Health events in July: Yoga for Fertility and Yoga for Birth Workshops, plus a Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training

Check out the upcoming trainings and workshops for expecting moms and yoga teachers focused on prenatal care and fertility - whether an expecting mom or a yoga teacher - we have something in shop for you this July - read on..

Yoga for Birth Workshop on Wednesday, 7/18, 6:45-9pm
This workshop is designed for pregnant women and their labor support partners, where you will learn a very specific sequence of breathing techniques and yoga postures that are adapted to the physical and emotional changes of the different stages of labor and will enable you to manage contractions from a calm, meditative and controlled perspective.

FMI and Register

Yoga for Fertility Workshop on Sunday, 7/22, 9:30-11:30am
Yoga for Fertility is a workshop designed for those who are interested in learning Restorative Yoga, breathwork and relaxation techniques to help nurture fertility. There will be a focus on postures that will facilitate an increase in blood and energy to the hips and pelvis. A yoga practice focused on restorative postures assists in releasing the anxiety and stress that can sometimes accompany fertility challenges.

FMI and Register

Still Point Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, July 27-29 & August 5
Add an entirely new dimension to your career as a yoga teacher and childbirth educator as a certified prenatal yoga teacher by attending the Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training with Avantika Waleryszak.

Training will focus on modifications of traditional yoga postures for pregnancy, anatomy and physiology of the pregnant body, the changing needs of each trimester, prenatal pranayama, and creating sacred space for mothers and their babies. By participating in this professional workshop, each participant will receive the confidence to teach a fun, effective, and safe class for mothers-to-be.

This Teacher Training is appropriate for yoga teachers and childbirth educators looking to develop instructional skills in prenatal yoga. Training will focus on modifications of traditional yoga postures for pregnancy, anatomy and physiology of the pregnant body, the changing needs of each trimester, prenatal pranayama, and creating sacred space for mothers and their babies.  By participating in this professional workshop, each participant will receive the confidence to teach a fun, effective, and safe class for mothers-to-be to help them relieve the aches and pains that are often associated with pregnancy.

FMI and Register

Let's Move with FIT Kids: A Follow-Up

In our March 30th blog titled "Let's Move with FIT Kids!  What You Can Do to Support Wellness Education in the Schools,"  we advocated for the FIT Kids Act, urging you to visit the FIT Kids website to show your support for this initiative.  If you haven't done so yet, it's not too late!  The website makes it simple, providing a pre-written letter and a list of your congressional representatives.  Meanwhile, we wanted to share a recent response we received from Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.  We are hopeful that your letters to your state representatives will garner a similar supportive response.    

    Thank you for contacting me regarding the Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (S. 576).  I appreciate hearing from you.

    As you may know, on March 15, 2011, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced S. 576, which was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.  If enacted, S. 576 would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require state and local educational agency report cards to annually include information on school health and physical education programs.  The Act would also require training for physical and health education teachers and would direct the Secretary of Education to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a study investigating the impact of health and physical education in schools.

    As the mother of two children, I recognize the important role that health and physical education play in providing students with a well-rounded education.  However, I also believe that strong families are the foundation of our country and provide an invaluable support system that allows our children to grow into successful adults.  That is why I believe parents, first and foremost, should take the responsibility in advocating physical education for their children.

    The epidemic of obesity in our country is certainly troubling, and I appreciate the role of physical education teacher in encouraging children and families to emphasize physical activity as part of their daily routines.  I will be sure to take into account your support for S. 576.  Although I do not sit on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, please know that I will consider your input should the bill come up for a vote in the full Senate.

    Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me.  As your Senator, it is important for me to hear from you regarding the current issues affecting New Hampshire and our nation.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

Kelly A. Ayotte
U. S. Senator

Let's Move with FIT Kids! What You Can Do to Support Wellness Education in Schools

 Many of you are aware of the current crises of childhood health and wellness:  one in three children is overweight (one in six is obese); anxiety affects one in ten children; and nearly 19% have been diagnosed with emotional or behavioral disorders (including ADD and ADHD).   These statistics and many others (there isn’t room to list them all!) say it loud and clear:  our children do not have the resources and support they need to make the  choices that will provide a foundation for a lifetime of wellness.     

What can be done about this situation?  Plenty!  The FIT (Fitness Integrated with Teaching) Kids Act is federal legislation currently in review by the House of Representatives (H.R.1057/S.576).  This bill would establish a framework for schools to look closely at the quality and quantity of the physical education they are providing, and to supply parents with that information to better understand the physical education their kids are receiving. 

ChildLight Yoga feels this bill is an important step along the path toward providing our children with improved fitness and health education opportunities in the schools.  We are in touch with our local congressional representatives to urge them to consider the importance of this bill.  We urge you to do the same.  If you are interested in showing your support for this bill, please visit the FIT Kids website.

While FIT Kids fills an important gap in childhood health education, it’s only one piece in the puzzle.  So much more needs to be done to provide comprehensive health education for our children.   For information about a few organizations and initiatives that are focused on this issue – and to find out what you can do to help promote and support health and wellness in the schools – please visit the websites listed below. 

The National Physical Activity Plan 

Let's Move 

Coordinated School Health Programs 

ChildLight Yoga’s Yoga 4 Classrooms^TM program is just one curriculum aimed at providing elementary schools with the foundation for creating and maintaining a health and wellness-based school environment.   Yoga 4 Classrooms offers activities that promote movement, positive self-awareness, relaxation and a healthy classroom community side by side with core curriculum instruction in the classroom.   We are pleased that this program is receiving public acclaim and is currently being integrated into schools throughout New England and beyond.  Please visit the new Yoga 4 Classrooms website for more information, including details about how to bring Yoga 4 Classrooms to your child's school and opportunities to become a Yoga 4 Classrooms Licensed Instructor.   

Look for more information from ChildLight Yoga in coming months about ways you can help support children's wellness.  Advocating for children is just one of the ways we honor our mission to cultivate and nurture a healthy, wellness-based lifestyle for children through yoga. 

Yours in health,

The ChildLight Yoga Team

My Valentine's Day Rant of Love

Can I just say that I love Valentine's Day?  Always have. It started in 1st grade when I received a handmade valentine from shy, tow-headed Owen.  I remember having 20 or so store bought valentines strewn across my desk and his shadow suddenly hovering over me. When I looked up, he shakily passed me his special valentine, a handmade card of contruction paper, doilies, hearts and misspelled words. It was perfect. I was in LOVE....and with a boy I had never even noticed before.  And so began my love affair with Valentine's Day. 

So, you can imagine how sad I was for my daughter today when she couldn't go to school. She has the flu.  Distraught as she was to miss the V-day festivities, I was even more so, I think.  The excitement, the anticipation of handing out the specially chosen messages for each classmate, the butterflies in wondering who might have special messages for me, the joy of watching my classmates giggle at the fun in valentines with themes from Star Wars to Barbie to Spiderman, the treats and party that inevitably are enjoyed as a group.  All the positive well wishes and messages of love, however corny, can't help but to create a sense of belonging, of safety, of connectedness in a classroom.

This afternoon, a lovely classmate hand-delivered Brooke's valentines to our house after school, knowing she'd have been disappointed to miss out.  I admired the thoughtfulness of her friend and was sorry to have to keep her outside lest she catch the rampant germs in my house.  So, I gratefully took the bag, noticeably weighing in at over 3 pounds, into the livingroom where Brooke was resting on the couch. 

"Wow, Mom! That's a huge bag!," she said happily, before heartily ripping into it.  Kind sentiments went completely unnoticed as sandwich and party bags, yes, BAGS, of candy, chocolate, sweet tarts, lollipops, tootsie rolls and more, came pouring out. 

"Where are the Valentine's?," I asked.

"These are the Valentine's, Mom (insert 9 yr. old eye roll)!   I told you everyone would give a lot of stuff.  Mine are so stupid - you only let me give one little chocolate with my cards."

My heart sank.  At what point did Valentine's Day turn into Halloween, a contest for who can give or collect the most candy?  What about the Be Mine's, the UR Cool, and You Rock My World's?  The funny sayings, the cute graphics, the movie themed characters? The handmade cards, scribbled coloring pages and single sweetheart tarts affixed to envelopes scrawled, "To Cris."

Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign is doing so much to increase awareness of healthy living, particularly increased movement in our schools and communities.  And, so much is being done to improve school lunches.  Communities are focused more and more on health and wellness.  Even insurance companies are rewarding exercisers with discounts and incentives to get moving.  We teach our children in books and through handouts from the school nurse how to eat better.  Good grief - even our grocery stores put stars out with food items to tell us which ones are healthy or not.

We get it, we are certainly becoming more aware of what we need to do.  But isn't it time to make some decisions that matter.  Seems a small thing, Valentine's Day..what's the big deal?  It's a once a year celebration, right?  Trouble is, in today's culture (at least in the U.S.) there is seemingly always a celebration - a birthday, a holiday, a family gathering, school parties.  I'm all for occasion treats, meaning once in a while goodies.  They can't be every day, or in quantities of BAGS at a time. Choices have to be made all day, every day to add up to a healthy lifestyle.  And whose responsibility is it to make those choices?  Where does it start? 

We as parents, teachers and school administrators need to take a stand.  Do we or do we not want our children to be healthy inside and out?  To appreciate the small things?  A bite of chocolate, a occasional sundae, a chocolate chip cookie from a homemade, freshly baked batch? Nothing wrong with that (though frozen low fat yogurt with granola or mixed fruit with fat-free whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce would be a better choices).  

Bottom line is, if we load up our children with supersized portions, we set them up for supersized expectations.  And of course, this goes well beyond food.  The $35 b-day gift for the classmate who we barely know just because we were invited to the party, the 43rd christmas present for the same child under the tree, the 10th package of Silly Bandz, the 22nd Webkinz or  ZuZu Pet because they asked for it.  Oh, and let's not forget the BAGS of candy to go with our Valentine's. Seriously, are we trying to outdo each other?  Is it really good for our kids in any way, shape or form to overindulge them, or is it ultimately at their expense?  Let me be clear and honest here - I'm not exempt from this well-meaning yet misguided 'parenting.'  I have a lot to learn.  But it sure would be a little easier if we were all in this together...

In a related post on Facebook earlier today, I got some great suggestions/comments that I'd like to share:

"Our schools don't allow candy at class parties. They still have cupcakes, etc but they balance the planning and ask for pretzels, popcorn, veggie tray, cheese/crackers, fruiti too." ~ S. Shufelt, Teacher, Kennebunk Elementary School

"We made yogurt parfaits in our class - lots of fresh fruit and homemade granola...tried to balance out the sweets a little. It's so hard though. Education, moderation, and what people think of as treats are all so important!" ~ T. Fitzgerald, Teacher, Kittery Mitchell School

"So true! The saddest part for me (with a 1st grader) is that it seems like it's the parents trying to out-do each other and has nothing to do with the kids. Bring back the homemade construction paper valentines!" ~ D. Sauers, Doula

Alright then.  Can we stop the madness?  I know I'm going to talk my school administrators or wellness committee about creating a healthy celebrations policy at my children's schools.  Perhaps we can start by simplifying Valentine's Day - get back to the basics, the true meaning of the holiday.  Heck, I'm going to pull out my pink contruction paper and heart stickers right now.  Doilies anyone?

Top 3 Tips for Eliminating Back to School Stress While Strengthening Family Bonds

It's back to school for many of our children - exciting for some and daunting for others. Families can easily become overwhelmed with thoughts of school supplies, getting the 'right' sneakers and backpack, packing nutritious lunches in the age of packaged snacks, getting to school on time, excelling on the soccer field, organizing carpools, and so on. It can be exhausting just thinking about it all...Imagine how our children must feel at times - especially when we, the parents, are the ones racing around with our heads spinning! 

 

What can we do as parents to ensure that our families stay calm, healthy and connected? Here are 3 Tips that have worked well for our family:

 

1)  Limit after-school activities. 

• Allows for much-needed decompression time after the long school day, encouraging quiet, reflection and self-created activities which ultimately improve creativity and self-dependence
• Allows for cooking and eating family dinners together, proven to be the best way for families to stay strong and connected
• Allows time for unrushed homework

2)  Plan ahead. 

• Save time and energy during the ultra busy school/work-week by making freezable dinners ahead of time over the weekend.  When you do cook in the evenings, make a double batch and freeze half to use on an evening that is especially busy. 
• Discover the pressure cooker!  They cook meats, soups, stews, everything in a fraction of the time while maintaining the nutrients of whole foods. 
• Plan a menu and shop on the weekend for the week's lunches.  Prepare lunches the evening before - ask your children to help choose and pack healthy foods for their lunch, providing an empowering lesson in nutrition. 
• How about working with your children to sort, iron and line up school and work outfits for the week on Sunday afternoon? 
• Once you've established your family's morning 'leave time' to get to work and school on time, subtract 20 minutes and make that time the goal.  For example, if you child needs to start walking to school by 8:15, establish 7:55 as the goal.  This allows for some time that is relaxed and unrushed, mabye even allowing space for a morning check in and chat with your child.  This can go a long way to starting the day on a positive and peaceful note.

Are missing shoes and backpacks typically an issue during your household’s morning rush?  A cubby organizer system may be a worthwhile addition to your entryway area.  You might even keep a hairbrush or comb by the back door for last minute hair fixes that don't require a trip back up the stairs.

 

3)  Establish family rituals.

• Establish a relaxed and easy bedtime routine.  Allow at least 10-15 minutes each evening for reading together, doing some restorative yoga stretches (we like to read while lying on my daughter's bed with our legs up the wall, ending with a reclining twist), or doing a creative visualization.  End with a breathing exercise such as bumble bee breath.  This creates the perfect transitional setting for sleep.  In addition to strengthening bonds through quality, one on one time, it will also help to ensure your children are getting the Zzzs they need for a stress-free day. 
• Have a dedicated weekly family day/night.  Perhaps Friday night is movie and popcorn night, or Sunday afternoon is set as a weekly dinner with extended family.  Choosing and sticking with a ritual event at a set time/day, and organzing other activities around it, will show your family how important it is.  Oftentimes, this type of family ritual will span generations.  What a gift to our children!

Try working together as a family to find opportunities to simplify and save time and energy. Inevitably, this will lead to more time for play, rest and rejuvenation during downtimes – wonderful antidotes to stress.

 

Whether it’s yoga and breathing exercises, improved time management, fewer after-school activities or packing school lunches the night before, there are many ‘small things’ that can be done to reduce stress during the hectic school year.  Do you or your family have an idea you’d like to share about managing school time stress?  Please share them - we'd love to hear from you!

 

For more info on the tips above, click on the hyperlinks above.  Here also are some great websites supporting this topic:

www.thepranamama.com

www.zenfamilyhabits.net

 

Breathe - A Lifestyle Magazine for Maine and Beyond

I am so excited to introduce a new publication based here in Maine: Breathe Magazine.  Breathe is an online and print publication dedicated to health and wellness.  While the magazine features local stories of interest to Mainers, anyone can learn from their wealth of information on lifestyle, fitness, nutrition, health care, aging, and family care.  

Breathe is the first of its kind in Maine, offering Maine men, women, seniors, teens and children fresh views on a healthier, more energetic life.  The non-profit publication donates all proceeds to Maine charities, such as Crossroads, a Maine-based non-profit agency that promotes social awareness to children and youth.

"It’s exciting to launch a new magazine that will positively benefit and stimulate the entire family to explore better health and family activities," said editor-in-chief Deb Landry earlier this year.  

When I first learned about this new magazine, I immediately contacted Ms. Landry to learn more.  I was thrilled when Deb showed a keen interest in my connection to ChildLight Yoga, and in one week, she had asked me to write a feature on children's yoga for their April issue focusing on the obesity epidemic.  

As a Maine-based business focused on yoga and wellness for children, ChildLight Yoga couldn't be more supportive of this publication, especially because it includes a kid page in every issue.  We hope you all enjoy this magazine, and my article published this month which highlights the benefits of yoga and relaxation on children in school or child care environments. 

Breathe Magazine is currently distributed to approximately 10,000 readers throughout retail shops and medical facilities in York and Cumberland counties.  You may subscribe the the magazine or view it online by visiting BreatheMaine.org.   

For more information about ChildLight Yoga, Yoga4Classrooms, Mobile Enrichment classes or Breathe Magazine, please follow these links to the appropriate web site. — Amy Bevan

Amy Bevan is a freelance writer, local reporter and host of The PranaMama, an online wellness and lifestyle magazine, and frequent contributor to the ChildLight Yoga Blog, The Kids Yoga Resource, as well as certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor and Itsy Bitsy Yoga facilitator.  Amy resides in South Berwick, ME with her husband and two young children.