I'm always looking for things to do with yoga mats once they are no longer in good enough shape to take to my classes. Here's a video someone made about making flip flops out of yoga mats!!! I can't wait to make my first pair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAFoNy2-nF8
Happy Crafting!
Carolyn
I recently formed a group on Facebook called Yoga in the Classroom. If you are a member of Facebook, you should join it! It's in its infancy right now, but I plan to put regular info on the site about how to use yoga in the classroom, so it's a perfect spot if you are a teacher and you have a facebook account. If you don't, it's a free social networking site. You can join and then become members of groups where people have common interests (like yoga in the classroom!). You may also find some old friends that you have lost touch with... Here's the link to the site, and don't forget to join the Yoga in the Classroom group!
There’s something so appealing about the book’s title, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk. As soon as I saw the book, I knew that it would be helpful during yoga teaching. I can’t count how many times it has felt like I was talking to the walls during class…
This book has several topic-based chapters filled with advice, scenarios, quick summaries, and even cartoons. I have found many of the recommendations helpful, so here are some bits and pieces from the book and how I have used them in class.
Dealing With Feelings
A basic premise of this book is that we need to accept and respect children’s feelings. This can be done by listening quietly or acknowledging their feelings with a word or two- “Oh, I see….” You can also do this by naming the feeling for them- “That sounds upsetting/frustrating/like it hurt your feelings etc.”. Another option is to give children their wishes in a fantasy world (“I wish I could take a magic wand and create another yoga mat, but since there aren’t enough for everyone, you’ll need to share!”) The book explains that all feelings can be accepted, but actions can be limited. “I understand how angry you are that she stole the Beanie Baby, but you need to tell her that in words, not with your hands.”
Engaging A Child’s Cooperation
I am always looking for ways to get children in class to cooperate. Although the book gives many ideas that are particularly helpful for parents, the suggestion that I have used most as a teacher is to say what you are asking for in a single word. I get tired of hearing my voice explaining to the same kid over and over that they need to participate with the rest of class, go back to their mat, etc… So now, when I feel like I have repeated myself over and over to Little Johnny, I say, “John… Mat…” and I point his mat. It’s been helpful, and it has kept me from going hoarse.
Punishment Alternatives
This book also has a chapter on punishment alternatives. My favorite is giving the child a choice. “You can do yoga poses with the rest of the class or you can sit out and Take 5. You decide.” Another suggestion is to state your behavior expectations. “I expect you to walk to a mat quietly and sit in Pretzel Pose until class starts.” This has worked well for me when I am talking to the whole group instead of a single child.
Encouraging Autonomy
I particularly enjoyed the section in this book about encouraging autonomy. We have so many opportunities to do this within a yoga class. It suggests letting children make choices. (“When you grow from your seed become a flower or a tree.”) It also recommends showing respect for the child’s struggle. (“Tree Pose can be hard to balance in. Try standing next to the wall and using your arm for balance if you need to…”). Another suggested way to encourage autonomy is to keep from rushing in to answer questions. So if Susie asks a question you can say, “Hmmm… What do you think?” This also gives you a little more time to think if it is a particularly challenging or uncomfortable question.
Giving Praise and Boosting Self-Esteem
How to Talk also gives some great recommendations on giving praise and boosting self-esteem. At times I feel like I robotically say, “Good job”, after every pose in a yoga class. I didn’t realize I how often I said it until I heard a little girl in one of my classes parroting back “Good job, good job.” The book suggests to describe instead of evaluate what you see. “I see long straight spines, arms on our sides, and I don’t hear any talking. Look at these strong Mountains.” Summing up good behavior with a word is also recommended. “John, you gave some of your marbles to Susie when she ran out. Now that’s what I call sharing! I’ve even starting teaching the yamas and niyamas with this technique. “Jane, you were happy with the purple flower even though your favorite color is pink. That’s what we call santosha in yoga.”
Freeing Children From Playing Roles
The book finishes with talking about how to get children to stop playing the roles in which they have been cast (by parents, teachers, etc.) I know that I’ve come to expect certain behavior from certain kids in my class, and they do tend to play the role of the troublemaker when I think that way. How To Talk gives lots of recommendations to help free kids from these roles. One way is to show the child a new picture of themselves- “You’ve been sitting quietly in Pretzel Pose after turning in your Beanie Baby.” Another is to put a child in a situation where they can see themselves differently- “John, can you collect all the ABC Yoga cards and put them in the basket?”. The book also suggests that you let children overhear something positive about them. I try to say something positive to a parent in front of the child if I have previously had some problems with them.
How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and How To Listen So Kids Will Talk is a book that I would highly recommend for a boost in classroom management ideas. I’ve pulled a few of my favorite tidbits, but I suggest picking up a copy at your local library and reading it from cover to cover. It’s a quick read, and I think you’ll end taking notes on the summary pages to easily remember some of the words of wisdom. You might even end up using it with adults… “Honey, the garbage!”
I can remember being a kid and thinking that the time from Halloween to Christmas seemed to take years! And now I'm realizing that I haven't made a single post since before Halloween and now it is almost Christmas, and the time seemed like a few days! So here are some holiday things that I've taught for the last few months...
Halloween- Spooky Yoga
I love Halloween yoga! Here are some things we did:
Thanksgiving- Thankful Yoga
There are so many wonderful things to do for Thanksgiving because being grateful for what you have in the present moment is such a huge part of yoga. I always start off a Thanksgiving class with going around the circle to ask what the kids are thankful for ("my parents", "my cat", "trains", "chairs" and lots more things). Here are some other things we do:
This year I also read I wonderful book recommended to me by another YogaKids teacher, Heather Wurtzle. The book was Thank You World by Alice McGinty.
December Holidays- Peace on Earth Yoga
I love December and the holidays during the month. I celebrate Christmas, so many of the things that I include in the class are Christmas inspired, but we always do candle pose for the lighting of the menorah. Here are some other things we do:
I also always talk lots about peace- we send out peace to the whole world during December. Did you feel it?
So, I know that it is probably too late to use most of these ideas, but save them for next year!
With love and light,
Happy Holidays,
Carolyn
www.sdyogakids.com
I recently bought a Hugg-A-Planet. It's a giant stuffed earth. We had so much fun in yoga class with it. It was so inspiring to see each child hug it- it's like each child could grow up to save our hurting earth... It made me feel better that the world is in these fresh new hands.
Find it on: http://www.peacetoys.com/
We also read Whole World and acted out the song with yoga poses. This book by Chris Corr and Fred Penner has great pictures and changes the emphasis from the traditional religious song of "He's got the whole world" to "We've got the whole world in our hands." This makes it more appropriate for a public school setting. A wonderful book for empowering children to take action and change the world. This book also has a CD so you can easily act out the song with yoga poses.
Namaste,
Carolyn Clarke www.sdyogakids.com
Today we planted a garden in yoga...
I gave each child a magical pretend seed to plant in the ground. This magical seed can grow in just a few minutes!
Then each child became a seed in Child's Pose. I gave each "seed" a spritz of water with my spray bottle, and then out came the sun and we grew and grew. Each child got a turn telling me what they grew into- here are some of the amazing things we had in our garden:
Purple Flower
Tree
Sunflower
Roses
Ava Flower
Corn plant
This magical garden was planted to the song, Inch by Inch/Garden Song from the Tajar Tracks album with DEBBIE DEBORD WITH SOL DRIVEN TRAIN AND GWYNN VALLEY CAMPERS. You can listen to it and buy it here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/soldriventrain2
We also were different critters that you'd find in a garden- Ladybugs, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Turtles, and Birds.
If we'd had more time we could have planted actual seeds in a cup, or walked partners around in Wheelbarrow! Next time...
Serendipitous moment of the day: I was lucky enough to receive a gift of a cucumber and a bell pepper from the school's actual backyard garden!
I saw this great post on the Daily Om today (www.dailyom.com) about ducks. What fun things to talk about while in duck pose...
" July 23, 2007 Symbols Of Versatility Ducks
If you are lucky enough to live in a part of the world that is also a home to ducks, you will no doubt be familiar with the image of their cute feathery bottoms sticking up in the air as their heads disappear under the surface of the water. Perhaps you’ve even taken a moment to wonder what they see in their underwater world, and if they will resurface with a fish or a water bug in their beaks. As we observe them, we see that ducks are denizens of three worlds—the world of air, the world of water, and the world of earth. As such, they have adapted themselves to be able to swim, fly, and walk, and they seek and find nourishment in more than one place. They are symbols of versatility and can inspire us to explore our own ability to adapt and find nourishment in a variety of places.
Ducks are able to float, swim, and dive into the water, fishing for food. They can walk on the ground, eating vegetation and bugs, and they fly in the air to travel long distances relatively quickly. Equipped with feet that are equally good at paddling and walking, as well as wings to fly, ducks seem comfortable in just about any natural environment. Next time you see a duck bottom, you might be inspired to examine your own ability to both float on the surface and to dive beneath it. In many traditions, water symbolizes the emotions—to duck our heads into our emotions means we are able to surrender our minds to our hearts, to go into the watery realm of feeling and see what there is to see, often coming to the surface with nourishment and treasure.
At the same time, we share the duck's ability to get solid ground under our feet by connecting to the earth on which we live simply by walking on it. And finally, when we reside in our spirits, we fly above the mental, emotional, and material realms, free of all the ties that bind us to this earth, traveling faster and farther than we ever thought possible."
From DailyOm.com
There are lots of things you could do with a duck theme...
Duck squats:
-Simple yoga squat saying "quack quack"
Duck walking:
-Walk in duck squat
Duck duck goose (When child walks around the circle and says "Duck", each child becomes a duck in duck pose).
Duck books
-Duck for President by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
And don't forget Rubber Duckies- balance them on your heads or use them on the floor to focus on when you are balancing.
So many fun things to do with ducks! Quack Quack!
The other day I was in a hurry and didn't have time to plan out a full, creative, and exciting lesson plan. As I ran out the door, I grabbed a bag of multi-colored pom-poms that I recently bought at the craft store. I pulled them out at class- and they created quite a hit! I had so many of them that each child got to pick out their favorite color (they don't usually get to do this if I don't have enough to make everyone happy, so getting to make this choice alone was quite a hit!). Then we put our pom-poms on the ground and blew on them to make them roll on the floor. They were so excited at how they could get their pom-pom to move. I sometimes get so wrapped up in lesson planning, that I forget how much kids enjoy the simple things: a $2 bag of pom poms!
Yesterday I taught a fun class at a summer camp at a Montessori school. The theme was the jungle, and we had such fun romping around like animals. We read Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae. This is a great children's book about all the different animals in the jungle. We became Elephants, Chimpanzees, Zebras, Giraffes, and more. Lion was especially fun since we listened to the Lion Sleeps Tonight song.
I taught a class recently that was a make-up class to compensate for a class that I couldn't teach a few weeks ago. The kids kept hearing about the "make-up" class, and one of the 5 year old girls asked me in the middle of yoga, "When are we going to put on make-up?"
Today I taught a FUN class with flowers... It was in honor of my friend Corey who moved to Canada this week- she loves flowers, so the theme of today was flowers and gardening.
I brought a Gerbera Daisy in for each child in the class, and we used them for lots of fun things.... We used them for meditating ("notice the color, the shape of the petals, the smell, the beauty..."). We used them for stretching ("lift your flower up in the sky, now reach to one side and the other with your flower.") We used them for balancing ("focus on your flower on the floor"). We also talked about watering flowers, and how they get droopy if you don't water them- then we talked about how our bodies get "droopy" if we don't give them water too.
W e also planted some seeds (Child's Pose) in our garden and grew into beautiful flowers and plants with a little water and sunshine. We became snakes, bees, butterflys, and frogs- all sorts of wonderful things that you find in a garden!
We ended with a poem and flow:
From the Ancient Chants of the Anasazi by Mary Summer Rain:
Give-Away Dance Song This day (Namaste), each day (Mountain Pose), Rain (Run in Place) and sun (Reach up for the sun), Snow Moon (Crescent Moon to the Right), Warm Moon (Crescent Moon to the Left), Nighttime (Crescnt Moon Center) and noon (Mountain Pose), We share ourselves (Hands circle out from heart out into room), We give ourselves (Hands circle out again), We are all ones of One. (Namaste Hands)
Give-Away, Give-Away. The joy of Giving Away (Toss imaginary things away from your heart).
I give to you (Hand to heart and hand out to group). You give to me (Hand out to group and hand back to heart) . We give to them (Hand to heart and hand out to group). They give to us (Hand out to group and hand back to heart). We share ourselves (Hands circle out from heart out into room). We give ourselves(Hands circle out from heart out into room). We are all ones of One. (Namaste Hands)
I sent them all home with their flowers...
Namaste,
Carolyn http://www.sdyogakids.com
Hello, I recently taught a foot yoga class at Radiance Yoga. We did lots of yoga for our feet- waving hi with our feet, wiggling our toes, spreading our toes, picking things up with our toes. We also did a Walking Meditation around the room paying attention to our feet.
Some questions I had for the kids included:
What are you feet scared of? "Anything slimey" , "Cold water"
What is something nice that you do for your feet? "Clip my toenails" and "Stretch them"
After all this focus on our feet, we did some standing poses and flows that relied on our feet.
I wish I had remembered to give foot massages! Next time!
I recently got back from a great trip to the East Coast. I taught a Taste of YogaKids workshop at All Saints Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant. There were some wonderful women there to share a day of laughter and yoga as we explored the world of children's yoga. We went over lots of kids yoga poses and breathing. We also talked about music and book ideas, along with ways to use yoga in the classroom. I was very inspired by these women that attended because they were so enthusiastic and excited about teaching yoga to kids. It invigorates my own teaching when I am around like-minded folks that are excited and want to do what I am doing too! I was also lucky enough to attend many yoga classes in SC with my first yoga teacher, Laurie Clarke, who also happens to be my Mom! She taught me some advanced pranayama like Agni Sara and Alternate Nostril Breathing while engaging Mulabandha. Tricky stuff- should keep me busy for a while... I won't be teaching these to the kiddies, but I will be doing them to increase my own energy to keep up with the kiddies! Now that I've given up caffeine I need all the help I can get...
Namaste,
Carolyn
I had a feeling the day after Easter that kids in my preschool class would be hyper from the excitement of Easter and jacked up on sugar.... So I planned an active class for Monday. As they say, if you can't beat them, join them! Brought some plastic Easter Eggs and some dried beans to my Preschool class. The kids filled the eggs with the beans to make musical egg shakers. We shook them as fast as we could, then we practiced shaking them one time, two times, three times, four times, five times. Then we had fun with Laurie Berkner's I Know a Chicken song. We stood in chicken pose (wings out, strutting like a chicken), and then laid our magical shaker eggs. Then we shook along with the song. BIG HIT! I love using props like this in class. We had a lot of fun, and they were able to practice fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and rhythm. Once they were able to get out all that energy, we transitioned to some breathing and quieter poses on the floor.
You can buy fancy egg shakers, but I like having the kids make their own. They seem to enjoy it and it is cheaper!
Kid made shaker
Fancier egg shakers for purchase
Have fun!
Namaste,
Carolyn www.sdyogakids.com
I found this article on Google News today. Yoga for children is making the headlines!
http://www.townonline.com/stoughton/homepage/x144053213
It talks about a YogaKids teacher that taught a foot themed class. This was a great idea, and it's inspired me to put together a foot lesson plan for an upcoming class. I'll let you know how it goes...
Carolyn
www.sdyogakids.com
Last week I taught a fun class that integrated yoga and nutrition. We did rainbow pose (Side Plank) and then talked about how your body needs to "eat a rainbow". Eating a rainbow means eating fruits and vegetables from all the color groups (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, and White too). We talked about what colors we had already eaten, and we brainstormed some fruits and veggies for all the different colors. I think it is a great way to eat well- too often we focus on the negative and the things we "shouldn't" or "can't" eat. Instead thinking about the abundant fruits and veggies that we should eat! Lots of fun, and really made me thing about eating a rainbow myself... I just never seem to be able to eat enough blue! I need to stock up on some blueberries.
Carolyn www.sdyogakids.com
Oh, how I love the week of Valentine's Day... In my classes I get to talk about Love... Sweet Love... I've been passing around a heart balloon and asking the kids to share who and what they love. I've heard some of these great responses: "My family"
"My Mom and my Dad and my Sister and my Brother and my Aunt and my Uncle and my Cousin and my Grandma and my Grandpa" (you get the idea)
"My kittie"
"Dinosaurs"
"You"
We do lots of heart openers in class (Cobra and Camel)...
We chant Love...
We divide up into partners and give each other back rubs...
We do Loving Kindness Meditation.
Let's make every week a week about love!
Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!
~ Carolyn http:www.sdyogakids.com
On Saturday, February 10th, 2007, I volunteered at a National Girls and Women in Sports Day event in Balboa Park. Girls had the opportunity to try different sports and activities, including yoga, cheerleading, karate, softball, and more. I thought it was a great way to introduce girls to activities that they might not have exposure to in PE programs. In my yoga classes, we did lots of fun yoga poses- Cat, Cow, Tree, Sun Salutations, Moon Salutations, and Relaxation to name a few. It was a big class- almost 30 girls in each class- but they were very quiet and attentive.
A few had done yoga before, but many had not. One group leader told me that one girl in particular had never done yoga before, and had a lot of questions before the class about what to expect. It turns out she loved it. This child was a bit overweight, and it made me really happy to know that she found an activity that she loved! Yoga could be something that she does forever now!
"NGWSD began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports." -From NGWSD Central
~Carolyn http://www.sdyogakids.com
I just discovered a wonderful CD that I can't wait to use in my classes. Here's the blurb from CD BABY:
KIRA WILLEY: dance for the sun
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kirawilley
A totally unique album of kids' yoga songs - with a little doowop, a bit of jazz, and some African tribal music - that's great to listen to, as well as fun to use with the illustrated booklet for musical family yoga.
I listened to all the samples on CD BABY and it sounds like such a great CD for yoga with the kiddies!
I'll keep you posted as I start to use it in my classes!
Today I taught a fun class for preschoolers. We talked about the stars and how they make pictures in the sky. Then we looked at the pictures in this book:
It has really pretty pictures of the stars and the animals that the constellations are named after. Lots of fun poses to do along with the book. Then we launched off in our rocket ships and flew to the moon. There we walked around space and did some fun space yoga- Crescent Moon, Sun Salutations.
Then we got back in our rocket ships and flew back to Earth just in time for relaxation...
Today my favorite pose is Rocket Ship:
