Music for Kids Yoga - Johnette Downing, Fins and Grins & The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs

Do you get a sense of glee when you discover new music?  Music that is perfect for kids yoga? I know I do! Have you heard of Johnette Downing?

Here are two albums that are great for kids yoga classes:

Fins and Grins

fins and grins

Here are the songs (which you can tell are good for kids yoga just by the titles):

1. Rock Hopper Penguin

2. Amazon ABCs

3. Amphibians

4. Clamshell Clap

5. Circle of Life

6. L'ecrevisse

7. I Want to be a Frog Today

8. A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea

9. Moving Along

10. Stingray Shuffle

11. Camouflage

12. Most Fish Swim

13. Seahorses Listen

14. I Went to the Aquarium

15. Tooth Fairy

16. Turtles

This is a wonderful CD with an aquatic theme.  I’ve found lots of songs about cats, dogs, and barnyard animals, but this CD has songs about penguins! Clams! Stingrays! Turtles! Sea Horses! Johnette’s voice is great, and the music is fun and lively. She reminds me of Laurie Berkner, but with a New Orleans style of music. Pretty much all of the songs are great for an ocean themed class!

The Second Line

Scarf Activity Songs

Song list:

1. Introduction

2. The Second Line

3. Shake Your Scarves

4. Scarves Up and Down and Around

5. Water, Wind and World

6. The Sacroiliac

7. Thread the Needle

8. Scarves on Your Laps

9. Flitter Flutter

10. Crazy Eights

11. Wow!

12. Rhythm In The Scarves

13. Circus Parade

14. The Second Line Reprise

I like to integrate Music and Movement activities into my yoga classes. Is it technically yoga, maybe not, but I think it provides child-friendly body awareness and helps burn off some of their energy so we can do some calming yoga poses. And isn't everything yoga if you are doing it with awareness? These songs are really fun scarf activity songs. Sometimes when we use scarves, I have a few ideas on how to use them and then my mind draws a blank. With these songs you could do a whole class with them!

P.S. This isn't a formal review or anything... I just found something that I like and wanted to share.

Her work can be found at her website and at Amazon.

Namaste,

Carolyn

Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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St. Patrick's Day Kids Yoga

St Patrick's Day Relaxation Story Kids love holidays! And they love yoga! So it's fun to do a holiday themed yoga class, like St. Patrick's Day Yoga! Put on your green yoga pants so you don't get pinched!

First, download a FREE relaxation story about rainbows and leprechaun from ImaginationsForKids.com.

Then, check out some of these great ideas from:

KidsYogaStories (a trip to Ireland!)

OMAzing Kids (great printables to use in class).

And some more from Food.Yoga.Peace. (Including a Leprechaun Warmup, and a parachute game).

Have fun! And hope you catch a leprechaun!

Carolyn Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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March Giveaway- Imaginations and Good Morning Yogis Book Prize Pack

Enter here: We're having a Rafflecopter giveaway! CLARKE_IMAGINATIONS book cover

good morning yogis jpg The winner will receive a copy of Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids and Good Morning Yogis by Cate Stillman.

Read the review of Good Morning Yogi's Here.

Enter the giveaway Here.

Good luck! Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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Good Morning Yogis Book Review

good morning yogis jpg I love this sweet book on an Ayurvedic morning routine for kids- Good Morning Yogis Big and Small by Cate Stillman. This book will be helpful for teaching kids helpful morning habits, but it will also be a good reminder for adults to have a healthy morning routine other than a shower and a cup of coffee!

The story follows a little girl through her morning routine, and each section talks about one of the following steps:

Going to bed early and waking up early Stretch, Ah, and Om Have a Family Hug Morning Poop Scrape Your Tongue Oil Your Nostrils Stretch Eat a Light Breakfast Play

The pictures are cute, and each section has kid-friendly verbiage on the left, and then a page on the right for adults with more detailed information. I think this is a good way for kids to be interested in the book without having all the factoids get in the way. There are a few recipes, too. I tried the Green Smoothie recipe, and it was delicious.

I sometimes find Ayurveda confusing, so I like the simple, whimsical approach that Good Morning Yogis Big and Small has.

Details:

Good Morning Yogis Big and Small by Cate Stillman

It is 8 ½ x 5 ½, 18 pages, and retails for $6. Check out the author's website for bulk deals.

Enter giveaway here.

Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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Kids Yoga and Relaxation for Fear, Anxiety, and Worry

Local Authors with Arrow

I was honored to be part of the San Diego Local Authors exhibit. My book is enclosed in glass in the San Diego downtown library, along with a few hundred other local authors' creations. All the authors gathered for a reception and to accept an award.  This seems like a great thing, right?

Well, I was afraid.

It's funny how fear works.  Sometimes it's good- your fear might get you out of a dangerous situation. Other times it may be completely irrational.

I was scared to go to this author reception, alone, where I knew no one. What was I afraid of? I don't know, really. I guess the usual.. What if no one talked to me? What if no one liked me? What if I did something that made me look stupid? What should I wear? Ironically, I had anxiety about accepting an award for writing a book on relaxation!

So to help me face my fear of walking into a big reception alone and unknown, as I was driving to the reception, I thought through some of the stories in my relaxation book, Imaginations. I took deep breaths, and I walked in relatively relaxed and calm.  I ended up meeting many interesting authors and learning about a ton of local books.

I am an anxious, worrier. Sometimes I feel like a fraud for writing a relaxation book. BUT, I've realized that it's a good thing that I truly have to WORK at staying relaxed. I have to remind myself to breathe deeply. I have to do yoga. I have to tell myself that it is going to be okay, and I have to actively picture a "happy place" .  Each of the stories and techniques in my book have actively helped me, so I know they work, and I know that they can help an anxious, worried, or fearful child too.

I've been working on a lesson plan for my kids yoga class about fear, and thought I would share a  few suggested yoga poses for kids and fear/worry/anxiety:

  • Mountain Pose- Abby Willis has written a blog post called Yoga Poses for Kids: A powerful asana for soothing fear. It's a sweet way to address fear in Mountain Pose.
  • Warrior Pose- YogaKids Brave Warrior with Affirmations: "I am BRAVE"
  • I find that when I am scared, I contract my chest, so any chest-opening, heart opening yoga pose would be helpful. Like: Camel pose.
  • Sun Salutations or any Vinyasa flow- I find that when I get my body moving, the fear dissipates. It's like it burns off... Here We Are Together has a cute collection of pictures of a child doing Sun Salutations.
  • Animals- Anytime I am using fear as a theme, I give kids a chance to share what they are afraid of- lots of times they afraid of animals. We act out those animals with yoga: Dog Pose, Alligator Pose, Shark Pose, Bee Pose. If there isn't a pose, we make it up! I make sure to make it fun and silly... (I secretly am afraid of dogs, so anytime I'm around a dog that makes me uncomfortable, I imagine that I'm in Downward Dog Pose, and that helps.)
  • Breathing exercises- Slow calming breaths are great for facing fears. Try breathing with a Hoberman Sphere. Open it big and tall when you breathe in and close it when you breathe out.
  • Guided Relaxation- Reading a relaxation story, or "going to your happy place", can help calm your fears. Check out the Freebie section for a relaxation story here.

Here's a book that I have found helpful: What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner

Also, I love:

There's An Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Meyer

And don't forget some music for Savasana:

Three Little Birds by Renee and Jeremy

I hope these techniques help the children in your life! (Or maybe even you!)

Namaste,

Carolyn

Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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"Lovey-Dovey" Yoga- 5 Valentines Activities for Kids Yoga

Hearts and rory and words

My favorite month for kids yoga is February! I use the theme of L-O-V-E  all month long!

1. Love Breath-

Take a deep breath in, say LOVE when you breathe out.

2. IKEA Love Pillow Breath-

heart-cushion__22946_PE033927_S4

Hold this heart pillow.

Bring the arms out when you breathe in to make room for the air, and then wrap the arms around the heart when you breathe out. Visual cues like this make it easy for kids to play with their breath.  You can have the kids take turns using the pillow to lead.

3. Rocking Chair pose-

iStock_000016314267_ExtraSmall
  • Lie on your belly.
  • Bend your knees.
  • Stetch your arms back to reach your feet.
  • Pull your feet up to make the front of your body rounded.
  • Rock back and forth like a Rocking Chair.
  • Feel how open the area is around your heart- send some love to someone who needs it!

4. Partner Back Massage

  • Sit on the floor, with your legs stretched out like a V.
  • Have a friend sit in front of you, and they can stretch their legs out like a V too. Keep having friends sit down in the same way until you run out of friends J
  • Give the person in front of you a shoulder and neck rub.  You can use different techniques- lightly rub their back, gently chop (like a gentle karate chop), and then draw heart s or other shapes with the palms of your hands or your fingers.
  • Note: I always have kids ask the person in front of them if it is okay to give them a back massage. If you are doing this with lots of kids, and someone doesn’t want a back rub, have them be the first one to sit down. If you are doing this with only one partner, then switch places so both have a chance to receive a massage.

5. A FREE Loving Kindness Meditation

Loving Kindness meditations are a sweet way to integrate love into yoga. Download this FREE Loving Kindness relaxation story from Imaginations here.

I hope you enjoy doing Lovey-Dovey yoga with your students or family.

Sending you lots of love,

Carolyn

Carolyn Clarke

 

Kids Yoga Giveaway to Help End Childhood Obesity

Help End Childhood Obesity!

This is big! Send a fellow kids yoga teacher, Leah Kalish of Move With Me, to present to Michelle Obama at the Health Summit in DC in March 2013!mwm_logo

• Please vote now for Move with Me Yoga in the Innovation Challenge Contest here. Leah Kalish, founder of Move with Me Yoga, is a finalist in the Partnership for a Healthier America - End Childhood Obesity Innovation Challenge.She is 1 of 10 finalists and must be in the top 3 to present her ideas (CHILDREN NEED YOGA!) to Michelle Obama and other health/education leaders at the Health Summit in DC in March 2013.

Four Red Gift Boxes

• Then enter the Raffle here for a chance to win one of the 75+ Prizes (see the full prize list here too). To encourage voting, over 75 kids yoga prizes have been donated by Children's Yoga Leaders from around the world. Please take a few seconds to vote and then reward yourself by entering the raffle. We have donated several copies of Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids.

This is an exciting opportunity for children's yoga to be presented as a major health initiative! Think of all the good that could happen if yoga for children was being supported at a national level!

Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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Imaginations Available on Kindle and Kindle Lending Library Now!

kindle.175x175-75 Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids has gone digital! It's available in a Kindle version!

This means you can read Imaginations on the:

  • Kindle, including Paperwhite and Fire
  • Ipad
  • Iphone
  • And even on your PC!

AND the ebook is available to borrow for FREE in the Kindle Lending Library for the next 90 days. If you haven't checked out a book for January, check out Imaginations!

The print version has beautiful color pictures, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about the black and white version on the Paperwhite, but I really like how the pictures look in grey-scale. Kind of a retro feel...

Check out the digital version here.

Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com

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5 Ways to Calm Your Elf On A Shelf

Image

1. Read it a relaxation story! Elves love hearing relaxation stories, especially ones from the book, Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids!

2. Take deep breaths! When elves get tense sometimes they forget to take deep breaths. When elves are tense they misbehave and make MESSES!!!

3. Go outside! Seeing the sunshine and feeling the ground under their feet helps elves relax.

4. Take a bath with some lavender essential oil! What elf can resist the scent of lavender? ZZZZZzzzzzzz....

5. Do some yoga! Elves love doing balancing poses because they help clear their minds and focus on their task at hand- helping Santa!

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Carolyn Clarke
www.imaginationsforkids.com

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The Grinch's Heart Chakra!

GrinchHeart (Image from SpoolandSpoonBlog.com)

I lucked out yesterday with a last minute ticket for Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas at the San Diego’s Old Globe Theater!  It’s been a long time since I read the book or saw the movie, so it was as if I was hearing the story for the first time.  What struck me about the play was how “yoga” it is.

This is actually a story about the heart chakra! Initially, the Grinch’s heart is cold and closed- he hates Christmas, carols, holiday feasts, toys, and children.  But, he connects with one little girl, Cindy Lou Who.  She shows him compassion and forgiveness for being the Grinch that he is, and her open heart helps him open HIS heart! On stage, the Grinch’s heart lights up and we hear it beat loudly. His heart chakra is opening! The chakra of love, compassion, and kindness. And guess what color is the color of the heart chakra- GREEN! The color of the Grinch!

I was planning on putting together a Grinch yoga lesson plan, and stumbled across this post on my friend Angela’s Moorad’s blog, OmAzing Kids, here.  This makes my lesson planning easy! We must be connected at the heart chakra this week! Thank you Angela!

I also thought of the Loving Kindness relaxation story in my book, Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids. It says:

"Now think of someone who is mean or unfriendly. Send this person some love, too. Sometimes people are mean because they don't feel loved. So send this person some extra love."

So our challenge as yogis is to send some extra love to all the Grinches out there from our heart chakras to their heart chakras!!!

With love and gratitude,

Carolyn Clarke

www.imaginationsforkids.com www.sdyogakids.com https://www.facebook.com/imaginationsforkids

Great article on helping kids get ready for school using Yoga!

I love this article and I think it's got some wonderful ideas, including using a focus point (Drishti), breathing, taking care of yourself, the importance of the company you keep, leading with kindness, and experiencing with a beginner's mind. Only thing I'd add is guided imagery, like the stories you can find in my book, Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids! Here's the article on Patch.com!

Guided Imagery and Athletes

Great article on imagery boosting performance. We use lots of guided imagery in kids yoga! Maybe they'll be in the Olympics twenty years from now! Guided imagery for kids can be found in my new book, Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids! http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/07/31/imagining-gold-how-imagery-helps-athletes-boost-performance

(Picture from TakePart.com)

Namaste,

Carolyn

www.sdyogakids.com www.imaginationsforkids.com

Announcing My New Children's Relaxation Story book!!!

A collection of read-aloud relaxation stories for kids accompanied by guided imagery that allows them to close their eyes, imagine, relax their bodies, and focus their minds. Image

This book provides stories to help children learn to calm their bodies and relax their minds. Teaching children the ability to consciously relax the body and clear the mind can also help address larger issues such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Sleep disorders, nightmares, or being scared of the dark at bedtime
  • Depression
  • Low self-esteem or negativity
  • Life changes such as moving, divorce, changing schools, etc.

Wildly imaginative and full of whimsical joy, Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids imparts to children a life lesson as important as any other they will ever learn: relaxation makes your body feel good, your mind calm, and it's fun!

Here's a preview of the pictures inside:

Image

Purchase this gift for your children, grandchildren, neices, nephews, students and any other children in your life here.

Pintervention

I’ve recently discovered Pinterest. I’ve been spending more time on it than I’d like to admit, but it’s been giving me lots of creative inspiration for new things in the new year. Especially new fun things to teach in my kids yoga classes. I’ve been joking with my husband that I need a "Pintervention". He made me this:

I like that he "put a bird on it", as a nod to Portlandia's funny skit.  Now I'm off to pin it...

Carolyn

sdyogakids.com

Creative Movement in Yoga Class

The longer I teach yoga to kids, the more I look for fun ways for children to experiment and enjoy moving their bodies. Creative movement is such a wonderful way to make exercise and stretching fun! Here are some of my favorite creative movement activities (and although they aren't all exactly yoga poses, they are mind/body exercises):

  1. Dance ribbons- cut long pieces of ribbon or tulle, and tie them onto the end of a stick, unsharpened pencil, or even chopsticks. Turn on music and twirl. You can lead the kids in poses too- arm circles, painting rainbows, etc.
  2. Egg Shakers- one of my favorite props ever... Use Laurie Berkner's I Know A Chicken song.
  3. Hokey Pokey- a classic, but uses balancing skills that help with yoga poses
  4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes- Touching toes is a forward bend.
  5. Yoga Flows- Let the kids make up their own flows using yoga poses or their own movements

A find that "creative" time is a good balance to poses that require some attention to alignment (Like the warrior poses and Triangle). Reward attention paid to alignment with some creative time afterwards...  Or, use creative time to release some energy before moving into poses that require some stillness.

Have fun!