How My Mom Taught Me Yoga, Sometimes Without Teaching Me Yoga

To read all 20, visit the full post at Kids Yoga Stories.

20 Reasons I Love Teaching Kids Yoga

May 1, 2013

I recently wrote a guest post on Giselle Shardlow's Kids Yoga Stories blog. It's a list of some of the reasons I love teaching kids yoga. Giselle originally asked me for a sentence or two about what I love most about teaching kids yoga, and I was stumped. It's a hard thing for me to sum up in a few words because every day I love something different about it. So, I started procrastinating... And avoiding. And mulling... I finally motivated myself to write when I decided to have fun with it by making a silly (yet soulful) list. I think it was a good reminder that in order for me to accomplish something, I have to make it fun and not take "work" so seriously!

Here's a few from the list:

Feeling the frenetic energy of a group of kids come into the room before class

Kids saying “Hi Yoga” because they think my name is Yoga

Having the trunk of my car filled with Beanie Babies, yoga mats, chimes, toys, Lavender oil, Heart pillows, picture books, and a parachute, instead of something “boringly adult” like car cleaning supplies or the dry cleaning

Namaste,

Carolyn

Carolyn Clarke

Using Live Flowers in Kids Yoga Classes

April 24, 2013

One of my favorite things to do in a springtime yoga class (or anytime, really), is to bring in fresh flowers for my yoga students. Here's why I love using fresh flowers in yoga:

1) Smiles-

The children's faces light up when they see them. It is an instant mood-lifter. That alone is enough of a reason, but there are more reasons...

2) Mindfulness-

Flowers invoke mindfulness. Thus the phrase, "Stop and smell the roses." Their beauty and fragance can stop us in our tracks. Ever go on a walk with a toddler? Chances are they stopped to look at each flower along the way. I like to encourage mindfulness by having each child hold a flower (stay away from thorny stems like roses). We gaze at the flower in silence for an age appropriate amount of time. I find that the longer that you look at the flower, the more colors and textures you notice. I discovered this when I was lucky enough to get a massage in French Polynesia- the therapist put a hibiscus flower in a vase on the floor under the head rest, so for an hour I gazed at the flower. At first it was just a red hibiscus, but then I started to see variations of colors and textures that I never would have noticed if I'd just walked past it. So, ring a bell to start the flower meditation, have a period of silence, and then ring a bell afterwards. Ask the children what they noticed about their flower.

3) Breathing-

If your flowers are fragrant (which I recommend), do a "breathing exercise". Take long deep breaths to smell the flower all together as a group. Discuss.

4) Balancing and Standing-

I love holding a flower while doing standing yoga poses:

Extended mountain- Reach your flower up to the sky
Crescent moon- Bend side to side with your flower, just like it does in the wind
Flowering tree pose- Hold the flower in one of your branches and pretend your tree is blooming
Warrior 3- Strecth your flower out in front of you
Seed to Tree- Curl up child's pose and then sprout out of your seed to become a flowering tree (inspired by YogaKids)
Ask the kids for their ideas- they will have some ideas, too, for doing yoga with the flowers

5)Sitting/Floor Work-

There are lots of fun things you can do with the flower while on the floor too.

Make a bouquet- Have all the kids sit in a circle with feet touching, extend your flowers up in the air (Staff Pose), then forward bend and bring your flowers to the center towards your toes
Rest your flower in your lap for any kind of arm stretches or side stretches
Table pose- Set the table with a flower on your belly, or a flower on your back depending on which style of table pose you are doing (or try both)
Ask again for kids ideas!

6)Relaxation-

Rest the flower on your belly for belly breathing and savasana (Prompt the kids to picture the flower, smell the flower, feel the flower while they are relaxing.)

7) Paying it Forward-

You can send the flowers home with the kids. OR I bring in a vase or mason jar, and suggest to the kids that we put all of our flowers together in the vase and give it to someone that might appreciate it (teacher at the school, someone's parent that just had a baby, or the owner of the studio, etc.) It's fun to see who they come up with to give it to. If they can't all agree on one person, then ask each child to give their own flower to someone of their own choosing.

8) Eco-friendly-

I love using props in kids yoga, and I especially like when a "prop" is from the earth and biodegradable... Remind them to put the flower in their green garbage bin or compost bin if they are taking the flowers home. Using flowers helps bring a connection with the earth into the classroom or yoga studio, and it is fitting for the week of Earth Day!

A few tips-

Make sure that the flowers you bring in aren't poisonous or prickly.... I like picking out flowers with rigid stems (Think sunflowers over tulips) so that they stay straight during our poses. If you are just doing mindfulness exercises and not asana with the flowers, then choose beauty and fragrance over sturdiness!

Also, if you have too many kids in your class to make flowers feasible, a single flower or a small potted plant is a nice addition to the center of a circle of mats and creates a good focus point for meditation and balancing.

Have a wonderful time using flowers in your class! And take some pictures!

Namaste,

Carolyn

Carolyn Clarke

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a750c62/

Happy Family Prize Pack- Kids Yoga Video, Imaginations Relaxation book, Sage Parenting book, and Infant Massage DVD

April 16, 2013

Now is your chance to win a fun Happy Family Prize Pack which includes a copy of my book, Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids! Prizes include 2 books- Sage Parenting and Imaginations- along with 2 DVDS- Soothing Slumber Infant Massage and YogaKids Silly to Calm. Something for the whole family!

Here's the link to enter along with all the details:

The backstory:

I was excited to meet fellow San Diego author, Rachel Rainbolt, at a local author event earlier this year. We connected instantly when we realized we were both helping parents and kids have a happier, healthier, relaxed life! We traded books and here's what I thought:

Sage Parenting: Where Nature Meets Nurture is a thorough and lovingly written guide to parenting. It covers everything from pregnancy to picking schools, and includes common parenting topics like baby gear recommendations, bedtime routines, and potty training. What makes this book unique is that Rachel Rainbolt encourages parents to tap into their own inner wisdom, and parent with love from the heart. She emphasizes that parents have the innate wisdom to know what their child needs. Rainbolt explains that kids need to feel like their "love cup" is full, and gives parents ways to connect with their kids in a naturally loving way to help them "fill it up". As a children's yoga instructor, I found her recommendations for communicating with kids and dealing with misbehavior helpful for my classroom management. I will be recommending this book to both new parents and those that are already parenting but need some new inspiration.

And here's what she thought of mine:

The idea of a child with a calm inner core is appealing to every parent. However, disciplining your child’s chaotic behavior is not going to get you there. The path is through Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids. We can teach our children to find that calm, safe harbor within them in a way that accepts and celebrates their imaginations. This book can help you tap into the best of childhood to sail into a peaceful and centered adulthood.

Rachel teaches parenting courses and baby massage courses in San Diego, and she is launching some e-courses as well in case you don't live in the area!

Are you an author or creator of something wonderful that has the theme of children's wellness? Let me know! I'd love to connect.

Namaste,

Carolyn

Carolyn Clarke

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

April 11, 2013

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

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

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

St. Patrick's Day Kids Yoga

March 11, 2013

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

Enter here: We're having a Rafflecopter giveaway!

March Giveaway- Imaginations and Good Morning Yogis Book Prize Pack

March 5, 2013

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

Good Morning Yogis Book Review

February 26, 2013

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

There's An Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Meyer

Kids Yoga and Relaxation for Fear, Anxiety, and Worry

February 21, 2013

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:

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

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

February 11, 2013

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-

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-

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

Breathing and Creativity

February 6, 2013

Breathing and Creativity

I love this idea that breathing is like creativity. Just think of how many creative moments we have in a day!

Super Cute Hibernation Relaxation for Groundhog Day!

January 30, 2013

Super Cute Hibernation Relaxation for Groundhog Day! What a cute yoga lesson plan and hibernation themed relaxation for Groundhog Day! Thank you Alissia at Food.Yoga.Peace.!

Kids Yoga Giveaway to Help End Childhood Obesity

January 15, 2013

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!

• 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.

• 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

Imaginations Available on Kindle and Kindle Lending Library Now!

January 9, 2013

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

5 Ways to Calm Your Elf On A Shelf

December 19, 2012

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