Yoga was developed over 5000 years ago in ancient India as a way of life promoting health, peace of mind and a deeper awareness of ourselves. Many yoga poses (asanas) were created while observing things in the natural world — a mountain, a tree, a butterfly — and trying to imitate their form and spirit. In this way they sought to capture a bit of the energy of each object. As more and more people try yoga themselves and introduce it to their children, they are finding the same amazing benefits the ancient masters did. Some of these benefits include: increased focus and attention, higher self-esteem, greater strength and flexibility, better coordination and balance, learning how it feels to relax fully, and a greater awareness of nature and the interconnectedness of all life.
Butterfly Pose
1. Begin by sitting on the ground.
2. Bring the soles of feet together, letting knees drop out to the sides.
3. Clasp both hands around the toes.
4. Flutter the knees up and down slightly pretending they are the wings of a
beautiful butterfly.
5. Then lean forward slowly from the hips, head towards the feet, as far as you are comfortable. Knees are still.
6. Sit up and begin to move the knees up and down again.
7. Talk to each other about what color and/or type of butterfly you are…a blue morpho? a monarch? a swallowtail? or maybe the rare rainbow butterfly with silver sparkles?
Frog Pose
1. Crouch down with knees open.
2. Bring an elbow to the inside of each knee and place the palms together, pressing the knees further apart. Take a breath here.
3. Then bring the hands to the ground.
4. Hop up and down, springing as high as you can, croaking “ribbit” a few times.
5. Stop and balance again with palms together.
6. Talk about what your favorite kind of frog is…a bullfrog? a tree frog? a poison dart frog? What color are you and where do you live?
Bridge Pose
1. Lie on the back, knees bent and feet close to the hips.
2. Lift the hips and back up off the ground in a smooth arch.
3. Slide the arms under the arch and clasp hands.
4. Hold for a few breaths, then release the hands and allow the back and
hips to slowly roll down to the floor.
5. Did your bridge span a stream or a river? Did any boats sail under you?
Tree Pose
1. Stand tall with the feet together. Pick a focal point on the ground slightly in front of you to help with your balance.
2. Raise the right foot and bend the knee. Place the bottom of the right foot
on the inside of the left leg, either at the ankle, calf or thigh.
3. Imagine you are growing roots from your foot into the ground.
4. Lift your arms out to the sides and balance, palms forward. If you feel very
stable, reach your arms overhead and separate your fingers, like the branches
of a tree.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. Remember that trees are flexible and strong — they sway in the wind but stay standing.
6. Share with each other what kind of tree you are…pine…oak…cherry…truffula
Take a Green Break
When you and your children need some downtime, go outside (or look out the window if the weather’s too bad) and find something green to look at. Take a deep breath and find a peaceful place inside of yourself. Breaks like this throughout the day help our bodies and minds to stay calm and centered. To make it a game, try and see how many different shades of green you can find in the world around you.
Thankfulness Game
Begin by finding a small object you can pass around to the other people playing — a
leaf, a rock, a ball, or some other small toy. Sit in a circle. While holding the object, tell the group one thing you are thankful for in your life. Maybe you had a really yummy lunch today, or your garden has started to grow, or someone smiled at you when you were feeling down. Pass or gently throw the object to another person in the circle so they can share what they are thankful for. Let each person have at least one turn. Enjoy all the different blessings we each have in our lives.
Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
www.holisticlivingnj.com Karma Chameleons
http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/productone.php?pid=1435 My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste
www.karmakidsyoga.com Karma Kids Yoga
www.radiantchild.com Radiant Child Yoga
