I have a cow face pose too...but it doesn't look quite like that...it involves me and a Little Ceasars Pizza 
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Keeping the Peace
- Thread starter Shae
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Pylon said:
Excellently put my Friend!!!
Archangel said:
Hey, it's not me, it's the Lama! But he is a wise dude, no question.
I am so tired of it. It's so discusting (sp?).b_reed23 said:I have a cow face pose too...but it doesn't look quite like that...it involves me and a Little Ceasars Pizza
my w/o--> the legs and hips:
sit down meditation: 10 minitues
warrior 3: 7X5
reverse warrior: 9X5
mountain: 1X 7 minitues
plank, updog, downdog combo: 20
half moon: 7X5
hero: 1X 3 minitues minitues (I'm trying to get used to sit on my legs. Its real tough)
modifyed side plank: 6X5
corpse: 10 minitues
sit down meditation: 10 minitues
warrior 3: 7X5
reverse warrior: 9X5
mountain: 1X 7 minitues
plank, updog, downdog combo: 20
half moon: 7X5
hero: 1X 3 minitues minitues (I'm trying to get used to sit on my legs. Its real tough)
modifyed side plank: 6X5
corpse: 10 minitues
Had no time to w/o today. The twin girls were being rambunxious and I didn't get to w/o.
Plus, my brother got me so pissed off to crying tonight. My sister was the 3rd to being a pain in the ass asking for potato chips before dinner. I tell her, "It will be ready soon. You don't need to spoil your dinner." My 18 year old brother goes, "I'm starving, when is dinner." I say to them both that they are being absolutely childish and being hogs. Then my brother proceeds to tell me that I should move out. I tell him to help me pay and find a place and he says, "Its your job to find a place to live."
Shit! He is the one who does not know how to pull his weight in the house without having such a negative attitude!
I just went over the wall. And sis cries and myself and my brother get in trouble. So the next time my brother and I fight, we owe mom 1 dollar (one from the each of us.) If one of us starts it, its 2 dollars.
Sheesh, it was mom and dad who said to start getting a backbone and defend myself against my deamon sibling.
Have any words of wisdom for a yogi who just blew a lid?
Plus, my brother got me so pissed off to crying tonight. My sister was the 3rd to being a pain in the ass asking for potato chips before dinner. I tell her, "It will be ready soon. You don't need to spoil your dinner." My 18 year old brother goes, "I'm starving, when is dinner." I say to them both that they are being absolutely childish and being hogs. Then my brother proceeds to tell me that I should move out. I tell him to help me pay and find a place and he says, "Its your job to find a place to live."
Shit! He is the one who does not know how to pull his weight in the house without having such a negative attitude!
I just went over the wall. And sis cries and myself and my brother get in trouble. So the next time my brother and I fight, we owe mom 1 dollar (one from the each of us.) If one of us starts it, its 2 dollars.
Sheesh, it was mom and dad who said to start getting a backbone and defend myself against my deamon sibling. Have any words of wisdom for a yogi who just blew a lid?
"I myself still occasionally become iritated and angry and use harsh words toward others. Then, a few moments later when the ange has subsided, I feel embarrassed; the negative words are already spoken, and there is no way to take them back.
Although the words have been uttered and the sound of the voice has ceased to exist, their impact still lives on. Hence, the only think I can do is to go to the person and apologize, isn't that right?"
Although the words have been uttered and the sound of the voice has ceased to exist, their impact still lives on. Hence, the only think I can do is to go to the person and apologize, isn't that right?"
good advice 
hard to follow sometimes though
hard to follow sometimes though
Hey all, it's been a while. Been trying to keep up with the w/o but my sister, Jessica has been sick. She just got over pnemonia and now she is getting verry exhausted. And doctor's say that the baclofen pump (pm me if you want to know what it is) is working too hard, its lowering down her oxygen level. She is breathing 93% oxygen every day instead of the full blown 100. So I have been worrying about her. Keeping the man upstairs and Mr. Buddha with me through this tough time.
Don't worry all, I'll be fine. I just need to help mom out.
Don't worry all, I'll be fine. I just need to help mom out.
You and yours are definatly in my thoughts and Prayers my Friend!!!
^ Namaste. 
Hi all. Jessica is better. It was just her getting over the pnemonia that was lowering her oxygen consumption. So we are just putting her on oxygen at night untill she is back at breathing 100% oxygen. 
As for me, I hadn't had time for a w/o in 3 days because I was working long hours at Lil' Ceasers. But I got up early today (because I have to help close tonight) and did somthing. Didn't do much because I didn't want to strain myslef too quickly. Then, I will build back up again.
MY W/O:
sit down meditation: 5 minitues
down dog: 3X5
up dog: 4X5
plank, up dog, down dog combo: 10X
modifyed side plank: 5X5
bridge: 3X5
bear: 4X5
I'll look for some new yoga info and post some soon.
As for me, I hadn't had time for a w/o in 3 days because I was working long hours at Lil' Ceasers. But I got up early today (because I have to help close tonight) and did somthing. Didn't do much because I didn't want to strain myslef too quickly. Then, I will build back up again.
MY W/O:
sit down meditation: 5 minitues
down dog: 3X5
up dog: 4X5
plank, up dog, down dog combo: 10X
modifyed side plank: 5X5
bridge: 3X5
bear: 4X5
I'll look for some new yoga info and post some soon.
Sounds like everything is going better, glad to hear that my Friend!!!
the meditation was probably the best thing you could have done
Dedicated yesturday and today for my back which both felt great. Both w/o are similar so you can take a gander here:
sit down meditation: 7 minitues
fish: 5X5
bridge: 5X5
cobra: 5X5
up dog: 8X5 (ooo I needed that.
)
down dog: 6X5
modifyed side plank: 6X5
legs up the wall: 5 minitues
wind: 5X5
baby: 5X5
corpse: 7 minitues
sit down meditation: 7 minitues
fish: 5X5
bridge: 5X5
cobra: 5X5
up dog: 8X5 (ooo I needed that.
)down dog: 6X5
modifyed side plank: 6X5
legs up the wall: 5 minitues
wind: 5X5
baby: 5X5
corpse: 7 minitues
Finding the Best Time to Practice by Cyndi Lee
Your personal rhythm within a 24-hour period, as well as your relationship to the sun and moon, heat and cold, and the crispness or thickness of the changing seasons, can indeed factor into which asanas you practice when. Some people are raring to go first thing in the morning, while other people won???t even speak for at least an hour after the alarm goes off. Some love winter and outdoor activities such as skiing and snowboarding. Others put on a few pounds and hibernate in the winter and come alive with the fire energy of July and August. Since an important part of yoga practice is getting to know yourself and how you change from moment to moment, it makes sense to let your energy inform you about how to practice according to the season or time of day.
To begin, it's helpful to know that some poses are energizing and some are calming. For example, backbends are invigorating and not recommended before going to bed at night. Forward bends are calming and helpful when you are feeling over stimulated. Sun Salutations create heat and flowing movement connected to the breath. Standing poses build strength, stamina, and a sense of grounding, since your feet are rooted into the earth. Balancing poses cultivate concentration. Twists detoxify the body and relieve tension in the head, neck, and back. Inversions, which turn us upside down, literally change our view of the world and remind us of the impermanent nature of everything, especially when we are stuck in a rut.
In general, yoga practice is recommended in the morning or the early evening. A morning yoga session can be quite active and consist of a full practice. Always finish with Savasana (Corpse Pose), no matter what time of day or season your practice.
You may choose to do a different type of practice in the afternoon. While it can still be a complete practice, you may want to emphasize a series of seated forward bends such as Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose), Janu Sirsasana, Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose), or Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend). Follow that with a small backbend such as Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), simple twists to neutralize the spine???Reclining Twist or Ardha Matseyandrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose) work well???and an inversion.
Each season invites us to shape our practice differently. If you live in a place where it gets very hot in the summer, it is best not to overexert yourself. If the temperature is in the upper 80s, 90s, or even 100 degrees, be mindful of the speed with which you move through your practice. You may even try using the weather to explore how to come away from your edge and lessen your effort to help balance the heat of your body.
In the summer you can try combining practices. Start with a seated meditation, followed by a cooling pranayama, and then a Sun Salutation series without jumping through. Then try supported, restorative backbends such as lying on your back with a rolled up blanket under your shoulder blades. Your inversion could be Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose) or Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), both of which are more cooling than Salamba Sirsasana (Headstand). As you finish your practice, you can wash your face, hands, and feet with a cool washcloth soaked in lavender water before resting in Savasana.
Autumn brings opportunities for sharing and heart-opening with Thanksgiving, homecoming parties, back to school, and work with colleagues. The temperature is mild and the air crisp, which encourages big, energizing movements such as Urdhva Dhanurasana (Backbend).
Winter can be a time for quiet contemplation. You may choose to focus on forward bends, which are calming and restorative, unless you find the winter to be depressing. If that's the case then continue to work on backbends and other chest-openers such as Dhanurasana, Ustrasana (Camel Pose), or Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (One Legged King Pigeon Pose). You can also try hand balances like Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose) , and Bakasana (Crane Pose) , all of which require a playful energy and an open mind.
Since the weather is cold, even if your yoga room is warm???and I hope it is???you will need to spend plenty of time warming up your muscles. Try doing some half Sun Salutations before going into full jumpbacks, and move into all asanas slowly and mindfully. Cultivate an interest in what your body is feeling during this season. Rather than thinking, ???Ugh, I feel so stiff and tight,??? explore how you can let go of that thought and how doing so can create freedom in your joints.
Spring is a wonderful season to focus on Sun Salutations. As each day grows a little bit longer, the practice of paying homage to the sun begins to feel like a beautiful call and response between the two of you. It is also a time of new beginnings and can be a great time to introduce new poses into your practice.
Finally, I suggest that you reflect on your own experience of the seasons and whether you want to work with the energy that the season provides or counteract the energy with an opposing focus for your practice.
Also, keep in mind that if you change your practice too frequently, you will not cultivate a sense of grounding within external change. I find it valuable to maintain a similar structure to my practice, no matter what time of day or year. The focus may change, but sticking to the same general format is a powerful technique for going deeper. It may also be helpful to create rituals within your daily practice that are unchanging, like a daily sitting and/or walking meditation, beginning your practice by chanting Om, or doing Sun Salutations.
(credit goes to yogajournal.com)
Your personal rhythm within a 24-hour period, as well as your relationship to the sun and moon, heat and cold, and the crispness or thickness of the changing seasons, can indeed factor into which asanas you practice when. Some people are raring to go first thing in the morning, while other people won???t even speak for at least an hour after the alarm goes off. Some love winter and outdoor activities such as skiing and snowboarding. Others put on a few pounds and hibernate in the winter and come alive with the fire energy of July and August. Since an important part of yoga practice is getting to know yourself and how you change from moment to moment, it makes sense to let your energy inform you about how to practice according to the season or time of day.
To begin, it's helpful to know that some poses are energizing and some are calming. For example, backbends are invigorating and not recommended before going to bed at night. Forward bends are calming and helpful when you are feeling over stimulated. Sun Salutations create heat and flowing movement connected to the breath. Standing poses build strength, stamina, and a sense of grounding, since your feet are rooted into the earth. Balancing poses cultivate concentration. Twists detoxify the body and relieve tension in the head, neck, and back. Inversions, which turn us upside down, literally change our view of the world and remind us of the impermanent nature of everything, especially when we are stuck in a rut.
In general, yoga practice is recommended in the morning or the early evening. A morning yoga session can be quite active and consist of a full practice. Always finish with Savasana (Corpse Pose), no matter what time of day or season your practice.
You may choose to do a different type of practice in the afternoon. While it can still be a complete practice, you may want to emphasize a series of seated forward bends such as Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose), Janu Sirsasana, Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose), or Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend). Follow that with a small backbend such as Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), simple twists to neutralize the spine???Reclining Twist or Ardha Matseyandrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose) work well???and an inversion.
Each season invites us to shape our practice differently. If you live in a place where it gets very hot in the summer, it is best not to overexert yourself. If the temperature is in the upper 80s, 90s, or even 100 degrees, be mindful of the speed with which you move through your practice. You may even try using the weather to explore how to come away from your edge and lessen your effort to help balance the heat of your body.
In the summer you can try combining practices. Start with a seated meditation, followed by a cooling pranayama, and then a Sun Salutation series without jumping through. Then try supported, restorative backbends such as lying on your back with a rolled up blanket under your shoulder blades. Your inversion could be Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose) or Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), both of which are more cooling than Salamba Sirsasana (Headstand). As you finish your practice, you can wash your face, hands, and feet with a cool washcloth soaked in lavender water before resting in Savasana.
Autumn brings opportunities for sharing and heart-opening with Thanksgiving, homecoming parties, back to school, and work with colleagues. The temperature is mild and the air crisp, which encourages big, energizing movements such as Urdhva Dhanurasana (Backbend).
Winter can be a time for quiet contemplation. You may choose to focus on forward bends, which are calming and restorative, unless you find the winter to be depressing. If that's the case then continue to work on backbends and other chest-openers such as Dhanurasana, Ustrasana (Camel Pose), or Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (One Legged King Pigeon Pose). You can also try hand balances like Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose) , and Bakasana (Crane Pose) , all of which require a playful energy and an open mind.
Since the weather is cold, even if your yoga room is warm???and I hope it is???you will need to spend plenty of time warming up your muscles. Try doing some half Sun Salutations before going into full jumpbacks, and move into all asanas slowly and mindfully. Cultivate an interest in what your body is feeling during this season. Rather than thinking, ???Ugh, I feel so stiff and tight,??? explore how you can let go of that thought and how doing so can create freedom in your joints.
Spring is a wonderful season to focus on Sun Salutations. As each day grows a little bit longer, the practice of paying homage to the sun begins to feel like a beautiful call and response between the two of you. It is also a time of new beginnings and can be a great time to introduce new poses into your practice.
Finally, I suggest that you reflect on your own experience of the seasons and whether you want to work with the energy that the season provides or counteract the energy with an opposing focus for your practice.
Also, keep in mind that if you change your practice too frequently, you will not cultivate a sense of grounding within external change. I find it valuable to maintain a similar structure to my practice, no matter what time of day or year. The focus may change, but sticking to the same general format is a powerful technique for going deeper. It may also be helpful to create rituals within your daily practice that are unchanging, like a daily sitting and/or walking meditation, beginning your practice by chanting Om, or doing Sun Salutations.
(credit goes to yogajournal.com)
you may have already posted it...but what is the fish??
great looking workout! How is life treating you??
great looking workout! How is life treating you??
The fish? Here it is!
Love the pose. Especialy when you get out of bed and have to stretch.
Hows life? Okay I reccon. As soon as I get my next pay check, making a trip to The Herb Stop to indulge myself in some yummy tea. Anyone like tea besides me?
Love the pose. Especialy when you get out of bed and have to stretch.
Hows life? Okay I reccon. As soon as I get my next pay check, making a trip to The Herb Stop to indulge myself in some yummy tea. Anyone like tea besides me?
ooh...I LOVE it! I like Celestial Seasonings Green Tea, and Red Zinger...yum, yum!!
I like Celestial Seasonings Green Tea, and Red Zinger...yum, yum!! 
shae thanks again for posting these poses. the stretches are coming in handy keeping my body loose enough to move like the women in the bellydancing vids. it is surprisingly difficult. i think my butt has heard too much aerosmith.
Looking good, I like tea!!!
Little Wing said:i think my butt has heard too much aerosmith.
Idiom of Sad
Vas
Somthing I listen to when I meditate or do some yoga. Vas and Devi of Idiom of Sad have amazing voices!
I did a meditation exercise today while I had the twins in my care. I was trying to tune out their chitter chatter for as long as I could. I did pretty good I think. I held on for like 10 minitues before the twins were trying to get to me. I was at the 11th minitue and when I opened my eyes, I had them in my face. 
Scared me and made me fall over.
Scared me and made me fall over.
Shae said:I was at the 11th minitue and when I opened my eyes, I had them in my face.
I can only imagine my Friend!!! 
Heres something from me to you :
^ Namaste.
Yoga for Kids by By Marsha Wenig
Our children live in a hurry-up world of busy parents, school pressures, incessant lessons, video games, malls, and competitive sports. We usually don't think of these influences as stressful for our kids, but often they are. The bustling pace of our children's lives can have a profound effect on their innate joy???and usually not for the better.
I have found that yoga can help counter these pressures. When children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and inner fulfillment, they can navigate life's challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that's noncompetitive. Fostering cooperation and compassion???instead of opposition???is a great gift to give our children.
Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface.
When yogis developed the asanas many thousands of years ago, they still lived close to the natural world and used animals and plants for inspiration???the sting of a scorpion, the grace of a swan, the grounded stature of a tree. When children imitate the movements and sounds of nature, they have a chance to get inside another being and imagine taking on its qualities. When they assume the pose of the lion (Simhasana) for example, they experience not only the power and behavior of the lion, but also their own sense of power: when to be aggressive, when to retreat. The physical movements introduce kids to yoga's true meaning: union, expression, and honor for oneself and one's part in the delicate web of life.
A Child's Way
Yoga with children offers many possibilities to exchange wisdom, share good times, and lay the foundation for a lifelong practice that will continue to deepen. All that's needed is a little flexibility on the adult's part because, as I quickly found out when I first started teaching the practice to preschoolers, yoga for children is quite different than yoga for adults.
Six years ago, I had my first experience teaching yoga to kids at a local Montessori school. I looked forward to the opportunity with confidence???after all, I'd been teaching yoga to adults for quite a while, had two young children of my own, and had taught creative writing for several years in various Los Angeles schools. But after two classes with a group of 3- to 6-year-olds, I had to seriously reevaluate my approach. I needed to learn to let go (the very practice I had been preaching for years) of my agenda and my expectations of what yoga is and is not.
When I began to honor the children's innate intelligence and tune in to how they were instructing me to instruct them, we began to co-create our classes. We used the yoga asanas as a springboard for exploration of many other areas???animal adaptations and behavior, music and playing instruments, storytelling, drawing???and our time together became a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning. Together we wove stories with our bodies and minds in a flow that could only happen in child's play.
The kids began to call me Mrs. Yoga, and I called them Yoga Kids. We continued to work and play together until our creations bloomed into a program and video called YogaKids. The program combines yogic techniques designed especially for children using Dr. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner, an author and professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, describes eight intelligences innate in all of us???linguistic, logical, visual, musical, kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal???and emphasizes that children should be given the opportunity to develop and embody as many of these as possible.
In keeping with this theory, YogaKids integrates storytelling, games, music, language, and other arts into a complete curriculum that engages the "whole child." We employ ecology, anatomy, nutrition, and life lessons that echo yogic principles of interdependence, oneness, and fun. Most of all, our program engages the entire mind, body, and spirit in a way that honors all the ways children learn.
Taking the Practice Home
If you're planning to teach yoga to kids, there are a few general things to know that will enhance your experience. The greatest challenge with children is to hold their attention long enough to teach them the benefits of yoga: stillness, balance, flexibility, focus, peace, grace, connection, health, and well-being. Luckily, most children love to talk, and they love to move???both of which can happen in yoga. Children will jump at the chance to assume the role of animals, trees, flowers, warriors. Your role is to step back and allow them to bark in the dog pose, hiss in the cobra, and meow in cat stretch. They can also recite the ABCs or 123s as they are holding poses. Sound is a great release for children and adds an auditory dimension to the physical experience of yoga.
Children need to discover the world on their own. Telling them to think harder, do it better, or be a certain way because it's good for them is not the optimal way. Instead, provide a loving, responsive, creative environment for them to uncover their own truths. As they perform the various animal and nature asanas, engage their minds to deepen their awareness. When they're snakes (Bhujangasana), invite them to really imagine that they're just a long spine with no arms and legs. Could you still run or climb a tree? In Tree Pose (Vrksasana), ask them to imagine being a giant oak, with roots growing out of the bottoms of their feet. Could you stay in the same position for 100 years? If you were to be chopped down, would that be OK? Would it hurt?
When they stretch like a dog, balance like a flamingo, breathe like a bunny, or stand strong and tall like a tree, they are making a connection between the macrocosm of their environment and the microcosm of their bodies. The importance of reverence for all life and the principle of interdependence becomes apparent. Children begin to understand that we are all made of the same "stuff." We're just in different forms.
Think of yourself as a facilitator???the term we use in the YogaKids program???rather than a teacher. Guide your children while simultaneously opening your heart and letting them guide you. They'll no doubt invite you into a boundless world of wonder and exploration. If you choose to join them, the teaching/learning process will be continually reciprocal and provide an opportunity for everyone to create, express themselves, and grow together.
(credit goes to yogajournal.com)
Our children live in a hurry-up world of busy parents, school pressures, incessant lessons, video games, malls, and competitive sports. We usually don't think of these influences as stressful for our kids, but often they are. The bustling pace of our children's lives can have a profound effect on their innate joy???and usually not for the better.
I have found that yoga can help counter these pressures. When children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and inner fulfillment, they can navigate life's challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that's noncompetitive. Fostering cooperation and compassion???instead of opposition???is a great gift to give our children.
Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface.
When yogis developed the asanas many thousands of years ago, they still lived close to the natural world and used animals and plants for inspiration???the sting of a scorpion, the grace of a swan, the grounded stature of a tree. When children imitate the movements and sounds of nature, they have a chance to get inside another being and imagine taking on its qualities. When they assume the pose of the lion (Simhasana) for example, they experience not only the power and behavior of the lion, but also their own sense of power: when to be aggressive, when to retreat. The physical movements introduce kids to yoga's true meaning: union, expression, and honor for oneself and one's part in the delicate web of life.
A Child's Way
Yoga with children offers many possibilities to exchange wisdom, share good times, and lay the foundation for a lifelong practice that will continue to deepen. All that's needed is a little flexibility on the adult's part because, as I quickly found out when I first started teaching the practice to preschoolers, yoga for children is quite different than yoga for adults.
Six years ago, I had my first experience teaching yoga to kids at a local Montessori school. I looked forward to the opportunity with confidence???after all, I'd been teaching yoga to adults for quite a while, had two young children of my own, and had taught creative writing for several years in various Los Angeles schools. But after two classes with a group of 3- to 6-year-olds, I had to seriously reevaluate my approach. I needed to learn to let go (the very practice I had been preaching for years) of my agenda and my expectations of what yoga is and is not.
When I began to honor the children's innate intelligence and tune in to how they were instructing me to instruct them, we began to co-create our classes. We used the yoga asanas as a springboard for exploration of many other areas???animal adaptations and behavior, music and playing instruments, storytelling, drawing???and our time together became a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning. Together we wove stories with our bodies and minds in a flow that could only happen in child's play.
The kids began to call me Mrs. Yoga, and I called them Yoga Kids. We continued to work and play together until our creations bloomed into a program and video called YogaKids. The program combines yogic techniques designed especially for children using Dr. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner, an author and professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, describes eight intelligences innate in all of us???linguistic, logical, visual, musical, kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal???and emphasizes that children should be given the opportunity to develop and embody as many of these as possible.
In keeping with this theory, YogaKids integrates storytelling, games, music, language, and other arts into a complete curriculum that engages the "whole child." We employ ecology, anatomy, nutrition, and life lessons that echo yogic principles of interdependence, oneness, and fun. Most of all, our program engages the entire mind, body, and spirit in a way that honors all the ways children learn.
Taking the Practice Home
If you're planning to teach yoga to kids, there are a few general things to know that will enhance your experience. The greatest challenge with children is to hold their attention long enough to teach them the benefits of yoga: stillness, balance, flexibility, focus, peace, grace, connection, health, and well-being. Luckily, most children love to talk, and they love to move???both of which can happen in yoga. Children will jump at the chance to assume the role of animals, trees, flowers, warriors. Your role is to step back and allow them to bark in the dog pose, hiss in the cobra, and meow in cat stretch. They can also recite the ABCs or 123s as they are holding poses. Sound is a great release for children and adds an auditory dimension to the physical experience of yoga.
Children need to discover the world on their own. Telling them to think harder, do it better, or be a certain way because it's good for them is not the optimal way. Instead, provide a loving, responsive, creative environment for them to uncover their own truths. As they perform the various animal and nature asanas, engage their minds to deepen their awareness. When they're snakes (Bhujangasana), invite them to really imagine that they're just a long spine with no arms and legs. Could you still run or climb a tree? In Tree Pose (Vrksasana), ask them to imagine being a giant oak, with roots growing out of the bottoms of their feet. Could you stay in the same position for 100 years? If you were to be chopped down, would that be OK? Would it hurt?
When they stretch like a dog, balance like a flamingo, breathe like a bunny, or stand strong and tall like a tree, they are making a connection between the macrocosm of their environment and the microcosm of their bodies. The importance of reverence for all life and the principle of interdependence becomes apparent. Children begin to understand that we are all made of the same "stuff." We're just in different forms.
Think of yourself as a facilitator???the term we use in the YogaKids program???rather than a teacher. Guide your children while simultaneously opening your heart and letting them guide you. They'll no doubt invite you into a boundless world of wonder and exploration. If you choose to join them, the teaching/learning process will be continually reciprocal and provide an opportunity for everyone to create, express themselves, and grow together.
(credit goes to yogajournal.com)
Geez, I am not doing a good job keeping you all posted. Huh? Well, nothing new to report other than me being sore as hell after 9 hours of working on Superbowl Sunday. Well, when I came home, I placed my yoga blocks behind me and did the corpse pose for a pretty long while. I even fell asleep after like 5 minitues.
So, whats up with all of you guys?
Today: Tummy, arms, and hips
sit down meditation: 6 minitues
bear: 5X5
down dog and dolphin: 5X5
plank, up dog, down dog combo: 20
warrior 3: 10 minitues each leg (*sigh* that felt great!)
modifyed side plank: 5X5
hero: 5 minitues
bridge: 10X5 (that felt great too.)
corpse: 6 minitues
sit down meditation: 6 minitues
bear: 5X5
down dog and dolphin: 5X5
plank, up dog, down dog combo: 20
warrior 3: 10 minitues each leg (*sigh* that felt great!)
modifyed side plank: 5X5
hero: 5 minitues
bridge: 10X5 (that felt great too.)
corpse: 6 minitues
