by Jasmine | Nov 28, 2013 | Yoga Health
Yoga has many benefits to kids on physical, social and emotional levels. Yoga for adults tends to be a very solitary activity even if it is done in a classroom with other students it is very internally focused. In a kids yoga class, they tend to be very focused on the group and many of the activities require paying attention to the interactions and dynamics of the group such as singing, dancing, discussion, games, partner and group poses.
The class is much more externally focused for a portion of a time. Many of the activities encourage cooperation and teamwork such as when they are doing a partner pose where one person is balancing on the other. There are usually ice-breakers as well in the beginning of class where kids introduce themselves and get to know the other kids such as throwing a ball to another child and then they say their name. These warm-ups are more essential since kids will have a higher amount of anxiety around people they don’t know.
On an emotional level, the poses help to develop concentration, empathy, focus, confidence, self-esteem, respect for others, improved attitude, more positive outlook. This will often help them achieve better results with their schoolwork and have better relations with their family members, friends and classmates. It equips them with skills to be able to manage their stress more effectively. It can help with many behavioral issues as well since they learn how to manage their emotions more effectively. On a spiritual level, they help to develop compassion, awareness and a sense of purpose as well.
What are some ways to teach breath awareness, meditation, visualization, yogic concepts to kids?
One fun way to teach the importance of oxygen is to light a candle and then put it inside a glass. When the candle goes out, you can initiate a discussion of why it went out and then use this example of how we need oxygen for our bodies to light us up and give us energy. This is a great activity to do when the kids are rambunctious and you want to focus them and settle them down. Some great breathing exercises are bumble bee breath. You have the child close their eyes and plug their ears and then make a Hmmmmmmmm sound. After you ask them what their experience was like. This helps them to inwardly focus. You can also have them block their ears and eyes and have them do this with an ocean breath sound as well. Have them imagine the waves coming in from the ocean up to the shore. It is very focusing, grounding and helps them to concentrate. You could also have them hiss like a snake while on their bellies. They should repeat about 3-5 times very slowly and then check in and see how they feel afterwards.
A nice group-breath activity would be to have all of them join their hands in a circle and then they come in with a breath together and raise their hands and then exhale and back out of the circle with their arms coming down. This helps to build community and cooperation and can be a centering exercise.
A nice way to incorporate breath work with confidence building activities is to have them inhale in a positive affirmation such as, “ I am strong” and then they can exhale out a different affirmation such as, “ I am beautiful”.
An effective way to teach yoga lifestyle concepts to kids is by having a discussion first about topics such as non-violence but to use kid-friendly language by using a simpler word such as, “peace”. You then talk about examples of peace such as when your brother or sister is being mean to you, you can send them thoughts of peace instead of just thinking negative thoughts. Let the child experience what happens when they do this. Ask for examples of other ways they can show peace. When you are in a pose later in class that is quite meditative you can remind them that this is practicing peace as well since you are feeling calm when you are doing it.
A fun way to teach visualization and meditation to kids is with, ”Imagination Vacations”. You can lead them through some very simple guided imagery (the younger the child, the simpler the imagery should be) such as a being in outer space, in the ocean, on the beach, playing in a garden. After this you can tie it together by having them draw a picture of what they saw. They can focus on their picture whenever they want a special place to return to.
What are some tie-ins for kids?
A tie-in is a way to bring yogic concepts from class into their every day life at home or in the classroom, which helps kids to internalize the lessons. There are stories and books that you can use as a basis for discussion at the end of class. One example would be the candle in the glass that extinguishes which I discussed above. Another good one is by using three yoga blocks to represent the breath, mind and body. You can pile the blocks on top of each other and show how they are all connected. Have one of the kids remove a block and show how they seem to fall apart when they are not working together or connected.
Another example is having the kids draw with crayons after they had their visualization. For older kids and pre-teens you could have them journal things such as, “What do I like about myself?” or “Write Yourself a Thank You Note.”
What are specific activities or behaviors in a yoga class that can build self-esteem?
Using affirmations when in a pose is a great way to build self-esteem. When you are in a very strengthening and challenging pose such as Warrior, you could have everyone yell, “ I am strong ( or proud)”.
You could also have songs that have positive affirmations as well, such as the I Grow With Yoga song that has verses such as, I grow strong like a mountain or I see the universe in you… the beauty in your heart shines through.
For the visualizations, you could have them imagine goals they are achieving such as being able to focus better in school so they can get better grades, improved behaviors such as getting along better with their siblings or parents. Use simple kid-friendly language so that it is memorable and has lots of colorful imagery in there.
You can have them create art projects that affirm positive things such as a Gratitude Tree or Me Tree (things they like about themselves). You could either have one big tree and everyone hangs something on it or kids could draw their own tree which they could then take home.
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by Jasmine | Nov 18, 2013 | Yoga Health
Guest Post By Mike Manning
The holiday season brings joy, love and togetherness each year, along with stress, anger and a limited sense of personal space. The negative emotions can be made more intense when there is family visiting or tension between friends. Yoga can be an effective tool against the more challenging situations that arise at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The most important step is to set aside time each day for meditation and yoga. Doing so keeps the mind and spirit centered during a hectic holiday schedule. For some, engaging in yoga first thing in the morning helps to get the day off to a relaxed start. For others, it may happen while children are napping or when everyone else in the house is otherwise engaged.
It can be helpful to write out feelings in a journal before beginning the meditation, as this will relieve emotional stress. Listening to soothing music in a candlelit environment will aid in calming and centering the spirit. Using balanced breathing, which involves inhaling through one nostril while exhaling through the other, prepares the body for yoga poses.
One simple pose that can be done nearly anywhere is legs on the wall, or Inverted Action. This is done by placing the legs against the wall, with a pillow or other type of support under the hips. The arms are relaxed and placed at the sides. This pose is about simply letting go and resisting the urge to check a smartphone or be in a hurry to go somewhere else. Five minutes in this position can bring much inner calm.
While gift-giving can be a challenge in both cost and pleasing the recipient, making gifts very personal can be rewarding in terms of showing gratefulness. Taking the time to choose gifts that suit the personality and essence of each individual can remove much of the tension associated with the holidays.
Another way to avoid inner turmoil is to not overeat at Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas get-togethers where there is often unhealthy fare. Placing the digestive system under stress will upset the body’s balance, disrupting sleep patterns and emotional reactions. While yoga can help keep these issues in check, it is best to not eat more than necessary.
The holiday season is mainly about giving to others, but it should also be about giving to oneself. Yoga and meditation can do much to keep a person in balance and allow for a joyful, happy holiday season.
by Jasmine | Nov 8, 2013 | Beginner Yoga, Meditation, Weight loss, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
Yoga for Vampires – DVD Reviews… Ones you can practice at home, whenever…..
Here are some of my personal favorites. I have always been drawn to ones that work on developing a pretty six-pack, just so you know my bias. Also ones that are about 30 minutes long I usually like also. Here are my favorite Yoga DVD Reviews.
Mark Blanchard – Power Yoga. He is a Yogi to many celebs, including Andy Garcia among others. It is an intense work-out and many of the poses are not accessible to beginners or to those that are not very flexible or have a lot of upper body strength. If you do this on a regular basis you will get that sculpted, toned look. I think it is 90 minutes. His language is very inspiring. This is a great one for those that have a foundation of yoga and are up for a challenging practice.
Ten Zen Tummy Toners – Rodney Yee and Cameron Shayne. These are actually two 25 minute workouts, that you can combine or do separately, I actually bought this because I am a Rodney Yee fan but have ended up doing the Cameron Shayne workout more only because my knees have been hurting lately and the Rodney Yee one was making my knees ache more.
Shiva Rea – Creative Core Abs. I love the music and drumming in this and it is filmed with the dramatic backdrop of the desert. Her language is very beautiful too. It’s only 34 minutes. She does go a bit fast for beginners so this is probably better suited to at least intermediate or advanced level yogis since the poses are not always explained slowly. You do get the toned, sculpted look if you do this a few times a week on a consistent basis.
Yin Yoga – Paul Grilley. Yin Yoga is a very meditative, slow, patient practice. It’s almost like a meditation in slow motion. You’re not building up core strength in this kind of practice. Yin Yoga is great to do when you need to just take the edge off and want to have a deep inner experience. He is great at explaining anatomy and the benefits a quieter practice. He offers lots of modifications as well, which is not something most yoga DVDs offer. This is great value since you get 3 DVDs for a reasonable price. There is also an instructional part where he is just explaining the theory of Yin Yoga, which is great for Yoga Teachers. This would be a great one for beginners, inflexible or people that just feel really stiff.
Creative Yoga – Claire Diab. This is a great one for beginners and those with less flexibility. She does a great job of slowly and simply explaining the poses and offering modifications. She also has two segments on here that you can combine for a nice long juicy practice or a shorter one you can squeeze into your schedule. I used to do this one with my mom, who is not a regular yoga practitioner but finds all the yoga poses are accessible to her.
Yoga Music Reviews- Top 10 CDs I play in Class
by Jasmine | Oct 31, 2013 | Homeopathic Healing
Guest Post by Bridget Galbreath
In a day and age when there is so much information on the news about links between medications and serious illnesses and disorders, it is no wonder that people are walking away from chemically produced treatments and are instead looking at more natural approaches to healing.
From the common cold to serious illnesses and afflictions, there is said to be a natural remedy to treat virtually all ailments that plague the human body. If you are interested in finding out about natural medicinal treatments, then you’re surely interested in finding out about homeopathy; but what is it? Is it really beneficial, and can it really provide you with the benefits it claims?
Keep on reading to find out exactly what it is, how it works, and what it treats.
Homeopathic Healing 101 What Is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy refers to a form of alternative medicine or natural healing. It uses naturally occurring elements to heal the body. Homeopathy is used to treat a wide range of ailments, including physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. The process is said to restore health and harmony to the body.
This form of alternative treatment is based on the principles set forth by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. Hahnemann believed that a sick person can be cured by using a substance that can produce similar symptoms to those that the ill individual is experiencing. He came to this conclusion after finding that cinchona bark produced symptoms similar to those of malaria. He deduced that this bark would treat the symptoms of someone ill with malaria.
Today, homeopathy is one of the most widely used medicinal treatments in the world, and it has hailed positive results.
What is Involved?
The process of homeopathic healing lies in the premise that all people possess an energy known as a “vital force” or a “self-healing response,” and when this energy is disrupted, illness results. Homeopathy aims to recreate the body’s own natural healing responses, which incite overall wellness.
The remedies used in homeopathy are comprised of natural substances, which come from organic matter, such as plants, minerals, or animals. The idea is that for every ailment the human body experiences, a remedy to treat that ailment exists within nature.
What Ailments Can Be Treated with Homeopathic Remedies?
There are a wide range of ailments that can be treated with homeopathic remedies. These include:
Internal ailments: Asthma, circulatory problems, thyroid issues, Crohn’s disease, high blood pressure, obesity, palpitations, indigestion, colitis.
Muscular-skeletal and neurological disorders: Arthritis, back pain, sprains, gout, sciatica, strokes.
Ear, nose, and throat: Sinusitis, tonsillitis, rhinitis, vertigo, tinnitus.
Dermatological problems: Acne, eczema, herpes, hair loss, vitiligo.
Mental/emotional health: Anxiety, panic disorder, depression, insomnia, grief, stress.
While there is still much debate about the healing properties of and the processes used in homeopathy, it is becoming a widely accepted approach to medical treatment. In order to determine whether or not homeopathic treatment is the right option for you, speak to your healthcare professional and give some of the basic remedies a try.
Bridget Galbreath is a writer who is well versed in a wide range of topics, including health and wellness, medications and doctor reviews.
by Jasmine | Oct 25, 2013 | Date Night, Romantic Date Ideas
Women are commonly known to be givers. We give of ourselves to our kids, spouses, and friends. Between ferrying kids to and from soccer games, cooking, cleaning, providing a shoulder to cry on, and trying to look great doing it all, the stress creeps up on us. If the cracks are beginning to show and you feel you need some alone time, try these ideas.
Have more play dates
Who says play dates have to be organized and that you have to spend the entire time chatting with the other mom? A trip to a popular park with a jungle gym is a good way to get your kids to learn to socialize with kids they don’t know. And it’s the perfect time for you to sit alone on the bench with your favorite guilty read. Read on your tablet and no one will know you’re actually enjoying Fifty Shades of Grey. A simple cup of tea works wonders to relax us.
Take tea breaks
Unlike coffee, which Dunkin Donuts promises was made to drink on the run, tea was meant to be savored and sipped. Keep the kettle warm and make yourself a cup of tea whenever you feel stressed or frazzled. Then force yourself to stop doing whatever you were doing and find a quiet spot to enjoy it. Some teas that induce relaxation are chamomile and jasmine.
Travel more
It seems like we have been conditioned to hurry around and get to places as soon as possible. We time our schedules so that we have just enough time to arrive at our jobs, sporting events, and homes in order not to be late. Why? Why not take your time and sneak in some alone time by changing your mindset? The next time you have someplace to be, leave early – maybe an extra half hour or even 20 minutes. Then you can just meander your way there, spending time with your thoughts as you drive along. Consider taking back roads instead of hopping on the expressway. Your car is the perfect quiet place to spend some time alone. Even a park bench can provide respite from a difficult day.
Play possum
Before bed is an ideal time to get peace and quiet. Tonight, about an hour before your usual time, announce that you’re tired and going to go to sleep. This doesn’t mean you have to sleep. Take that extra hour to sprawl in bed unencumbered. Practice your crocheting skills, yoga poses, or try out that new green facial mask your husband begged you not to use. No one has to know you’ve not actually gone to bed yet.
Walk it in
People don’t walk enough in this country. Yes, you see them walking for exercise or powerwalking down the sidewalks at lunchtime, but none of them are actually going anywhere. Walking is an optimum time to be alone. Think about the places you go. To the bank? The post office? Can you
walk there instead of driving? It will take you at least three times as long, and the time spent alone will do your head good. If you lose weight doing it, so be it. Strictly speaking, women shouldn’t have to sneak around trying to get alone time. But the truth is, sometimes others don’t understand that asking to be alone isn’t meant as a snub against them. It actually makes us better able to care for the people we love. Having alone time to center ourselves and rejuvenate is critical to our very survival. Beginning today, make taking care of yourself a top priority.
Kate Supino is a professional freelance writer and small business owner who writes extensively about best business practices including online reputation issues and finance management.
