yoga for kids

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"Yoga Pretzels" Card Deck Review

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"Yoga Pretzels" Card Deck Review

I am constantly looking for ways to make Yoga fun and engaging for the kids I work with. Whether it's using music or playing a Yoga game, when it comes to teaching kids poses, you sometimes need to get creative! I was really excited when I found "Yoga Pretzels" card deck by Tara Guber and Leah Kalish online, because I often bring visuals when I teach, and was having a hard time finding suitable pictures of the Yoga poses online. When I received these cards in the mail I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were not only colorful and accurate pictures of Yoga poses, but there were also cards for breathing exercises, Yoga games, and partner poses included! Considering that I only paid $8.99 plus shipping, for a total of less than $20.00 from Amazon, I felt like this was a great purchase and well worth the money. 

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Yoga for Kids: How to Plan a Holiday Themed Yoga Class for Kids

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Yoga for Kids: How to Plan a Holiday Themed Yoga Class for Kids

If you have ever taught children Yoga, you likely understand the importance of bringing FUN into the Yoga room. Unlike adults, who generally want a pretty calm and focused setting for their practice, children need more of a "buy in" when it comes to benefiting from all Yoga can offer them. One great way of adding some fun into their practice is to work with themes - animals, superheroes, seasons etc.. With the upcoming holiday season, today I thought I would give you a couple ideas on how to plan your next class for little Yogi's around this festive and exciting time. 

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Yoga for Kids: Transition Activities - What they are & Why they're Important

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Yoga for Kids: Transition Activities - What they are & Why they're Important

When adults attend a Yoga class, the routine is generally the same. Arrive at the Yoga space, ready to relax, move your body and quiet the mind. Unroll your mat and lay in savasana until the teacher begins class or perhaps spend some time in your favourite restorative pose. The point is, you arrive to your Yoga class prepared for a Yoga practice. You are in "the yoga zone" already, and likely looking forward to leaving the rest of your day behind (or at the very least trying to) while you practice for the next hour or so.  

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How to use a Hoberman Sphere to Teach Children to Breathe Deeply

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How to use a Hoberman Sphere to Teach Children to Breathe Deeply

It can be difficult to slow a child down long enough to have them focus on anything, let alone their breathing! As much as children know, and have been taught, that taking "deep breaths" can help their little bodies and minds calm and slow down, it may be difficult for some children to actually access deep breathing for a variety of reasons. They may just be busy being kiddos and running around from here to there, not taking pause enough to, in fact, pay attention to their breath.