Your Best Kids

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Making Yoga Accessible for Children with Special Needs - Why it's Important to me

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Making Yoga Accessible for Children with Special Needs - Why it's Important to me

One of my offerings through Your Best Yoga that I don't talk much about is my "Your Best Kids" program. This program offers Yoga for children and youth with various and special needs, either in an in-home, private setting (I come to your home), or at school or other community organization. Today I wanted to give a bit of background on why this type of programming is so important to me and how I try to make Yoga accessible to children and youth with varying needs, so they can experience the joy, and many benefits, of Yoga and Mindfulness. 

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Yoga for Kids: Mindfulness Jars

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Yoga for Kids: Mindfulness Jars

Yoga Mindfulness Jars are a fun and pretty way to help teach kids how to handle their emotions. They can help kids calm down and focus when they are struggling, and are great tools to help start the conversation about being mindful or "watching our thoughts". The idea is, the glitter represents our thoughts and feelings. Here's a little script as to how you can explain the mindfulness jar teaching to your kids, and even more importantly, how you can prompt them to use the jar to help them feel calm. 

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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.