Meow!Moo!

Whenever I start with a new group of little YogaSprouts, I reminded of the magic that occurs when you give the gift of yoga to a child. There is nothing quite like watching their faces as we learn new poses and hearing the sweet sounds of animal noises fill the room.
The gift of yoga does at the end of class. The gist of yoga will follow the child through out every day and throughout their lives. Yoga teaches a child body awareness, self esteem, self control, and that if just the beginning of what the gift of yoga will bring in to a child's life.
When you are giving the gist of yoga to a young child don't forget to make it fun for the child. This will help to keep them engaged, while also working on breathing techniques. Play some yoga today. Meow! Moo!!

The gift of yoga

Starting the practice of yoga is like opening a gift that will last a lifetime. Giving children the gift of yoga is priceless. Children who practice yoga at a young age can become more self aware and have a greater amount of self esteem throughout life.
I am lucky enough to wake up every day and impact a child's life through YogaSprouts, what a blessing!!
This has been a wonderful year for my students and am starting to really see how this gift is blossoming in all aspects of their life. Children will begin a practice at home, teach their friends and family yoga and learn to apply the teaching in all aspects of their lives. That is one amazing gist to give a child.
Don't forget to have some fun with this gift, make yoga fun, fill he room with lots of animal noises and movement. Allow time for your children to discover aspects of themselves through yoga.
If you want to give a gift that will last forever and continue to grow and blossom throughout the child's life- yoga is an amazing gift that is accessible to all children.

Having fun

I come to class with a plan on how I want my class to run, of course it does not always end up as planned. I have learned that flexibility and letting go are important attributes to teach yoga to children. At times, when my class does not end up as I planned I start to question my teaching ability. I then look around the room and find a room of children in yoga poses with smiles from ear to ear and the roar of laughter. I am so grateful for these moments, it reminds me that the journey might not be what we had envisioned. What is important is the outcome, that we learned something and most of all that we had fun getting there. I need these moments to remind myself to let go and enjoy the moment!
Have some fun of your own and play some yoga today. Don'y worry about doing the perfect pose just let go, enjoy the moment and have fun with it. You will be amazed at the joy, smiles and laughter this can bring.

AS IF...

We all strive to remember to be thankful for who we are and to do our best during yoga class and not compare ourselves to others in the class. This is often a difficult task! Some days we do not feel our best and we hard on ourselves for not having the perfect asana(yoga pose). What can we do when this occurs?
My teacher,Shannon Frank- http://yogamentor108.blogspot.com/, discussed this very topic in a recent class. I have been trying to focus on this in my own life, yoga practice, and teach it to my students. When we are not feeling our best or notice that we are comparing ourselves to others in class or in life it is important to stop, breath, and act as if. Act as if you are happy to be you, as if you can go a little further in your asana(yoga pose) and you will be amazed at the outcome. When you act as if and repeat how strong, smart you are your mind will be begin to believe again. When you are down on yourself for not getting in to a pose, act as if you can- again you will be amazed at the outcome.
We must remember to look at our goodness within, we are all inherently good, when we stop, breath, and act as if we will grow and expand in our daily lives and in our yoga practice.
When you are having a rough day- remember this act AS IF all is good and you will start to see things in a new light.

Being Thankful for Being You

During this time of year, we are often asked why we are thankful. This is usually in terms of material things or people besides ourselves. I have a problem with being told that during this time of year I should be giving thanks, I think that this is a task that should be done daily. I also believe that we need to look within ourselves and we are thankful for being ourselves.
I often think that I am thankful for YogaSprouts and this wonderful job that I created. I begin to look within and deeper with this thought. I realized that I am thankful that I had the strength, vision and courage to create YogaSprouts, all of these things come from within me.
I believe that we all ought to learn to look in the mirror love what we see and learn to be thankful for being who we are.
This sounds like an easy task but can be quite difficult. I hope that not just for Thanksgiving, but everyday, we take the time to explore and be proud of who we are and the beauty within each and every one of us.
I today,on Thanksgiving, and everyday will continue to look for reasons why I am thankful for being me. I will continue this theme with my young Sprouts as well as my teens.
When we realize our true beauty there is no limit to what we can achieve!!

Every body is different

When ever I start a new series I always start with the same theme,I also tend to revisit this theme throughout my classes, Every body is different. We often compare ourselves and other worthiness in regards to others around us, I find this to be especially true for my young YogaSprouts.
During the first class, I ask my students to look around the room and notice that we all look different. There is no one that has the exact same body. This is a very important theme as we start a yoga practice. We are not in competition to have our poses look exactly the same. We are trying to do the very best for ourselves. I know that in my own practice I often look around the room and compare myself with other yogis, this can only hurt our practice and can cause injuries. While this sounds like an easy concept is it is often difficult to remember.
Yoga is not a competition. It is a practice.
One we are okay with the fact that our bodies are all different, our poses may look a bit different, we can truly begin a journey of growth in our practice and help foster self esteem.
Nest time you or your child get on the yoga mat, take a moment, breath, and remember every body is different. You will be amazed at how this seemingly easy concept will help your journey on and off the mat.

"May I be the best me that I can be today."

Welcome to the new YogaSprouts blog

I am excited about starting my first blog for YogaSprouts! My goal with this blog to give tips and techniques that can be used in the home and in the classroom. I welcome questions about yoga for children. I look forward to answering questions, adding yoga tips, game and YogaSprouts information.
I look forward to sharing with you!