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Valentines Day Inspired Kids Yoga Meditation

2/13/2015

0 Comments

 
What child doesn't love chocolate? This Valentines Day inspired kids yoga meditation combines that love with a mindful practice that will leave your children feeling full of chocolaty bliss! I use this meditation every year around this time (and usually again at Easter and Christmas). the children who have done the exercise before get SO excited and the ones who haven't beg to do it again as soon as we're finished! Before we go into the details, I have to send a huge shout out to Rainbow Yoga Kids (www.rainbowyogakids.com) for introducing me to this amazing meditation. Thank you for your creativity and inspiration!

Now, here it is!

"Okay boys and girls, I am going to share something very special with you now, but before we begin there are a few rules we need to cover. One, you must keep your eyes closed at all times - no matter what happenes & two, no chewing! Sitting with your legs crossed, hands on your knees - roll your shoulder back and be as tall as you can be. Now close those eyes and keep them shut! Open your mouth just a little bit. I am going to come around and place something into your mouth, I promise it is very tasty and you will love it! Once you feel it in your mouth you can close your mouth around it, and remember no chewing! Just let it melt."

As a side note, we typically use Hershey's Kisses for this exercise, as they are nut free & slightly larger for a little mouth so they take a while to melt completely. Also, if you are doing this with a class of children be sure to ask parents first if there are any allergies and confirm that it is okay to give them chocolate! You could also have a hard candy like a Werther's just in case :)  

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Once each child has a chocolate in their mouth....

"As you let it melt, let your mind melt into it. Keeping your eyes closed, notice all the things about it that you might have missed before because your mind was somewhere else. Notice the texture, the temperature, the flavour. No chewing! Breathe! Simply let it melt, and as it melts let your mind melt into it. Smell it. Taste it. Feel it. Let all the sensations penetrate even deeper. (After a minute or two) Now slowly, you can begin to chew, no swallowing yet! As you chew, swirl the flavours around in your mouth and notice how different or how the same it tastes all over. If you need to continue chewing, go ahead, but if you are done you can begin to swallow slowly.  Now stay in silence for a moment longer - enjoying the bliss from within." 

After the exercise is done, I ask the children to share their experience. Here are some thought jogging questions: What was it like having a chocolate in your mouth, and knowing that you were not allowed to chew it? What did you find challenging about this exercise? What did you find easy about this exercise? 

I hope that this meditation will serve your children well! It really is quite amazing to what it all unfold. Happy Valentine's Day! 


Always remember, be bright, be bold, be you! Let your light shine!


Love, 


Vanessa
0 Comments

Tiptoe Joe, a great kids yoga warm up!

2/6/2015

2 Comments

 
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Looking for a great warm up for your kids yoga classes? This book is the perfect place to start. Tiptoe Joe has a secret to share. One by one he invites his friends to come along to find out what the surprise is! Possible yoga poses include donkey (donkey kicks),  rabbit (bunny hops or rabbit pose - sasangasana), turkey (seated wide leg balance - merudandasana), moose (warrior 1 with hands on head to make antlers), owl (seated twist), & beaver (laying on stomach place hands under chin and elbows on ground - these are your beaver teeth, then bend your knees to lift your beaver tail and slap slap slap
 it on the water). The book introduces each animal one by one along with a sound to represent them, this is the part I love. Each time the sound comes up again in the book, I ask the children to repeat the pose. Eventually all the animals are lined up together tiptoeing through the forest to find Joe's surprise and the kids can use their memory to link the sounds to the poses. You also have the option of doing a quiet breath. Joe asks his friends to be extra quiet by saying "shhhhhhhhh" as they tiptoe along, you can ask the children to help Joe out by taking a deep breath in through their nose & exhale "shhhhhhhhh". In my experience, I find this book  and warm up exercise to be engaging for children ages 3 - 10, especially when incorporating the memory component for the older children. Hopefully you'll enjoy Joe & all the fun he'll bring to your classes!
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Be bright, be bold, be you - LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!
Love you,

Vanessa
2 Comments

First. Post. Ever.

2/1/2015

11 Comments

 

This is so exciting! Yet so terrifying at the same time!! But I have to tell you, the most exhilarating and freeing moments I've experienced in my life are the ones that have pushed me beyond my comfort zone into the realm of unknown possibilites. It's in that place of new or scary, when your brain is fully engaged, that you are able to truly see yourselves as you are. It's also in this place that we grow and can become more of who we are meant to be. T.S Elliot said it best: "Only he who is willing to risk going too far will discover how far it is possible to go." With that being said, it is time to share my grand vision with the world....(drum roll please).... In the next 5 years, Glow Yoga Kids will be expanding - first around the city of Edmonton through our school programs, then on the web with a new planning tool to assist kids yoga teachers across the globe, and finally into studios across Canada offering Kids Yoga Teacher Trainings. All of this scares the jiggles out of me - big time! And now that I've shared my goals with you, it's becoming my truth. Speak your truth, be your truth, share your truth with the world. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! <3 

Love you,

Vanessa 
11 Comments

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Glow Yoga Kids Edmonton   |   Edmonton, Alberta, Canada   |    587-712-9900  |   info@glowyogakids.com
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