Summer Solstice is upon us, a time to celebrate the light around us and within us. Living in Edmonton, at this time of year we have light from about 4:30 AM - 11:30 PM. This is one reason I love our summers so much, it's such a wonderful time to marvel in and contribute to this growing energy & possibility. Now as we transition into a new cycle, this is a chance to join together and honour our own unique light, the light of the collective, and the forever flowing continuity  between them. So here is a beautiful way to bring your class or family together with a summer themed sun dance. If you missed the first post in this series, be sure to have a look as it will give you the background you need to best use our newest addition to the Sun Dance Series. Happy Solstice!

​Stretch up high, wave to the clear blue sky
(Standing in mountain pose, reach arms up & wave)
Hang down low, feel the sand between your toes
(Forward fold, reaching down for your toes)
Feet jump back, into the pool
(Bend your knees, place your hands down and jump or step your feet back to plank)
Belly down, let’s swim all around
(Bending at the elbows, lower your body down to the ground)
Look up at the sun, and feel it’s warmth
(Press the hands into the ground, to straighten the arms into cobra pose
Now look  back at the beach ball
(Knees under hips, curl the toes under & shift into downward dog)
& breathe, & breathe & breathe
(Take 3 big breaths in through the nose and out through the nose, filling the belly BIG like a balloon when you breathe in, and letting all the air out when you breathe out)
Feet jump up, into the sand
(Hop the feet up, into a frog squat)
Hang down low, grab a sea shell by your toes
(Straighten the legs, forward fold & pretend to grab a shell)
Stretch up high & hold it to the sky
(Reach both arms up over head)
Now sand castle pose! 
(Each person makes up their own creative version of what a sand castle pose might look like)

Have fun this summer, celebrating all things LIGHT! 

I look forward to sharing more of these unique theme-based Sun Dances in the weeks and months to come. Until then, stay true. Be bright, be bold, be you! 

Love & Light,

Vanessa

Hello beautiful world, it has been far to long since I have shared! Here I am! Back to serve you with a new series of sun dances over the next year. Each month I will be giving you 1 or 2 of the super fun sun dances I use in my classes, I hope that they inspire a creative fire for you to come up with your own too (and please share in the comments!).

First I must give you the background on my inspiration for these rhymes... Kira Willey has a beautiful album called Dance for the Sun which many kids yoga teachers use. Her songs have rad rhymes and bodacious beats that younger kids will groove with. The biggest hit on the Album is also called Dance for the Sun, which is a fun & easy to remember version of a Sun Salutation for children. Click here to have a listen and see the sun dance in action. 

I love it, kids love it, BUT the only thing is that when I play the same song over and over and over and over, week after week - they get bored. SO! To solve this problem, I have created a number of theme-based rhymes which you can sing or speak that follow the same pattern of lyrics and tone but with new words to give the children the variety they crave. The first one I will share with you is to honour the fathers in our lives. It touches on many of the activities that father's like to partake in...

Dad's, here's to you and all that you do!

So for that dad who has it all, why not express your love for him in the form of a Sun Dance! I hope that you might share this with your littles and their dad to celebrate on Sunday. 

I look forward to sharing more of these unique theme-based Sun Dances in the weeks and months to come. Until then, stay true. Be bright, be bold, be you! 

Hugs & Love,

​Vanessa