I LOVE Halloween, if you remember from last year's post of the Halloween Dance, it is one of my favorite Holidays. Any time I have a chance to dress up in costume and step into an alternate reality for a night, you'll find me ready to go. I especially love going Trick-or-Treating with my kiddos, seeing all the other amazing costumes and getting a fright every now and then at the spooky decorated houses. This year we are planning to celebrate at a Halloween Party and then have a super special pumpkin carving night with friends! 

If you are looking for something fun, active and creative to share at your Halloween Party, in your Spooky classroom or with your little monsters at home, here's a sweet printable for you.

Halloween Move As If Cards! 

How to create:
To create your cards, download the file below, and print double sided on card stock. Next, cut out and laminate or simply leave as is. 

How to play:
Simple. Choose a card from the deck, show the picture, say "move as if you are" and then read the back of the card. Direct the children to use creative movement to "act out" how they would move if they were the object on the card. These cards are a fun way to introduce your Halloween theme and warm up little bodies at the same time!

We hope you have a safe and Happy Halloween. 

All my love,

​Vanessa

Summer Solstice is upon us, as we transition into this beautiful, fruitful time of year it’s important to stop and smell the roses or stop and watch the butterflies. Nature teaches us so many lessons, when we are willing to sit and notice her challenges and gifts. Summer brings us an opportunity to relish in the warmth and splendour of what we’ve been creating, the buds in our lives to turn into flowers but of course roses don’t come without thorns. Some of what we’ve been growing towards may no longer serve us, and that means it’s time to burn, shed, disintegrate, let go…. You get the idea. Take the butterfly for example: the spring brings a chance for new life, eggs are laid, caterpillars are born, they grow to size and begin to form their chrysalis around themselves when it’s time. During this transitional phase, the caterpillar works hard to completely disassembles itself, breaking down it’s cells into goop and reassembling into an amazing, symmetrical, fluttery, magical gem of nature. Through the struggle of growth it comes out completely transformed, ready for a new life. As the seeds we sowed in spring have either grown or become over grown with the weeds of our bad habits, limiting beliefs, negative thoughts and patterning we can choose which plants to nurture, and which ones to burn away in the heat of the sun. This solstice brings up much for me, and as I sat at the lake last weekend admiring the butterflies I couldn’t help but tie them into our newest Sun Dance Post. Their story is so inspiring! So today, be like the butterfly, shed that shell that doesn’t serve you any longer and become the best, most amazing, symmetrical, fluttery and magical version of yourself. 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 the new addition to our Sun Dance Series.

Wishing you the most amazing solstice on this longest day of the year, may you be filled with light, love and surrender to shed that which no longer serves. 

Yours in peace and joy,

​Vanessa

Today I had the pleasure of being celebrated along with all of the other moms at my daughter's preschool. We had a lovely tea party, and they gifted us with beautiful cards and those adorable "about my mom" sheets filled out by the kids. It made me think about how blessed I feel to be a mama to my 3 beautiful littles. As they grow and change, each day is a new adventure and when I step into presence with them on that journey the days become longer, the colors become brighter and the magic is abound. My children are my greatest teachers; each and every day I learn so much about who they are, who I am, and how I can be a better version of myself and a better mom too. To all of my mama friends out there, this one is for you, the Mother's Day 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 the new addition to our Sun Dance Series.

Have a beautiful weekend celebrating your role as a mother, and the woman who taught you to be who you are too! With a full heart, shining all my love to you for a Happy Mother's Day.

Be Bright, Be Bold, Be YOU!

Vanessa
xoxoxo

May the 4th be with you! I've become quite the Star Wars fan over the past years, as our oldest son adores the films, action figures, lego sets, books and more. Star Wars has infiltrated our lives, and I'm not complaining. I love sci-fi! The idea of intergalactic travel is so entertaining and engaging, it's no wonder that the brand appeals to all children young and old. On this special Star Wars day, I am so excited to share with you our latest Sun Dance in the series - the Star Wars 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 the new addition.

I hope that you enjoy this! For more ideas for Star Wars themed yoga classes, check out our past post here. Have a ton of fun celebrating with your favorite little Jedis... or Siths! 

Most love & light - May the Force be with you.

-Vanessa

What is your happy place? Where do you feel  most relaxed? What scene makes your shoulder drop while you exhale with a big sigh? For me, the answers to all of these questions is in nature. Being in the mountains, strolling down a forest path, exploring along the beach... beautiful natural landscapes have a calming effect for me. The scary part is that our natural oasis' are slowly being taken over by garbage. Did you know there's a section of the Pacific Ocean called "garbage island" which is about the size of Texas and holds a massive concentration of plastic particles. Who lives in the plastic filled water? Fish. Who eats the fish that is eating, breathing and living in plastic? Humans.... Think about this one... There is no new water in the world. Water does not leave the planet, new water does not come in. The water we drink, the water that makes up our bodies is the SAME water that the dinosaurs were made of. Crazy. So if we continue to dump waste and garbage into our water supply, eventually that is all that will remain. The amount of garbage we make as humans is insane; think of packaging that you throw out on a daily basis. Consider how many bags of garbage your family creates each week, now multiply that by 52, then multiply that by 80 + years.... YIKES! Yes, living in outer space is a possibility, so if we destroy our planet at least we will have a plan b - BUT then the only way we will experience these natural oasis' is through virtual reality. Okay, can you tell I am passionate about this? Earth day is a day that is recognized once per year, but I truly believe it should be celebrated every day! Today we will celebrate Earth Day with a lovely little Earth Day Dance.  If you missed the first post in this series, you'll want to have a look at it as it will give you the background you need to best use our newest addition to the Sun Dance Series. ​ I hope you enjoy!

This Earth Day, remember to talk to your kid(s) about their impact, and the footprint you are leaving as individuals and as a family. They will often have way more amazing ideas than you do when it comes to ways we can improve! It's not just about reducing our use, it's also about re-using  and re-purposing what we can, of course recycling, and creating new and innovative ways to be a better co-inhabitant of Earth. Let's leave behind a planet that our kid's grandkid's grandkid's will be able to see while on it rather than above it!

With a love-filled heart, sending you blessings of peace and joy.
- Vanessa

**Be BRIGHT, Be BOLD, Be YOU **

Easter weekend is right around the corner, and I know many families have very special Easter traditions that they look forward to each year. My family is not included in those many, as our Easter plans and activities tend to evolve from year to year, but we definitely LOVE our Easter egg hunt. What we've given to the kiddos over the past 7 years has also changed, as we now like to steer away from candy and chocolate (those vegan chocolate eggs are pricey!) to reduce their sugar intake. So last year we started to give them change in their eggs - $0.25 in each one; it added up pretty quick for them, and they were SO happy to get money. Then in their basket, they each got a special toy that they were excited about. Simple! No big sugar rushes or crashes and happiness all around.

What ever your traditions are around food, family and fun this time of year, I hope that you will make time to share a special moment or two together in presence with your little ones. This week I have the amazing opportunity to just BE with my children, no work, no cell phone, no email - just us together, playing, crafting, cuddling, and enjoying one another's company. What an outstanding gift. Our Easter dance is simply another means to connect with each other during this special holiday, even if just for a minute or two. If you missed the first post in this series, you'll want to have a look at it as it will give you the background you need to best use our newest addition to the Sun Dance Series. ​ I hope you enjoy!

Wishing you blessings of peace and love over this Easter weekend! May you always remember to find and create the extraordinary in the ordinary. As always, if you have any comments, or want to share how you are using our sun dance series we would love to hear it. With a full heart, be bright, be bold & be you!

Deep love,

-Vanessa

Spring is sprung! Today is the FIRST official day of spring. Unfortunately here in Edmonton, that reality is far from truth, knowing that we will likely be living in this snowy wonder(waste)land until the end of April or so. In early February I spent the weekend in Victoria for the yoga conference, and there were BUDS and BLOSSOMS beginning to make themselves known. During the first weekend of March, I ran a training in Vancouver, and saw the beginning of their buds and blossoms as well. I am SO lucky and grateful to have experienced the start of spring two times already this year, and really, really, REALLY look forward to seeing that **soon** (fingers crossed) in my own city too.

Spring is so magical, it's a time of new beginnings, new life, new sights, sounds, smells, feelings... it's feels like a re-awakening, a fresh boost of energy and excitement, the warmth of sunshine on your bare arms... Yes, can you tell? I love spring! And I am so excited to share this Spring Dance with you. If you missed the first post in this series, you'll want to have a look at it as it will give you the background you need to best use our newest addition to the Sun Dance Series. ​

I hope you love this new Sun Dance as much as I love Spring! I've been thinking.... why not create these in video format to go along with the script? If you like this idea, and see value in it please let me know in a comment below, even if there's only one person who digs it, I'm in! For now, I wish you the most amazing first day of spring. May it bring you plenty of love, beauty and joy.

Be Bright, Be Bold, Be You!

Most love,
-Vanessa

Valentines Day is nearly here, a day for us to show our love and affection for those who we hold dearly. I've always wondered....why do we celebrate Valentine's day? I knew the day was related to it's namesake St. Valentine, but that was all. So I did a little digging and found this excellent video on the history of valentines day: 

http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day 

I think the most interesting part is how commercialized this tradition has become, when really, shouldn't we be sharing our love each and everyday? Our post for you this month is about just that, noticing the love all around you and sharing your love with the world. If you missed the first post in this series, you'll want to have a look at it as it will give you the background you need to best use our newest addition to the Sun Dance Series. ​
​

Stretch up high, see the love up in the sky
(Standing in mountain pose, reach arms up)
Hang down low, see the love down by your toes
(Forward fold, reaching down for your toes)
Feet jump back, filling up with love 
(Bend your knees, place your hands down and jump or step your feet back to plank & take a big breath in)
Belly on the ground, get ready to share
(Bending at the elbows, lower your body down to the ground)
Look up and shine your heart ahead to show you care
(Press the hands into the ground, to straighten the arms into cobra pose, looking at the decorations around you)
Now look back and shine your heart to everyone behind you
(Knees under hips, curl the toes under & shift into downward dog)
& breathe in love too & breathe in love too & breathe in love too
(Take 3 big breaths in through the nose and out through the nose, filling the belly BIG like a balloon when you breathe in, letting all the air out when you breathe out - you can imagine your heart growing fuller with each breath)
Feet jump up, filling up with love 
(Hop the feet up, into a frog squat)
Hang down low, gather the love down by your toes
(Straighten the legs, forward fold & reach down for your toes while pretending to gather up love)
Stretch up high, and throw your love up to the sky!
(Coming to stand, reach both arms up over head & throw your love all around)
Now heart center pose​​
(Hands come together in front of your heart, standing in mountain pose)

Wishing you a loved-up, joy-filled weekend. May your Valentines day be spent with the ones you love most, sharing your own sweetness with each other - and maybe some chocolate too ;)

Most love,

​Vanessa

With the New Year upon us, it is the perfect time to celebrate! New beginnings, new opportunities, new goals and intentions - we get to start fresh and give birth to our BEST year YET. Over here at Glow, we like to celebrate all the time, so we are starting off the year with a super amazing Birthday Dance, created by our very own Robyn Snow, Daycare Program Lead & Magical Mermaid! 

Stretch up high waves to the balloons,
(Standing in mountain pose, reach arms up & wave)
Hang down low, Sweep the ribbons away from your toes
(Forward fold, reaching down for your toes & sweeping away imaginary ribbons)
Feet jump back, into the bounce house
(Bend your knees, place your hands down and jump or step your feet back to plank)
Belly on the ground, bounce around
(Bending at the elbows, lower your body down to the ground)
Look up at the decorations
(Press the hands into the ground, to straighten the arms into cobra pose, looking at the decorations around you)
Now back at the presents
(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, letting all the air out when you breathe out)
Feet jump up, just like a clown
(Hop the feet up, into a frog squat, make a silly clown face)
Hang down low, sweep the ribbons away from your toes
(Straighten the legs, forward fold & reach down for your toes, sweeping those ribbons away again)
Stretch up high, wave to the balloons
(Coming to stand, reach both arms up over head & wave to the balloons)
Now Birthday time!
(Hands by your sides, standing in mountain & say Happy birthday!)

May the magic of the holidays be with you now and the whole year through. We hope that you make time for deep and meaningful connection, while sharing so much peace and love. From everyone at Glow Yoga Kids, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest New Year! Let's make 2018 the best year yet.

With love & gratitude,

Vanessa & the team Glow!