Kids doing yoga. You’ve heard about it, but honestly you have no idea what on earth it is. Because if someone is very softly asking your child to reach up to the golden sun while saying: “I am a soft dove floating through the sky and radiating peace”, that will NEVER HAPPEN.
Let me share what kids yoga really is all about!
Kids yoga is fun, first and foremost. But it’s also:
Storytelling - Children (and adults too, honestly!) are often highly engaged in kids yoga classes because each class tells a unique story. We simply need to find out if the sparkling Pegasus reaches the Rainbow River, or if Supergirl will save her friend from the forest fire!
FAST - Kids yoga is fast-paced, and we are always on the move! We often take an imaginative ‘journey’ to a different place or time. We notice what the world is like there and meet the people and animals, as well as eat the food. We use our imaginations wildly and there are no wrong turns to the story. Most parents assure me that their child will not stay in one spot and do yoga for 45 minutes. This is a good thing because that would be boring! In classes with tweens (9-12) or teens (13+) we often slow down a little and theme by concept such as friendship, peace, truth, or grief. We create flow sequences together, take care of ourselves, connect to others and always rest.
Confidence-Boosting - Kids yoga puts full trust in your child. The student is not merely sitting there doing as the teacher demands, rather they are helping to co-create the class alongside the teacher. We all bring our own self to the table and each takes and gives as the story of the class unfolds.
Curious to know even more? Here’s a sample Appleseed class.
Sample Class: Dinosaur Yoga (for Ages 4-8)
Intro question: What is your favourite dinosaur?
Breath Work: Dinos can be scary, pass around the breathing ball to practice calming ourselves.
Yoga Journey: Fly back in time more than 65 million years (warrior 3)
-the land: we see mountains, volcanoes, trees, (make all these shapes with our bodies)
-song: act out a dinosaur themed song
-dino poses: pull dinosaur toys from the magic bag and do the pose (ex: diplodocus = warrior 1)
-choose your favourite dinosaur, start as a dino egg and slowly grow into full size!Yoga Storytime: do the poses on each page of a dinosaur themed book
Relaxation, foot massages and breath work to dinosaur themed music
There you have it. Questions? Contact us here (bottom of the page). Or find an Appleseed class that fits your family.
For Love and Peace,
Megan