It’s fun to make a treat together in yoga kids classes. I found this fantastic idea on Blonde Designs:

http://blonde-designs.squarespace.com/blonde-designs-blog/2009/11/20/blessings-mix.html

Some of the things in it aren’t the healthiest (Bugles…), but I like to teach nutrition with the idea of everything in moderation!

I can’t wait to make some!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/13/kids.yoga/index.html

This is a great article and video on yoga for kids! check it out!

If I’ve learned anything in my teaching, it is to keep things fun and new (for myself and the kids!) I Nothing seems to spruce up a yoga class better than some new props! Sometimes I feel like I have to spend lots of money on expensive, fun props, but sometimes the cheapest really are the best… Here are some great, inexpensive props all under $20 and some for free:

1. Pom-poms -

Use them to have kids do breath work. Put them on the ground and blow them, or blow at them through a straw. My preschool kids go bananas for these!

2. Bubbles – Great breath play, and you can usually get a package of bubbles at a party supply store or at Oriental Trading Company.

3. Paper plates- A paper plate can be a steering wheel in Car Pose, a shell in Turtle Pose, a plate in Table Pose, a sun for sun salutations, a dish of milk in Cat Pose, a bowl of Dog Food in Dog Pose, and on and on… Decorate them with markers as a fun craft- make your own mandalas. For less environmental guilt, get them at Whole Foods where they are biodegradable or recycled.

4. Easter Egg Shakers- Take large dried lima beans and put them in plastic easter eggs- viola! Musical egg shakers to dance and move with.

5. Tulle- A long streamer of tulle (sp?) is a fun dance streamer. Fun for music and creative movement.

6. Dry erase paperboard- Use these over and over, for drawing crafts, visual displays, card games, etc…

7. Music- Download a fun song or two off of I-Tunes, or get a CD that you know you will use all of the songs over and over again to get your money’s worth (like Kira Willey’s Dance for the Sun on redyogamat.com, or any of the Laurie Berkner CD’s)

8. Library books- lots of fun books can be found at the library, and they are free! Just remember to return them on time (I seem to have trouble with that…)

9. Nature- Go on a nature walk at the beach, in the woods, etc. Gather anything that you might want to use in a yoga class as a prop. Rocks are fun focuses for balances and can be used to create worry stones or inspirational paperweights (decorate with words like “peace”, “love”, “Namaste”.) Or simply gather some flowers, feathers, driftwood, etc that would make a nice altar for the class. Of course, be respectful with what you take and use… Also, a bouquet of gerbera daisies are one of my favorite props. They cost only a few bucks, and can be wonderful for gazing meditations, or a gift at the end of a yoga class for each child. There is something magical about yoga and fresh flowers combined!

10. Stickers- Print your own or find fun packs. Use them as rewards at the end of class, as focus points for balancing, or use them on hands and feet for right and left.

Have fun!

Namaste,

Carolyn Clarke
www.sdyogakids.com
www.redyogamat.com

This is the first summer that I’ll be offering a summer yoga camp! I hope that your child can join us! My friend, Amanda Perez, a social worker specializing in children, and I will be co-leading the camp at Point Loma Assembly. We’ll have lots of time to do yoga and fun summer activities. Call me if you have questions about it at 858-752-2950.

Monday July 27th – Friday July 31st, 2009
1pm-4pm
Ages 5 and up
Point Loma Assembly Building, 3035 Talbot St, San Diego
Cost: $150 (includes all materials and a healthy snack!)
Bring a yoga mat or a towel.
Yoga, Breathing, and Relaxation! Games! Creative Movement! Theater Games! Journaling! Arts and Crafts! Cooking Healthy Snacks! Music!

Join in on the fun by registering at sdyogakids.com.

I’m super excited to announce RedYogaMat.com, a new online children’s boutique ! It’s been a big project creating an e-commerce site, but we are up and running! Here are some of the great things you can find at RedYogaMat.com:

For the young yogi:

1. Natural Rubber Kid-Sized Yoga Mats!
2. Relaxation Eye Pillows!
3. Fun Music for Yoga Practice!
4. The Yoga Garden Game!
5. YogaKids Silly to Calm DVD!

For your child’s elementary or preschool teacher:

1. YogaKids Toolkit (Yoga flashcards for the classroom)
2. The Silly to Calm DVD for rainy days (ages 3-6)
3. Fun Music for the Classroom

I know that many people’s holiday shopping budget’s are tight, so each gift needs to be that much more meaningful and special.  Kids are feeling the stress of the times right now, too, and yoga inspired toys combine play AND relaxation, two things great for kids! Why not give kids the gift of well-being through yoga!

So start shopping at www.redyogamat.com!

I haven’t been posting a whole lot lately… Wanted to share what’s been taking up my time and keeping me from writing on this blog…

1. YogaKids Tools for Schools Program Launch- I’ve been launching a program called YogaKids Tools for Schools in San Diego County. I’ve been reaching out to teachers and inviting them to workshops where they learn how to use yoga in their classroom. It’s had a wonderful response so far!
2. Children’s yoga boutique- I’m launching a children’s yoga boutique soon. It’s going to have hand selected yoga-themed items for kids, and you are just going to love it! It’s been a busy time, learning about e-commerce, sales tax, and UPS shipping rates (all things that don’t usually go hand in hand with teaching yoga to kids!!!)
3. My book- Oh, yeah, I’ve also been writing a book!!! It is a book of relaxation stories that I use in my yoga classes during savasana. It’s been a project that I’ve been working on for years, and it is finally coming into its last stages…. So here’s an excerpt:

Making Friends with A Tree
Imagine that you are walking through a magic forest.
Any tree you can imagine is here in this forest.
Apple trees, maple trees, palm trees…
Sycamore trees, banana trees, orange trees…
Even imaginary trees are here in this magic forest, like candy trees and trees that grant wishes.
Now pick any tree that you like, and imagine walking over to it.
Touch its bark. How does it feel?
Sniff its leaves. How do they smell?
If it has fruit, take a bite and see what it tastes like.
Now imagine yourself climbing its branches.
When you reach the top look out and see all of the trees in this forest.
Now climb back down and sleep in your tree’s shade.
Take some time to enjoy being with your new tree buddy.
Trees breathe out what we breathe in.
So, take a deep breath full of oxygen,
And then slowly let it out so the tree can breathe too.

So that’s it in a nutshell… It’s been an exciting time, and I’ve been writing lots and lots for my book and my new website, but I haven’t been writing here. Didn’t want you to feel neglected!!! I’ll keep you posted on everything… Tomorrow I have a photo shoot for the book and website, so I’ll try to post some pics soon!!!

Namaste,

Carolyn

http://www.sdyogakids.com

In August and November of this year, San Diego had its first YogaKids Tools for Schools workshops! Education pioneers from across the county joined me at 3 hour workshops that showed how to use yoga in the classroom, and how to integrate yoga into their existing curriculum. It was inspiring to see how enthusiastic these teachers were to bring yoga back to their classroom, and everyone seemed to agree that stress relief is such a necessary part of school today…

The teachers went home with a Teacher’s Manual with lesson plans to use in their classrooms, along with pose cards that have a picture of the pose along with classroom integration ideas. Many teachers said that they planned on punching holes in the cards and putting them on an O ring so they could easily use them throughout the day.

Future workshops are planned for 2009, so keep an eye out for registration information on http://www.sdyogakids.com/tools.html

I am a bit behind on getting all my posts up on my blog… Went on an amazing yoga retreat in September in Tuscany Italy. We were at Il Borghino villa, outside of Lucca. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Lots of wonderful food, amazing wine, and of course fantastic yoga! I was really able to deepen my own practice and commit to daily yoga. It can always be a challenge to squeeze in my own yoga when I’m focusing on bringing yoga to others, but it is SO important. I was inspired to do some fun Italian themed yoga with my kiddos in class too:

Pizza Pose (Sit on floor with your legs open like a wedge of pizza!)

Spaghetti Pose (Wiggle your body, make it loose and floppy like Spaghetti)

Leaning Tower of Pisa (Crescent Moon Pose!)

Making “Grapejuice”

Curl your body up in a ball- we’re all bunches of grapes!

Now act like you plucking grapes from the vine- pile them up in the center of your mat

Grape smashing with your feet (Imagine that you are squeezing grapes with your toes- helps stretch out your toe muscles)

Duomo Pose- Lots of cities in Italy have a duomo- Extended Mountain Pose

City Wall Pose- Lots of Italian cities are walled, like Lucca! Join hands as you do various standing poses- Mountain, Tree Pose, Warrior 3, etc

Tree Pose- At the top of a tower in Lucca, there are trees growing!

Have fun with these, and Ciao!!!

Carolyn Clarke
http://www.sdyogakids.com

I’m always looking for things to do with yoga mats once they are no longer in good enough shape to take to my classes. Here’s a video someone made about making flip flops out of yoga mats!!! I can’t wait to make my first pair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAFoNy2-nF8

Happy Crafting!

Carolyn

I recently formed a group on Facebook called Yoga in the Classroom. If you are a member of Facebook, you should join it! It’s in its infancy right now, but I plan to put regular info on the site about how to use yoga in the classroom, so it’s a perfect spot if you are a teacher and you have a facebook account. If you don’t, it’s a free social networking site. You can join and then become members of groups where people have common interests (like yoga in the classroom!). You may also find some old friends that you have lost touch with…

Here’s the link to the site, and don’t forget to join the Yoga in the Classroom group!

http://www.facebook.com