by sara | May 28, 2016 | Kids Yoga Lesson Plan, Yoga Poses
“The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children” —William Harvard
There is no other symbol of our freedom than that of the American Eagle! Try practicing Eagle Pose with your kids. It is wonderful for balance, core strength and detoxing as you hold this twisty tricky pose.
How to Hold Eagle Pose
- Begin in a standing position. Cross your right thigh over your left leg.
- Try to tuck your right foot behind the calf of your left leg.
- Bring your arms straight out in front of you, and then cross left arm over your right arm at the elbows.
- Bend left arm at the elbow and bring palms of hands together. If palms do not touch, then have the backs of hands touch.
- Bend your knees and hold your arms out in front of you with fingertips toward the sky.
- Squeeze everything tight.
- Repeat on the other side.
The Benefits of Eagle Pose
- Stretches shoulders and upper back
- Strengthens legs, hips and ankles
- Increases calm, focus, and concentration
- Works on balance and stability
You May Also Like:
Summer Beach Ball Yoga
Simple Ways to Get Children to Listen (that you haven’t tried!)
Got Props? Find out Kids Yoga Teacher Favorite Resources
by sara | May 22, 2016 | Presenting
Three boys. That was the total number of participants for the very first kids yoga classes that I ever taught. I was fresh out the gate with my kids yoga training and was ready and eager to introduce kids to the fun and love of yoga.
After all, I loved yoga AND kids and was sure that I could get these three unsuspecting boys on board. After all, one was a fitness instructor’s son (who pretty much had to be there) and the other two were not native English speaking students. Their mom hoped they would pick up some more words and understanding by taking a yoga class.
I poured my heart into these boys for our first 8-week session. I spent hours researching and creating active yoga themes and games that I knew would get their bodies moving and their interests piqued. We were superheroes, jungle animals, warriors, and Lego enthusiasts. I wrote up informative parent notes for each session so the parents would know our theme and poses we worked on each week as well as yoga games we played and illustrations and tips so the students could work on poses at home.
I would try out my lessons and ideas on my own children before my kids yoga classes. If my kids weren’t available, I would sit on my living room floor and run through my lessons out loud. By myself. I know this may sound completely overboard, but I really wanted to be prepared, and I truly wanted to help them learn and grow. I wanted to give these boys the best yoga experience I could.
After my first session ended the boys all signed up for my next session as well as twelve other kids. This quadrupled my roster! I was ecstatic. I had learned so much that first go round and was complexly hooked on the combination of teaching, yoga and kids.
Now hundreds of kids, yoga lessons and games later, I feel like I truly know what works for introducing and
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga With Kids
engaging kids through yoga. I am excited to share the knowledge I gained with you so you are able to empower the kids around you with all of the benefits and fun that yoga provides.
Go Go Yoga for Kids is on the move! Stick around, I am so thankful for you being a part of it!
You May Also Like:
How to Teach Yoga to Kids
3 Things You Didn’t Know About Teaching Yoga to Kids
7 Super Benefits of Yoga for Kids
by sara | Apr 29, 2016 | Games, Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
Spring is here and with that comes the beautiful power of a rainstorm. I love a good rainstorm as it washes away the dirt, and leaves behind beauty, green, and a fresh start.
I love to create a thunderstorm with my students in my yoga class toward the end of class. The perfect time to do this is during the Community Building portion of the class which is right before settling into Savasana. If you are unsure of the correct sequence and important parts of a kids yoga lesson plan, then please check out our bestselling book, Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids. It breaks down the complete step by step to put together an engaging and memorable kids yoga class.
Creating a thunderstorm with kids completely quiets the class, mesmerizes them and they feel empowered as they are the ones that created it. This activity also utilizes many of your five senses which is wonderful in helping you feel aware and present.
How to Create a Thunderstorm:
Sit in a close circle with the lights off. Start with step one and the child on your right does what you are doing. Continue around the circle with each student adding to it. After the sound has made it around, continue onto step 2. I like this progression as it shows how the storm ebbs and flows.
- Snap your fingers (the sound of light rain falling)
- Clap your hands together
- Slap your hands on your legs (at this time a student can flick a light switch on and off to represent lightning). They love this part!
- Stomp your feet
- Slap your hands on your legs and stomp your feet (this represents the strength of the storm lessening)
- Stomp your feet
- Slap your hands on your legs
- Clap your hands together
- Snap your fingers
- Rub your hands together (the wind)
- Open your palms (all is quiet)
This is definitely a fun activity to do with a Kids Yoga Springtime or a Jungle Adventure Theme. Have fun with it. This is something that your kids yoga classes can do over and over again and still be amazed by it.
To learn more engaging activities and savasana secrets check out our Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training.
You May Also Like:
Springtime Kids Yoga Sequence
Easter Egg Yoga Lesson Plan
Spring Kids Yoga Video
