Join Go Go Yoga for Kids on a magical time at Barnes and Noble where over 50 young princes and princesses took off on their magic yoga mats for some Disney yoga for kids themed fun!
After warming up with some Darth Vader deep breathing, We became brave Pocahontas standing on our cliff and ready to dive forward for Sun Salutations.
Soon we were strong Warriors like Princess Mulan. Ready to stand up for what we believe in and what is right.
Peter Pan is ready to fly over the city. What will he see? This Peter Pan Pose is great for back strength.
Of course, we remembered our new Princess Moana in Boat Pose. We rowed our boats slowly and then quickly.
After meeting Princess Ariel on a rock in mermaid pose, it was almost time to end our yoga session.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards will challenge you and children with balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and more. This card deck includes 40 poses including partner poses, confidence-building pose mantras, and fun games to play together using these cards.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include:
40 progressive yoga poses including partner poses
Empowering pose mantras for beginners and meditation
Poses rated from 1-5 stars based on difficulty
Easy to follow poses to create many original yoga flow
15 Bonus Games to play using these pose cards
Tested and proven yoga poses to bring most mental and physical benefit
Takes only minutes each day to gain lifelong skills and health benefits
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards come in a strudy burlap drawstring bag and are printed in the USA.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include heart opening Yoga Poses
Love is in the air, and now is the time to let your heart shine. Yes, flowers and candy are a lovely thought for adults this season, but it is also a good time to open your heart and show acceptance and compassion for others such as with Bow Pose.
These heart-opening exercises are especially beneficial for kids and adults who spend the majority of their day slouched in desks at school and work or with their heads bent over screens and books. These exercises take only minutes and will help improve posture and release back and neck tension as well as create an openness in your body and mind.
Head over to Daily Cup of Yoga to read the read and try these amazing heart opening yoga poses.
More Heart Opening Yoga Poses:
Cat to Cow Pose: Begin on your hands and knees. Next round your back and tuck your chin into your chest as if you are a cat. Then look up, arch your back and open your chest into Cow Pose. This is a great way to strengthen your spine and begin to feel your heart opening.
Updog Pose: Lie on your tummy. Place the palms of your hands next to your shoulders and look up. Slowly straighten your arms and open your chest. It is okay to keep arms bent as well.
Bridge or Wheel Pose: Kids love trying to get into Wheel Pose, but this huge heart opener is not easily accessible for all. For an easier but still effective heart opener, try Bridge Pose. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arms alongside your body, tuck your chin into your chest, and lift your back to create a bridge.
Camel Pose: Take this pose slowly and feel your heart open. Get on your knees, lean back slowly, and place your hands on your lower back or ankles. Tilt your head back, open your chest, and breathe.
Bow Pose: Lie on your tummy, bend your knees, and lift your chest. Reach your arms back toward your toes and hold onto your feet. Let your heart shine!
Find all of your Kids Yoga books, resources, lesson plans, games and activities in our Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store.
Why the Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store Matters to You:
Now you are able to easily download your Go Go Yoga for Kids books on any device. This means your iphone, computer, tablet, kindle, ipad. Any of these places!
You can also easily transfer your Go Go Yoga for Kids books from device to device.
This is also extra exciting because you are able to easily print out sections that are important to you. You know how much I love writing and putting together kids yoga lesson plans. Now you can easily find which lesson plan you want to use and print it out for your personal use. This is also true for our lesson plan templates, guides and games that are found in our books!
Another great reason to purchase your e-books directly from the author is that it does help me out. You know how kids yoga is my passion and I love being able to get resources and ideas straight to you. When you purchase directly from the author this allows a great connection and helps small businesses such as Go Go Yoga for Kids.
Help celebrate teamwork and friendship by practicing some of these partner yoga poses for kids.
SeeSaw:
Have each partner sit facing one another on the mat with their feet touching. They will grasp hands. One partner will lean backward while the other one leans forward over their straight legs. Continue to slowly seesaw back and forth. This exercise is great for working the core and stretching the hamstrings.
Open Heart: Each child should stand behind a partner with one foot back, one foot forward, and knees slightly bent while holding their partner’s wrists. The partner in front leans forward and shines his or her heart forward while the other partner helps support them.
Raindrop: Each partner lies on their back with their heads touching. With their arms at their sides, they raise their feet above their heads to touch to make a giant raindrop.
Double Boat: Have each partner sit facing each other with knees bent and toes touching. While holding hands, they lift their legs. To help with balance, the bottoms of their feet should be touching. Then the partners, if able, straighten their legs and lean back slightly as if in a “V” shape.
Partner poses involve working together to accomplish a goal and that is fun and rewarding. It builds trust and confidence. These partner yoga poses for kids can be done in school, or in a home setting. My own family enjoys trying them together and can be modified for different ages and sizes.
I was honored to be interviewed by Backyard Yoga on the inspiration behind Go Go Yoga Kids and why kids need yoga! Read on and enter to win your book giveaway of Go Go Yoga for Kids.
“I am excited to share all of the benefits and fun you can have with yoga and kids!”
-Sara Weis
I had the pleasure of meeting Sara last year at the National Kids’ Yoga Conference in Washington, DC. She had recently self-published Go Go Yoga for Kids, and her energy and spirit definitely impressed me. We have a shared passion for creating tools to help teachers, studios, and parents introduce yoga through play-filled movement, meditation, and mindfulness. Follow along as Backyard Yoga takes the time to get to know a little more about Sara and her book:
Read the full interview below:
BYY: Hi, Sara. Please tell the BYY community a little bit about yourself.
Sara: Kids, teaching, and yoga are definitely my passions. I am currently in my 17th year of being an elementary school teacher, as well as a kids’ yoga instructor and a busy mom of three.
I was able to put all of that into place with my recently-released book, Go Go Yoga for Kids. It is a complete and creative guide to using yoga with kids. This book was designed for parents, teachers, yoga instructors, counselors, and anyone who wants to introduce yoga through movement, mindfulness, and fun. It includes yoga games, pose illustrations, lesson plans, and many resources.
I have worked with kids the majority of my life, and I get a lot of my inspiration from my classroom students, my kids’ yoga students, and my own children.
BYY: When did yoga enter into your life?
Sara: I fell in love with yoga several years ago as a way to supplement my workout routine. At the time, I was training quite a bit for triathlons and half marathons. The hard training definitely took a toll on my body, and my weekly yoga class soon turned into my favorite workout of the week and the one I looked forward to most of all.
BYY: How did your focus on kids’ yoga evolve?
Sara: I became certified in teaching kids’ yoga because I wanted to have the knowledge for my school classroom, as recess and PE times were being reduced. I also loved all of the benefits that yoga brought on mentally and physically.
I loved my kids’ yoga training classes and knew at that moment that this was exactly what I was supposed to do. The one thing I found lacking from my training were the resources to make yoga really fun and engaging for kids, as well as lesson plans for those that wanted to use yoga with kids. At the time there was not much for kids’ yoga on the market for exactly what I wanted kids to experience and gain.
Kids are busy. They need to be moving. I wanted kids to have the benefit of the yoga poses, but also be actively engaged, getting their hearts pumping and having fun. I began to create kid-friendly lesson plans and themes to use with my students, such as Superhero Yoga, Lego Yoga, and trips to the ocean and jungle. They loved it and I was inspired to continue creating more and more fun yoga themes and challenges for kids.
Sara: Yes, Go Go Yoga for Kids was developed as a way to share these lesson plans and resources so others could benefit. It didn’t happen overnight; it was months and months of planning, writing, and culminating all of my resources into an easy-to-follow guide.
BYY: What was your biggest hurdle in making this happen?
Sara: I definitely had “Mom guilt” with my own kids, as I felt like this was taking a lot of my limited extra time and energy. I don’t think my kids saw it that way, though. They are so proud of me for taking something from scratch and developing my passion. My entire family has supported me throughout this entire process.
BYY: As an entrepreneur myself, I also feel the “Mom guilt”. I find getting them involved helps. Did you find this?
Sara: Definitely. Each of my three kids has helped with Go Go Yoga for Kids. Either through being a guinea pig for my ideas, modeling poses, and even having my older daughters help with design and marketing. I know they have learned a lot along the way, and I have even seen them begin to develop their own ideas and products.
Sara: I am excited for 2017 and am in the final stages of developing my new Kids’ Yoga Challenge Pose Cards. They will be a great companion to the Go Go Yoga for Kids book. I will also continue to build partnerships with like-minded others such as Backyard Yoga. I am excited about the things that they have coming up as well. We are all better together and it is so much more fun!
BYY: How do you find time to play?
Sara: I love Backyard Yoga’s belief that you should make time to play every day, and I definitely practice that in my day-to-day life. It comes naturally from working with younger kids. My own family loves to be active and we often take our “play” outside with anything from hiking, a game of touch football, or jumping on our trampoline. Kids love it when adults get right in there with them.
BYY: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Sara. Now for the final question: If you could only teach your children 3 lessons, what would they be?
Sara: Compassion, mindfulness, and entrepreneurship. This pretty much sums up what I try to teach my kids in all that I do.
BYY: Thank you, Sara, for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us here at our Backyard Yoga community. Wishing you the best in your business endeavors, your family ventures, and your personal undertakings. Namaste.
Does the Winter gray weather got you and your kids feeling cooped up? In just 5 minutes, I promise you will be feeling more fit, flexible and focused while having fun with your kids.
Five Ways to Cure Kids’ Cabin Fever with Yoga
Cold weather during the winter months can keep kids cooped up inside. It is important for kids to move and be active during these winter months. Physical activity helps stimulate those happy endorphins and keeps your body healthy and strong. So next time your kids have been cooped up and need to burn off some energy, turn on some music, and try these fun kid-friendly yoga poses to get fit, focused, and flexible together. No props or materials needed!
Tree Pose
This pose is a favorite of kids and parents! Tree Pose in yoga also has many benefits. It is a perfect way to practice balance and focus! Bring your foot to your calf and place your hands at heart center. As you become more steady, bring your foot to your thigh and move your hands overhead for tree branches. A tip for holding tree pose in yoga is to focus on a spot on the ground that is not moving.
Warrior 2 Jumps
Kids love this pose. It is a great way to get the heart pumping and keep it healthy. Stand strong in Warrior 2 with arms outstretched and your front leg bent. Try jumping and switching directions while landing in Warrior 2. Try to get a little hang time in your 180-degree jumps. It is almost like snowboarding but much warmer!
Plank Pose
This pose will work every muscle in your body. Hold a plank pose with your body forming a straight line from head to feet. Try to hold this pose for 15 seconds. Squeeze your stomach and legs together and it will make you feel lighter. Can you hold this pose for 30 seconds? Try to work up to one minute for an extra challenge!
Down Dog Push Ups
We have all done push-ups and feel the effects in our arms. Down Dog push-ups work not only your arms but also increase the length of your hamstring muscles. Move your arms to a push-up form while in the Down Dog pose. Kids probably won’t be able to get as close to the floor, but they will work their arms and legs in a whole new way!
Row Your Boat
Balance on your bottom and bring your legs up to make a “V” shape. Try to move your arms from side to side as if you are rowing a boat. This is fun for kids and wonderful for building good core strength.
Keep practicing these yoga poses and notice how your body changes. With these simple exercises, kids are working together on balance, flexibility, focus, and core strength while making their hearts and minds healthy and happy!
40 progressive yoga poses for kids and adults to practice and master. Each pose card includes a mantra to incorporate mindfulness and meditation. Each card deck comes in a sturdy burlap drawstring bag and is 4×6 inches big.
