To Diana – for 14 Years of Yoga

I had my youngest student ever In my last training – a 14 year old!  She fit in wonderfully (I admit I am her biased aunt).  Everyone in the course worked so well together and brought something unique to the course.  Among the small group we had a Montessori teacher, gymnast, Pilates teacher, school teacher, yoga teacher, mothers, daughters, and a babysitter (Diana).  Some playing many of these roles.

Now I don’t want to take all the credit for my awesome niece. Her parents, grandparents, teachers, friends probably helped too.  But I realize Diana has always had yoga in her life and she’s always liked it.  So here’s a little anecdotal evidence as a tribute to prove how Yoga has helped my 14 year old niece become a beautiful young woman and fledgling yoga teacher.

To Diana – for 14 Years of Yoga

• for the excitement of waiting for you to be born, with the use of a few relaxing yoga breathing techniques (some by your mom – and a lot by me in the hallway!) to help us be more relaxed to welcome this beautiful baby girl into our lives,
• for playing yoga games, listening to yoga music, and doing kids meditations on so many four hour drives to Ottawa,
• for having a yoga birthday party – because you love yoga (picture here)!
• for taking kids yoga classes at studios whenever you could find them because your “yoga aunt” lived too far away to teach you regularly,
  

  Kids Yoga with My Niece and Nephews (back in 2003)

• for posing for countless yoga pictures,
• for winning an award for your grade eight graduation and before your name was announced everyone knew it was you because they called you the girl who brings a smoothie to school every morning (something you got from a girls yoga book.).
• for being the youngest person to take my kids yoga teacher training (14 years old).  You took it, as you said,”because I like yoga and it may help me connect better with the kids I babysit.”

Thanks to everyone who was at the kids yoga teacher training in Pickering!  It was a wonderful course and everyone had so much to offer.  Including the 14 year old!

For anyone out there who wants to bring yoga to kids – I’ve seen how much it works, not only with Diana, but with so many of the beautiful kids I’ve taught over the years who are now becoming teenagers and adults!  Even a little yoga on a walk or in your living room can plant the seeds for a yogic lifestyle and attitude.

Who else has seen the long-term benefits of yoga on children they know?  Please share your stories in the comments.

5 Potential Life Saving Summer Safety Tips That Should Not be Ignored

Yesterday I was saddened by some tragic news at the daycare where I teach yoga.  They were grieving three recent deaths in the community. These occurred in two separate incidents outside of the daycare – but all involved drowning.

A three year old boy drowned at home when he wandered off and fell in the pool.  He was a student at the daycare. The shock and sadness still lingers in his classroom.

The other involved the uncle and cousin of a school age student.  They drowned in a lake while playing in the water.  The uncle tried to save his son who started drowning when the lake dropped off and suddenly got deep.

In the last week there have been ten drowning deaths in Ontario, of these seven were children or teens.  Regardless of where you are – education is the key to safety.  Today, to honor our dear friends at the daycare we are going to take time out for some safety reminders.

5 Potential Life Saving Summer Safety Tips That Should Not be Ignored

1. Water Safety: It only takes seconds to minutes to drown in water.  If children can’t swim they should wear life jackets in any water that can get deep. Kids who are going to around water regularly should take swimming lessons so they practice how to breath and move in the water.
2. Life Jackets: Everyone in a boat should wear a life jacket.  Especially if you are boating with kids.  Three of the deaths in Ontario occurred when a father, who wasn’t wearing a life jacket, drowned.  Eventually his two kids, who were wearing life jackets, drowned as well.
3. Child-proof Doors and Windows: Homes with infants and toddlers must be child-proofed.  This includes always locking doors and windows to dangerous areas like pools or balconies.
4. Back in when you park your car: The police here recommend this simple tip to help prevent accidentally hitting small children when backing out of a driveway.  You’ll have a good view of what is going on to safely back in and park.   When you are leaving – you drive forward with a good view. Back in to park then forward out when you leave.  Think about doing this when you park at a school or daycare or any homes with kids around.
5. First Aid: Take first aid and CPR training and have a first aid kit.  When accidents can’t be prevented, you may know something that could save a life!

Pause Now for Safety
Please pause for a minute right now and think of any situations recently when you have wondered if your kids and you are safe.

Now think of what you can do to still have fun but also play it safe. Can you change a routine or habit that would make more sense in terms of safety?

We will miss our dear friends and relatives at the daycare.  We can also learn from the mistakes and stories of others so that we don’t make the same mistakes.  Let’s all take a moment to reflect on our own intuition and feelings about improving our safety.

I’d love to hear any other safety tips you can offer that may help us all be more safe.

Spend Time with Your Kids Amidst the Chaos

Last week in New York city, I saw something that taught me a lesson about how I spend my time and who I spend it with.  It happened at Solstice in Times Square, yoga classes right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of  the busiest place in the city.  And when I spotted the young boy in the picture above, relaxing so peacefully, it helped me understand:

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

No, not the Big Apple.  This proverb usually refers to how kids become like their parents. We know parents need to actively spend time with kids to nurture positive habits, knowing their kids are always learning from them.  Maybe it’s introducing something like yoga at home, in a studio, or even in Time Square.  We want to start kids off with the best we can give them.

Lets take this old proverb further:

It Takes an Orchard!

We also know there are many people who influence a child.  The school teachers, daycare teachers, relatives, and friends who become part of their lives.  And its a good thing for everyone that parents don’t have to do it alone.  We’re the orchard for our little apples to grow in.

Up close, in the first picture we see a child resting.  In this picture we see exactly where all this is happening.  This event showed me that we have power over our circumstances.  On our own it’s difficult to lie down and relax amidst the chaos, sometimes completely impossible.

When we surround ourselves with like-minded people – suddenly it becomes easier to focus on peace amidst the same chaos.  Add a Teacher to guide us and the next thing you know, you can do what you want in the middle of Time Square.

If You Can Focus There, You Can Focus Anywhere
If a child knows by experience that he can focus in Time Square, he now knows he can do it anywhere.

I didn’t expect to go to Time Square and learn a lesson in relaxation.  In fact we avoided Time Square whenever possible.  But on Summer Solstice with the crowds, the yogis, and a young boy, I got a new perspective on what it means to spend time in the company of those who share our values.   Values are known to be true from experience and these values become the foundation of our lives.

Who do you like your kids to be around?

New Start, New Courses, & New York City

Did you ever notice how the word “news” has “new” in it? I guess its obvious but  I noticed it when I started planning the summer. Mostly I think of news as doom and gloom. But when I realize it probably started a long time ago with someone saying, “Hey, what’s NEW?”  News is way better from the NEW perspective.

I’ve got NEWs.

New York City Get Ready!
First, I’m very excited to be taking a girls-only trip to New York city. We’re leaving  behind our husbands and jetting off to the Big Apple playground. It happens that in Central Park they are trying to break the World Record for the largest Yoga Class. I’ve got my free ticket but you know how New York can be with so much to do.

But what I’m really wondering is – Can anyone recommend a good Vegetarian restaurant?

The First NEWs is New York city, but there’s still New Courses and New Starts.

Announcing New Courses:
New Kids yoga Teacher Training courses in Ontario, Canada. I invite you to join me. The dates are here or in the upper right corner of my website. While I love writing the free blog – these trainings are my business. I’m here to tell you, you CAN make a  living teaching yoga.  But in my opinion it’s easier if you specialize. I didn’t know it 12 year ago, but specializing in kids yoga was one of the best moves I made, especially as more and more teachers graduate.  You want to stand out from the crowd.

If you want to become a kids yoga teacher I’d love to see you in Ontario. Last May, one person flew here from Mexico (hi Valeria!) for the course and she was happy she did. She said,

Everything was useful! The fact of seeing the Class Creator and the
structure of  classes really helped me start to imagine how my own classes could be.
I didn’t have an idea of how to teach children without being like a clown
and doing animal poses.

Aruna really explains everything clearly and is completely honest
because she  reveals some secrets and shares the resources.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Loved the course. Wow!!! : )

- Valeria Dagnino Ibanez
Yoga Teacher, Mexico

Did I also mention how beautiful Canada is in the summer? It truly is. If you want  to try something NEW and USEFUL, check out the upcoming trainings.

And finally, the New Start.
My husband sometimes accuses me of expecting him to read my mind. After one such… discussion, I also realized new blog readers may have a similar experience when they first visit my blog.

In the information age – the problem is not knowledge – its sifting through all the knowledge. I’ve got 181 posts!  Where to start?  You can’t read my mind.

So my New Start is a New “Get Started Here” page. It has 5 blog posts to get you oriented. And one of my favorite funny stories of when a 2 1/2 year old girl peed on my yoga mat. If you’ve recently found my blog – you may find this link helpful.  It’s on the blue toolbar at the top of the website.

So what’s new with you?

Wishing you all great New’s. I’ll be back late next week to tell you about New York City.   But if you have any recommendations for New York  City veggie dining, or other not to be missed things, please leave a comment.

- Aruna Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com

Classroom Management: Do you ask kids questions like these?

When teachers or parents start getting frustrated with children they often resort to asking questions to get back control of the situation.  The problem is when these questions aren’t really questions but are criticisms disguised as questions.

Questions like these don’t help with classroom management and don’t help the child correct their behavior either.

For example:

1. A pre-school teacher assisting in yoga class who pulls an overactive 3 year old out of the room, stands over her asking:  “Are you a baby? Do you want to go to the baby room?  Why are you acting like a baby?”
2. A parent overheard in the grocery store saying (loudly) to a little 3 or 4 year old girl:  “If I’m right beside you, why are you yelling?”

If these children answered it would probably go something like:

1. “I guess I am a baby because you’re talking to me like I’m a big loser and an idiot.”
2. “I’m yelling because that’s what you do when you want my attention.”

These types of questions just don’t work.  I’ve NEVER  heard a child give what I suppose is the desired answer:

1. “No I’m not a baby, so I will stop my goofing around and start acting like a three year old.”
2. “Mommy, you’ve pointed out my error so well, I better use a softer voice.”

In my experience, children never actually answer these types questions. They just stand there frozen, not sure what to do or say, feeling bad about themselves.  In terms of classroom management, it may stop the behavior for a while, but in the long term it doesn’t provide the leadership required to help children become the leaders of the future.  It lowers their self esteem by making them feel incompetent.

Instead of Questions, Be a Role Model…

A great teacher doesn’t let unwanted behavior go unnoticed either.  We don’t serve children if they can’t sit still or aren’t aware of how loud they are talking.  Instead try some other approaches.  Like:

1. the teacher assisting can calmly walk over to an overactive three year old and sit beside them and with one or two words, remind them of what everyone is doing (“cobra pose, everyone is doing cobra pose”), and modeling the behavior they want,
2. A tired mom in the grocery can drop down, look her daughter in the eye and say, “Please speak softer” in the same tone she wants her daughter to use.

Both Yoga and Classroom Management require Sadhana, a consistent practice that helps us succeed at our goal.  Sadhana is done with devotion, not with criticism or questioning.  Consistency brings us to the state we desire through practice, reflection on our actions, and observation of what we are doing and how it is working.

Teachers and parents are role models  for children in ALL we do.  These children will become the role models of the future. We need to commit to consciously creating the kind of class we want the same way a true yogi commit to their Sadhana.

This week bring awareness to your use of questions.  Are they real questions waiting for real answers or criticisms disguised as questions.  If you are not sure, what answer are you looking for when you ask?  If you want the child to answer with a specific response,  it’s probably not a real question.

If you realize it’s a criticism, and you don’t know what else to do, start by simply stating your frustration, “You’re moving around too much.”  or “You’re too loud.”   It’s an honest starting place and a move away from those other questions.

Then re-direct with a precise description of what you.   And do it like the yogis – with consistency, with love, and make it like a mantra – short, sweet, and elevating!

Please feel free to share your classroom management stories and how you re-direct children.  It will help all of us to get new ideas and tools.

Aruna Kathy Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com

P.S.  Thanks to everyone who entered the Eoin Finn DVD Giveaway for Pure and Simple Yoga.  The random winner is Betherann – who blogs over at ww.kitchencourage.com.  Congratulations.

Contest: Win “Pure and Simple Yoga” DVD with Eoin Finn

“Saying you are too stiff to do yoga is like saying you are too dirty to take a shower.”

- Eoin Finn

Pure and Simple Yoga with Eoin Finn

Yoga with a Blissologist

Just in time for Father’s Day, the kind folks at Blissology.com sent me a free copy of this DVD to review and I’ll pick one random person who leaves a comment on this post by June 1, 2010 to receive a free copy from Eoin’s people (otherwise, I’m not affiliated with this group).

DVD Review:   Pure and Simple Yoga with Eoin Finn.

Today’s post isn’t about kids yoga but it’s good timing for Father’s Day, and a potential gift for the men in our lives.  You know, those great men who are often too busy to take time for exercise.  Pure and Simple Yoga with Eoin Finn could especially work for a beginner to intermediate man (or woman) who wants a powerful routine for home.

I unwrapped the DVD to review it on a typically busy morning when I wanted to do some yoga but had a lot on my schedule.  After  completing the yoga set on my living room floor and looking through the extras, here are some of the things I think DVD has going for it:

• The Length: It’s 40 minutes which is a great length for a busy day, and I felt like I had a work out,
• The scenery is gorgeous: I love seeing the waves rolling in the background,
• The menu functionality:  you can choose a beginner or advanced version of the set or you can watch both at the same time if you’re not sure what level you’re at. There are more menu choices and a booklet too.
• The Yoga Pose Description Menu: whenever I try a new type of yoga (you see I’m a Kundalini Yoga lover and this is a vinyasa style), it always takes me a while to process the phrasing each teacher uses to give directions. I was happy to see extra descriptions of each pose in the bonus features – very valuable for beginners and beginners of this style of yoga.
• Eoin just seems like a great guy:  I’ve never met him, but from the DVD he seems like a real person, not a straight faced, perfect model doing yoga.  This especially comes out in the extras.  Eoin’s obviously really fit, but also comes across as a fun teacher (see the quote at the top).  After all he is a Blissologist!

The Extra Bonus: Pure and Simple Yoga with Eoin Finn just might connect with those men who are interested in Yoga but (unfortunately) see it as a girl thing.   As a busy female yogini, I liked it too!

Please leave a comment to enter to win Pure and Simple Yoga with Eoin Finn from Blissology.com.  Tell me why you’d like to win and if you are going to keep it for yourself then let me know if you have any other Father’s Day gift ideas.

Not an Ordinary Month

From April 16 – May 16 I’ve had three extraordinary weekends.  It was a great escape from the ordinary.  The three pictures below are from three Young Yoga Masters trainings held on three different weekends at three different studios.  It was a powerful month with many sincere and wonderful people, the kind of people who really care about kids!

And I don’t want my adventure to end!  I love seeing everyone come in a little quiet, wondering about this new experience.  Soon we bring out the child in ourselves.  Learning together, yoga-ing together, meditating together, working together, playing together and even a little dancing together.  Soon everyone is smiling, new connections form, and friends have been made.

This training is specially designed to bring out the non-competitive aspects of yoga not only for kids but also for us as teachers.

Like this picture from the Kids Yoga Teacher Training Course at Moksha Yoga Milton.  Joe, who’s teaching in this picture, did my training in 2009 and now he teaches two kids classes a week.   These are kids whose parents are taking an adult class in the hot room at the same time.  These classes are a real service for the parents, kids, and the studio.   There are so many kids to teach!

Joe arranged for me to do this training at his studio.  All the trainees joined his kids class and he taught a part from the curriculum.  It was invaluable to see the kids having so much fun doing the yoga from the course.

The next weekend training was at the Lotus Yoga Centre in Toronto.   In the above picture you can see everyone getting into the spirit of kids yoga, playing one of the kids yoga games.  All the games in the course are co-operative – as in no one gets “out.”  They are really fun but also develop focus, awareness, and health.

And finally a big shout out to all the folks from last weekend’s training at TULA Studio. It was a great mix of those from yoga backgrounds as well as those who already work with kids in other settings.  In the Young Yoga Masters training we draw on the experience and knowledge of those attending.  The last part of the training is how to create your own classes, and everyone sees how they can put their own stamp on their kids class.

The trainings were a big success and all three studios are interested in hosting the Young Yoga Masters Kids Yoga Teacher Training again.

For a Weekend Out of the Ordinary

Now, my goal is to continue with extraordinary adventures and bring the Young Yoga Masters training to new frontiers and I need your help.  If you like reading the Young Yoga Masters blog, if you love yoga, and if you really care about kids, I want to come to your area for a weekend Kids Yoga Teacher Training.

Contact me to find out more information and also how you can take the training for free.

E-mail:  Aruna@YoungYogaMasters.com for more details.

Why settle for another regular weekend, when you can explore the fabulous world of Kids Yoga.  You’ll be glad you did!

Aruna Kathy Humphrys
YoungYogaMasters.com

P.S.  Thanks to everyone who entered to win the kids yoga book:  Once Upon a Pose by Donna Freeman. The random winner of  the book is

Shani Butler who said:

Thanks for always sharing! I am excited to check out this new book. Sounds like it will have some fresh ideas for my preschool & elementary school yoga classes! Thanks!!

Contest: Win “Once Upon a Pose”

Once Upon a Pose

A Guide to Yoga Adventure Stories for Children
by Donna Freeman

For this kids yoga book review, Donna sent me two free copies of her new book: Once Upon a Pose: A Guide to Yoga Adventure Stories for Children.  One copy I’ve used for my kids yoga classes and one copy I’ll give away.  Leave a comment on this blog post between now and next Wednesday May 12, 2010 for your chance to win this book.

When I pulled Once Upon a Pose out of the envelope and took a look through it, I was amazed by how much guidance there is, especially for new kids yoga teachers.  There’s one page after another packed with information about kids yoga.   I e-mailed Donna to tell her this isn’t a book – this is more like a kids yoga course.  When Donna calls this a Guide, she isn’t holding anything back!

Here are a few highlights that make this book unique:

• Classroom Topics from pre-school to grade six that your yoga classes can support,
• 10 complete yoga adventure stories – with simple fun themes and scripts for teaching,
• Bilingual: the stories are in English and in French,
• Lots of Pictures: charming pictures of both boys and girls!

Donna Freeman is no stranger to Young Yoga Masters.  She has inspired us with a series on Character Development since last September.  In the interest of full disclosure – I think she is great!  However, Donna and I are not in business together (although I am an Amazon affiliate).  Investing in Once Upon a Pose (it’s under $20!) will provide a lot of time-saving guidance for those new to teaching yoga to kids.

For Any Parent or Teacher Who’s Ever Wondered: What Yoga Should I Teach Today?
Donna Freeman has poured her experience and passion into this guide.  Once Upon a Pose stands out  for any one who has ever thought:  What yoga should I teach the kids today?  With Once Upon a Pose you can open up to one of ten ready made classes and the fun can begin.

To win a copy of Once Upon a Pose: A Guide to Yoga Adventure Stories for Children
leave a comment on this post by Wednesday May 12, 2010. Good luck to everyone who enters.

Thanks again to Donna Freeman of Yoga in My School for providing the prize for this contest.

Earth Day and The Earth Element

Photo from Seven Spirals, A Chakra Sutra for Kids Book

Today is Earth Day but we know we want everyday to be earth day!

In honour of Mother Earth I’ve three strange and unusual yoga things planned for yoga class today:

1. Earth Yoga: We lie down on the floor and begin jumping all parts of the body like popcorn.  First we lie on our back, then do it again lying on our front.    Both are very grounding as all parts of the body are lifted then dropped back down improving circulation.
2. Sun Salutations: A little talk about the earth element, rooting down, and being grounded as we do the Sun Salutation.  The light of the sun brings the earth to life.  The light within us warms our lives. Yoga helps our inner light to shine in our lives.
3. Earth is Manifestation: The Earth represents manifestation.  When we relax today we’ll have a daydreaming session about what kind of life you want to manifest.  Unfortunately we don’t have time to draw in these classes (they’re only 30 minutes).  The kids will have to paint a picture in their minds eye.

Young Yoga Masters Updates

• I’d also like to invite everyone to click here to listen to Donna Freeman (Yoga In My School blog) interviewing me about Yoga for Boys.  I give some useful tips for motivating boys to do yoga, themes I use with boys, and my favorite exercises for boys.
• Thanks to nursingschools.net who named Young Yoga Masters as one of the 100 Incredible Yoga Teachers Who Blog.
• Upcoming Kids Yoga Teacher Trainings:  The April 30-May 2 weekend training has only 3 spots left.  Sign up ASAP to reserve your spot before the course is filled.
• A new Kids Yoga Teacher Training Weekend is taking place at Tula Yoga Studio in Toronto on Sat. May 15 & Sun. May 16. For info and registration info click here.

As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Happy Earth Day,

Aruna
Aruna@YoungYogaMasters.com

3 Simple Health Tips for Kids Yoga Teachers

Recently I’ve been feeling the excitement, perhaps the over-excitement, of life.  With so many things on the go  I got run down and decided to stop everything for awhile to get back to a healthy state.  My Mentor, Tulshi Sen, always said that when things get overwhelming it’s time to stop everything and re-connect with your hearts desire.

These wise words have guided me through some intense times although when I first heard them I didn’t believe I could stop EVERYTHING.  I now know that only by stopping can I change track both physically and emotionally.

Stopping got me thinking about how important it is for us to take care of ourselves as teachers.  If we get sick or run down we can’t do what we love to do – teach.  If we don’t acknowledge  we’re sick and keep teaching, we spread sickness around instead of happiness.

By stopping, I saw I was getting robotic, completing tasks without experiencing any joy in doing them.  I missed the signs of not eating well or not getting a good night’s sleep.

When I rested I realized three tips that were missing from the Health and Safety part of my Kids Yoga Teacher Training Curriculum.  They help us stay healthy as teachers.  These three simple health tips remind us to slow down, examine our habits, and sometimes stop altogether so we can do what we love:

1. Wash Your Hands Between Classes
   Recently a child I teach ended up in hospital for a week with a virus.  If you teach multiple classes in a day you may be carrying a virus around from class to class.  Slow down so you can wash your hands after each class.  You’ll help stop the spread of illness from one class to the next and also to yourself.
2. Sleeve Cough/Sneeze
   When I was a kid we were taught to cover our mouth with our hand when we coughed or sneezed.  That habit was so deeply ingrained in me it took months to change – even though it was obvious just how germ-y our  hands and everything we touch will become if we cough into them.

   The new etiquette: if you don’t have a tissue sneeze into your sleeve rather than your hand.  This keeps your hands clean for when you touch other things like your yoga props or the children.  Hopefully you know about this one, but I still see people covering their mouth with their hand – probably out of habit.  Teach this to the children you see sneezing in your class as well and everyone will stay healthier!

3. If you are Sick - It’s time to Stop
   Teaching yoga is important but if you are sick it is a time to stop what you are doing and reconnect with what is important.  If it means canceling a class then cancel it.  I know it is hard to do, especially if you are self-employed, but it is worth it.   What amount of money is more important than good health?

Yoga and meditation help us become the Masters of our Destiny.  When we get run down we forget the power we have to change our lives.  Stopping helps us realize that we don’t HAVE TO do the things that are causing us to be run down.  The only thing we have to do is give ourselves the freedom to live a happy and healthy life.

Next Page »