The Word I DON’T Say In Kids Yoga, Do You?

A couple years ago I wrote about how I accidentally swore in a Kids Yoga Class.   In my defense, it wasn’t a swear word when I was a kid!

But this post about Yoga Music got me thinking about another word that has become TABOO in many kids yoga classes.

The word?

The word is:  G O D

You see, if this word is in a song, I don’t play the song in my kids yoga classes.

This word just doesn’t work for me in Kids Yoga.  There is a chance it will miss the mark with the many religions (and no religions) of the kids, teacher, and parents.  Even in adult yoga classes I give an explanation of what I mean if I (rarely) say the GOD word.

God means something different for each person.

Once I had a complaint in a mostly Christian school, and the complaint was about NOT using the word GOD !  And I get the irony:  Why wouldn’t Yoga and God go together?

The President of America uses it in his speeches.  If the kids use it, I have no problems.  But, I don’t use it.

Thank God for freedom of religion.  Each person can decide for themselves – there is no right or wrong answer here.

Right now, kids yoga teachers from all over the world are making decisions about whether to say it or not. What have you decided to do?   Do you use the “G” word?

(Please leave your comments below.  Any comments that are dis-respectful or too “preachy” will be removed.)

Character Development: Fairness

Fairness and Balance in Yoga

by Donna Freeman
www.YogaInMySchool.com

Fairness refers to justice, equality and the absence of bias. Children seem to intrinsically know what is fair and what isn’t.  There is even a series of advertisements which underline children’s innate ability to know when they are, and when they are not, being treated fairly.

Fairness with Ease and Strength
There are a number of ways this principle relates to yoga. The most prevalent is the ideals of Sukha (easy, pleasant, gentle) and Sthira (solid, durable, strong). The goal when practicing yoga is to have equal amounts of these two opposing philosophies present at all times.

Yogis are always looking to balance the effort with the ease, the soft and the hard. To treat both aspects of the poses with fairness in order to allow the body and mind to expand to its full potential. If Sukha is too much of a focus, the consequence is laziness and lack of will power. If Sthira is stressed, then injury or burnout may result. Neither extreme is healthy, but a balance of the two permits beautiful expression and growth.

Yoga Poses to Teach Fairness
In addition, balance poses teach much about fairness. Poses such as tree pose, dancer pose and eagle pose help to refine the sense of equality. Performing these poses always seems easier on one side, but both sides need the same opportunity to work the pose. The lessons, however, are more than physical. Children learn to focus and concentrate, training their minds as well as their bodies.

Finally fairness is underscored with Satya (honesty). Satya is the virtue of being true to and honest with yourself and those you encounter. This includes in speech and action. The ideal of fairness is completely redundant without honesty. Being able to see the world through realistic lenses helps to overcome selfishness and encourages compassion.

Teaching honesty to children is an ongoing endeavor.
Personal integrity is an elusive but essential aspect of society’s morals. Practising compass pose (Bikram half moon) with an accompanying discussion on how compasses help guide individuals through the storms of life provides a kinaesthetic reinforcement of these ideals.

The principles of fairness and equality are threaded throughout yoga. Children know the difference between right and wrong, justice and injustice. Allow yoga to help develop this knowledge through balance and honesty.

Character Development: Teamwork

( In my city, Toronto (Canada), school teachers have been given a monthly theme to teach in the classroom. The Toronto District School Board calls it Character Development. I went to the Yoga In My School specialist – Donna Freeman for some insight into the monthly themes. Thanks to Donna for this monthly series on Character Development.)

Teamwork In Partner Yoga

Teamwork the Ultimate Aim of Yoga

By Donna Freeman
www.Yogainmyschool.com

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj meaning ‘yoke’ or ‘union.’ The very foundation of yoga is a joining, or bringing together, of the body, breath, and mind. Flexibility, strength, and good health are all wonderful benefits of this practise, but its ultimate aim is to create more togetherness, personally and universally.

One key way yoga achieves this union is through breathing techniques. Training the body to breathe correctly requires concentration and clarity of thought. As various breathing exercises are learned and mastered, yogis become more in tune with their body and can use their breath to relax the nervous system, improve the body’s use of oxygen and achieve a sense of calm. This turning inward allows children to connect with themselves on a deeper level. Once kids have a solid sense of self they are prepared to interact with others in a positive, giving manner from a foundation of cooperation and trust.

Another way yoga promotes teamwork is through meditation. Meditation means awareness and involves reducing all the scattered activity of the mind to one. Often when meditating, mantras (sounds and words) are used to help focus the mind. Many mantras focus the intention on world peace, happiness and union. An example of this is Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu. Mantras assist in creating greater unity one individual at a time and promote setting aside personal agendas for the greater good.

A third way yoga teaches teamwork is with partner poses. Partner poses develop trust, intimacy and connections. These can be especially fun with children as they interact with others in a social and physical manner. Most yoga poses can be developed into partner poses and can help all individuals experience healing touch, playfulness and the power that comes from working together toward a common goal. The most extreme form of partner yoga is Acro Yoga where one partner is the base while the other flies above doing various yoga acrobatics. A sense of togetherness and connection result whenever partner poses are practiced.

Breathing exercises, meditation and partner poses are but three means by which yoga develops teamwork. When doing yoga, the principle aim is to join your body, breath and mind to produce positive change physically, emotionally and spiritually. This sense of union will benefit the individual as well as the group.

Finding Meaning in Holiday Gifts

By Amy Brevan
www.thepranamama.com

A Charlie Brown Christmas(TM)

Lucy Van Pelt: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.

Charlie Brown: What is it you want?

Lucy Van Pelt: Real estate.

As someone with little patience for television ads, junk mail, online pop-ups and telemarketers, I get particularly irritated by the commercial bombardment that occurs as the winter holidays approach.  They start earlier every year, even before Halloween, with their noisy television commercials and flashy online advertisements.  Nothing turns me off faster than big corporations with huge marketing budgets hawking merchandise this time of year.

A Charlie Brown Christmas(TM) first taught me years ago, Christmas is not about giving or receiving the coolest new gadget or competing with other stressed-out parents for the  hottest toy on the market.  But the marketing geniuses behind the world’s biggest businesses must have missed this 1965 children’s classic.   The holidays are big business, and as so many families are struggling financially in 2009, they’re working overtime to make sure we see and hear all they have to offer.

Most people enjoy the genuine tradition of giving gifts at the holidays.  There is nothing more satisfying than finding that perfect gift to show your love and gratitude for another human being.  The challenge is to remember that the smallest gifts -  a child’s artwork, kind words on a written notecard or a homemade meal – sometimes mean more than those items in the glossy Sunday newspaper inserts.

Like millions of others, this year my holiday budget is considerably smaller than in the past. I plan to make meaningful gifts at home and purchase others from artisans in my community.  I also chose to shop at an independent toy store nearby for the children in my life.  Although I may have saved money at a big box store, I bought fewer items, but higher quality toys, while supporting my own local economy.

Even though my intention was to buy fewer gifts for my kids this year, I still struggle to end the shopping habit once it has started.  My nearly five-year-old is absorbing the commercialism like a sponge, often pointing at classmates’ sparkly shoes or beautiful dolls and demanding I add these things to her wish list for Santa.  I try to keep reminding her that Santa cannot bring everything on the list – a good lesson for myself as well.

Santosha, an ancient Sanskrit word meaning contentment, is found in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.42: “contentment produces happiness . . .”

Remembering to be content with what we have, for ourselves and others, rather than desiring what we do not, is something to keep in our hearts throughout the season.

Amy Bevan is a journalist, blogger and freelance non-fiction writer based in Southern Maine. As a reporter, she covers town news for The Portsmouth Herald, and is the creator of The PranaMama, an online resource for mothers focusing on wellness topics, such as yoga, nutrition and fitness. Her work has also appeared on A Balancing Act, a webzine for writers, and Yoga In My School, a children’s yoga business and blog. Beginning this month, Amy will be the head writer for the The Kids Yoga Resource. For more information, visit www.amybevan.weebly.com.

Character Development: Kindness and Caring

( In my city, Toronto (Canada), school teachers have been given a monthly theme to teach in the classroom. The Toronto District School Board calls it Character Development. I went to the Yoga In My School specialist – Donna Freeman for some insight into the monthly themes. Thanks to Donna for this monthly series on Character Development.)

December Character Development Theme:  Kindness and Caring

Kindness and Caring the Foundation of Yogic Philosophy

By Donna Freeman
www.yogainmyschool.com

In our home we have one rule. Yes, remarkably, one principle rule to govern all our actions and interactions. It is “Be Kind.” When that one rule is followed life is in harmony. We respect one another. We are responsible for our things and our time. We help without whining. We use kind words. We express gratitude. We show love through small, thoughtful actions. Truly kindness is the key to a happy home and a fulfilling life.

Ahimsa—non violence—is the yogic philosophy which teaches kindness and caring. It is in essence living with an attitude of not wanting to harm anyone or anything, including yourself, in work, thought or action. From this basic core value all other yamas and niyamas are erected. Ahimsa is the foundation upon which basic values are built.

The first step to living with ahimsa is becoming aware of our habits. Only through awareness do we realise exactly how we are living. Once we are aware we are able to improve upon our weakness and build upon our strengths.

Throughout life there will be times which naturally call for greater ahimsa. Tragedies bring out our compassion. Life’s curve balls will teach us kindness as we recognize the help and thoughtfulness shown to us by others during our times of need. Involving children in acts of service and charity is a wonderful way to instill in them a sense of concern and caring for others.

Christmas is an Opportunity to Look Outside of Selfishness
Christmas, with its season of giving and goodwill toward all men, is often an opportunity to look outside of selfish wants and desires and serve others. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, giving generously to a charity, filling boxes at the local food bank, and many other opportunities of service to our fellow man are ways to live with ahimsa: to embody kindness and caring.

Often the most difficult way of incorporating this principle into our life is though regarding ourselves through ahimsa. Negative self-talk, always striving for perfection, and personal expectations of our behaviour and accomplishments need to be tempered through a feeling of kindness to self. Be gentle with yourself. Develop your softer side. Do something you love. Treat your body and mind with care.

Take the time today to live with ahimsa.

• Begin by becoming aware of your interactions. Do you approach life from a foundation of non-violence?
• Next decide to interact with people positively: to express compassion in thoughts and actions.
• Finally remember that you are worth the same kindness and care you express to others.

Remember the one rule “Be Kind” and enjoy a joyful and rewarding life.

www.Yogainmyschool.com

Character Development Theme: Empathy

Yoga, Obesity, and Weight Loss

Yoga has many role models from fat happy Buddha’s to skinny contortionists, although one of my pet peeves is that everyone in the yoga magazines leans towards the later.  As someone who thought about weight a lot, especially as a teen, I found this info on Obesity from the Vitality and Stress course very interesting.

A person’s weight can affect their stress and their stress affects their body weight.  We know childhood obesity is a big concern for parents.  What I learned last week is our view of the cause of weight problems is distorted and can increase stress and makes matters worse.

The Survey Results
In surveys most people believe will power is the biggest factor in weight problems (60%), followed by lifestyle (25%), and genes (15%).  However the facts show weight problem factors are the opposite:  5% willpower, 50% lifestyle, and 45% genetic.  If we believe people are overweight because they lack will power or are lazy – we add to their stress and at the same time we don’t address the actual problem.

Our best results for weight loss come through lifestyle modifications.  Here are some to encourage:

• a good night’s sleep is proven to help balance your weight,
• use smaller plates (6″ plates are best) helps reduce food intake,
• stay hydrated by drinking water, sometimes we’re thirsty when we think we’re hungry,
• add exercise to our lifestyle like a sun salutation or some favorite yoga poses, start with small amounts then increase times,
• bring awareness to our eating:  look at how we deal with our feelings, notice what we eat, how we eat, and when we eat.

It’s been proven over and over that diets and short-term exercise plans just don’t work in the long term.  As teachers, do we push for these?  Do we make kids feel like they lack will power?

My mentor often gives of an Ancient  meditation that includes these words:

When kids are unhappy because of their body, they don’t understand who they really are.  If our happiness is related to our body, then we are destined to diminishing happiness. As far as I know there has never been a  body that has not eventually become food for the worms.

Will power relies on the mind and we all know the tricks the mind can play.

When we rely on Consciousness, I Am, as our true support, we find happiness in all conditions regardless of circumstances like how we look.  This is the way to become the masters of our happiness. Then only can we see that our body is ours, we can be free to choose the lifestyle we want to live.

Then we are truly living the yogic lifestyle.

Has weight been a concern for others out there?

Medical study – Yoga Helps Some Kids with ADHD

This week I’m taking a sixty hour Yoga Teacher Training called Vitality and Stress, learning all different aspects and qualities of stress. My favorite so far has been examining our “stress monster” personality. Sounds like something that could work in kids yoga – don’t you think?

Here’s an intersting article and video on how yoga helps relieve stress, balance cortisol levels, and create a better state of mental health. About half way through you’ll find this:

One thing we’re also understanding is that low levels of stress can be motiviting.  Its the unrelenting, ongoing stress that we want to avoid.

Hope everyone has a low stress week. I’ll have some more tips next week.

Aruna Kathy Humphrys
http://www.youngyogamasters.com/

Character Development Theme: Responsibility

President Obama on Kid’s Education and Setting Goals

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