Everyday Blessings

"Children embody what is best in life. They live in the present moment. They are pure potentiality, embodying vitality, emergence, renewal, hope. They are purely what they are. And they share that vital nature with us and call it out of us as well". Great book,called Everyday Blessings.
Probably why I love working with children so much!

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Why do yoga with your toddlers?

I used to say I teach 6 years and above kids.. 

However, I recently started teaching a toddler class again, and I must say I love it. The kids come along with an adult, and we share a great moment of fun and colourful yoga! And a great first baby step in a healthy life.

Interesting article, reminding us the benefits of Toddler Yoga:

I was debating the other day about starting to work out again. And because my doctor has said he’d like me to do non-strenuous things, that kind of limits what’s on the plate for me. So, yoga. But I don’t want to leave my toddlers for an hour or two to go get my downward-dog on. So–maybe I could do yoga WITH the kids? But then, my brain started cranking…Why Do Yoga with Your Toddler? Why set aside that time and set a schedule and do the work? Why? Well, I parsed it out…this is why, my lovelies, this is why I’ll be doing yoga with my toddlers starting today.

Why Do Yoga with Your Toddler?

• Instilling Good Ideas. Right? I mean, you’re teaching your littlie to be healthy and do healthy things before they become addicted to TV and phones…creating a passion in them that will be harder to spark later if there’s not a base.
• Teaching Coping Techniques. So that when she gets frustrated in the future, instead of going for the yell or the smack, maybe she chooses the deep, calming breath instead. Maybe she has a bad day at school and rather than crying for hours and maybe wearing black clothes and being pouty for the rest of her life, she sits down and does some stretching and is quite within herself and slows things down to a manageable pace.
• Exuding Calm. You, as mom, doing some yoga, starts to slow down inside and calm yourself…things seem less big and scary…you start to feel calm on the inside and, magically, you begin to not just BE calm, but exude calmness which your kiddo picks-up on. 
• Expanding Gross Motor Skills. So, yeah, they get to use those big muscles for things that don’t necessarily get used for anything else. How cool is that? And using those muscles help with growing those muscles.
• Health Benefits. There are a significant amount of health benefits, as we all know, for doing yoga. Imagine the health benefits of doing those at a young age–before you NEED to be working out?
• Fun. It’s fun. Just trust me. When you’re playing with your kiddo–it’s fun.
• Bonding. It’s a great experience to do something with your child that is a physical activity where you touch, you mimic each other and you work together as a team. This can lead to a lot of shared experiences that are astoundingly wonderful, both in the short term, but also in the long term.
• Will you be doing yoga with your toddler now? I’d love to know if you do. We’re going to start with a little cat, cow and mouse…heh.

Source: http://nerdymamma.com/why-do-yoga-with-your-toddler/

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10 things kids want from parents

As I am learning about mindfulness parenting and positive education, I found this colourful grid..

A good and cute reminder.. 

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THE SECRET TO MAKING A 7AM CLASS

I used to be a late morning sleeper... Now I'm so used to getting up early that I wake up before my alarm, and I love getting out when the sun is yet to rise! 

Love the tip on the scent too.

"We’ve all been there. The alarm rings at 6:15AM and your first intuition is to hit the snooze. 6:24AM rolls in, the alarm goes off again, and opening both lids open is still a massive challenge.  

Step 1

Do yourself a favor. Don’t think too much about it and stop the first excuse from corroding your brain, because it’s a slippery slope from there.  

Step 2

Leave yourself less time to get ready and get to class. It sounds counterintuitive, but I think the snooze button is one of the main culprits to making you lazier and less motivated to actually get up.

If I know I have to get up right away as soon as the alarm rings, without the snooze – for some reason, my brain recognizes the little time I have and turns on much quicker than those days I leave enough time for a snooze or two.

Step 3

Be quick to get up, splash cold water on your face, and put on workout clothes (maybe brush your teeth as well!). How likely will you jump back into bed once you’ve done these three things?

Another tip: spray some deodorant or perfume on. The scent usually stimulates my brain enough to make a difference in helping me to wake up; especially when you use a new or different scent to your usual or most used ones."

Source: http://blog.guavapass.com/2016/05/12/the-secret-to-making-a-7am-class/?utm_source=Mason&utm_campaign=sgnewsletter51616_non&cmp=1&utm_medium=Email

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Why Kids Need Yoga In Their Lives (Now More Than Ever)

Is it me, or are we talking more and more about Kids Yoga?!?

"More than ever, kids today are spending more time indoors, at home and sitting at their desks at school. Our children’s activities and definitions of "fun" shouldn’t be limited to television, iPads and video games.

Yoga allows us to interact with our children in a playful way, by fueling their imagination and lust for life. Yoga keeps children fit, excited and curious, while still proving educational. With time, a consistent yoga practice can help develop their emotional and social skills, among numerous other mental and physical benefits.

When it comes to health and fitness for children, we tend to focus on a particular sport or outdoor play, but the sensitivity of their developing emotional minds can sometimes get overlooked. Who would have thought the ancient Eastern art of yoga is equally beneficial for a child's well-being, as well as our own?

Here are five great reasons why kids today need yoga in their lives:

1. Concentration is enhanced.

When children become accustomed to practicing yoga postures, they automatically improve their ability to concentrate. Ancient sages used yoga as a form of meditation, and their powers of concentration are legendary.

Your child will learn how to sit still in one place and focus on what’s important, as opposed to allowing their mind wander and become easily distracted. Improved concentration translates into their time at school during lessons, boosts their attention span and can help improve their grades.

2. Flexibility and balance are increased.

Yoga helps to improve flexibility and balance by toning their little muscles gently and safely. Practicing asana makes children stronger and less likely to suffer sprains and fractures from accidental falls and other mishaps common to adventurous, curious kids.

3. Overall well-being is improved.

Kids who practice yoga regularly feel good about themselves, and are quite likely healthier and happier than those who don’t. A regular yoga practice promotes a healthy lifestyle and outlook from a young age. They'll feel both mentally and physically rejuvenated after a yoga session, thus improving their overall mental and physical health.

4. Continued practice boosts confidence.

When your child is able to display great agility and flexibility, it does wonders for their confidence. Their improved performance at school also helps to build their self-esteem amongst their peers at school.

They'll become more poised and start to believe in their own abilities. This feeling provides them with the adrenaline they need to achieve success in all of their endeavors, and they'll take that with them through the rest of their lives.

5. Relaxed mind and awareness increases.

Even children are subject to stress these days, because of their workload at school and the high expectations that their parents have for them. They are pushed to be high achievers at every aspect of their lives, and when they fail, they might take it to heart and can even become depressed.

Yoga helps children to relax and de-stress when they feel upset or depressed. It helps them to live life in a state of higher awareness and helps to put their stresses and strains into perspective. It soothes their frayed minds and helps them get back to a calm mental state."

Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18701/why-kids-need-yoga-in-their-lives-now-more-than-ever.html

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Hips Workshop

Great Hips workshop last Saturday, with Dr Trish Corley. Good anatomy refresher followed by a physical session with lots of friends and teachers!

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