Celebrate Chinese New Year by Exploring the Chinese Zodiac...

Talk with the kids about the positive character traits associated with the personality associated with each year.  This year is the Year of the Dragon:  strong, noble, intellectual, decisive, pioneering, artistic, generous, and loyal.

Year of the Rat...mouse pose

Year of the Ox...cow pose

Year of the Tiger...Lion pose

or do the Cat pose, but give a growl instead of meow

Year of the Rabbit

Year of the Dragon...Dragon breath

or Twisting Dragon...kneeling prayer twist

Year of the Snake...Cobra pose

Year of the Horse

Year of the Goat...one of the kids invented this one :)

Year of the Monkey...try knuckle walking!

Year of the Rooster...reach up high!

Year of the Pig...roll in the mud!

Year of the Dog

Your Toddler Will Love This One...

Get connected to your kid using the Burrito Pose! This is a great way to both show your affection and roll your young child into a more relaxed mood! Try it at home using your yoga mat or a blanket. 

Don't forget to sign your toddler or preschooler up for one of the yoga classes in Champlin held at Top Tae Kwon Do.Institute..Little Yogis-Mommy and Me or PreK Yoga on Tuesday mornings starts in just over a week. Check the schedule of classes tab above and Email me at roxanneslp@yahoo.com if you are interested!

Toddler and PreK Yoga Classes

Toddler Yoga Classes Starting Soon!!!
Where?? 
Top Tae Kwon Do in Champlin
When?? 
Tuesday mornings...
Join me for a couple of new 4 week series:
Little Yogis, Mommy and Me... 9-9:45 a.m. for 2 & 3 year olds
and
PreK Yoga...10-10:45 a.m. for 4-6 year olds
Dates for both classes are 11/15, 11/22, 11/29 and 12/6/2011
Cost: $40/child for each 4 week series
Pre-register for one or both by emailing your information to me at
roxanneslp@yahoo.com or by calling me at 763.438.6534

Free Little Yogis Classes in Champlin!

I am looking into offering kid's yoga classes at Top Tae Kwon Do in Champlin and need your feedback... We are offering:

One free week of parent/child yoga classes for kids 2 and up!

Join me for a "Little Yogis" sampler on Tuesday, Sept. 20 and/or Thursday, Sept. 22 from 10-10:30 a.m.

In this parent-child class, we will introduce kids (ages 2 and up) to yoga sequences, breathing and relaxation. Using music and fun activities, kids will discover some of yoga’s many benefits.

 

Yoga develops a child’s strength, stamina, flexibility and coordination while relieving stress.  More importantly, it also develops a child’s self-esteem, confidence, focus, creativity, and imagination.

The studio is located at 

510 Jefferson Hwy

Champlin, Minnesota 55316
Turn off Hwy 169 onto Dean Avenue
Top Tae Kwon Do is in the mall just west of Hwy 169

Contact Top Tae Kwon Do (Phone: 612-327-6845) to sign up for one or both dates.  Mats provided.  Class sizes limited.

Upcoming Events and Free Classes!!

Little Lights is working with Heat Yoga to develop a Kool Kids Yoga Program! 
We are gathering input from parents of kids and teens who would be interested.

Join in for an informational seminar held at Heat Yoga in Blaine. Two sessions to pick from: Thursday, July 7th 1-2 p.m. or Saturday, July 9th 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Also:

Join me at Moore than Dance in Fridley for a couple of free yoga sample classes.
Yoga for Teens on Wed. July 13th at 6:30 p.m.
A Parent/child yoga session will also be offered this month...date and time TBD

Message me or call 763.438.6534 for more info on how to sign up.
Class sizes are limited so register early!!

Body Mind Circle, a new Holistic Healing Center in Circle Pines

301 Village Parkway, Circle Pines, Mn 55014

Welcomes…

Little Lights Yoga

Join us on Saturday, June 25^th for a

Yoga Sampler Event

Family Yoga – Children entering grade 2-6 and their parents can explore yoga together in a fun and creative way. Classes include warm-up, sun salutation, yoga poses related to the theme and relaxation. Come join in as we learn partner poses, breathing and relaxation techniques.  Family yoga not only helps concentration, strength and flexibility, it is a great way for kids and parents to interact in a fun and healthy way!

Cost: Early bird/paid in advance: $20 per parent/child pair, add a 2^nd child for $5 more.  

          Same day registration:  $26 per pair, add a 2^nd child for $7.  

Yoga For Kids – In this class, using music and fun activities, we will introduce kids (entering grades 2-6) to yoga sequences, breathing and relaxation.  Yoga develops a child’s strength, stamina, flexibility and coordination while relieving stress.  More importantly, it also develops a child’s self-esteem, confidence, focus, creativity, and imagination.  Come join us for a taste of yoga for kids!

Cost: Early bird/paid in advance: $10 per participant  

          Same day registration:  $13 per participant  

Sign-up now for one or both sessions…

Family Yoga from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Yoga for Kids from 12-1 p.m.

*****************************************************

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

You can register online @ http://www.bodymindcircle.com/

For registration questions please call Hiyala @ (763) 413-0612

Attention Parents and Teachers...
Yoga is such a great tool for giving kids focus, energy, strength and self-esteem.  The boys and girls in this Kindergarten class enjoyed monthly yoga sessions with me throughout the school year.  Contact me to book a yoga session with your class for next Fall.  

Yoga ideas for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, April 22nd, try this fun activity with your child. Have them crouch down into Seed pose (resting child's pose). Tell them you will place pretend dirt on their back to plant the seed. Massage gently all over their back. Next water the seed with pretend water by gently tapping your fingers up and down their spine (this may elicit some giggles from your ticklish kids). Tell them the warm sun is coming out to shine on them and they should start to sprout into a plant or tree. You could have them say what they are or suggest tree or flower pose. After this activity, it is fun to plant some real seeds in potting soil together as you talk about ideas they have to help the earth. Happy Earth Day!!

Family Yoga is a Great way to Connect with your Kid!

My Family Yoga class has filled for this series but there are many fun ways you can bring this experience home for your family.

The main thing to remember is the time together should be fun for you and your child.  Partner poses are a way to touch and connect.  Try the Seed to Tree game.  Pretend your child is a seed and have them move into child's pose or seed pose.  Gently place pretend dirt over them by massaging their back.  Next pretend to sprinkle water over them as you run your finger tips up and down their back.  Tell them the sun is coming out and have them start to sprout and grow into a tree. Help them into tree pose or do it with them.  Be sure to switch feet so each leg gets practice balancing.  Put both feet down and hang down in a forward bend. Gently sway like a willow tree.

Relax:  Children have such vivid imaginations, put them to use to help them relax and de-­stress. Try reading this visualization gently to your child.  This is an excerpt from The Wishing Star by Relax Kids founder Marneta Viegas. 

"Close your eyes and be very still. You are going to do an exercise to really feel your muscles stretching and then relaxing. Start with your face: can you open your eyes wide, and then your nose and mouth? Can you open your ears wide? And relax. Now see if you can stretch your hands as wide as you can. How big can you make your fists? Now let your fingers relax very, very slowly and let your hands drop down. And now stretch your arms as far away from your body as you can: stretch, stretch and stretch, then relax and let them become very heavy. Now stretch your neck as far as you can. And relax. And now feel your whole spine stretching up. And relaxing. Now stretch your legs; how far away from your body can you stretch your legs? And relax them. And finally your feet. Stretch your toes as far as you can. And then relax. Stay in this lovely relaxed position for as long as you can. And now, when you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, have a big stretch and open your eyes."

Upcoming fun workshops for kids 5-13!

We're busy planning 2 special evening sessions...

Pajama Yoga Night! for Kids  (April 29th 6:30-8 pm)

This 90 minute workshop for ages 5-13 provides your kids an evening of quiet yoga, games, storytime yoga and Time In (relaxation).  Each child will create an eye pillow to help them relax at home.  Be sure your child is dressed in comfortable pajamas because once you return home they will be ready for a restful night of yoga induced zzzzz's.  Enjoy a night off while your child learns some great poses and activities to help them get to sleep. $24. 

Make-a-Mat Yoga Workshop for Kids (coming in May)

This 2 hour workshop for ages 5 to 13 cultivates the creative side of YogaKids.  After a calming and centering yoga flow, each participant will receive a yoga mat to decorate in any way they choose using various colors and stencils.  When the creativity is complete, we will finish our yoga session working on strength and focus and end with a refreshing relaxation.

Space limited to 12. for both workshops so register early.  Register at Learning Tree Yoga Studio's website now!   click here...Workshops for Kids

The Younger Set Moves to Yoga

This article in Star Tribune published in their Variety section on Jan. 31, 2011 highlights many of the reasons kids lives are enriched through yoga.  Learning Tree Studio where I teach both Family Yoga and Say Hola to Yoga classes is featured.  Check out the link below.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/114829614.html

Children's Books Come Alive with Yoga

One of my favorite ways to engage a group of children is to incorporate a storybook into the yoga class.  The children become enthralled with the characters and storyline as they act out the pages through yoga poses.

Yoga stories are a wonderful way to teach, bringing together imagination and creativity through storytelling and movement. But while storytelling comes naturally to some, others enjoy using a children's book to set the theme of a class or to engage children in discussion.

There are basically two ways I suggest using children's books as part of a yoga class or home practice. First, choose books with various characters, objects or images, which can be easily imitated in the form of a yoga pose.  Since children are easily drawn to animals, and yoga includes dozens of animal poses, this is a sure-fire way to capture a child's attention.  

The second option is to choose a book which contains a meaningful message, such as gratitude, selflessness, peace, love, self-respect and self-confidence, earth care, etc.  You can read these books to lead to a discussion, tying in yoga principles and combining with several poses.  For example, you may find a story on love and use the book as a way to get kids talking about what it means to love others or to love one's self.  After the discussion move into several heart-opening poses, such as camel or cobra.  

Many books offer both a meaningful message and inspirational characters to lead poses.  A great one for kids aged 3-6 is It's A Good Thing You're Not an Octopus by Julie Markes.   Amazon.com's editorial reviewer Emilie Coulter says, The world of small children is filled with day-in, day-out challenges and tiresome activities. If someone's not telling you to get dressed, they're making you eat lunch, climb into the car seat, or take a nap. However, young humans should count their blessings. Baby birds have to eat worms for lunch. Tigers may not ever have to climb into a bathtub, but that's because their mothers are always licking them clean! And imagine being a shark when it comes time to brush your teeth--all 200 of them. Julie Markes hits her mark with this clever picture book, which will probably make at least a few human children appreciate their relatively simple daily routines (at least when compared to shoeless caterpillars). 

Markes' book has an engaging and entertaining storyline which includes vivid illustrations of animal characters, while teaching an important value: gratitude.  With this book, you could read it once, slowly, allowing for lots of giggling and absorption of the beautiful illustrations.  Ask the kids if they ever feel frustrated or irritated when they have to do things like brushing their teeth and remind them, as the book says on the last page, "It's a good thing you're you...phew!"  The yoga practice could follow with the adult asking the kids to recall the animals and situations in the story, and perform the poses together.  

Here are a few more book suggestions:

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Suess

The Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Old Turtle by Douglas Wood

Why Yoga???

Benefits of yoga for kids….

* Yoga helps improve strength and flexibility
* Yoga increases self-awareness, concentration, focus, and attention
* Kid’s yoga increases self-esteem as well as self-discipline
* Yoga decreases anxiety and increases ability to relax
* Yoga increases trust, compassion, teamwork and leadership skills of your children
* Yoga improves digestion and eases gas pains for children
* Yoga helps to release stress and teaches them to breathe well
* Yoga strengthens the immune system of kids

Some benefits of yoga for parents…

* Yoga improves parent and child bonding relationship
* Better sleep for parents, as your kids will be less of a handful
* Yoga reduces stress for both parents and kids
* Yoga builds parental confidence 

Yoga benefits for kids with special needs…

* By teaching self awareness, self control, and concentration, yoga can also help to manage children who have been diagnosed with ADHD – attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Yoga has also been used with some success to help children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism. Yoga for kids has also been used to help kids with cancer cope with their diagnosis and with scary medical procedures.

Let Your Light Shine

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is  our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.  And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson, from her book A Return to Love (HarperCollins, 1993)

What a great gift it is to teach this message to every child we encounter.  What an amazing world we would have if each of us embraced this truth.

Part of my work with children and yoga involves using affirmations to build self-esteem and confidence.  Affirmations are positive statements about oneself.  Here are a few you can try with your child:

• I help others
• I share my light
• I love to learn
• I am brave
• I am strong
• I am powerful
• I am kind
• I speak with respect for others
• I can do anything
• Peace begins with me

Add your own ideas to share with others.

Welcome to Little Lights!!

I am excited to be starting this blog site to help communicate about the wonderful benefits of yoga for children!!  As a former teacher and child care center director, I know the importance of a balanced approach to education.  Our world can be a stressful place for children.  Demands placed on kids today are tougher and expectations are higher. 

Through yoga, children can develop self control, confidence and focus.  Breathing practice helps them learn to relax, control anger and anxiety and "gears up" their brains for learning.  The yoga programs also help kids develop physically.  Strength, stamina, flexibility, balance and coordination are just some of the benefits kids will gain.  We also love to play!!  Stretching our imaginations and creativity as well as our bodies through yoga games, activities and poses.  Storytime yoga is especially good for this as children become a part of the stories. 

Come join me this fall as classes start up.  Check out the schedule page for times and locations and follow the links to register.  Email me with questions or if you'd like to see a class in your area!