Winding Down with Goodnight Yoga
story time
good books for bigs and littles
YOGA FOR SMALL PEOPLE
I am a yoga zealot. It’s no exaggeration to say that yoga changed my life, and while I don’t practice as much as I’d like to (or as much as I should), I still consider it an important part of my life. I almost never feel as good or as right as I do when I’m doing yoga. Among the many lessons I’ve learned from yoga are: how to be calm, how to be strong, how to practice, how to be patient, how to be centered, how to be grateful to my healthy body for all its capability, and of course, how to stand on my head. When my kids were infants, I could only hope they’d love yoga as much as I do, but…good news, they do!
Photo by guille pozzi on Unsplash
YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM
My kids are very fortunate to have a yoga teacher that comes to their preschool on a weekly basis and this probably has much to do with their love of yoga. True, my son’s repertoire of yoga moves pretty much includes unrolling his yoga mat, holding a three-legged dog for a few seconds and rolling up his yoga mat…repeatedly, but he still seems to enjoy it. My daughter, two years older, can participate fully in a class, and we’ve even started going to a parent-child yoga class together (a great way to spend a weekend morning). As a physical therapist I’ve seen the impact of yoga in the classroom—from preschool to high school and from typically-developing kids to those with special needs. Across the board, I believe it helps kids develop a favorable relationship with their body, recognize their inner strength, and find peace.
GOODNIGHT YOGA
If you are looking for a nice introduction to yoga with your kids and something to help with evening wind-down, I highly recommend Good Night Yoga: A Pose by Pose Bedtime Story by Mariam Gates and illustrated by Sarah Jane Hinder. It’s a short routine, designed to relax children. The illustrations are cute and fun and each pose incorporates some aspect of the natural world as it prepares for sunset. My daughter likes to teach our family yoga class, and she uses this book as a guide when instructing me and her somewhat ADD little brother. (You can even hear it read aloud in a soothing, soporific voice here.)
Because my kids are both so small, I bought a single yoga mat and cut it in half to make two. They love having their own yoga mats, and I love sneaking in a little yoga during childcare. Plus, it’s a lovely way to connect after a busy day or on a rainy Saturday morning.
Anyone for some Savasana?
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