Breath Work & Character Development
Today as part of Reflecting on "Breathing in the Big Me,," students got to randomly select an affirmation statement for themselves from a deck that I had brought. We talked about what the statement meant and when we could use these positive statements.
Asanas/ Poses
We continued our trip to Australia, while working on poses that challenged our balance. This is definitely an area where we will be spending a lot more time. Balance poses require a great deal of focus and attention. With practice we can definitely improve and challenge our balancing skills! In addition we learned about some unique Australian wildlife such as an Ibis, a Dingo, a Platypus, a Koala, an Echidna and everyone's favourite, the kangaroo. See if they can show you what the Kangaroo pose looks like!
Strength
We continued to work on our L handstands and everyone was able to raise their personal bar and hold the pose for much longer today. Next week we will see if we can move in one direction in this pose. Great work to all!
Mindfulness
Today we worked on a Mindful Listening Partner game. The students found it easy to hear the sounds when we were quiet and calm. Ask your child on how they did with the guessing the sound game.
Relaxation
We continue to challenge ourselves to use our breathing buddies and gently rock them to sleep with our breath. This is another area where we will be using other creative techniques to help us learn the art of relaxation!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
St. Judes Academy, Nov. 16th After school Yoga
NOV. 16TH - BUILDING STRENGTH AND VISUALIZATION
BREATH WORK & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Breath Work is one of the most important skills and limbs of Yoga. "Teaching children to focus on and control breathing can help them become less reactive and more reflective when feeling anxious or stressed." This class we use extended breathing technique whereby we inhale for 3 counts and exhale for 4 counts.
The Theme for this term is using our breath to inhale what serves us well and using our breath to exhale what does not serve us. We call it Breathing in the Big Me and Breathing Out the Little Me.
To date we have completed a reflection on what are those positive statements we can say to ourselves that help us feel better in a situation. Example, I am strong when doing the yoga class or any other activity that challenges our strength.
ASANAS/POSES: Students have been practicing various yoga poses while also developing their visualization skills as we journey to Australia. Last class we took a short trip to the Great Barrier Reef and explored some beautiful aquatic life as we transitioned through our poses. This is a wonderful way to help kids develop their imagination, build knowledge about another country all while doing yoga poses!
STRENGTH: We will be working on building strength in our shoulders and upper body over the next few classes. I have been guiding the children though an L shaped handstand against the wall, so we can safely build strength and endurance. Be sure to ask them what count they are currently working towards.
RELAXATION: This is another branch of Yoga that we practice every class and can be quite challenging for many children. We have been using breathing buddies to help us relax our minds and bodies at the end of every class.
MINDFULNESS: We have been working on setting a foundation for developing our mindful listening skills. "Research suggests that children become more focused and responsive to their enviornment by participating in mindful listening activities. "
Interesting Read:
*Source: Mind-Up Curriculum, Pre K-2.
BREATH WORK & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Breath Work is one of the most important skills and limbs of Yoga. "Teaching children to focus on and control breathing can help them become less reactive and more reflective when feeling anxious or stressed." This class we use extended breathing technique whereby we inhale for 3 counts and exhale for 4 counts.
The Theme for this term is using our breath to inhale what serves us well and using our breath to exhale what does not serve us. We call it Breathing in the Big Me and Breathing Out the Little Me.
To date we have completed a reflection on what are those positive statements we can say to ourselves that help us feel better in a situation. Example, I am strong when doing the yoga class or any other activity that challenges our strength.
ASANAS/POSES: Students have been practicing various yoga poses while also developing their visualization skills as we journey to Australia. Last class we took a short trip to the Great Barrier Reef and explored some beautiful aquatic life as we transitioned through our poses. This is a wonderful way to help kids develop their imagination, build knowledge about another country all while doing yoga poses!
STRENGTH: We will be working on building strength in our shoulders and upper body over the next few classes. I have been guiding the children though an L shaped handstand against the wall, so we can safely build strength and endurance. Be sure to ask them what count they are currently working towards.
RELAXATION: This is another branch of Yoga that we practice every class and can be quite challenging for many children. We have been using breathing buddies to help us relax our minds and bodies at the end of every class.
MINDFULNESS: We have been working on setting a foundation for developing our mindful listening skills. "Research suggests that children become more focused and responsive to their enviornment by participating in mindful listening activities. "
Interesting Read:
4 Exercises to Teach Your Kids about Mindfulness and Compassion
http://www.chopra.com/articles/4-exercises-to-teach-your-kids-about-mindfulness-and-compassion
*Source: Mind-Up Curriculum, Pre K-2.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Mandalas and more at RUPS Fun Fair
Thank you to everyone who dropped by the Blossom Yoga table at the RUPS Fun Fair. It was definitely a wonderful evening and I certainly enjoyed making mandalas with all the kids and parents who stopped by.
Most of you who stopped by indicated Yoga in the Park as an activity you would be interested in participating. Stay tuned, I will be soon posting details for this event on this blog.
Last but not the least, congratulations to the family who won the Blossom Yoga Birthday Party during the silent auction. I look forward to planning a truly Yog-tacular birthday party with you.
Saturday, April 30, 2016
FRIDAY FAMILY YOGA FOR RUPS
I am excited to share that Blossom Yoga will be offering Friday Family Yoga for RUPS family and friends at the RUPS gym on the following dates:
Friday -> May
13th, 20th, June 3rd and June 10th
As a RUPs parent myself, me and my family look forward to welcoming you and connecting with your family and building our RUPS community.
Please note, if you are interested please send in your forms latest by Wednesday May 4th.
RUPS Friday family Yoga: No experience needed! This is a fun class where you can bond together as a family while learning ways to unwind and stay calm after a busy week. We will be doing gentle yoga poses, creative breathing exercises and most importantly learning ways to relax together as a family. Parents, caregivers, grandparents all are welcome!
Look forward to connecting with all of you!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is a copy of the Registration form that went home last week.
BLOSSOM YOGA
CONNECT, BREATHE AND GROW
WITH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS
Join us for Friday Family Yoga
Location: Ray Underhill Public School Gym
No experience needed. Bring your kids and unwind from the busy week
while doing yoga poses, gentle stretching, creative breathing exercises and
learning fun ways to relax together as a family! Please dress comfortably
and if you have a yoga mat please feel free to
bring it.
Bio: Ummul is a RUPS mom and has been studying
yoga and mindfulness for over 8 years and has been teaching Kids Yoga since
2013. To learn more about Ummul and her fun Yoga classes, check out her
blog posts on this website: www.BlossomYogaKids.com
Session
Dates: Friday -> May 13th,
20th, June 3rd and June 10th
Time: 6:30pm – 7:15pm
Place: RUPS Gym
Who: Open to parents/caregivers and kids (4 years
and older)
Cost: Each Yoga Session is $12 per family
Total Cost of $48 for 4 sessions
Please
send the completed form back to your child’s teacher along with cash or cheque*
in the envelope provided by Wednesday
May 4th.
*Cheques payable to: Ummul Patrawala
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Parent/Caregiver Name(s): __________________________
__________________________
Child 1 Name:
_________________________________
Child 2 Name:
________________________________
Child 3 Name:
________________________________
Ages of Kid(s): ________ _______ ________
Email address: ______________________________________
Home Number: _________________ Cell:
_______________
Monday, April 25, 2016
A Mini Surprise - RUPS lunch time yoga registration package
Have you had a chance to take a peek at the Lunch time Yoga registration package? If you have, did you find a mini intention stick with a smiley face. Ask your child if they remember the "Happy stick," from the Yoga assembly and how they would use them?
However, if your kids are similar to mine and gave you a brief description of what they are, then no worries, I have got you covered.
The "Happy stick" is intended to instill the value of gratefulness in our children. Research shows that people who make time to practice gratitude on an ongoing basis end up feeling an innate sense of happiness:)
So why wait till Thanksgiving, why not make every day a day to express our gratitude!
Recommended Use: Take a moment with your child and while they are holding the Happy stick remind them to smile and share 2-3 things that they feel thankful/grateful for. Once they are done sharing feel free to model the same by holding the stick and sharing 2-3 things you may be grateful for. See if you can make this a family tradition and incorporate this gratitude practice in your weekly if not daily routine.
Encourage your kids to think of not just the material gifts but also the intangible gifts they may have such as health, safety, family support etc which make our daily experiences special.
I would love to hear any other ideas you may have on practicing gratitude with kids. Do you and your family have your own special tradition, please comment below and share.
However, if your kids are similar to mine and gave you a brief description of what they are, then no worries, I have got you covered.
The "Happy stick" is intended to instill the value of gratefulness in our children. Research shows that people who make time to practice gratitude on an ongoing basis end up feeling an innate sense of happiness:)
So why wait till Thanksgiving, why not make every day a day to express our gratitude!
Recommended Use: Take a moment with your child and while they are holding the Happy stick remind them to smile and share 2-3 things that they feel thankful/grateful for. Once they are done sharing feel free to model the same by holding the stick and sharing 2-3 things you may be grateful for. See if you can make this a family tradition and incorporate this gratitude practice in your weekly if not daily routine.
Encourage your kids to think of not just the material gifts but also the intangible gifts they may have such as health, safety, family support etc which make our daily experiences special.
I would love to hear any other ideas you may have on practicing gratitude with kids. Do you and your family have your own special tradition, please comment below and share.
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