This “passion” post is part of our monthly theme at Kids Yoga Stories. I asked Carolyn Clarke, a kids yoga teacher and author of Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids, about her passion for teaching kids yoga.
What I love about teaching kids yoga:
- Feeling the frenetic energy of a group of kids come into the room before class
- Kids saying “Hi Yoga” because they think my name is Yoga
- Making up silly stories that go along with a yoga pose flow
- Teaching about love and kindness for Valentine’s day
- Showing kids how it is easier to balance in life when you focus on one thing that is not moving
- Blowing bubbles to teach mindful breathing
- Knowing a bazillion kids music songs that don’t sound like fingernails on a chalkboard to recommend to new parents
- Having the trunk of my car filled with Beanie Babies, yoga mats, chimes, toys, Lavender oil, Heart pillows, picture books, and a parachute, instead of something “boringly adult” like car cleaning supplies or the dry cleaning
- Did I mention the parachute?
- Seeing two friends holding hands during relaxation
- Learning new poses made up by my students
- The sound and vibration of preschoolers saying “Om”
- Watching a child struggle with a yoga balancing pose and laughing it off before trying again
- Seeing their posture change from “slumpy” to tall during the class
- Smiling faces ready to practice yoga and asking what’s in my yoga bag today
- Seeing kids that might not normally be active in competitive sports have a yoga triumph with a challenging pose
- The scent of lavender eye pillows during relaxation
- Watching their bodies go from squirmy to still during savasana and relaxation story time
- Feeling the peaceful, calm, and mellow energy of the kids at the end of the class
- Lots of hugs …
Carolyn Clarke, author of Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids
Web: www.imaginationsforkids.com
Blog: www.kidsyoga101.com
FB: www.facebook.com/imaginationsforkids
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/relaxationstory
Twitter: www.twitter.com/relaxedkids
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Why do you love teaching kids yoga? What’s your passion?
Feel free to email me your ideas as well. I would love to hear about your experiences –
Giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
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Giselle
Kids Yoga Stories
[…] recently wrote a guest post on Giselle Shardlow’s Kids Yoga Stories blog. It’s a list of some of the reasons I love teaching kids yoga. Giselle originally asked me […]