Introducing the Yoga for Kids Books Review
and Video Giveaway by Kids Yoga Stories and Next Generation Yoga
Enter the contest at bottom of the post via the Rafflecopter online giveaway tool.
This is week #7 in our 10-Week Kids Yoga Resources Reviews and Giveaways.
It’s a pleasure to introduce you to Jodi Komitor, who founded Next Generation Yoga in 1998. Jodi opened the world’s first yoga studio just for kids. Check out the Next Generation Yoga website for kids yoga teacher training dates, her recommendations for kids yoga books, and her blog, Why Kids Love Yoga.
I found Jodi’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids in a library in Sydney, Australia, after I finished my yoga teacher training eight years ago. Even though the book, written by Jodi Komitor and Eve Adamson, was published in 2000, the content is still relevant today and will accompany you on your kids yoga journey for years. The book refers to the yoga principles, which are thousands of years old, making the book timeless.
I love the book’s holistic approach to yoga, including character education, breathing techniques, physical postures, healthy lifestyles, and relaxation. And its tips for all ages make it an easy-to-read resource that you could come back to over again. Kids yoga teachers will find it especially helpful.
Jodi and I met for lunch a couple of weeks ago.
A look at this yoga for kids book in more detail:
- Chapters 1-3: The list of yoga’s health benefits for kids is an invaluable tool to share with parents and teachers. The benefits include aiding kids’ digestion, developing stronger hearts and lungs, fine-tuning motor skills, elongating kids’ spines, gaining stability and balance, and promoting restful sleep.
- Chapters 4-6: The authors do an excellent job of describing the yoga principles in an accessible way, so that we can easily teach children. I love their child-friendly descriptions of the Yamas and Niyamas. Some of the yoga guidelines are to live in peace, tell the truth, don’t take what isn’t yours, keep it clean, chill out, cultivate self-discipline, and be studious. The suggested reading list offers resources to learn about yoga in more depth.
- Chapters 7-9: These chapters look at how to begin practicing yoga with your children. The book details how to set up your yoga space, how to start a home practice, and how to find local kids yoga classes.
- Chapter 10-14: This section discusses what instructors do during kids yoga sessions. The authors describe chanting and breathing practices then outline in detail a group of physical postures inspired by nature. You find yoga themes such as desert, the wild, farms, and the forest—all of which are easy to incorporate into a yoga experience.
- Chapters 15-19: These chapters present an extensive list of physical postures. Follow a step-by-step guide to practicing the Yoga Sun Dance (Sun Salute), check out the dynamic physical postures, play yoga games, and end in relaxation poses.
- Chapters 20-22: I love this family yoga section. Check out the breathing exercises, physical postures, and deep relaxation techniques for new moms and dads. My favorites are the six yoga routines you can do with your infant and the toddler yoga adventure stories. But don’t miss “The Yogini’s Ten Steps for Sibling Synchronicity” for tips on creating harmonious sibling relationships.
- Chapters 23-27: The book wraps up with ways to integrate yoga into your daily life. Yoga is not just about the physical postures; it also encourages us to make other healthy life choices. The practice of yoga can help children’s bodies combat illnesses and injuries. Yoga is for everyone, including children with special needs and teens. Lastly, you find detailed information on how to throw a kids yoga birthday party!
Many of my readers ask about how to practice yoga with their children. This book offers plenty of gems for building a strong, confident foundation for introducing the benefits of yoga to your little ones.
You can find used copies and the eBook version on Amazon.
Because The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids is no longer print, Jodi Komitor has generously offered to give her new Whale Yoga for Kids DVD away to one lucky winner.
The winner of this yoga for kids video and book giveaway, will receive:
1 – Whale Yoga™ For Kids! DVD ($18.00 value) for ages 2+
1 – A Kids Yoga Stories book of your choice (up to $15.95 value)
Please read the full Contest Rules below for details.
We look forward to your entries. Thank you for taking the time to participate. Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with the Rafflecopter tool below by sending me an e-mail at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
Yoga for Kids Books Giveaway
To enter the contest, sign in using your Facebook account or e-mail and click on the different ways to enter. You can enter every day using this Rafflecopter online giveaway tool.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contest Rules:
1. Entries are open worldwide.
2. You can be any age to enter.
3. Participation in the contest constitutes that you agree to the Contest Rules.
4. Please enter using the Rafflecopter tool above, obtaining points as follow the different options.
5. You can enter every day.
6. No purchase is necessary.
7. Kids Yoga Stories and Next Generation accept no responsibility or liability for any injuries or losses that may result from practicing the yoga poses in the books or video. Please ensure your own safety and the safety of the children.
8. You must enter the contest giveaway with a valid e-mail address. The winner will be notified by e-mail, and at that time, we will request a mailing address. The shipping of the book and video can take some time, depending on the winner’s location. Kids Yoga Stories and Next Generation will ship the books separately and will cover the shipping costs.
9. If you have any questions, e-mail Giselle directly at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
10. The contest closes on Monday, November 18, 2013, midnight PST.
Do you want to be notified of other reviews and contest giveaways? Sign up for our weekly Kids Yoga Stories Newsletter (put name and email address into box at the top of the page) to get updates of the upcoming weekly giveaways!
I LOVE COBRA POSE!!!! And loving to try CROW POSE!!! Having real fuuuun!
These are lovely! Thank you for the opportunity!
My favorite is downward facing dog.
Sun Salutation – because we do it in my Pilates class and it does wake up my body.
I love Yoga and would love to be able to do it with my grandchildren
I love the tree pose because my kids love to do it.
I love Shivansana these days because where I am in my life, with young kids, life feels hectic and super busy all the time, it feels sooo good to let go in this pose.
I like the plank pose and downward facing dog.
Headstand variations! I didn’t think it was possible to get up, stay up or move my legs in different positions… Now I can!
plank pose is my favorite
I love everything! I’m a relative beginner but I love working on new poses with my little ones. It can definitely be distracting when they giggle at eachother, but we have a lot of fun!
I love tree pose, because it helps me to feel centered and balanced. I can always tell when I am out of balance, because I can’t maintain the pose for very long. It forces me to slow down and focus inward to find my balance.
I am teaching my four year old the forward fold and open heart poses to help him calm himself – it sooo works!