ChildLight Yoga Blog

New Blog: The Kids Yoga Resource

2009-11-09T18:23:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends,

Just letting you know of the launch of our new Blog - The Kids Yoga Resource Blog at: www.thekidsyogaresource.com.

This new blog will replace the blogspot blog effective immediately. Hope to see you there!

All my best,
Lisa Flynn
ChildLight Yoga

Seacoast Mom & Baby Wellness Event - free!

2009-10-14T22:07:00.005-04:00

Attention new moms and moms-to-be! The 3rd annual Seacoast Mom & Baby Wellness Sampler will be held on Friday, November 20th from 1 – 3pm at Yoga East Yoga Studio in Portsmouth, NH.

Come learn about natural approaches to family wellness. Chat with local business owners about products, services and issues that are important to you and your growing family. Enjoy the serenity of Yoga East's beautiful studio while meeting other like-minded parents at the same stage of parenthood. The afternoon will be filled with product demos, free screenings, information gathering, meet-n-greet, free samples & gifts, refreshments, and a drawing for amazing raffle items and gift certificates provided by the featured vendors and others. Vendors include The Dinner Goddess, Gypsy Mama, Slings & Baby Things, La Leche League, NYR Organics, Seacoast Doula Group, Gymboree, Stroller Strides, Cardea Chiropractic, Beth Devlin, ND, Essentia Botanica, Coastal CPR, Heartful Birth, Tracy Miller/Nutrition Counselor, Safe Steps Childproofing, Mommy Be Well, and many more. First 40 moms will receive a free gift from the New Mother’s Resource Guide.

Lisa Flynn is Founder of ChildLight Yoga and creator and co-sponsor of the event. “In addition to providing information about our yoga-based programs for babies and children, we are happy to be able to include over 25 other wellness-related vendors and business representatives this year. And of course, we are excited to announce Stonyfield Farm, the maker of YoBaby, as our corporate sponsor for the 2009 event. Stonyfield is a perfect fit for the event’s focus on natural health and new families.”

“We are thrilled to be part of the Mom & Baby Wellness Sampler and be able to share with Seacoast moms our newest arrival, YoBaby Meals,” says Jeff Pillet-Shore, Brand Manager for Stonyfield Farm. “YoBaby Meals offers a delicious 3-in-1 combination of yogurt + fruit + veggies in one convenient cup, making it easy to feed your baby or toddler a nutritious meal.”

ChildLight Yoga was founded to encourage an early practice of yoga and relaxation, providing children with a foundation for life-long wellness - body, mind and spirit. The company provides yoga classes for babies, toddlers, families and children, as well as teacher trainings & workshops held nationwide. Its mission is to spread the amazing gifts of yoga, mindfulness and relaxation to all children everywhere.

Stonyfield Farm, the maker of YoBaby, has spent the past 26 years supporting healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet. As the world's leading organic yogurt company, Stonyfield's certified organic yogurt, smoothies, milk, cultured soy, frozen yogurt and ice cream are distributed nationally, and 10 percent of profits support initiatives that protect and restore the Earth.

For event information, please visit www.childlightyoga.com or call 603-781-3323.

Contact:
Lisa Flynn
21 Academy St, S. Berwick, ME
603.781.3323
lisa@childlightyoga.com
www.childlightyoga.com

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Halloween Yoga for Kids

2009-10-10T11:37:00.000-04:00

Teaching yoga to kids at Halloween time is a wonderful and super FUN opportunity to stretch the imaginations of the children in our classes. Halloween adventure stories make for a perfect themed lesson plan. Here is a basic story I've used in the past with preschool to first graders:

Note: Set the ambience by dimming the lights and placing a carved pumpkin in the center of the circle with a battery operated candle in it. Halloween-themed music with no vocals is nice too - just make sure it's not too scary! You can find lots of themed music CDs this time of year for as little as $1 at places like Wal-Mart or Rite-Aid.

Halloween Night….

What are you being for Halloween this year? Don't say it out loud. Think about how you can create a yoga pose to demonstrate who you are goinng to be. Take your time. Let's take turns showing our pose and everyone else can guess what you are going to be. (Note: Once the pose is correctly identified, have the entire class try out the new pose.)

Let’s go for a walk around our neighborhood and stop at each house to see if they’ll give us a trick or a treat! WALKING, WALKING SONG

What do we see? TREE, MOON, STAR

Up in that tree is a BLACK CAT…hisssss…meow!

We keeping walking and come to a BRIDGE – let’s cross!

On the other side of the bridge are four scary-looking creatures!
The first one is a LION (Lion’s Breath)
EVIL WITCH, SPIDER, GHOST

The creatures all start giggling and soon you realize that they are actually your friends dressed up their Halloween costumes! They want you to come with them to a Halloween party – So you all hop on THE BUS and go! (WHEELS ON THE BUS SONG w/movements around the room)

The bus stops and you all get off and see a spooky, old creaky GATE. You open the gate…creaaaaaeeeaaaK and walk through it into a dark yard with lots of viny TREES everywhere.

Up ahead is a sign that say’s ‘Take the BOAT across the river to the party!’ and you notice that there are indeed a bunch of boats lined up along the bank of the river. So you get in and paddle your BOAT across. (While holding boat pose, sing the orginal Row Your Boat song or use ChildLight Yoga's version from the I Grow With Yoga CD.)

As you and your friends come to the other side, you see that you have arrived at a wonderful party. There is a swarm of happy people that come down to greet you when you park your canoe, yelling ‘Happy Halloween!!!!!’

For some other awesome Halloween yoga ideas, please read The Prana Mama's related post titled, Halloween Yoga: Yoga in Disguise and Yoga in My School's post highlighting some great SPIDER pose variations, perfect for this age group.

The Candy Dilemma

Due to allergies and family's personal preferences, I skip handing out candy at yoga class and instead give out treat trinkets such as sticky pretend spiders and the like. You can get these really inexpensively at places like Oriental Trading Company online.

Outside of class, Halloween can be a time where overindulgence is common. Candy and sweets are fine once in a while, but at our house, we often have lots left over after trick or treat, and that isn't healthy for any of us. Recently I just read a good article in Raising Maine about how to handle the influx of candy at halloween. Another idea that we've used is to decide which candies are our favorites and give the rest away (a great lesson in aparigraha, or non-attachment and bramacharya, or self-control/moderation). I like this idea better than just throwing it away, which is wasteful. We put the candy in recycled containers, such as yogurt tubs, and bring it to our service providers like the local bank, post office, etc. so that they can give it away as they wish...and make someone's day a little sweeter.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What is Yoga 4 Classrooms?

2009-10-09T07:53:00.001-04:00

No child wants to feel uncomfortable, cranky or anxious, or to get in trouble because of hyperactive behavior. Children are intrinsically joyful, peaceful, and compassionate. But as the distractions of the external world increase and stress takes over, it can become challenging for many of them children to connect with their authentic, peaceful selves. In fact, it is my belief, and one of the cornerstones of ChildLight Yoga's Yoga 4 Classrooms program, that without having the time and space for reflection and connection, children ‘forget’ that they have the ability to do so at all.

To be successful, creative learners and compassionate, respectful and self-aware human beings, children must be given opportunities to draw their awareness back away from the sometimes overwhelming distractions of the outside world. In doing so, children are brought into the present moment, a place where they can pause, truly hear and feel, reflect and learn. A few deep breaths, physical movement or stretching to reconnect the body/mind, and moments for quiet reflection, are often a quick and easy way to ‘reset’ the nervous system for calm and focus. It is also in this place that children develop the ability to know, understand and appreciate their true nature. Empowering children to connect within at will, is giving them the gift of knowing inner wisdom, confidence, joy, compassion and contentedness.

Science has shown, and educators have experienced first-hand, that when children are anxious, frustrated or stressed, it is nearly impossible for them to learn. It is only from a relaxed, present state of mind and body that our children can be psychologically and physiologically learning-ready. Right now, more than ever before, school teachers and admistrators are searching for a means to this end.

As Founder of ChildLight Yoga, I have had the privilege of sharing yoga with thousands of children and families in yoga studios, gyms, and schools. Trained in part by Yoga Ed.™, a nationally-recognized company focused on bringing the benefits of yoga into schools, I was inspired and challenged by the classroom teachers I encountered to create a program specifically designed for the classroom environment. There was no such program in existence, so after two years of research, development and test piloting at local schools, Yoga 4 Classrooms™ was born.

Yoga 4 Classrooms™ is a low-cost, fun and effective tool for teachers to use with their students for a peaceful and productive classroom. Through the use of Yoga 4 Classrooms activities, teachers can provide their students with opportunities to grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This, in turn, will help them to connect with themselves and others with compassion, understanding and clarity. The activities promote self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-confidence - the foundations of exceptional learning and a lifetime of health and wellness.

Y4C™ features 65 yoga and mindfulness-based activities, divided into six categories: Let’s Breathe, At Your Desk, Standing, Loosen Up, Imagination Vacation, and Be Well. Each activity includes fully-illustrated instructions, discussion points, sub-activities, and educational tie-ins, for a total of over 200 beneficial classroom practices.

The activities were specially chosen for their suitability for the typical classroom space. That means all activities can be done standing beside or sitting at desks, while bodies and hands remain off the floor, away from dirt and germs. A mix of yoga postures, breath exercises, visualizations, mindfulness activities, creative movement, community-building games, and wellness and character-building discussion points such as the power of positive thinking, nutrition, and being a peacemaker, address the whole child – physical, social and emotional – making this the most unique and comprehensive program of its kind.

Yoga 4 Classrooms is easy for teachers and students to use, and helps to create a more harmonious, learning-friendly school day. And its benefits go well beyond the classroom. Yoga 4 Classrooms provides children with life skills they can use in and out of the classroom for long-term health and well-being. Absolutely anyone can use the Y4C program – teachers, students, parents, therapists – no yoga experience is required.

Yoga 4 Classrooms Teacher Workshops are being scheduled now. Teachers can attend a public seminar or bring the seminar to their school as a staff development workshop. Visit the website for more details.

The Power of Visual Imagery for Children

2009-09-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

What do children enjoy the most in yoga class? 8 out of 10 of my students would say it's the visualizations we do at the end of nearly every class. In fact, I have many students come into yoga class and immediately ask for them. When I teach in schools, it's the same thing. "Are we going to go on an imagination vacation today, Miss Lisa?? Can we please?"

The use of visualization or creative imagery during relaxation can be quite powerful for kids. Many children find it difficult to quiet their sometimes very overactive minds. Using creative imagery can give these children something to focus on, easing their way to relaxation. In ChildLight Yoga classes, we help children to concentrate, focus and/or relax by guiding them through visual imagery exercises or stories. Children can also be guided to bring their awareness, or energy, to various parts of their bodies. This is the practice of yoga at its best – the unifying of body and mind!

But, when chosen and scripted with care, visualizations can do much more than help to quiet the mind. That is why we are thrilled to have discovered Dr. Charlotte Reznick in our online research! She has written a new book titled, The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success (Perigee, 2009, $14.95).

Here are some interesting quotes from other authors regarding this book and it's focus on giving children the gifts of visual imagery:

“Simple, practical, brilliant. What a wonderful world it will be when all families give their children the gifts presented in Dr. Reznick’s book. Joy, success . . . and health and happiness are just around the corner!” — Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP, creator of the book & DVD The Happiest Toddler on the Block

“Dr. Reznick offers a revolutionary approach for parents to help their children handle fears, worries, and self- doubt. Her simple, accessible advice allows kids to develop their self- esteem while creatively tackling problems. This book is a must- read for any parent who hopes to arm their child with the tools to handle life’s daily struggles.”— Jack Canfield, coauthor of The Success Principles™ and coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series

After reading the following article, I was very encouraged to note the direct ties to the many themes that are emphasized in both the ChildLight Yoga program (and teacher training) and to yoga philosophy in general. In fact, our Yoga for Classrooms program includes every one of the nine tools mentioned here as individual visualizations and specific techniques we use with our students to help them gain self-esteem, mind-body awareness, self-trust, and the ability to self-help and problem-solve. The concepts of having gratitude, imagining a 'special friend', power of the breath and others are incredibly powerful in their ability to help transform thought patterns, reduce anxiety and ultimately, create joy. Take a read...

NINE IMAGINATION TOOLS TO HELP CHILDREN COPE
By: Charlotte Reznick PhD
(Reprinted from Edmonton's Child online)

As a parent, you may not realize that your child possesses many of the answers to life's challenges—right in her own imagination. Through learning and practicing visualization, kids can develop emotional self-care skills to help themselves with a variety of everyday, practical concerns. These imagination tools can help your child:

• Love, accept, and appreciate himself.

· Reduce pain and heal other physical ailments.

• Overcome fears, such as fear of the unknown, abandonment, doctors, disasters, and dying.

• Deal with bedtime issues such as insomnia and bedwetting.

• Cope with death, divorce, and other losses.

• Handle anger, hurt, and frustration.

• Achieve success at school and in sports.

• Live peacefully with siblings and parents.

Here are nine imagination tools you can teach a child to help her deal with stressful times and navigate the challenges of growing up.

TOOL #1: Use the Balloon Breath

With her hands around her navel, have her breathe slowly and deeply into her lower belly so it presses into her hands like an inflating balloon. The balloon breath has calming effects and facilitates a waking state of focused concentration and receptivity to positive suggestions. Kids can use it to calm down before musical performances, soothe anger or hurt feelings, or wind down at night, for example.

Tool # 2: Discover A Special Place

This is a safe, special place within your child’s inner world where he can relax, regroup, or take mini-vacations from the stresses of life. It's a place to pose endless questions about life issues, and create numerous positive, possible solutions. Your child might visit his special place to find courage before taking a difficult test at school, or to get away from a bully's harsh words.

Tool # 3: CONSULT AN ANIMAL GUIDE

This is an imaginary guide—a kind, loving, and protective creature—that helps children tap into their wisdom. It's often safer and easier for animal friends to offer solutions to problems in creative ways, than expecting logic and linear thinking to do the work. Your child's animal guide can help her fall asleep, or practice patience at school in long, boring classes, or be brave before a trip to the doctor.

Tool # 4: Conjure up a Personal Wizard

Wizards come into play when animal friends "just won't do." His Personal Wizard is a mentor and magical teacher in human form who brings a different level of wisdom: human but extraordinary. A wizard can give advice, conjure up special powers such as math answers, and even cure troubling feelings like jealousy, anger, and grief.

Tool # 5: Receive Gifts

Gifts from imaginary helpers can be thoughts, objects, or ideas that symbolically provide children with exactly what she needs in the moment to help her. Gifts can be obvious or require further explanation by the animal friend or wizard. Sometimes gifts are hidden and need to be unwrapped or dug up. When a child goes to her special place and asks a wizard or animal friend for a gift containing the solution to her problem, she often finds the answer.

Tool # 6: Check in with Heart and Belly

This tool is comparable to suggestions of "listen to your heart" and "pay attention to your gut feelings." Children are encouraged to take a few minutes to "check in" with their heart and their belly, and to notice what messages are there for them. The heart and belly often have two different, but equally important, messages to relate.

Tool # 7: Talking to Toes and Other Body Parts

The body is a repository for lots of hidden information. With this tool, children discover where and how they stash different feelings in their body. Kids then find they can have a dialogue between emotions and/or symptoms to find answers to their concerns. For example, your child might discover that his stomach knows exactly why it hurts every day 30 minutes before school starts—it doesn't want Mom to leave, and it's afraid she won't come back.

Tool # 8: UsE Colour for Healing
Color is especially helpful in healing pain. Feelings and symptoms often have different colors associated with them. They can be unique to each individual and change over time. You can teach children how to imagine a color, such as ice blue or deep forest green, cooling down his hot fever. When a child imagines color inside or surrounding her body, it can be a remarkable tool for transforming pain, shifting emotions, and accessing healing energy.

TOOL #9: TAP INTO ENERGY

When words are insufficient, a loving touch from a parent can do wonders to restore calm and well-being. For example, you can help a child "pull the pain" out of his head by holding your hand about three inches from his forehead to give him a direction in which to send his pain—out and away.

You're now armed with nine simple, efficient, and totally free options to mix and match—depending on the situation and your child's favorite. When we teach our kids effective imagery techniques to solve their own problems, it can transform their world.

Charlotte Reznick is a child educational psychologist, an associate clinical professor of psychology at UCLA, and author of a new book, The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success (Perigee, 2009, $14.95).

Baby Buddhas? Baby yoga explained.

2009-09-09T21:35:00.000-04:00

Baby buddhas? Well, not exactly...But I still couldn't resist posting this adorable photo! ;)

Yoga for babies typically looks much less like a quiet meditation than it does a precious sight of interacting and bonding gestures, beneficial song and movement combos, and coos and smiles between baby and caregiver (yes, baby must bring an adult along to yoga class).

Our favorite yoga program for moms and babies (or dads, grandmas or other caregivers) is the Itsy Bitsy Yoga program created by Helen Garabedien. Below is the Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class description pulled right from her website:

Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes contain dozens of unique yoga postures designed to support baby’s development. Each class is filled with calming, nurturing ways to enhance bonding and improve baby’s sleep.

During a Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class, babies enjoy yoga while on their backs, tummies, or held in loving arms. For parents, this class is a special opportunity to meet other moms, get support, and learn about baby's emerging personality. Most of the yoga we do in Itsy Bitsy Yoga is for baby, but you will also learn breathing and relaxation techniques as you practice a bit of yoga yourself. No yoga is experience required.

I can attest to the benefits of yoga for babies and their caregivers as I have been teaching Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes for several years.

About one half of the 1 hr. class is dedicated to sing-songy postures and simple, gentle movements, guided by parents. Helen Garabedien is a infant developmental movement educator and infant massage specialist, so it's no surprise that her trademarked song and movement combos are not only fun and easy to learn, but also extremely beneficial for baby. In fact, the tagline of the related book aptly titled, Itsy Bitsy Yoga, is "Poses to Help Your Baby Sleep Longer, Digest Better, and Grow Stronger."

Timely spaces between movements with baby are other important components of a typical Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class. These 'breaks' are primarily focused on community building and creating a nurturing and open space where moms (about 90% of the moms attending my classes are first-time moms) can share questions, concerns and stories about their journeys into motherhood and parenting. A typical first class introduction might involve sharing birth stories. Over the next several weeks, community building questions might be posed to start a discussion - questions like, "What do you do to take care of yourself", or "What is the best/worst parenting advice you've ever received?" These questions serve two purposes - 1) They support the moms in showing them that they are not alone in their experiences as new parents (what can often be a lonely place, especially if there is a lack of family support around), and 2) Create a sense of community in the group. In fact, many wonderful friendships and playdate schedules got their start at our Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes!

Yoga experience nor buddha babies are required (but they're awful cute, aren't they!?) to try out a Baby Yoga class. It's open to any parent or caregiver seeking a loving, bonding activity to do with her child. Best of all, you might just gain more sleep in the process!

ChildLight Yoga's Itsy Bitsy Yoga Class Schedule for Babies (NH Seacoast area)

Find a Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga Instructor near you...

ChildLight Yoga celebrates National Yoga Month with FREE kids/family yoga classes!

2009-09-07T20:00:00.001-04:00

Join us in celebrating peaceful living AND National Yoga Month at the annual Peace Day Exeter event on Sunday, September 20th, 12 - 5pm at Swasey Park in Exeter, NH. ChildLight Yoga will have a booth with info about our fall classes, our signature Tees for infants, toddlers, big kids and adults, I Grow With Yoga CDs, and raffle giveaways. Come say 'hi!' to Heather Warr and Lisa Burk-McCoy, our amazing Exeter area instructors, then participate in one of the few mini family & kids yoga classes we'll be offering that day - Free!

PEACE DAY EXETER PRESS RELEASE:
The Peace Day Exeter festival will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2009 in the lovely downtown Swasey Parkway between the hours of Noon and 5 PM. Activities for the festival include workshops and games for children, music and poetry, guest speakers, panel discussions on peace and sustainability issues, and other exciting events at the Swasey Parkway gazebo and surrounding green.

Some of the participants and speakers to date include: Julia Simon-Mishel, the national Managing Director of the Student Peace Alliance; Kelly Moore with Music for Mankind; Eric Cohen with the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur and The Tents of Hope Project; Sarah Brown from The Green Alliance; Open Minds with Marilyn Kellogg; Andrea Renz with Exeter Area Interfaith CropWalk; Barbara Thorngren from Nashua Community Technical College; the Taoist Tai Chi Society; and music supplied by Tom Duffy and Chordwood; and other speakers and musical guests.

The festival is planned to coincide with the UN International Day of Peace. Teachers and students from around the Seacoast area are invited to stop by the Peace One Day Education Resource USA table at the festival to sample its educational materials. Peace One Day is a non-profit, nonpartisan, humanitarian organization founded by Jeremy Gilley - the man who spearheaded the establishment by the UN of its International Day of Peace. The POD Education Resource campaign is sponsored by Ben and Jerry's, with the goal of distributing its educational materials throughout the United States, having started this Spring in New England.

The Blue Moon Market and Cafe and The Divine Cafe will supply a wonderful array of food and drink. Phillips Exeter Academy students will work with children in supportive and educational roles. Films and meditative exercises for adults are also scheduled.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or folding chairs and enjoy the day's activities. Non-perishable food items will also be collected at the festival and donated to the Seacoast Family Food Pantry. The Cage at Phillips Exeter Academy of Exeter is the rain location for this event.

Our event sponsors include ESSO at Phillips Exeter Academy, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter, Blue Moon Market - Exeter, Serendipity of Exeter, Seacoast Words of Peace - Stratham, Sperry Tents Seacoast - Portsmouth, and Exeter Jewelers. Any proceeds from the event will be donated to Peace One Day Education US.

For more information and directions, please visit our webpage: www.peacedayexeter.org. If you're interested in volunteering for Peace Day Exeter, please contact either Cindy Lategan (cindy@peacedayexeter.org) or Bob Moore (bob@peacedayexeter.org or at 603-642-4648).

How to Get Teens to do Yoga

2009-09-05T17:54:00.000-04:00

I physically cringe when I think back to Jr. High and High School. Yes, it was fun and if you asked my classmates, they would probably say I was one of the 'popular kids' (whatever that means). But inside I really never felt like I truly fit in. I felt I was on the outside, different than everyone else in a way that I didn't understand. I desperately wanted to feel accepted. Everyone else seemed (and that's the key word, isn't it?) to be so together, have lots of friends, and be comfortable in their own skin. I worried a lot about getting good grades to be able to get into a good school later on - as good a one as my friends, as there was a lot of competition in that area. I felt is was important to have the right clothes and 'keep up with the joneses'. I felt I was misunderstood by my parents. And then there were the boy dramas...

If any of the above sounds familiar, it's probably because these are typical thoughts of the typical preteen and teen. And, I'm sure I'm not the only one who, as an adult yogi, has often thought back to those times and wondered how different things might have been had I been introduced to yoga THEN.

So many of us involved in teaching yoga to kids understand the importance of introducing yoga at a young age. Of any age however, I feel it's the preteen and teenage years that can benefit the most from learning yoga, mindfulness, pranayama and relaxation techniques. Our friends at KarmaSpot recently posted a nice list of the benefits of yoga for teens. Check it out.

If you've ever tried to set up a class for teens, you know that they can be tough to fill! Teens are super busy - and they don't want to be involved in anything that may be perceived as 'weird'. If you're going to attract teens to participate in a yoga program, it's important to make it both accessible and acceptable.

Here are some suggestions:

1) The class description should be inviting and utilize teen-friendly language. Unlike with younger kids classes, it's the teens that will most likely be making the decision about whether or not to participate, not the parents.

2) Be sure to mention benefits of teen yoga and their participation as it relates to THEM, the TEENS - not just yoga in general. Tying in what yoga might help them with in their chaotic life as a teen is the key. Mentioning some of the hundreds of athletes and celebrities doing yoga these days can also help gain buy-in from this age group. Everyone knows Madonna does yoga, but did you know the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Jennifer Anniston, Halle Berry, and even that hot guy, Peter Facinelli, of Twilight fame (thanks to YogaDork.com for the great article and photo about Peter and his yoga practice!) does yoga daily?! That is super important news to a teen.

3) Use non-threatening images in your marketing materials and flyers. Showing an unattainable perfect body doing a difficult yoga position, ie, a Yoga Journal cover image, is not recommended! Instead, either use graphics or fun, friendly image of a real teen with a real body doing a simple position or maybe even just holding a yoga mat. HINT: A most wonderful place to find FREE IMAGES is www.bing.com.

4) Consider holding separate classes for preteen and teen girls and guys. The distraction and anxiety caused by the presence of the opposite sex is removed and possible feeling of modesty or embarrassment becomes less of an issue. I find that in separate classes, preteens and teens of both sexes are better able to enjoy, and gain the most benefit from, their respective yoga class. If you have a female instructor for teen girls class and a male instructor for a teen guys class, all the better for this particular age group.

5) Talk to your local Jr. High or High School health or physical education teachers. They will most likely jump up and kiss you if you offer to you come in to introduce some yoga to their students. I recommend doing a series of classes, the first of which can focus on the myths of yoga to get that out of the way. You know, the ones about having to be a vegetarian, having to be able to put your foot behind your head, having to Ommmm for hours in a quiet room. It's amazing to me the perceptions that are still prevalent out there, especially with the teen set. Shed the myths, talk about what yoga is and isn't, and make the connection for the kids through analogies and personal stories of how yoga has made a difference in YOUR life. You'll be on your way to gaining their trust and buy-in to try it out for themselves.

Need some ideas?
ChildLight Yoga is offering Stress Less Yoga for Teen Girls this fall. Take a peek at the image and class description to get your creative juices flowing. If you live in or around Kittery, ME / Portsmouth, NH, we hope to see you there. Bring Peter Facinelli with you and your class is free! ;)

Dell Ad uses Colors Song from Dance for the Sun CD by Kira Willey

2009-09-04T20:57:00.000-04:00

A wonderful song from "Dance for the Sun", one of our favorite CDs of kids yoga songs, is featured in the new Dell ad! Congrats to Kira Willey!

The YogainMySchool Blog has done a great job highlighting this news and includes a link to the ad - check it out!

For this and other kids yoga songs and CD recommendations, see our blog post titled "Yoga Songs Make Kids Yoga Fun!"

Raising Maine | Managing the Gift of ADD and ADHD: ADD/ ADHD: Why All The Focus on Medication?

2009-09-04T16:54:00.001-04:00

An interesting article in Raising Maine Magazine's Blog on the side of avoiding medication such as Ritalin, Adderal, etc. posted by Dr. Kevin Ross Emery is the author of "Managing The Gift: Alternative Approaches for Attention Deficit Disorder."
I can agree wholeheartedly that the natural approach take a lot of work and patience. We are in the midst of that path currently. Will be blogging about the journey in upcoming entries.

Raising Maine | Managing the Gift of ADD and ADHD: ADD/ ADHD: Why All The Focus on Medication?

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Finding the Right Yoga Teacher for Your Child

2009-08-18T20:37:00.000-04:00

by Lisa Flynn
A few days ago, I got a phone call from a parent seeking a yoga class for her son. She asked me a lot of questions such as, "How would you describe your teaching style?", "Do you use visual props?" and "How do you handle shy children?". Admittedly, it took me a little off-guard. Though these were all very good questions, I realized that no one had ever asked them of me before. Why not? We hand our children over to virtual strangers each time we send them to a class or lesson - shouldn't we all be asking such questions? As I thought back, I realized that though I don't ask these questions of my children's teachers, dance instructors, or coaches outright, the answers do present themselves soon enough.

Whether it's from my observations, comments from my kids, or from interactions with the various adults with whom I entrust my children, it soon becomes clear what the teaching style is, and how well (or not) these adults understand and have an ability to relate to children. Here is what I have observed through training others to share yoga with children, and through my observations of my own children's teachers and coaches (almost all of whom have been wonderful, by the way):

1) Teaching children comes more naturally for some than others. You either 'get' kids, or you don't. Typically, a willingness to be silly, play and not take oneself too seriously is the key here.

2) Great teachers are balanced in their demeanor and energy. The energy you emit gets sent back to you tenfold, so a balanced presence is a must. Have you ever noticed how your child is seemingly drawn to this type of teacher? There is a sense of safety created which enables your child to be his/her true self - trust is created, facilitating the learning process.

3) An understanding of, and ability to adapt to, student's varied learning styles is essential. There is a nice reference to how this relates to teaching kids yoga in an article titled, Doing Yoga With Kids, found at YogaHub.com.

...choosing the right teacher for you and/or your child is essential.

One of the things to consider is whether or not your potential teacher is aware of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory. This theory states that there are various categories of intelligence that human beings have, and that each one of these areas should be nurtured to help children reach their full potential. Every person has intelligence in the following areas: intrapersonal, naturalistic, interpersonal, musical, visual, linguistic, kinesthetic, and logical. Yoga can be a strong tool to help children cultivate each of these areas and it is therefore important to know whether your child’s teacher knows how to use these ideas and apply them to the practice of yoga.

In a nutshell, we all typically have a dominant learning style or 'intelligence.' So, in a yoga class of say 8 students, it's a sure thing there will be more than one way that everyone learns best. One child may learn best by listening closely to instructions, another by watching a demonstration, and yet another by jumping right in to try something out. A good children's yoga instructor will have the ability to address each student's dominant intelligence, while also cultivating and encouraging development of those that are less dominant.

So, the next time you are looking for a kids yoga instructor for your child, don't be afraid to ask, "What is your teaching style?". If they are worth their salt, they will make it a point to discuss their teaching technique as addressing various learning styles.

For good reason, an understanding of multiple intelligences is at the foundation of ChildLight Yoga's Kids Yoga Teacher Training and many other reputable programs as well. Find a Certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor near you. Other recommended programs:

Karma Kids Yoga
YogaKids
Next Generation Yoga
Itsy Bitsy Yoga (for children 0-4 yrs)

Kids Yoga Teacher Tips from Mini Yogis

2009-08-18T18:42:00.000-04:00

For two years now, we have been receiving weekly emails from Shana Meyerson, Founder of Mini Yogis in Santa Monica, California chock full of teaching tips for children's yoga teachers. Shana is a well-known, experienced and talented teacher. She has written about everything from class behavior management to teaching children with special needs to how to teach Crow Pose to kids. It's like getting an insider tidbit from her children's yoga teacher training every week.

Anyone can subscribe to receive these teaching tips. To see the latest tip and to subscribe, go to Mini Yogis Tip of the Week.

Back to School or Back to Stress?

2009-08-11T17:23:00.000-04:00

by Lisa Flynn

It's almost back to school for many of our children - exciting for some and daunting for others. Families can easily become overwhelmed with thoughts of school supplies, getting the 'right' sneakers and backpack, packing nutritious lunches in the age of packaged snacks, getting to school on time, excelling on the soccer field, organizing carpools, and so on. It can be exhausting just thinking about it all...Imagine how our children must feel at times - especially when we, the parents, are the ones racing around with our heads spinning!

Most children are too young to understand what 'stress' is but, according to the experts, children today suffer from stress now more than ever. In addition to hectic lifestyles, they are bombarded with news of terrorism, war and violence, and a culture filled with time-saving (??) and educational (??) technological gadgets. Sometimes, it's just too much for young, developing minds and bodies to absorb. With little to no coping mechanisms, children often end up suffering chronic stress, which can then lead to all kinds of health issues. Stress can manifest itself in many ways in children: night terrors, acting out, hyperactivity, feigned (or real) illness, lethargy, fearfulness, eating issues, bed-wetting, etc.

What can we do as parents to ensure that our families stay calm and healthy? One suggestion would be to keep things simple and allow for downtime - limiting after-school activities, for example. Parents may opt to save time and energy during the ultra busy school/work-week by making freezable dinners ahead of time over the weekend. How about sorting, ironing and lining up school and work outfits for the week on Sunday afternoon? Are missing shoes and backpacks typically an issue during your household’s morning rush? A cubby organizer system may be a worthwhile addition to your entryway area. Try working together as a family to find opportunities to simplify and save time and energy. Inevitably, this will lead to more time for play, rest and rejuvenation during downtimes – wonderful antidotes to stress.

As health and wellness initiatives increase in importance throughout the school arena, school administrations and teachers are seeking ways to short-circuit tensions in the classroom as well. After all, schoolwork, testing and ever-changing standards are stressors for teachers and students alike. More and more, teachers are recognizing the benefits of and then utilizing relaxation techniques in an effort to short-circuit tensions and anxieties in the classroom. Conscious breathing exercises, visual imagery and yoga poses are reportedly not only proving fun for children, but by accounts, extremely beneficial as well. The idea of using ‘yoga tools’ in the classroom is the brainchild of Tara Guber and Leah Kalish, respectively Founder and Director, of Yoga Ed.™, an organization based in L.A. whose mission it is to bring yoga to today’s increasingly stressed schoolchildren. As highlighted in the September, 2007 issue of Yoga Journal Magazine, Yoga Ed.’s Kalish “believes yoga can teach physical health in an engaging way while providing emotional and psychological benefits.” For two years now, teachers at Central School in South Berwick, ME have been utilizing ChildLight Yoga's Yoga 4 Classrooms program to incorporate yoga tools into their class day. Other schools around the nation are following suit.

Whether it’s yoga and breathing exercises, improved time management, fewer after-school activities or packing school lunches the night before, there are many ‘small things’ that can be done to reduce stress during the hectic school year. Do you or your family have an idea you’d like to share about managing school time stress? Please contact us or post your comments here. Your thoughts may be included in a related future article.

For more information about bringing yoga into the classroom environment, please visit www.yoga4classrooms.com.

Yoga songs make kids yoga fun!

2009-08-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

Singing is a staple in ChildLight Yoga classes for children. First, it's a great way to activate the breath as singing naturally forces fairly long inhales and exhales. Second, it FEELS SO GOOD to sing and chant! It’s a fun use of language and when combined with movement, it also works to improve coordination, concentration and balance. The benefits of music in general are overwhelming on so many levels – imparting calm, clarity and brain development. Singing as a group creates a feeling of community and connectedness. Finding yoga songs for children however, can prove to be a difficult task. We have some suggestions, but here first is a little shameless self-promotion:

Award-winning children's singer & songwriter, Sammie Haynes and ChildLight Yoga founder, Lisa Flynn (yours truly), recetnly teamed up to create a lovely little CD for use in children's yoga class and beyond. A mix of original songs and new lyrics to familiar melodies make this CD a special treat for children, parents, school teachers, and instructors alike.

Sing along with the songs while following the movement cues for a fun and effective way to utilize the breath, while building self-awareness through yoga-based activities. Timeless messages of peace, community and self-love will warm your heart.

Vocals and music by Sammie Haynes. Young yogi back-up singers include Brooke Flynn (7), Lilly Whelan (6), Sophia DeCristofaro (5) and Mia Erdman (5).

Songs are most appropriate for children ages 2 - 9 years and include:
• Hello There • Welcome Song • Breath by Breath • Warm-up Song • Butterfly Song • Listen, Listen • Walking, Walking • Alligator, Alligator • Big White Star • Row, Row, Row your Boat • Old MacYogi • Love in any Language • Yogi Has a Cat • Triangle Teapot • I Grow with Yoga • Little Fish • Go Do Yoga Rap Song • If I Were • Under One Sky • Goodbye for Now
Listen to song clips HERE.

$13
To learn more and to purchase I Grow With Yoga, CLICK HERE.
Wholesale pricing for studios, toy and educational stores are available - Contact us.

Other children's yoga CDs we love:
Dance for the Sun, by Kira Willey
Musical Yoga Adventures, by Suzy Frank and Linda Lara
Come Play Yoga!, by Karma Kids Yoga

Yoga makes its way into school programming

2009-08-06T22:36:00.000-04:00

More and more schools are recognizing the benefits of yoga for children. Many are finding funding to bring programs (such as Yoga 4 Classrooms) into their schools.

See what this Brooklyn school is doing and what their Principal has to say about the benefits of the program: View article & Video News Clip from CBS Interactive Healthwatch Here.

A shout out to YogaDork.com for bringing this piece to our attention!

Yoga in the Classroom

2009-08-06T19:05:00.000-04:00

by Lisa Flynn

A 2003 California State University study, and a growing number of subsequent studies, show a link between yoga and better learning, improved behaviors, and higher self-esteem. Students quickly learn to use yoga as a tool, not just to increase physical fitness, but also to manage their feelings and behaviors, and to create a mental state ready for learning and taking tests.

The following are some of the benefits of yoga and movement to maximize the learning process:

• Partner and group poses require students to work together as a team, creating positive social interaction.
• Balancing poses build focus and concentration.
• Some yoga exercises can help students relax, calming pre-test jitters.
• Other, more invigorating yoga techniques are useful for waking up sluggish minds before class or after lunch.
• Yoga offers children healthy ways to express their emotions, rather than bottling them up or striking out.
• Slow, even, “belly breaths” short-circuit the fight-or-flight response to stress, and promote a more relaxed, comfortable state – a perfect state for learning.
• A non-competitive yoga atmosphere where everyone can succeed fosters a can-do attitude, confidence, and enthusiasm.

More and more teachers and schools are recognizing the effectiveness of taking a few minutes here and there throughout the day to practice physical asanas, conscious breathing and relaxation/visual imagery exercises – right in the classroom. However, most teachers are not trained to do so and therefore may initially feel uncomfortable leading these exercises. That is where a trained instructor (you!) can become quite valuable.

Nearly any lesson plan you develop can be adapted for the classroom environment, though there are some challenges to consider.

There is limited space in a classroom. Most classrooms do not have a large open area in which to practice yoga. When developing a lesson plan, do keep this in mind.

• Most yoga poses and games will need to be practiced at or near one’s desk. Lying down on the floor may or may not be possible. Be creative in coming up with ways to utilize the desk or table and chair for modifications of poses typically done sitting or lying on the floor.

• Conscious breath exercises can be done sitting at a desk or table. Encourage students to sit upright with a long backs and necks, shoulders down away from the ears.

• Relaxation can practiced sitting in silence at a desk or with heads down on the desk. If space and cleanliness allow, students can lie on the floor with or without their legs up on their chairs. You might suggest that students bring in a towel on yoga days so that they can lie on the floor without concern.

Limited time. Before they realize how much it will actually help them in the long run, many teachers feel taking time out for yoga will be too time-consuming. After all, there is so much to be accomplished at school each day! Keeping this in mind, I often limit classroom yoga sessions to 20-30 minutes. Remind the classroom teacher that using the yoga-based activities need not take more than 5 minutes, if that is all the time he/she has available. In the end, any time spent on yoga is worthwhile – helping with transitions, test-taking, stress and overall learning-readiness.

Encourage the classroom teacher to participate in the yoga activities. Experiencing the beneficial effects of yoga first hand will help teachers to accept and even embrace it as a worthwhile part of the school day. As well, the more the teacher learns about and feels comfortable with the lessons, the more likely he will be to utilize them with his students when you are not there. You might even make it easy for teachers by typing up your lesson plans (with step-by-step instructions) to leave behind for their future use. They will love you for it!

Incorporate subjects of study. Find out the current areas of study and try and incorporate them into your lesson. For example, if you learn that the class is studying the American Revolution, you might devise a story about a soldier’s journey and incorporate it into your lesson plan. This might include marching in place (or around the room), Warrior Series, Triangle (Tent), Shavasana using a visualization about sleeping under the stars, and so forth. Ask the teacher if she has any other ideas for bringing the subject matter into the yoga lesson. She will appreciate that you asked and will enjoy helping you with this!

ChildLight Yoga’s own Yoga 4 Classrooms® Program offers a 5 hr. seminar for schools/teachers and yoga instructors seeking to bring yoga into the classroom setting. We are also working to publish the associated Yoga 4 Classrooms card deck. FMI, please visit www.yoga4classrooms.com.

Boat Pose

2009-08-06T18:35:00.000-04:00

Sit down with knees together in front of you. Extend arms straight out in front of you, near your knees. Lift your toes slightly off the ground and find your balance on your bottom bones. Once balanced, try and straighten your legs out fully. Strengthens core muscles, tones kidneys.

Here’s an idea!
• Sing ChildLight Yoga’s ‘Row Your Boat Song’ while moving your arms in a rowing motion.
• Inflate your float boat. Start off as a deflated float (Ball Pose) with your arms wrapped tightly around your legs, head down on knees. Very slowly, inflate your raft boat with each deep breath – all the way into boat pose. (Note: Young children often want to rush to inflate and may take in too much oxygen. Skip the deep breaths with little ones and again, encourage a very slow transition with all ages.)
• Rock the Boat – Roll into Ball Pose and try to come up and balance back in Boat Pose. For even more of a challenge, hold the toes or feet in Boat Pose, roll back and come to sitting Boat balance. Very challenging – great for older children.
• Half Boat – From boat pose, lower yourself half way down using your stomach muscles. Hover, hover, hover...then, SAVE YOURSELF from sinking by pulling back up into full Boat Pose. Can you do it again?

Could also be: LEAF, BOWL, SLEIGH, NEST, CUP, BOOMERANG

Excerpted from the ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training Manual, copyright 2007, 2008, 2009 Join us for our next training - CLICK HERE.

Benefits of Yoga for Children

2009-08-06T18:05:00.000-04:00

by Lisa Flynn

Yoga programs for kids encourage children to be children. Imitation of animals, nature and everyday objects, the basis of the physical aspect of a yoga practice, comes naturally to them. Children love opportunities to use their imaginations, create and explore. They get excited, calm down, play and dance. Yoga for kids encourages their natural abilities and interests, while helping them to develop strength, flexibility and an overall sense of well-being. Yoga for children also provides kids with tools they can use to get hold of their active lives and sometimes overactive minds.

Take a look at a sampling of what child development experts, parents and teachers (and finally, actual scientific research) are reporting as the benefits of yoga for children:
• develops/improves strength & flexibility
• improves concentration, focus & attention
• develops/improves balance & coordination
• improves general body awareness
• boosts self-confidence and self-esteem
• improves sleeping patterns
• encourages mind/body connection
• promotes calm and ability to be less reactive
• expands creative expression & imagination
• aids digestion, circulation & elimination
• promotes respect for self & others
• improves immune system function
• teaches environmental awareness, earth care, and an overall sense of connectedness
• promotes self-discipline and self-control
• clears the mind, promotes learning-readiness
• promotes an overall sense of well-being

In an era when children are acquiring conditions and diseases previously unknown in childhood, proper breathing, exercise and deep relaxation are a much needed healing force. Yoga helps children cope with the conflicts and stress of a very hectic world. It helps them to see the beauty and light within themselves, boosting their self-confidence, allowing them to feel more comfortable with their bodies, and helping them get in touch with who they are inside. Yoga resonates with children. They love the practice and they love how they feel afterwards. And the bonus is that a child who learns yoga and relaxation will be developing beneficial skills they can use throughout their life. Practicing yoga can help a child develop concentration, patience, gentleness, strength, creativity and stability – habits we’d all love to cultivate. These are the building blocks that create the foundation for a happy, healthy life.

Excerpted from the ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training Manual. Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009. Join us for the next training - CLICK HERE.

Why Yoga for Children?

2009-08-06T15:40:00.000-04:00

by Lisa Flynn

Most children are too young to understand what stress is but, according to many experts, children today suffer from stress now more than ever. Over the last few decades, we have created a culture which demands an extremely busy lifestyle. Our hurry up world of homework, over-scheduled activities, competitive sports, electronics/technology, and ultra busy parents creates an environment ripe for producing stress in children.

Children living in the information age of today are bombarded with news of terrorism, war and violence, as well as by endless advertising and marketing pitches. Time spent watching television and playing computer and video games has replaced the time children used to spend outdoors in the natural world, using their imaginations, connecting with nature and getting exercise. Add to that the peer and media pressure aimed at children to wear, have and even ‘be’ the right things. For many children, it has become too much for their young, developing minds and bodies to absorb.

With little to no coping mechanisms, these children often end up suffering chronic stress, which can lead to all kinds of health issues. Stress can manifest itself in many ways in children: night terrors, acting out, hyperactivity, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, lethargy, fearfulness, eating issues, and bed-wetting, to name a few.

Obesity in children is also on the rise, to the point of being deemed an epidemic in the United States. With so much time being spent in front of TV and computers, children are not getting the exercise their bodies crave and need. Then again, fear of our children being harmed or even abducted has created a society where, as parents, we are afraid to even let our kids outside to play. Our increasing dependence on fast and over-processed foods only adds to the growing obesity problem.

ADD / ADHD and diagnosis of Autism are increasing prevalent among our youth. Much of the above is to blame, but many feel the lifeless foods and toxins in our diets and environment are also responsible. Schools are reporting decreasing attention spans, concentration and social skills at a time when the ‘no child left behind’ mentality values results over process. This is a very challenging time for teachers, parents and children alike.

Overall, children are suffering a lack of connection to their own bodies, their environment and the food they eat. This crosses socio-economic barriers – rich or poor, more and more kids today are overweight, have stress and anger issues, and attention and learning problems. There is a real separation of mind and body, with attention being focused outward to the ever-increasing distractions of the external world. Isolation from families and community is common. Children in poor and middle class families may see little of parents who work. In affluent families, the disconnect can be even greater. Rather than sitting down to dinner together, it is now quite common for children and parents to communicate mainly via text messaging.

Some of the detrimental effects of these disconnections are above. Others include an inability to regulate one’s emotions, overeating or mindless eating, substance abuse, decreased ability to use one’s imagination, negative body image, low self-esteem, and a general lack of compassion, empathy and respect for oneself and others. Some believe this has translated into an increase in violence among children.

Phew! Is that all reason enough??

While we live in a world full of war, drugs, crime, depression and toxic food, we must give our children every tool possible to assist them in counteracting a culture and environment that is potentially hazardous to their health and well-being. Through the use of yoga tools, stories and play, we can provide children with opportunities to grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, helping them to connect with themselves and others with compassion, understanding and clarity.

Excerpted from the ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training Manual, Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009.

To learn about ChildLight Yoga's programs for children, please visit our website.
To learn how you can bring the gifts of yoga to the children in your community, attend a ChildLight Yoga weekend training near you. For more information about the ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training, CLICK HERE.

Yoga and Parenting - Part I: My Son has ADD

2009-08-04T23:03:00.000-04:00

by Lisa Flynn

My 6 yr. old son Jack was recently diagnosed with ADD...on top of an earlier diagnosis of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (also known as Sensory Processing Disorder). In a nutshell, his nervous system is in overdrive most of the time.

As I think back to his first year, it makes sense. We couldn't take him out anywhere as he was oversensitive to noise and chaotic environments - family gatherings, the grocery store, and pretty much everywhere. At 3 years old, we noticed that he couldn't follow simple two step instructions - he would head in the right direction and promptly 'forget' what he was doing. At 4, his preschool teacher casually mentioned that he didn't seem to hear her when she spoke (he passed a hearing test). And then, this last January, his Kindergarten teacher pulled us in for a meeting and told us she was concerned about Jack's inability to focus on her voice and the tasks at hand. She said that though he was not hyperactive and was generally well-behaved (and very bright), he could be quite loud, was easily aggitated, and did not seem to be able to pick out her voice and instructions in the midst of everything else going on around him. Onto evaluations...and voila! - a diagnosis of SID and ADD.

I have not missed the irony in the fact that his mother teaches yoga and relaxation to children. We yogis are apparently not exempt from having children with attention issues (an exaggerated inability to be present). But, I like to think Jack was born to me because I AM a children's yoga instructor. And, in so many ways, on so many levels, he is my teacher as well.

Admittedly, this is not exactly the motherhood I had envisioned (picture: me practicing downdog with my peaceful children on a beach...). These last several months have been consumed by OT and PT sessions (I forgot to mention he's also in physical therapy for tight heel cords/calves, flat feet and inpronation), one on one work with Jack at home, visits to the Naturopath, further expensive testing, time-consuming experimentation with natural remedies (ever tried to get a 6 yr. old to take a tinctures and capsules?), inventing new kid-friendly meals due to recently discovered food sensitivities to dairy/eggs, frustrations with insurance company/coverage...well, you get the picture.

Never before have I relied so much on my yoga practice. The yama of aparagraha, or non-possessiveness/non-attachment tells us that holding on to possessions or ideas causes suffering. Letting go of our attachments eases suffering. From a mother's perspective, this can feel like an oxymoron. Isn't it our job to protect and fix - to do anything and everything in our power to make sure our child is happy and well? Sort of.

The truth is, as much as I'm looking for it, I can not control whether or not all of these therapies and natural approaches will improve Jack's ability to focus or lessen his SID symptoms. It's possible that after everything - the time, energy, money, worry - he will still need medication during school hours (more on this in Part II). I remind myself that there is probably no miracle cure, and I'm trying hard to be okay with that. I need to accept the fact that Jack's happiness and well-being are not completely in my control. AND, my happiness and well-being is not dependent on it. As a parent, that's a tough pill to swallow (no pun intended). Remembering the following has been helpful:

Practicing non-attachment does not mean loving our kids any less...It means loving them for who they are.

Jack is Jack, whether or not he has special needs or culturally determined 'issues.' He's kind, funny, smart, and his snaggle-toothed smile melts my heart.

As I head in now to peek over the railing of Jack's top bunk, I relish the moment, this moment, watching the peaceful, beautiful boy who is my son. I suddenly feel no need to change, fix or control - just love. Fortunately, that's the easy part.

Here is an article I found in Yoga Journal which goes into more detail about the practice of non-attachment in parenting. It's aptly titled, The Yoga of Parenting. Take a read....

Our Favorite New Blog...ThePranaMama.com

2009-08-02T21:14:00.001-04:00

Our friend, former ChildLight Yoga Instructor, fellow mom and all-around super woman, has started a new blog dedicated to moms with a focus on health, wellness and their children. It's fun, heart-warming, and oh-so-familiar with wonderful tips, reminders and suggestions for the busy mom.

We will be referencing if often...why not just subscribe??

www.thepranamama.com (we LOVE the name!)

Amazing Breastfeeding Video

2009-07-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

This superb video will help initiate this process right from the time the baby is born. The video is such a joy to watch! It shows the power of nature fostering breastfeeding and adding to the medicinal, nutritional and bonding between mother and child in what can only be described as magical! It is BEAUTIFUL and EDUCATIONAL - also, it was filmed in India...

http://breastcrawl.org/video.htm

Thanks to Helen Garabedien of Itsy bitsy Yoga for forwarding this amazing video.

Kids Yoga Mats are HERE!

2009-07-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

These are just adorable! Choose from Butterfly, Turtle or Sun themes. To learn more and order, CLICK HERE...

4th Annual Summer Camp for 4-7 yrs. a SUCCESS!

2009-07-17T21:34:00.000-04:00

Our 4th annual Yoga Adventures Summer Camp for 4-7 years was filled to capacity this week! We had 20 happy campers who enjoyed t-shirt design, lots of yoga & yoga games, and adventures to Naked Plates Pottery, Matt Randall's Black Belt Academy, Children's Museum of NH, Henry Law Park, and more. Parents enjoyed the annual sing & share show today and I was fortunate enough to attend as well. Thanks to Sharon, Jodi and Kim for their amazing camp counseling. The parents and children were really thrilled. Here is a comment that just came in:

"Well....my girls can't wait until next year...they told all their friends about it after "graduation"...so far I know 2 of my friends said they are going to send their little ones next year! yeah!!!!! Sharon is a doll...the girls LOVED her...we thought the graduation was so cute! Olivia loved the singing and everything! Thanks so much for a great week!" ~ S. Bolduc, Mom of Olivia (5) and Alaina (4)

For more photos, visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/childlightyoga

Vote for ChildLight Yoga!

2009-06-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

ChildLight Yoga was recently nominated and entered in the StartUpNation's Home-Based 100 Contest. We would very much appreciate your vote - it's takes just 2 seconds. If you be willing, there is also a 'share' button on the page which allows you to share the voting opportunity with others who might be interested. Or, you could also just forward this email to your friends and contacts. Thanks to much in advance for your support!

Vote now - Click here!

Kids Yoga Teacher Trainings - 2009

2009-06-24T10:06:00.000-04:00

Come learn to share the gifts of yoga with children!
The ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training is an incredibly fun,
interactive and educational experience! A passion for yoga
and a love for children is at the core of this training. It is
designed to provide serious yogis (at least 1+ yrs. of study of
asanas, pranayama & basic yogic philosophy) with the tools
and knowledge needed to share the gifts of yoga with children.

Training addresses teaching yoga to children ages 2-teens,
with a concentration on ages 3-11yrs. Whether you are
seeking to incorporate what you learn into your current
work with children, or whether you are looking to teach yoga
to children as a career, the CLY Teacher Training will provide you with the information and inspiration necessary to begin doing so
immediately.

Aug. 22 & 23rd, Wayne, PA
Oct. 24 & 25, E. Greenwich, RI
Nov. 7 & 8, Dover, NH
Nov. 14 & 15, E. Greenwich, SC

See what others are saying about this training!

For more details about this training and to register - click here.

New! Our first BUY LOCAL pick...

2009-06-23T21:35:00.000-04:00

The Little Hat Company offers gorgeous handmade hats for babies, kids and adults, made by moms right here in S. Berwick, ME. Our new favorite is the
"beachcomber" - pictured here. Check out the new 'Cog' hat for adults, too - this hat was included in all celebrity goodie bags at the Emmy Awards last month! Cool, huh? SPECIAL OFFER: Join TLHC e-mail list and TAKE 50% off any hat order! (Use code: halfoffhat)
www.thelittlehatcompany.com

The Wire highlights Summer Yoga in the Park Series

2009-06-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

Article in The Wire, June 19, 2009 featuring our upcoming Family Class!
Prescott posturing
Written by Sarah LaChance
Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Yoga in the Park offers every style under the sun

For those who visit, live or work on the Seacoast, Portsmouth’s Prescott Park has long been a destination for all sorts of daytime activities, from a game of checkers on the bench, to a stroll along the flowerbeds, to unwrapping a sandwich on the pier. Now every Tuesday at noon, from June through August, Prescott Park also provides an opportunity to gather around the fountain and practice some yoga.

On a recent Tuesday, under blue skies dotted with stray clouds, students arrived for the first class of the summer. They unfurled yoga mats and beach towels of yellow, bright pink and orange floral in a semi-circle. Most were dressed in typical gym garb of shorts and tank tops. One student, having dashed from the office, simply rolled up her pant legs and loosely tied a button-down shirt at her waist. In the center of the circle, instructor Deborah Levine, of Yogarising, led a series of postures focusing on core strength, with an emphasis on breath and fluid movements. She welcomed students of all ages and abilities.

“Instructors are able to adapt postures based upon the abilities of their students,” Levine said.

Series founder Sara Curry, of Bikram Yoga Portsmouth, first heard about yoga classes held outside in Florida parks from one of her students in Burlington, Vt., and thought it was a wonderful idea. When Curry later moved to the Seacoast, she established the Portsmouth Yoga in the Park series as a way to get to know the local yoga community, disciplines, practitioners and instructors, alike.

“The number one goal of Yoga in the Park is to make yoga accessible to more people,” Curry said. “We’ve had a bunch of students try yoga for the first time in the park and have lots of people who attend every session every year.”

Each week, students arrive without knowing who will be teaching or what style of yoga they’ll be practicing. Thirteen yoga studios collaborate on the series, offering classes in the Bikram, Family, Gentle Hatha, Hatha Flow, Ashtanga, Restorative and Kripalu traditions.

The only class specifically scheduled in advance is the June 30 ChildLight Yoga session. This style of yoga is tailored to families, although children are welcome at any of the classes and can often be seen playing or watching nearby. One student in the inaugural class practiced as her infant watched and eventually climbed into her lap during a few of the postures.

Read entire article...

Growth by Subraction

2009-06-18T21:16:00.000-04:00

A lovely little article written by our mentor and friend Julie Rost of YogaLife NH.

As we near the beginning of summer, the energy of “fullness” is in the air. The bright side of this fullness is the bursting trees and flowers, sunshine, children playing, increased warmth and energy all around.

A downside to this idea of “fullness” is a tendency to take on too much, to get too busy, and to have too much going on....

Read the full article...

Family Yoga at Kids Day in South Berwick

2009-06-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

With a group of over 20 children and their parents, our family yoga class at the 1st annual Kids Day in S. Berwick, ME was awesome!! Thanks to Lisa Jones for sharing this photo :)

Our community is growing...

2009-05-06T19:31:00.001-04:00

Wow, it's been so long since I last blogged on. I want to let you know all the exciting things happening with ChildLight Yoga!

We are growing and evolving, just like our ChildLight Yoga signature flower logo. I envision our flower logo as an ever growing and ever changing, dropping petals and replacing them with others which are stronger and wiser. This is the metamorphosis that I've experienced in my own personal yoga journey. (For those on a yoga journey, you know what I'm talking about!) Our local team of 7 instructors continue to evolve and learn right along with our company. The beauty is that we all have the same basic intentions - to share yoga with children in our community, introducing them to a healthful and beneficial way to grow and evolve throughout their life. What a gift!

ChildLight Yoga has now also now trained over 250 others via the weekend-long ChildLight Yoga Teacher Training. I'm so thrilled to announce that more than 1/3 of those who attend the CLY TT have been inspired to continue on to become certified. It's a process - not a tough one, but one that requires teaching and reporting on teaching experiences. Thank you and congrats to all of the newly certified ChildLight Yoga Intructors, all 70 of you so far, an amazing group of individuals doing wonderful work with children in communities in PA, RI, SC, NH, VT, British Columbia, Mexico, WA, ME and NH, among others. (See who they are on the Instructors page at www.childlightyoga.com!).

Thanks to you all, our supporters and friends for reading this and sending us continued strength and focus to continue on this incredible path.

Namaste and hugs, too.

March Open House a Success

2009-03-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all who attended our Open House last Sunday. We had a great turnout! We're guessing there were at least 80 people who came through, most of them children. Children creating. Children jumping. Children dressing up and running around in small herds. It was wonderful!!

The natural energy of many happy young yogis was punctuated by the fun and lively music of local musician extraordinaire, Sammie Hayes. Sammie is known for her catchy songs that are pefectly geared for children. She also has teamed up with ChildLight to create "I Grow With Yoga: Yoga Songs for Children". You can find more information on Sammie and her fantastic music at http://www.sammiehaynes.com/

We love seeing you all, and know we couldn't do what we do without you! Thank you again~

Vacation Prescription

2009-02-18T23:27:00.001-05:00

My family arrived home at 12:30am this morning from a week-long vacation in Florida. Tired, but happy. Nope, we couldn't really afford the trip - in fact, we has originally agreed we weren't going on our annual family vacation this year. I'm so glad we changed our minds at the last minute!

We shared costs by renting a big house with extended family, grocery shopped and ate in most of the time, and let the kids play in the pool for much of the trip, rather than heading out to the pricey amusement parks. Much to our delight, it was the best family vacation we've ever had. We actually had quality time together!

We realized something so simple, yet very important. We don't need to 'entertain' our kids with expensive outings, restaurants, and tons of planned activities. Great news for the kids and great for us, too (the most work I did was turn the pages of a book I've been trying to read for a year while watching the kids in the pool) - and it was a lot easier on the pocketbook, too.

Tips: Skip the pricey Disney parks and buy the 14-day combo pass to Seaworld and Busch Gardens - currently just $89 per person at www.seaworld.com. We went to both parks twice. One day we toured Seaworld and watched the dolphin show. The next day, after spending a leisurely day at the pool, we returned to Seaworld at 5pm for the Shamu show. We split Busch Gardens up similarly so that we spent no more than 4 hrs. at the park each day - the kids were much happier and so were we! On our last day, we went to Downtown Disney (free entry) and ate our picnic lunch, packed at home that morning, on a balcony while listening to a free concert.

If you have friends or family with children your own children's age, team up and share a house. The kids keep each other entertained! I recommend www.orlando4villas.com. You can get some great deals right now...ours was a 7 bedroom with a pool and hot tub, washer/dryer, etc. in a gated community called 'Emerald Island Resort', minutes from everything important in Orlando. Don't be afraid to haggle on the price! We did and it paid off.

Total cost of the vacation including flights, groceries, park tickets, split house rental, parking, etc.: about $2,800 for a family of four. Value of the this special, quality time with my family? I know, I know, I shouldn't say it but I can't help myself... priceless!!

I highly recommend it.

Lisa

OPEN HOUSE PARTY!! Sunday, March 15th

2009-02-18T23:13:00.000-05:00

Calling all KIDS (& kids at heart)...
IT'S CHILDLIGHT YOGA'S OPEN HOUSE PARTY!
Sunday, March 15th
1:30 - 3:30pm
Dover Yoga Studio, Dover, NH
Featuring...

Sammie Hayne's LIVE, performing songs & signing copies of our new CD, I Grow With Yoga!Yoga play obstacle course
Bouncy house
Face-painting
Meet the instructors & learn more about ChildLight Yoga classes & programs
Healthy snacks
Prizes & giveaways

Free Event. Any welcome donations will benefit our scholarship fund & Yoga 4 Classrooms programs. The children of our community thank you!

Winner! Week 3

2009-01-24T14:44:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Amy and Nathan Dodge - Week 3 winner contest entry!

"How exciting it was to capture a photo of Nate mimicking downward dog with his favorite buddy Murtaugh. We all love this pose, it is the ultimate stretch for your body.: --Amy & Nathan, Age 2

Winner! Week 2

2009-01-24T14:29:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Grace Vigent - Winner: Week 2!

"I like bow pose because it's fun!" ~ Grace, Age 5

Contest Winner - Jan/Week 1

2009-01-08T09:35:00.000-05:00

"I thought I'd send Alyssa's picture because I've been meaning to share it with you! She just eats it up, she's very much a mimic right now and yoga is a favorite.

Alyssa's favorite pose is Downward Facing Dog. She likes it because she can do it by herself. She also uses it to save her pride when she trips and falls forward...she picks herself up into the pose and says "Down Dog!" as if that's what she meant to do!

Down Dog has been Alyssa's favorite pose since she was 11 months and everyone who sees it thinks she's amazing. Then I tell them all about Yoga for babies :)"

- Submitted by Kimberly Harris

CONTEST: Strike a Pose/Snap a Shot

2008-12-30T22:27:00.001-05:00

STRIKE A POSE / SNAP A SHOT CONTEST now open!

Calling all young yogis - babies to 15yrs. We know you love yoga, but we want to know why, in your own words (yes, parents may "speak" for little ones who do not yet talk!)

Here's how it works:

Practice your favorite yoga pose.

Have an adult take a photo and email it, along with a quote from you about why you like the pose to: lisa@childlightyoga.com.

Each week during the month of January, one entry will be chosen and featured in this blog.

During February, a grand prize winner, chosen by a blog reader poll, will earn his/her choice of a free 6-week class or $50 credit to summer camp! (So, remember to come back and vote!)

Don't be shy...strike a pose and snap a shot. - We look forward to seeing them!

One entry per week per child.

Introducing our new website, blog & CD!

2008-12-30T22:09:00.000-05:00

It's finally here - our new website! Thank you to Hanna Bulger of Good Girl Graphics and Meghan Melange of Melange Design Studio for giving us a new home on the web!

You can now register online for all of our programs from classes to summer camps to workshops. And the new ChildLight Yoga boutique is open, featuring our signature t-shirts for all ages, and....the newly released CD, I Grow With Yoga: Yoga Songs for Children...
The CD was a joint venture and fun adventure with my good friend, Sammie Haynes, world-famous and award-winning children's singer/songwriter. Thank you Sammie! (Learn more about Sammie and her amazing programs for children at http://www.sammiehaynes.com/). And a big thank you and hug to Lilly, Brooke, Sophia and Mia for their amazing vocals and smiles on the CD. You make my heart sing!

I Grow With Yoga is available at our favorite little toy store, The Little Hat Co. in S. Berwick, G. Willikers in Portsmouth, Dover Yoga Studio in Dover and Blue Moon Market in Exeter, as well as through our online boutique. If you're registered for a class and would like to order one (or a t-shirt, etc.), just send us an email and we'll hand deliver it to you at class! How is that for customer service?!

Parents and kids...Please take a tour of our new website and let us know what you think!