How Yoga Lights Up My 3-Year-Old

See that baby in the banner picture at the top of my blog. She is growing up! I am so happy to share with you that she also loves yoga! Loves it!

She has been coming with me to toddler yoga for a year-and-a-half and is always right there beside me singing, chanting and doing the poses. I love that we can share this practice together.

Things change fast, so who knows, maybe she will be ambivalent about it next month. But for now, I thought I would share with you her kid yoga debut. This is my daughter, age three, showing me her "yoga routine".

What I adore most about this video is the pure love and joy that radiates from her. 

Note: The jumping sequence at the end is part of my kids yoga classes where we grab our "monkey minds" and bring them back into our bodies "home".

Here is a short video clip of us practicing together about a week later. You will see she finally is able to kick up to headstand after much practice all week!



As you can see, even young kids are able to use yoga to connect to their own inner strength, balance, and spirit! So go have some fun doing yoga. 

Try a little "grab the monkey, grab the monkey, grab the monkey, bring him back hoooome!"

Namaste
The Domestic Yogi

Make Family Prayer Flags for 2014

 Try this easy family craft to get your family creating, thinking positively and connected. It's a positive twist on new year's resolutions.

Ask your family what good things they would like in their life in 2014. It's a great way to hear what your children value, as well as find out more their inside world.

My three year old would like: more snowman making and lots of animals in her life, especially cats.

My six-year-old thought it would be great to have buckets and bucket loads of money. As well wanted to have good times at school, including good friendships, and lots of fun and laughing. He'd also like a real-live cat.

For me, I want more yoga in my life in 2014. For me this means, a stronger commitment to self-practice to grow, learn and discover. As well as sustaining the connections and students I have already made, whilel finding more families, adults and children to teach.

To round out the flags we have "lots of happiness, joy and laughing" and " family time".

May your 2014 be full of connection, discovery, joy and spirit.

Namaste

Change, Change and I am Okay

It seems like yesterday that I was at the berry farm with my 2-year-old son, pregnant, enjoying all the raspberry sweetness. My son back then so tentative and small and cheeky. Both of us fading quickly in the hot summer heat. My son overwhelmed by the stinky smell wafting over from the petting farm. We picked maybe 3 quarts. Maybe. Totaling $4 or so in raspberries. 

Berry farm summer 2010

Upon returning home, my husband declares, "that's it?" "Yep, 1.5 hrs of driving for $4 in raspberries." But it was an adventure. We sight saw along the way and we stopped for ice cream. Oh the days of having one little buddy around.

This summer, we found ourselves going back to the same country berry farm. Three years later, my daughter is now the same age as my son was, and wore the same shirt. (Oh how she loves that shirt.) We had a rough start to the picking again this time, "too stinky!" "too much walking!" "ahhh! My hat fell off!" but we persevered. Eventually my son locked into his task (berries on middle branches), which brought  my daughter in line to follow us picking her low-lying berries. Next thing we knew, we had two full baskets! (Racked up $16 worth) 

Berry farm 2013

I was a shock to go back and look at that picture of my little son at the berry farm. It seems like so long ago because so much has evolved since then. But, it also seems like he couldn't possibly have grown that much, in body and mind, in just three years! 

Looking back at the time when my son was two going on three and I was pregnant for nine very long months, I can't remember my son at that age as much as I'd like to. Pregnancy is hard, and even more hard to be fully present in the moment, open to what is.

It makes me even more conscious that I need to save mental "images" each and every day. Even just for a moment, stop, be fully present absorbing the moment with my kids. Maybe I am just watching them engrossed in their moment, or maybe I am engrossed in the moment with them. Store that moment in my memory.  

Being a stay-at-home mom (mostly) I always felt a little like, "this shit is never going to end!" But I suppose that usually was on the long boring, kids are misbehaving or being super needy sort-of days. It is so cliche to say that kids grow up so fast. But they do.

Times are changing. No longer is there one older kid and a baby. Now my children have reached the age where they truly enjoy playing with each other. This summer we had a blast enjoying lazy fun days inside and out. So it came as quite a shock to all three of us to have my oldest off to school full-time kindergarten last week. Our hearts were all a little swollen with sadness from missing our third team member. 

First day kindergarten with sister

First day pose

Many of the kids I teach yoga to on a weekly basis are moving on to different schools. This also makes my heart ache as I will miss seeing these kids so much. I love watching them grow and their spirits shine. 

Yes, my heart has been aching with all this change, but I keep reciting the chant/song I always sing to my wee students in class. Change, change and I am okay. Change, change and I am okay. Close my eyes and I am okay. (View the video for the tune)

It's okay to feel sad with change. It's okay to feel whatever you feel in times of loss or change. 

Sometimes its hard, but I always try to honor those feelings when my heart hurts because it means I care deeply. Feeling deeply is human blessing. It can bring profound gifts.

Feeling grounded through change is important. Breathing deep, saying a mantra or reciting positive affirmations, taking more quiet reflective time, being in nature, eating some good soul nourishing food, these things will all help get you through. 

Binging on a whole chocolate cake then finishing off the tub of ice cream. Um. Not so much. That will not help you stay centered through the change. It will just send you on a roller coaster.

Reaching out to friends, calling your mom, extra hugs and kisses from your loved ones. These are also super sweet. This is all how I got through. A big thanks to my friends, my mom and my family for all the love to get me through this week!

Same holds true for helping your kids through change. Lots of hugs and kisses. Quiet times. Time in nature. Allowing them to express themselves unconditionally. Take things slower. Make sure the day isn't stressed (or at least the morning if you are going to school).

What helps you get through? What helps you get your kids through?

Now, I better go off to spend some quality time with my daughter while her brother is at school, because next thing I know, three years from now, she will be dressing up for her first day of school! 

Namaste

The Domestic Yogi

Dancing To My Own Beat as a Kids Yoga Instructor

Buzzed after a good day of teaching FOUR kids yoga classes! Yes, four! Three for private preschools, and one public family yoga class at our local Tibetan center.

I feel so blessed that there is so much demand for my classes here in my Southern Indiana bubble. When I started Enchanted Yogis just a year ago, I never dreamed it'd be so well accepted and loved in the community. I feel so fortunate.

Plus I have met so many wonderful children and their parents because of it. Kids and their parents keep coming back again and again, and they've all truly touched my heart.

I'm so happy to be teaching something fun, creative, healthy and mindful. I love that some of the things we do  in class are helpful to kids in their daily life.

Here that sound? Yep. That's me moving to the drum of my own beat, enchanting others, and flowing along in my own way to the divine inner truth. Namaste.

First day of 3-week Summer Yoga Camp

One Simple Way to Teach Your Kids Intuition, Respect and Mindfulness

It's finally spring time! Flowers are abundant. If you are like me, I love to take walks in nature with the kids. Inevitably we pick a few wild flowers to savor and bring home.

My sweet girl communing with nature.
Photo by Venus Leah Photography

Here is a great way to teach your kids respect for nature (and all living things) and also introduce to them the concept of intuition. Before picking any flowers, plants, or taking anything from nature, demonstrate this to your child:

• Ask out loud to the flower, plant or special object in nature if it is okay to pick/take it.
• Let your child know you are closing your eyes and listening for the answer with your whole being.
• Then tell your child that you may not get a verbal answer from nature, but that you are feeling with your whole body for the answer. 
• If you get a bad feeling, your tummy feels strange, or something just doesn't feel right, then you will not pick the flower or take the object. Just simply move on and find another special piece of nature to ask. 
• If you get a good feeling, such as your heart seems to sing spontaneously, then indeed, go ahead and pick that beauty and take her home.

It is so important to model and demonstrate this process to your child. Monkey see, monkey do. 

If your kids are like mine, there is a natural tendency to go crazy wild fast at picking flowers. So encourage them to slow down, be mindful of each pick, and to take a moment to ask each flower (or each bunch of flowers) permission before taking.

Such a seemingly small "ritual" in nature, can have a deep lasting affect on children. It gives them the message that nature isn't just something to reap and conquer. It teaches them to respect nature, just like we teach them to respect other human beings by asking before taking. 

This small ritual is also a way to help children practice opening up their senses, and to trust their gut feelings and intuition in a safe place. There is no right and wrong answer, so there is no fear of failing, nor fear of any negative consequences.  

Intuition is one of those important, hard to teach things. So this is a simple, wonderful way help cultivate it, while also cultivating mindfulness and self-centering.

Let me know how this works for you!

Namaste!

Kids Yoga Series: Butterfly Life Cycle

Here is a wonderful yoga series that helps to strengthen kids bodies, improve their self-awareness, inspires imagination, and helps them learn the life cycle of a butterfly.

Before you begin, you may want to show the kids a diagram or book to explain briefly about the life cycle stages.

Pose 1: Butterfly Egg Pose

Curl up in a seated ball. Tell the kids they are butterfly eggs stuck on a green leaf. 

Tell the kids to close their eyes and take 10 deep breaths. 

Mention that with each breath their inner power grows and grows. Count down from 10 for them. 

* To make it more playful as you count, mention there is a rainstorm, or windstorm, ending with a sunny day.

Pose 2: Caterpillar Pose

From butterfly egg, slowly grow out of the egg by straightening your eggs and leaning back. This will work core muscle strength. Encourage kids to keep their lower back on the grown and lift their head and upper backs. Younger kids can put their hands down. 

Wiggle side to side like a caterpillar.

* To make more fun, you can encourage kids to "munch munch munch" with their mouths on a leaf.

Pose 3: Chrysalis Pose

From caterpillar, rest head and feet on the ground for a moment. Then using core strength again, lift feel and head up in the air, grabbing onto legs. Legs can be bent.

Encourage kids to again breath deeply in their cocoon, gathering inner power to transform into a butterfly with each breath.

Count down from five.

Pose 4: Baby Butterfly Pose

From chrysalis, put your legs down and open them to the side, with feet together into buddhakonasana, or baby butterfly pose. 

Have kids test out their wings, and tell them the butterflies are very hungry. Its time to find food! Ask, what does the butterfly eat? Where are we flying to?

Pose 5: The Adult Butterfly Pose

From baby butterfly, have kids breath five deep breaths and on the last one, grown their adult wings. Legs can be bent. Its easy to roll back here, so encourage kids to come up again if they roll out.

Ask the kids where the adult butterflies are flying to today?

To complete the cycle, tell the kids the butterflies lay eggs, and go back into butterfly egg pose.

Namaste Song Comes Alive

This is a beautiful example of if you do good things, good things will come back to you! How thrilled and honored was I to receive this awesome illustration of me on my Facebook page by my talented friend Cheryl Liz whose daughter came to one of my yoga classes!

The Namaste Song comes alive!  Do yoga every day for the good in you and the good in me, and the world will live in harmony! 

Enchanted Yogis Tibetan Buddhist-Style

MY TASK:  teach a yoga class to young kids that introduces them to yoga and the culture and fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism.

The tricky part, aside from striving to be authentic to the teachings while simplifying, was to create a class that was fun, inspiring, yet was able speak to kids on their level. I ended up teaching two classes, ages 3-5 and 6-12.

It wasn't easy. But I did it.

The calls of "can we do it again", egged me on. The echos of laughter made my spirit shine even more. Looking out around the floor seeing the 10 kids sitting on their mats, eyes bright, ready and waiting for more (even after 45 minutes) made me realize: yes, kids are open and ready for this.    

Balloon breath warm up: start in a crouch then inhale pretending
to blow up a balloon. Raise arms overhead and hold  for 5 counts.
POP goes the balloon deflating to the ground.

Balloon breath game: same as above, only the teacher goes around
 to point at the kids to blow up and then to  pop.

Snippet from the Balloon Breath game

Finding our centers again after all our breathing warm ups.

Mountain pose with Tibetan Buddhist-style lotus hands (holding a precious
jewel in our palms).

Three-legged-doggies as part of the sun salutations.

Donkey Kicks as part of the sun salutations.

A little game of mindful walking

Teaching on Wisdom and Compassion

To teach the kids about what the Buddhist and yoga path is about, we looked at WISDOM and COMPASSION. We create yoga poses to represent each, and talked about what they mean. Then we put the concepts into play with the flip slide: DESIRE & IGNORANCE.

Playing out desire vs wisdom with yoga

The above video is a great example of listening to your students ideas, empowering them with acting on their suggestion. We had done two scenarios prior to this video clip, and one of the students wanted to do it again with his suggestion. I was happy to oblige!

Story Time!

Story time! I suggested they get comfortable and rest on their bellies while
they listen to a story from Tibet.

To give the students a little rest, work on their imagination, and to help illustrate the culture of Tibetan Buddhism, I transported them to a time long in a place where the tallest mountains in our world live - the Himalayas. In the mountains was a lake where a very old Tibetan Buddhist teacher riding in a boat. The teacher saw a small island up ahead that looked untouched by man except for a little hut. Read the full story here. After we did the yoga poses associated with the story (also here).

Beyond introducing Tibetan Buddhist culture, including the mantra om mani padme hung, this story helps to illustrate how strong you can become if you commit yourself to something with your full concentration and put your heart into it.

Relaxation and Integration

Get Your Craft On!

A little art project is just the thing to help the kids process the class and have something tangible to remember the good times.

Today we created our own prayer flags. I had five blank rectangles cut out and placed on a string. They were told to draw images of things they want more of in their life, or that make them happy. There were lots of flowers, hearts, but my favorite was a birthday cake!

One of the participants flags.
From left to right – a puppy, a flower, Mommy, the letter “A”, and a happy face.

At the end of the day, I was pleased to see everyone walk out of class with a smile, and even more buzzing with life. Plus, the class lit my spirit in a way it hasn't been since I last practiced with my sangha and teacher back at  Riwoche Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Toronto.

I dedicate all the merit from my class to all beings in all directions.

Namaste & tashi delak 

A Tibetan Buddhist Story with Yoga Poses

Children laying on their bellies ready to hear the Tibetan Buddhist Story

In the kids yoga class I recently taught at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, I told them a simple version of this story below. It was a great way to let the kids rest, and help them use their imagination. Also, a great way to introduce a little Tibetan Buddhist culture.

I took the bare bones of this story told by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Lillian Too's The Mantra Book, and embellished it with details and images that children could place into their consciousness.

***

In a time long ago, in a place where the tallest mountains in our world live - a place called the Himalayas - there was a crystal blue lake surrounded by snowy mountains. In this lake was a boat carrying a very old Tibetan Buddhist teacher, called a Lama. The Lama wore burgandy-colored robes - the traditional clothing of a Tibetan Buddhist monk. He wore a warm burgundy colored hat to keep his shaved head warm.

The teacher saw a small island up ahead that looked untouched by man except for a little hut that held up several lines of  Tibetan prayer flags which were flapping in the wind. The once colorful flags were faded and weathered.

The teacher parked his boat on the shore and walked onto the island. There he met a man with hair down to his hips and a long beard. The man's clothes looked warn, but his smile was so bright it seemed to light up the sky. Upon seeing the Lama, the man put his hands together placing them on the top of his head, then touched them to his forehead, throat and heart. Then he launched his body to the ground, stretching his arms out in front of him, with his whole body touching the ground, including his nose! Then he got up and repeated this series of movements - called full prostrations -  three times.

"How long have you been alone on this island," asked the Lama.

"For three years," says the man. "I am on retreat, here to practicing my mantra. I have been repeating it constantly out load or in my head for three years now.  I have been saying it while I stare at onto the horizon, watching the sun set or the sun rise, I have been saying it while I bathe, while I make dinner, while I go to the bathroom. When I drift off to sleep it is the last thing I say, and when I wake up it is the first thought in my head. Sometimes I even say it in my dreams."

"What is this mantra you are saying," asked the Lama.

"The mantra of the great Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara," says the student. And he proceeds to repeat the mantra out load, "Om mani padme hum, om mani padme hum, om mani padme hum..."

The Lama listens to the student for some time, and with utmost compassion the Lama finally says,"I can see that you have pure devotion and pure motivation. But I hear that your pronunciation of the this mantra is a little off."

"Really," says the student, "I have been saying it wrong for all these years?"

"Yes" says the Lama and proceeds to demonstrates how to say it correctly.

The student humbly bows this head to the wise and compassionate Lama, saying, "Thank you for helping me. I will try it like that from now on."

Some time later, as the sun sets, the Lama returns to his boat and sets off across the water. He hears a strange noise off to the side and turns his head to see the student calling his name walking beside the boat ONTOP of the water. The student calls out, "I think I have the hang of the pronunciation now, is this how you say it? Om mani padme hum. Om mani padme hum...."

The Lama then laughs, drops his head and gives a half bow saying, "it looks like you were saying it right all this time after all."

***

For the younger kids, you may want to point out that because the student was saying the mantra with such a pure heart, and with such great intentions, and devotions, the power of the mantra had awakened his inner powers. Perfecting the way to say it wasn't as important.

ADDING THE YOGA 

The Storytime Yoga method, developed by my teacher Sydney Solis then encourages the reenactment the story using yoga poses to help the kids put the symbols of the story into their hearts and minds.

For this story, you could use the following poses to retell the story:

Mountain pose - for the Himalayas

Boat/navasana - for the boat

Warrior II (hero pose) - for the Lama

Camel pose - Island with a hut

Humble warrior - Student

Prostration/Bow - show them how to do a full prostration

Practice saying the mantra - om mani padme hung

Humble half bow - stand in mountain, with hands in namaste Tibetan Buddhist-style (pretend you are holding a precious jewel between your palms). Then do a half bow, with head down, to represent the humble bow when the teacher corrects him.

Navasana - teacher goes back in the boat.

Mindful walking - student walking on water

Humble half bow - as above.

Wake Up Call From My 3-Year-Old Student

A student of life is what I am. I remember my geography teacher in high school telling us the saying: the more you know, the more you don't know. I certainly feel that way about pretty much anything. Back in high school, that may of not been true. But thankfully I am old enough to know that life is very complicated. Not only complicated, but it changes.

Parenting two kids full-time has taught me a lot. Certainly made me more aware of how quickly things change. Now raising my second child, I know that if I don't like a phase, then not to worry, it will change - sometimes not as fast as I would like. (When will my little miss stop making a huge mess of herself and the floor at every.stinking.meal! Ugh!)

Full-time parenting has also made me a bit sloppy in the head. Trying to stay mindful all day long while entertaining, teaching and providing for two young kids can be SO.DARN.BORING. My mind likes to check out (or run over to Facebook). That is, if I am not being interrupted. (Can you give me a minute please sweetie, I have a thought and I am writing it down. Thank you.) But I am not complaining, because "soon enough" they will be both in school.

With a sloppy mind, it is very easy for me to forget things, and many times I do not realize the obvious. It is no surprise that my kids teach me a lot because they are so much more enthralled and alive with life throughout the day. They pick up everything, where as, I feel like I am just going through the motions some days. (Especially before 10am).

Grabbing our "Monkey Minds"

Over the last couple months, I have started to get more serious about teaching kids yoga. I've had the absolute pleasure of having one particular little girl named Rosie in my class a few times who is 3.5-years-old. Her mom has been telling me since the first day I taught her, that Rosie particularly loved the mantra we learned in class.

The mantra goes like this: Near the end of class, we repeat: I am happy. I am well. Many times until it becomes a part of us. Then we change it to another emotion of their choosing, like I am sad, but I am well. And do several other emotions. We learn that emotions are like clouds passing in the sky. They change constantly. But no matter how emotional we get, we are always safe and well deep inside.

Perceptive little Rosie has been using the mantra in her life as a way to comfort herself in times when she is scared. Like when she was nervous about joining a dance class, repeating I am scared, but I am well helped her get her courage up to move forward a few steps into class. Or as a tool for self-reflection and self-awareness, for example while riding home from a busy day she could reflect on all the different emotions she and her family felt that day.

But when her mom told me she was using it even to help her feel better when she was itchy from the mosquito bites, I am itchy but I am well, I had to exclaim, "that is brilliant! I need to do that!"

You see, our family just got back from camping for over a week in the bush. I not only had lots of bug bites, but a mild case of poison ivy and poison oak turned bad and spread everywhere after I scratched it. My whole body was in a constant state of itch and I was NOT WELL.

But darn it, if Rosie could do it, I could do it. And why wasn't I saying this mantra more in my life? It is very helpful, and yet here I am not doing it in my life at all. Geez, I am the one who made it up! Suddenly, I am feeling like such a pathetic teacher. You know, the one who is all talk and no action. Do as I say, not as I do. I am sure I am that parent in many cases too.

Teaching how yoga helps sharpen your mind

It is really a wake up call for me as a teacher. 

I feel like I have been coasting on the spirituality, wisdom  and lessons learned in life and my practices before I became a parent. That means, for five years now, I feel like I have been coasting on my past merits!

Mind-o-mush and lazy ways begone! Enter more diligent mindfulness, more yoga and meditation practices, and practicing what I preach!

I've needed this wake up call for quite some time. Funny, after so many years of teaching adults, it only took a few months of teaching kids to get this wake up call! Thanks to the perceptive, precocious little Rosie!

It also reaffirms my belief that yoga is so powerful to children if you can just suck em in and get them to open up to it even for an instance.

And it restores my faith in yoga as a way to help kids find more peace in their lives. Like the saying goes, if you give a man a fish....

If you tell a child to be quiet, there may be peace for minutes 
But if you teach that child some yoga, they may find a way toward inner peace for life.

Samantha

P.S. I am still itchy, but I am well.

Unveiling Three New Yoga Projects

I am very happy to announce a few quite unique yoga-related developments in my world. These are projects that I have spun directly from the golden thread of my deepest self, and have been cultivating for some time. These special projects are now ripening and manifesting and I would like to share them with you!

First up, is a Prenatal Yoga Retreat called Circle of Life, Circle of Strength.

I will be teaming up with the talented Allison Distler to lead women, who are in a beautiful transitional time in their life, in a daily yoga and mindfulness practice, as well as facilitated writing and sharing circles. Time will be offered for quiet contemplation and creation time too.

Prenatal Retreat:
Circle of Life, Circle of Strength

Our intention is to offer space to relax and reflect on this special transition in your life; a weekend to honor the life-giving power and the baby growing within while communing with other women going through a similar process.

I can't tell you how excited I am to be a part of this three-day experience. Moving from maiden to mother, or transitioning from say, one to two children, is a major life change. I believe it is so important for women to take time out for themselves to contemplate these life changes and honor any feelings that may arise. I know this will be a fun and nourishing retreat.

I also love that the space is limited to a maximum of nine participants and that we will be all under one roof nestled in the forests of Indiana. If this retreat goes well, I hope to offer it on an annual or semi-annual basis!

2 -Tuning your Chakras with Yoga and Sound

Next up is a workshop I created to combine my love of asana-based yoga with my love of using sound to heal the body.  I will be leading this class on Saturday at Vibe Yoga Studio.

Years ago when I lived in Toronto, I took vocal toning classes where we held our voice on single vowels, or short combination of vowels in order to experience the healing vibration of sound on various parts of the body. There is no melody or harmony - just the sound of the vibrating breath.

The sound aspect of the class combined with the physical feeling of it sent me deep into that special place beyond space and time. I could feel the dense places in the body where the sound hit and didn't move through, but after a while directing the sound it would loosen up a bit. These classes made me realize how completely powerful sound vibrations are in cleansing and re-energizing the body.

This special Chakra Tuning class uses vocal toning, as well  is a journey through the chakras where will will be chanting the seed sounds of each chakra while poised in asanas. This will be the fifth time of offering this workshop and it gets better and better each time.

3 - Enchanted Yogi Kids

As I have mentioned previously, I am in the process of completing the Storytime Yoga teacher training. I sort of fell into the lap of this style of teaching yoga to children. I didn't really know much about it, but I was determined to learn how to teach it.

Dragon Mother Awakens, creation story by Sydney Solis
Illustration by Andras Balogh

It turns out, the process has sparked my own spiritual journey,  mostly by awakening and contemplating the power of story and myth in my own life.

I had no idea how powerful stories are for transporting you into the transcendence. It is a safe space for children to explore new ideas, new cultures, and use their imagination. The wisdom stories and myths that I will be telling are a guide to self -exploration and can be used as a life compass. It also teaches them valuable lessons such as that of compassion, honesty, and friendship.

The power of the Storytime Yoga method to grab children's attention and take them on a fun and engaging journey is amazing. I am now finally ready to try out my oral storytelling skills with children in my own area, combining the ancient art of storytelling with the healing practice of yoga.

My new kids yoga business is called Enchanted Yogis, (stay tuned for my new logo). First up, I will be teaching a monthly class a local studio, Vibe Yoga, as well offering three free classes at a local museum called, Mathers Museum of World Cultures.

Imagine telling stories sitting amongst caves, dinosaur bones, or African huts! Surely it will help inspire children's imaginations, but also hopefully inspire a life time interest and love of world cultures.

I am so grateful for the opportunity, and dare I say, the luxury of being allowed to create projects that truly resonate with my whole being. I feel lucky and blessed to be able to spend my energy of these three projects! That and my other ongoing pet project - this Domestic Yogi blog!

Namaste!

Yoga Works its Magic on Toddlers Too

Yoga is medicine. As a teacher, I know this, but didn't realize what medicine it is for toddlers too. After my Toddler & Me classes, we all seem to shine a little bit more. The toddlers are definitely giddy. But not candy high giddy. It is a yoga high giddy. Yes, even toddlers can get a yoga buzz.

Those toddlers love that yoga energy created within the circle of yoga mats. They love hearing the adults sing and move together as one. The older ones love trying the poses; the younger ones riding on those good vibes.

Shene and daughter Chiwa
 photo by Steph Langan, IDS

When we are done, the toddlers usually seem more centered and balanced within themselves. We may not even hold poses for very long, and some of them may not even try any poses. But even still, they seem more at peace with life and ready with positive minds for their next adventure.

Actually, it is the toddlers that are in their natural environment.  They are just being themselves in the moment. The bonus is their parent/care giver is also with them in the moment, connecting, and being. That is the yoga. 

And because we are all there, having fun and open to being silly and free for that little window of time, its like the yoga works its magic. The yoga transports both toddler and adult out of regular space and time, and into a magical place of singing, moving and just being together.

I didn't fully comprehend the impact of my class until talking to one mom and her daughter after one quite large class. As I observed her sweet 17 month-old daughter with love flowing from my heart, she told me they were visiting from out of state so their daughter could have brain surgery. They had been away from home for weeks. And there it was, how could I of missed it? Her shaved head had a very long scar tracing the back of her skull.

The love I felt changed instantly to compassion for a family who was going through so much. Images of hospital waiting rooms full of grim faces, sickness, and bad vibes flooded me. I couldn't imagine being surrounded by all that for weeks upon weeks, and living through the anxiety of having a child in such risky surgery.

From one mom to another, I could feel her true appreciation for that little window of time we shared to shake off the past, and arrive joyfully in the present moment. 

This is the moment I decided to never take yoga for granted. And reminded me that as the teacher, I have no way of knowing what obstacles parents and children are facing in there lives. I just provide them with the medicine - yoga.

At the end of my classes, we sing, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine," eventually transitioning to, "this little child of mine, I am going to let her/him shine." But I love when we end with singing, "You are My Sunshine," because our little ones are our sunshines and it is a sweet simple song to remind us that they "make me happy, when skies are gray."

Parenting in tough. Whether it is something as serious as brain surgery, or simply getting through the long daily grind of being a parent. It's hard not to get bogged down by all the rain. Going to classes like Toddler & Me Yoga help parents (and me!) remember that the most important job as parents is to just love our children and be with them as much as possible, fully present in body and mind.

Toddler &  Me yoga
Photo by Steph Langan, IDS

Singing Mantras to Kids: Gayatri Part 1

The 5-faced and 10-armed
Goddess Gayatri who rules
over the five senses and
protects the sense of those
 who chant her mantra

Sing mantras to your little ones before bed. If it comes from your heart it may just replay itself through their dreams and show up unexpectedly.

Today I caught my 4-yr-old sweetly singing the gayatri mantra as he played by himself (and also heard him singing it while he pooped)!

The Gayatri Mantra:

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI

DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.

Meaning:
Gayatri Mantra is known to be the foremost mantra in hinduism and hindu beliefs, and is known for inspiring wisdom. This mantra is based on a Vedic Sanskrit verse from a hymn of the Rigveda (3.62.10). Gayatri is a Sanskrit word, where Ga means to sing, Yatri means protection.

The meaning can be translated as,
"O thou existence Absolute, Creator of the three dimensions,
we contemplate upon thy divine light.
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light.
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction."


Om: The primeval sound
Bhur: the physical world
Bhuvah: the mental world
Suvah: the celestial, spiritual world
Thath: That; God; transcendental Paramatma
Savithur: the Sun, Creator, Preserver
Varenyam: most adorable, enchanting
Bhargo: luster, effulgence
Devasya: resplendent,supreme Lord
Dheemahi: we meditate upon
Dhiyo: the intellect,understanding
Yo: May this light
Nah: our
Prachodayath: enlighten,guide,inspire


Who is Gayatri?
The Goddness Gayatri is a consort of the God Brahma and the goddess of learning. Gayatri, the five-faced Goddess, is said to have domain over the five senses or pranas, and protects these five life-forces of those who chant the Gayatri Mantra.

Here is a beautiful version of the version of the Gayatri Mantra sung in the traditional fashion in North India:

What Happens When I Tell Stories With Just My Voice?

About a year ago, I started to read my three-year-old son some wisdom stories from a little book called Buddha at Bedtime: Tales of Love and Wisdom for You to Read with Your Child to Enchant, Enlighten and Inspire.

I was amazed when he loved them. They have many captivating images and always have great "teaching" moments. This made me think about how important it was to not just read or tell him stories that where entertaining, but ones that actually had good values and had teachable moments too.  

Magic.

Many nights before sleep, we put away the books and I make up a story special for him. With eyes closed, he is deeply transported by just the sound of my words. Looking over at him in this state, I began to understand the magic and power behind oral storytelling.

Imagination.

When I tell my son stories with just my voice, I can see that he is transported to another world. It is a body centering activity so he is in his body focused and listening, yet he also has one foot in the transcendence. It feel so good as a mother to be able to indulge his imagination and nourish his internal self by just telling stories with my voice.

Connection.

So much of the world that my son experiences is through touch or visual stimuli. We are a visual culture with children absorbing images from tv, videos, computer and story books. Today's children have a hard time fully accessing their imaginations. So many products have done all the work for them. As well as our schools cutting the arts and PE programs, so they can focus on academia.

Learning.

It feels so right spending my time as a parent sharpening my oral storytelling skills because I know it feeds my son's imagination, and will only deepen our mother/son relationship. Not to mention all the ways I can incorporate these stories into his learning, development. Just like how we learned recently about the Inuit Native Americans that live in the artic, near Santa, by telling him the story of Raven Brings the Light. It has spawned all sorts of questions.

Storytime Yoga.

Seeing the importance of oral storytelling in my son's life, and how it could be a powerful tool to help so many other children, last September I started my journey in Storytime Yoga's teacher training.

Storytime Yoga combines my love of yoga and movement, with my new-found love of oral storytelling. In a Storytime Yoga class, the adult tells a special story taken from another culture or time period, and tells it the whole way through while children listen intently. While the children listen, they activate their imaginations that transports them to another world. The stories have wonderful real life moments that children can learn from while being safe and asking questions.

When I began my teacher training, I started to notice how natural the Storytime Yoga method is for children. For example, while eating dinner, my mother-in-law told us a cute story while we all listened intensely. Then my son said to her, "now you pretend you are the plumber, and I will pretend I am the parrot in the bathroom. Go!" They then acted out her story.  

Storytime yoga integrates the learning process even further by re-enacting the stories with yoga poses, and then adding on various other activities such as singing, chanting, art and meditative relaxation much more. It is amazing all the learning that can happen without trying by using these wonderful mythic stories.

Even better, this method can be used for adults too. For example, as part of our holiday gathering at my yoga studio where I teach adults, I will be retelling the story of Raven Brings the Light and doing yoga poses. I know the adults will have a fun time with it, and it gives us an opportunity try something fun and new, and to talk about honoring the sun and the ever-lasting light within during these dark days of the Winter Solstice.

No Comparison.

All the other yoga books, DVDs and trainings for children I have seen seem so basic and boring. I was struggling in my own children's yoga classes to make it more captivating, and now learning the Storytime Yoga method, it has really brought a whole new shift of enhanced attention and enthusiasm to my children's classes and at home with my kids.  

On a personal level, the training has helped me to explore more deeply my inner world, as well as help me find my voice as a storyteller and deepen my teachings as yoga teacher. I am still working at it though, and look forward to riding out this exciting Storytime Yoga teacher process!

I highly recommend this training to anyone looking to teach children. It may be a longer training than others out there, but the wisdom that is gained in the nine-month process is invaluable!

Now's the Perfect Time to Remember Ancestors

My little gnome on Halloween

Reading Storytime Yoga's latest Kids Storybook kit, The Skeleton's Ball, it reminded me that "fall is the time when things are dying and passing away. It’s the time to recognize grief, remember ancestors and others in our life who have died."

On this Halloween night, instead of making up a story at bed, I decided to tell my almost 4-year-old son a little about how Halloween started. Then I told him how at this time of year, many cultures honor their relatives who have passed away. He then got to choose a story about one of our relatives who has passed away.

He chose my Grandpa Davey. It was so touching to tell my son about the sweet memories I have of my kind-spirited Grandpa Davey who lived a simple life as a farmer in rural Ontario. My stories led to more questions from my son's curious brain, such as: why did he have no hair? Why did he smoke? Why did he eat a fried egg everyday? Why was he healthy and lived a long time? Why didn't he have fast food where he lived?

Oh my, it was more educational than I thought! My sugar-crashed brain could barely keep up. But it was a sweet way to end a very memorable Halloween night with my family.

How to prepare my little blue ninja for the realities of life and death,
and the art of war that a good ninja must face

I agree with Storytime Yoga founder Sydney Solis that children need to understand that death is part of life. Too often in American culture, we tend to sugar-coat, and not give death and grief the proper acknowledgement and time it may need.

I want my child to be aware of the natural cycle of life and death, and know about the wide range of emotion that life may bring, so that he will be okay feeling those feelings, not repressing them, should those emotions fall upon him. 

I believe that nothing ever dies, because it was never born. I believe we are eternal.

I love the simple metaphors Sydney uses in her follow up activities in The Skeleton's Ball ebook to help children understand more about life and death. Like this one: Our body is like a car, we step inside it and move around in it for a while, then it wears out because it is of the earth, and we step out of it and look for a new one.

Or, we are like a light bulb. We are the light within the light bulb, not the light bulb itself that wears out.

I can't wait to read my son the two short, simple, yet touching stories included in The Skeleton's Ball kit. The stories are about two families that deal with a death. The stories are timeless and magical. They transport children to a different time and space where they are safe to explore the mysteries of life and death.

I highly recommend Storytime Yoga's Skeleton's Ball story kit, especially if you are seeking creative and engaging ways on how to talk to your child about the mysteries and realities of life and death. The Skeleton's Ball kit will be available shortly for purchase for $9.95. Or you can get it now if you sign up for their Kids Story of the Month Kids Club for $69.95.

Or click here for a chance to win a copy of the Skeleton's Ball story kit by simply leaving a comment on my blog!

The Skeleton's Ball GIVEAWAY!

Through song, stories and other activities Storytime Yoga's latest Kids Story of the Month kit, called The Skeleton's Ball, gets your bones moving! It's lively song, and other stories included in the kit will transport you and your kids, invoking their imagination and curiosity.

When I taught my son and his friends the folk song from Latin America called The Skeleton's Ball, I found myself talking about how skeletons move, and answering questions about joints. I also had to explain to the 3-year-olds that the word "ball" also means party - a big fancy party in a theater or big room. The kids got a kick out of imagining skeletons all dressed up and dancing at a big fancy royal party!

Sydney Solis, founder of Storytime Yoga, explains why it is so important to honor this special time of year: The earth’s energies shift at the Fall Equinox and call us internally to purify, renew, and prepare for the coming darkness of winter. 
There are many festivals at this time of year: The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana; the Muslim Ramadan;  the Mexican Day of the Dead; and Christian All Souls Day to name a few. 

By telling stories, practicing yoga and becoming aware of the season, we answer our soul’s yearning to connect to something deeper than the material life paraded before us. We yearn to connect to the energy and mystery of the world and the energy and the mystery that is in us. Humans always have the need to reconnect to source, and we do this by honoring the seasons and recognizing the change in our lives. We accomplish this especially when we invite children, the light of life, to celebrate with us to teach them the old ways and make them new again.  

Storytime Yoga has kindly offered a free Skeleton's Ball Storytime Yoga kit to one lucky Domestic Yogi reader!

This kit includes an e-book with two bonus stories and a parent/teacher guide for ideas and tips on how to bring story and yoga to the children in your life. It also has audio and video of the song, and flash cards to use.

What you need to do to enter the contest:
1- Like Storytime Yoga with Sydney Solis on Facebook
2- Post a comment here on The Domestic Yogi Blog OR on my Domestic Yogi Facebook page.

Winner will be chosen at random.

London Bridges: a fun pose for the whole family

London bridges pose has been a favorite in my family yoga class. It is also a wonderful stand alone pose to do at home with your kids. It is great for building strength in your core, legs and wrists. It also re-energizes the whole body. Encourage your whole family to join in. Watch the rejuvenating effects afterwards!

London Bridges Domestic Yogi Style: 
1) Sit on your bottom with your feet on the floor, hip width apart. Place your hands flat behind you, fingers facing forward, elbows in.

2) Invite your child (at least walking age) to sit on your lap facing you. Or have them watch.

3) Raise your seat up to shoulders height. Keep your feet parallel. Don't let your toes flail out - this will help protect your lower back.

3) Sing: London bridges falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridges falling down. My fair lady. If your child sitting on you, they can practice their balance by staying sitting up, or they may want to try laying back like my son in the picture. If your child is watching, encourage them to crawl under the bridge before it falls.

4) Let your seat "crash down" indicating that the bridge has fallen down. (Remember to go slow if you have a younger child on your lap).

5) Go back into the pose, and sing: Build it up with wood and clay, wood and clay, wood and clay. Build it up with wood and clay. My fair lady - o!

6) Repeat again, or try with straight legs (see variation below).

Variation

I like to do one round with bent legs. This way your body has a chance to warm up a little, and your child has fun balancing on top of you. Next, I like to do it with straight legs for the full purvottanasana pose. I recommend being comfortable with purvottannasana pose on your own first before trying it with a child on your lap. If you child wants to be on top, have them scoot up closer to your heart. Remember, you can always encourage them to crawl under your "bridge".

If you child is on your lap, keep your head up so you can watch your child and make sure they are safe. Your hips may not get as high as you'd like them with the child on your lap, but know you are still getting a good work out with the extra weight.

Rainsticks: make rain, create stillness

Kids love music. They also love to be creative and express themselves. Why not give them the opportunity to use their hands and their imaginations to create something sacred, beautiful and soothing.

I had the pleasure of watching four children, aged 2 - 4, for a day who were up for the challenge of making their own rainsticks. 

THEME OF THE DAY: RAIN!

While we made our sticks, we listened to meditative "rain" music.  For inspiration, we also watched some YouTube videos of people making music with rainsticks. 

We talked about rain:  how we feel when it rains and why it is beneficial. We talked about storms: how they can be scary; why they happen; and how powerful it is. 

We added feathers and rainbows to our rainstick because they are other beautiful things that are found in the sky.

HOW WE MADE THEM

1)  CARDBOARD TUBE: We used a short mailing tube, (18" long x 2" wide).

2) SPIRAL: draw a staircase-style spiral from one end to the other of the tube.

3) NAILS: Each kid hammered in 1.5" nails along the spiral line. 

The kids had a great time doing this in fact. The younger one practiced nailing into a spare piece of Styrofoam, while the older kids got to work. Each tube had about 30 - 40 nails in it. Our tube was a bit hard to get the nail through the cardboard initially, so after they tired of doing it themselves, I started the nail and they just had to finish it off. 

4) FILL UP THE INSIDES: Beans, lentils, rice and lavender (we cut from our bush outside).

Eight little hands scooped up their selection and had fun funneling it into their rain stick. We filled the tube until almost 2/3rds full.

5) DECORATE: cloth fabric, ribbons, feathers, beads, rainbow ribbon.

Each kid choose one or two pieces of fabric to wrap around their stick. I glued it on for them. Then they all chose one ribbon which was tied on along with a feather, beads. Each one also had a rainbow ribbon glued on, and a hawk feather, to help give the stick more "sky power". 

6) PLAY!

Now each child has their own unique rainstick to play and dance and dream with. It has a nice soothing sounds if tilted slowly. Unfortunately, the "rain" does go a tad quick. But it is peaceful to sit and tilt and listen. Or, as children tend to do when around each other, we had fun dancing and playing energetically with them. Another way to express our true spirit!

SIMPLE VARIATIONS

You can also use a papertowel tube, and poke it with toothpicks or straight pins. Then tape up the ends.

For older children or teens, I would of spent more time talking about using the rainstick as a way to bring them back to their own sacred peaceful place. It is so important to teach children and teens ways to find a moment or two of inner peace. Using a rainstick, decorated guided by their inner self, and listening to its soothing power, is a way for them to calm their mind, and reconnect back to their inner self.

Each stick as unique as each child

RAINSTICK ORIGINS

Rainsticks are musical and ceremonial instruments used from ancient times to the present day. Their name describes the soothing rain-like sound that these instruments produce. Although rainsticks were used by many different cultures, they were primarily used in Chili where there is a legend that rainsticks were created to remind the spirits that rain was needed. 

Rainsticks are made from the wood skeleton of a dead cactus plant. The cactus needles are collected and poured back into the skeleton, along with tiny stones and pebbles. Other historic tubular rattles are made of either whole reeds (such as bamboo) or plaited reed strips. They have palm needles stuck into the walls of the tube, and are filled with pebbles or hard seeds.

Traditional-style cactus rainstick