“It’s yoga time! Yeah!”
Usually children are very excited when they get to their after school yoga class. Most likely you’ll have boys and girls, different age groups, with various yoga and/or athletic backgrounds. And most likely they are eager to run around and go wild after a day of more or less sitting still. They might also be hungry (lunch was a long time ago), exhausted, tired, frustrated, elated—or all of the above. Thankfully, yoga can take care of each and every one. And you are the one to make it all happen!I usually give my little yogis and yoginis a chance to “get some energy out” while we wait for everybody to get to class.
Here are a couple of games we like to play:
Hot Lava: We lay out our yoga mats whichever way we’ll use them later on in class, in a circle or in rows. They are the safe spots. The floor is hot lava. The children hop from mat to mat, trying to not touch the floor with their feet. They like to hop around really fast—generally a lot of fun!
Surfing: We pretend the yoga mats are our surfboards. I turn on some cool surf music and we’re off to catch a wave! Next it’s time to calm down. I invite the children to sit easy cross-legged. The child who listens well and sits down right away gets the honor to ring the singing bowl. Everybody holds up one hand as long as they can hear the sound of the singing bowl ringing in the air, and voila! Everybody is quiet! Since the children usually come from different classes, it’s helpful to do a sort of “circle time” to familiarize everyone with each other, especially at the beginning of the session.
Here are two suggestions:
Intro Song: Make up a song introducing everybody’s name, e.g. “Welcome Lisa, welcome Lisa, welcome Lisa, Lisa likes yoga a lot.” Clap your hands in different ways (above your head, behind your back, on your knees, etc.), having the children follow your lead. After the first couple of classes, the child who is being welcomed may demonstrate her favorite yoga pose while it’s her turn.
I’m Happy: Let each child share what she is happy about today. “I’m happy about…” “I’m happy because…” Next I recommend an easy breathing exercise to start the yoga practice; something like the Balloon Breath, or three Complete Breaths (arms up on inhale, down on exhale), anything simple works well. After that you’re ready to jump into your asanas. Create a sequence that is easy to follow; make up a story that goes along with the poses. For obvious reasons, the animal postures are all-time favorites. Find smooth transitions between the poses. And make sure to let your little yogis have plenty of rest in Child’s Pose, also called Mouse Pose. I find it works really well to start with a series of poses on the floor, followed by a set of standing poses, before returning to the floor for some more fun. Another good plan is to group the poses thematically, e.g. farm animals, ocean creatures, etc. These are just a few ideas from my classes. I hope they’ll be helpful to you. Next month I’d like to share some yoga games, as well as some suggestions on how to end your class. If you are just starting out teaching children, it is important to trust your intuition, to listen to the children, and, most of all, to use your knowledge of yoga in a creative and imaginative way to make your classes fun and enjoyable for your little yogis and yoginis.
Namasté.
© Sünje O'Clancy/Yoga Rascals™
Sünje O'Clancy, M.A., has been teaching yoga to students of all ages after being certified in the Indra Devi style of classical Hatha Yoga in 1998. Drawing from her previous experience working with children, she started teaching yoga to kids through the YMCA outreach program, and continues to inspire little yogis and yoginis at preschools and elementary schools throughout San Diego County. Passionate about her kids yoga program, Yoga Rascals™, Sünje regards yoga as a playful approach to mindful exercise, as well as a wonderful remedy for the current epidemic of childhood obesity. A Yoga Rascals™ kids yoga DVD will be released in the fall of 2007. Sünje holds a Masters of Arts degree in German Literature with a double minor in Dramatic Arts and Education from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany. She is the happy mother of two boys.
Sünje O'Clancy may be reached at info@yogarascals.com
