STRETCH YOUR BODY, MIND & SPIRIT
JUST LIKE KITTY CATS DO!
Relaxes, calms and instills self-confidence
while having fun imitating postures from all our friends the animals!
Taught by Veronica Munoz
CERTIFIED SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER
Courses offered Privately & through Parks & Recreation
Town of Orangeville Fitness Program
519 - 942 - 2852
Email: kidsyoga@artisticliving.com
* YOGA FOR KIDS:(Ages 4 to 11)Starting yoga when young gives children the best foundation in life. With their natural flexibility & sense of balance they find it easy to adopt postures making rapid progress in their stretching and flexibility while having fun. All postures, which are named after animals are accessed by following story-telling and exciting instructions, which stimulate their imagination, concentration and interest making the sessions dynamic, interesting and fun!
Please read the links below for more detailed information:
YOGA IS HEALTH FOR KIDS! Regular yoga practice promotes:
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Courses available Privately &
through Parks and Recreation - Town of Orangeville at the Alder Center and Tony Rose
Yoga is an ancient science and philosophy that has been practiced for thousands of years. The popularity of Children's Yoga is increasing. It can be found in after school and lunch time programs, special education classes, pre-schools, daycares, yoga centers and dance studios. Yoga for Kids combines dynamic movements, postures, breathing exercises and meditations of into an integrated and holistic program of physical fitness, education and social and self-awareness.
Yoga, adapted for children, develops body awareness, language, good listening skills, cooperation and powers of observation. It teaches children about nature, their environment and inspires their imaginations. It prepares them for breathing techniques used in yoga. They learn by playing, singing, moving and imitating. This is an ideal time for children to begin a yoga practice. It helps them have control of themselves and reduces anxiety while building self-confidence.
Are your kids stressed out? With today's fast paced life mixed with loud, fast, in-your-face videogames, it's no wonder! Kids are overscheduled and becoming burned out at much too young an age. As parents, what can we do about this? The answer is simple.
Yoga.
"But how?" you ask, "My kids wouldn't like yoga, it's boring!" Not so with animal yoga poses. Animal yoga poses for kids introduces them to yoga in a fun and creative way, by allowing them to use their imaginations. What child wouldn't like to pretend to be a dog, or a butterfly?
When the ancient yogis developed the asanas, they still lived close to nature. They used animals and plants for inspiration – the sting of a scorpion, the grace of a swan, the grounded stature of a tree. As children imitate the movements and sounds of nature, they get a chance to enter another being and imagine assuming its qualities. As they begin to do the various animal and nature asanas, they learn to engage their minds and deepen their awareness. For instance, when they assume the pose of the lion (Simhasana), they feel not only the power and behavior of the lion, but also their own sense of power – when to be aggressive, when to retreat.
When they do the snake pose (Bhujangasana), they really imagine that they're just long spines with no arms or legs. In the Tree Pose (Vrksasana), they actually imagine being a giant oak, with roots growing out of the bottoms of their feet. When they stretch like dogs, balance like flamingos, breathe like bunnies, or stand strong and tall like trees, they make a connection between their bodies and their environment.
Children get great benefits from Yoga! Their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves and, by doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self. Thereby, they develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings a marvelous inner light that all children have, right up to the surface.
Getting your child into yoga for children could be one of the smartest things you can ever do for him or her. They will thank you many years later for showing them a better way to manage their stress and how to meditate for relaxation. It will not only help them in school, but it will aid them in the long run when they are dealing with stressful work and real life situations. Yoga for kids is an extracurricular activity that your child will love and practice regularly.
For beginners Yoga poses for kids, start by telling them sit
or lie down with their hands on their bellies. This way they will
be able to feel their abdomens move. This exercise helps kids
hook up to their breathing. Persuade the kids to suck the stomach
in on every inhalation and drive it out on every exhalation. Then
turn around the movements – so drive the stomach out on the
inhalation and suck it in on the exhalation.
Top 10 yoga asanas for kids:
1. Dhanurasana (Archer posture) – This is good for
developing confidence and focus in children.
2. Mountain posture – This helps stretch the entire body and
is good for expanding energy level.
3. Tree posture – This posture helps children build balance
and alertness. It also helps in the development of the brain and
improves concentration in kids.
4. Tadasana – This yoga asana helps children improve their
balance and height gradually.
5. Sukhasana – Children can learn to sit straight and get
the feeling ofmeditation. It will help them in future.
6. Sethu bandhasana – Children who do this asana are able to
have connection with their inner self and stay calm in their
life.
7. Savasana – It helps in making kids feel relaxed and
handle stress and strain in their life more efficiently.
8. Bhujangasana – This yoga asana helps children get a
stretch for their back and helps in proper digestion and overall
health benefit as well.
9. Ardha sarwangasana – This Yoga posture will help children
get flexibility in their body and they will be able to perform
various activities properly.
10. Virbhadrasana – This helps build confident, calm and
balance in children.
The beauty of yoga is that you can begin wherever you like. Here are some great animal poses your kids may enjoy: Are your kids stressed out? With today's fast paced life mixed with loud, fast, in-your-face videogames, it's no wonder! Kids are overscheduled and becoming burned out at much too young an age. As parents, what can we do about this? The answer is simple.
Yoga.
"But how?" you ask, "My kids wouldn't like yoga, it's boring!" Not so with animal yoga poses. Animal yoga poses for kids introduces them to yoga in a fun and creative way, by allowing them to use their imaginations. What child wouldn't like to pretend to be a dog, or a butterfly?
Down Dog
1. Stand with feet flat on the ground.
2. Slowly bend at the waist until your hands reach the ground.
3. Lean your body back slightly until you resemble and upside down V.
4. Bark, loudly, until the neighbors come over to find out what's going on.
Lion
1. Sit on your legs with knees bent (basic hero pose).
2. Stick your tongue out as far as you can.
3. Breathe out with force while roaring like a lion
4. Do this several times.
Camel
1. Sit on your knees
2. Reach behind your body and grab the soles of your feet (if you can).
3. Decide what kind of noise you think a camel makes...
Butterfly
1. Start by sitting on the floor with the soles of your feet together.
2. Take a moment to relax all your muscles and let your knees sink closer to the floor.
3. Sit up tall, and hold your feet.
4. Begin to gently "flap" your legs up and down as if you were a butterfly. You can even pretend to be a butterfly gathering nectar!
Cat
1. Get on all fours.
2. Arch your back up really tall, as if you were an angry cat. The kids will probably enjoy hissing to complete the picture.
3. Gently let your back fall into a sway, then arch it back up again.
4. Mewing and hissing are greatly encouraged - come on, it's too fun not to!
Cobra
1. Lay down on your stomach.
2. Place your hands directly by your chest.
3. Push your upper body upward as far as you can.
4. Now pretend you are a cobra and hiss!
Courses are offered at:
-Hockley Valley
-Town of Orangeville Parks and Recreation: Alder Center & Tony Rose
-Your home, school, favorite park or place of preference.
Kids love to have fun during there birthday and have memorable experiences to share with their friends and peers. Yoga Parties are a great choice to entertain your guests at any of your children's birthday party!
It is fun, dynamic, interesting, different, challenging and a great opportunity to move those little bodies while trying to do postures imitating our friends the animals and making crazy noises to go along. We play musical mats, dance, jump like rabbits and frogs and walk like bear and much more.
A great introduction to this amazing practice called Yoga.
Your kids and all friends attending the party are bound not only to have a blast but to love it!
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* PRENATAL YOGA: This session is tailored for the entire pregnancy by introducing modified postures to suit the special needs of pregnant women and prepare the body with special adjusted breathing, concentration and physical exercises which will equip mothers-to-be with breathing tools, inner & physical strength to assist them in having an easier & more comfortable delivery. Helps you avoid overweight problems, stretch marks and backache! It creates a safe, peaceful and healthy environment for your baby to grow in!
*YOGA FOR MOMS AND BABES: This interactive class including babies 3 months and up help mom and babies enjoy a Yoga Routine together which is mutually enriching, fun and bonding. Asanas accomodate including babies in postures or chanting, singing along as you move along in your practice to include your little bundle of joy. A beautiful dance of love to enjoy with your baby as you get a chance to breathe and stretch!
* GENTLE YOGA: This session is ideal against all excuses! But I am too fat, too old, too stiff, too…! It provides a safe & gentle environment for introducing you to the practice of yoga at any age and under any condition by focusing on making the class easier, slower and allowing for adjusting postures to suit your needs, problems or shortcomings. Yoga is about self-acceptance & self-loving, it is not competitive or forceful. This is yoga for YOU! Participating in a relaxing yoga class gives you the opportunity to reap the benefits of yoga at your own pace within you own capacity with non-strenuous & peaceful poses.
* CORPORATE YOGA: Yoga for the Office and executive settings done on chairs. Easy, fast and practical stress reduction techniques for your office. Acquire effective tips to release neck, back and arm tension while working at the office at the convenience of your own chair right in front of your desk. No changing to a sports outfit, no sweating, no running to class late, no mats required. Learn simple, hands-on yoga inspired exercises that you can do in 5 to 10 minutes every day sitting right on your office chair. This class will teach you how to recover your energy when the afternoon nappy attack hits you and it wll bring your work production to optimal performance by applying convenient breathing and stretching techniques which in matter of seconds will leave you replenished and invigorated to excel for the rest of your work day!
* OPEN CLASSES: For all levels for those with previous yoga experience and also beginners.
* PRIVATE YOGA CLASSES: at your home, time and convenience. Personalized Yoga to suit your own needs: individual, couples, children, seniors, family, prenatal, special needs and care.
* YOGA THERAPY: Applies the five main principles of yoga to help you relieve and overcome your physical, mental, spiritual problems.
* YOGA HIKES : Come outdoors to join me in the great outdoors! Yoga Hikes involves hiking in the Hockley Valley Provintial Park Reserve, the Bruce Trail, Mono Cliffs and Island lake depending on the groups you choose to join in, allowing intervals every once in a while to do yoga stretches, postures, breathing exercises & meditation by the peaceul natural surroundings or by the river. Contact: yogahikes@artisticliving.com for more info or to register!
* YOGA BY THE RIVER: All Yoga Levels courses in the Spring and Summer by the Nottawasaga River on 3rd Line EHE, MONO - HOCKLEY VALLEY
* LEARN MORE ABOUT HOCKLEY HIKES
Click HERE for MORE INFORMATION ON YOGA
Veronica Munoz
Email: kidsyoga@artisticliving.com
Phone & Text: 519 942 2852
| Veronica Munoz 416 699 9943 or 519 942 2852 yoga@artisticliving.com |