OM School Praised!

"Never before has so much practical how-to information been given in a book about kids yoga. This is not just a theoretical book—it is a step-by-step manual. Sarah Herrington shares the wisdom she has gained from her day-to-day experiences, for many years, teaching all ages of children yoga in the New York school system. OM Schooled is the perfect manual for anyone who wants to teach yoga to kids.” -Sharon Gannon, co-creator of the Jivamukti Yoga method

“OM Schooled is an informative and helpful book for anyone who would like to teach yoga to children in the classroom. Reading this book makes me wish yoga were taught to children in all schools everywhere! A wonderful resource.” -Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness

“What a comprehensive, informative, exciting book Ms. Herrington has written on yoga for children! Sarah’s intuitive and educational sensitivity to the fight, flight, and plight of challenges in the inner-city NY schools is a testimonial to her brilliance as a teacher. Her passion and caring is evident. She sincerely inspires her students with a combination of learning, enjoying, playing, and hope for our next generations to find a road map for the future … peace, joy, and a new sense of life with yoga in their lives. Long may she and her students reign in making a difference in the world!” -Marsha Wenig, founder, president, and author of YogaKids

“Sarah’s style of teaching children gives me confidence for practice with my own son. She offers creative, tangible methods and practices that both kids and adults will savor.” -Elena Brower, Virayoga, Art of Attention “OM Schooled, the book, is a treasure-trove of information for school- based professionals and yoga teachers, across the board. I love Sarah’s eloquent expression of her own personal journey, from finding her yoga mat to her unique experience teaching full-time school yoga. The engaging voice of the author, photos of kids, and quotes by children fill the book with love and inspiration—truly, not to be missed.” -Jodi Komitor, Founder, Next Generation Yoga

“Nothing is more fun (or potentially more challenging) than teaching kids yoga. Sarah Herrington is an amazing, natural-born teacher and we’re very lucky she’s sharing her secrets in this book.” -Edward Vilga, author of Yoga in Bed

"You taught me how to do Crow and now I can do it with a ball between my feet. I knew you for two years and your teaching inspired me so much that my uncle has a picture of me doing Crow Pose on his phone. You have done a lot for us and you do it with a smile on your face and in a loving way." -Ashley, age 9, NYC public school student OM Schooled A Guide To Teaching Kids Yoga in Real World Schools

Sarah Herrington

Yoga • Learning • Wellness All photographs by Sarah Herrington, Eight Limbs of Yoga, p.98, and Yogini Piggy Worksheets, p.151-152 used with permission by Cynthia Narcisi, www.cynnarcisi.com Cover design by Vanessa Pomiechowski.

No reproduction of any kind is permitted. If reproduction is needed for any reason then additional copies must be purchased. No part of this book may be reproduced in any or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-934701-21-8

Yoga • Learning • Wellness Addriya San Marcos, California 888-783-5100

www.addriya.com

Note: Not all exercises and postures are suitable for everyone. As with any exercise program, there are risks that may result in injury. Parents and instructors should consider a child's physical condition and health before doing any exercises. A professional health care provider should be consulted for information and suitability of any exercise program. To reduce risk of injury, never force or strain during an exercise. If pain or discomfort is experienced during an exercise, stop immediately and consult a doctor. iv For all the little yogis and yoginis.

v Shout Outs!

Thank you to Laughing Lotus Yoga for mentorship and for allowing us to photograph OMSchoolers in your NYC space. Thank you to Yoga to the People for sangha and support and Jivamukti Yoga for growth and expansion. Thanks to Karma Kids Yoga for the inspiration and for sharing these poses.

Shout out to Caron K. for all your help shaping OM Schooled and Vanessa Pomiechowski for your killer eye. Thank you Cynthia Narcisi for contributing to the visuals.

Shout out to all my teachers big and small, especially the little girl yogis of the East Village who were my first students—may you grow in your yoga!

vi Table of Contents

Chapter 1 My First Downward Dog: My Personal Journey to Yoga and Teaching Kids. 1

Chapter 2 “Yoga is My Vacation” Why Yoga for Kids? . . 17

Chapter 3 Bringing Yoga to Schools: Can You Say OM in School?...... 29

Chapter 4 Peaceful Warrior: Yoga Rules and Fun. 47

Chapter 5 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try: Basic Full-Length Class Structure. . . . . 61

Chapter 6 Tall as a Tree: Poses to Learn and Try . 83

Chapter 7 Satya = Truthfulness and Other Yoga Philosophy Equations...... 119

Chapter 8 Asana Art: Yoga and Creativity . . . . . 125

Chapter 9 Birthday Candle Pose: Yoga for Special Occasions...... 133

Chapter 10 Relaxation Breath: Yoga for Your Desk. . 137

Chapter 11 Living Yoga Off The Mat While Teaching On the Mat ...... 141

Chapter 12 OMwork for Teachers: Worksheets and Handouts...... 145

Chapter 13 Asana ABCs: Yoga Kids’ Dictionary . . . . 153

Resources ...... 159

vii viii My First Downward Dog: My Personal Journey to Yoga and Teaching Kids

"Kids are curious. Kids are watching ants while adults are stepping on them." – Jim Rohn

didn’t set out specifically wanting to teach yoga. In fact, I didn’t even like my first yoga class. It was a Ihatha yoga class I tried in college during a gym-rat period of my life. The simple stretching of this particular class came easily to me and I found the whole thing rather boring and slow. I didn’t have any larger context. At the time, if I was going to spend an hour or more doing something physical, I felt it better be contributing

1 Chapter 1 – OM Schooled

to my body looking a certain way. I did meditate at the time, but during this class I didn’t connect the two. Eventually, however, my spiritual search brought me back to yoga. A year after graduating from college, I spotted an ad for a free yoga class on a telephone pole in the West Village of New York City. I felt called to check it out again, and ripped two “free passes” off the sheet. My roommate and I went, and acciden- tally signed up for an intermediate class even though this was her first class ever and my second, after only Kinesthetic: The the NYU class. ability to sense We found ourselves astounded movement or strain by the poses and deep breathing and in muscles, tendons, sheer level of concentration happening around us. We followed along, and joints; muscle slipping and sliding on our mats, and sense. The sensation looked at each other, laughing a few of moving in space. times. We were in over our heads, but it was still fun and challenging, something that appealed to me. I wanted to understand and know more. After class the teacher came up to us, introduced herself, and said it was great that we were laughing and having a good time. I saw a glimmer of the potential of yoga in this class, and my roommate and I walked home half in a state of “what just happened?” and half in a state of feeling fabulous. At home, I sat down at my computer and wrote, a lot. This was a surprise, too. I found the yoga class had opened up a lot of creative energy for me, which was another hint at the power of yoga. Not only did my body feel strong and relaxed, but my heart felt open and happy and my mind was clearer than it had been in a long time. I felt inspired and renewed and eager to approach my craft, writing, with new focus and a shifted point of view. I felt as if I’d had several shots of espresso, just through conscious breathing; felt a little bit in love, perhaps from all the heart openers; and felt as though my mind was open,

2 My First Down Dog perhaps blown open, by the new ways I’d been encouraged to approach my body and spirit in the class. I experimented with yoga on and off after that, but it wasn’t until a challenging period of my life that my practice became just that: a practice, dedicated and regular. (As Sharon Gannon, cofounder of Jivamukti Yoga, has said, “Through repetition the magic arises." Through repeated practice something does shift and open up in a larger way. Perhaps that something is a real understanding of yourself.) It was a couple years after my first yoga classes, and I was at a crossroads. I’d travelled to Japan to teach English, and when I came back found myself with no job, no apart- ment and going through the ending of a relationship with a major broken heart. In retrospect, I’ve discovered many people come to yoga through such circumstances, often a broken heart, as if being broken makes one instinctually seek yoga, which means “union,” to heal and glue the broken parts together in an authentic way that allows for grieving through breath. A good friend of mine was working the front desk at Dharma Mittra Yoga Center in Manhattan at the time, and invited me to attend class as her guest. I knew Dharma Mit- tra was a very well respected yoga teacher with deep roots in yoga, so I gladly went. The class was challenging and deep, led by Dharma’s soft and wise voice. Halfway through class, I watched the 70-something teacher pop into a true headstand (arms free) and deliver himself from it with a humble, happy smile. Again, my mind was opened to new possibilities in that moment. (Look at what is possible!) At the end of class, I found myself teary in Savasana (yogic sleep). “That’s great,” my friend said after I told her about my tears. “You’re healing. Your body and mind and spirit are talking to each other, and you’re processing what you’re going through. Since you’re going through a challenging time, you should really go to yoga as much as you can right now.” I respect this friend deeply, so I took her words to heart.

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I prescribed myself yoga, much as a doctor would prescribe medication. I started exploring yoga in several local studios and found myself going several times a week, as often as I could. Things started happening. I somehow, slowly and sub- tly, felt myself to be living more from the inside out. I found myself growing more strong and flexible. When I first began yoga, I felt like I had noodle-arms, but over time I found I could balance the whole weight of my body on my arms! I’d often have epiphanies or realizations after yoga, from the place of a calm mind and open heart. I had many new insights into the challenges in my life. I also began to process things from my past and understand myself better. Regular practice helped to teach me about myself. I saw how I showed up in challenging moments in class (like Handstand) and how that translated to my life off the mat. I was able to try new ways of being and responding in yoga, which then translated to how I reacted to life. In yoga, I learned to slow down. There was a soft place, a safe place, a place to relax, and feel and integrate parts of myself to which I’d previously paid little attention. In yoga I practiced concentrating deeply on one thing at a time, which affected how I worked on things off the mat. When people say yoga changed their life, they mean it. It’s hard to even put into words the revolution, but for me it was about beginning to live from the inside out. As mentioned, I’d practiced sitting meditation exten- sively before, and began to approach my yoga practice as a moving meditation. It was a way to meditate with my whole body. I learned how to use my breath to calm down or energize. I learned how certain postures could help to wake me up or relax me. After several years of dedicated practice, I began to want to share through teaching. I began to feel a deep intention to bring yoga to girls, since I’d been mentoring teenage female writers in New York City public schools and felt especially sympathetic to the issues faced by that group. I knew yoga was core-level

4 My First Down Dog important to me, but I didn’t quite know where to start exploring teaching and sharing. I’d heard horror stories of the over-saturation of yoga teachers, especially in New York, but for some reason that didn’t bother me. I knew I wanted to share this, some way. I didn’t enroll in a teacher training program immediately. More time and practice went by, punctuated by the ups and downs of life. I reveled in the resources available to me in New York, the great yoga studios and teachers. I injured my back badly (outside of yoga, herniating a disc in my low back) and found healing through yoga. Through injury, a new way of practicing emerged, a bigger slowing down, a larger listening, a necessary step-up in self-care and intention. For me, yoga went beyond physical therapy to strengthen my whole body, including muscles to support my back. I went through more personal setbacks, broken hearts, and change. With so much change always, I found solace in having a regular practice. Sometimes I’d go to the mat with a heavy heart or hurting body and find myself palpably lightened by the end of practice. Yoga probably made me a better person to be around. I remembered to use my breath off the mat to positively affect my day. I had a practice to explore myself, to burn through anger, shake off sadness or expand joy. For me yoga is a spiritual practice, a way to “check in,” but I have also met those who approach the practice from a physical point of view, to increase body health, and have seen them benefit greatly, too. After meeting people from all walks of life and seeing how they’d benefited from yoga, I started taking teacher trainings and learning more about yoga. After one particularly awesome yoga class in the East Village of Manhattan, I felt myself deeply overwhelmed with gratitude for the gifts yoga had brought me. A feeling of wanting to share yoga arose within me again, this time attached to a little voice, some intuition, telling me to go home and look online for yoga teaching opportunities. I followed that small inner voice home and as I sat down to look online I heard another voice, this one telling me this was 5 Chapter 1 – OM Schooled

crazy. Certainly there wouldn’t be anything available in New York—and if there were, it would be something too small to pursue. Again, I remembered horror stories of the lack of yoga teaching opportunities, even for the well-known yoga teachers around me. Thank goodness I listened to my intuition, however, because when I typed “Yoga” into a search engine, the first thing to come up was “Full-Time Yoga Teacher Wanted: NYC Public Charter All-Girls School.” The opportunity felt meant to be, and I read further. A new all-girls charter school, only around for a year and a half at that time, had been created with yoga written into the charter. The director of the school was a woman who practiced yoga and she, too, saw from experience the ways it benefited her life. She wanted to share these gifts with the girls in her school. So, in addition to a full physical education program, the students of this Lower East Side elementary school would have yoga full time. That meant students would have either yoga or gym every day, with a total of two or three yoga classes a week. While I’d been thinking I wanted to work with girls, I wasn’t thinking of the little ones, starting from age four and ranging to age 12. But that possibility astounded me. Knowing the benefits I’d received from beginning yoga as a young adult, I could only imagine how my life would have been improved and changed had I practiced yoga since childhood. I sent an exuberant cover letter and my resume to the school. I didn’t tell anyone about my interview, but held it close to my heart. During my first interview, I gushed about the benefits of yoga and the possibilities of bringing these benefits into schools: increased mental focus and concentration, translating into better test scores and grades; the ability to self-regulate, which could translate into better inter-student communications; how practicing taking care of oneself in yoga can lead to a lifetime of health. I discussed how yoga can strengthen the body and help keep kids in shape at a time when many kids face childhood obesity and

6 My First Down Dog other ills from lack of exercise. And how yoga works the mind at the same time, and gives skills for emotional regulation. This all-girls charter school was an inner-city public school and finances were tight, but yoga proved to be a low-cost health program. All that was needed were mats and some basic supplies, and kids could get their strength, flexibility, and even a little bit of cardiovascular exercise through their yoga practice. I managed to get myself invited back for a second interview, which included a demo lesson with a class of third-grade girls. I went home and prepared my yoga lesson, and arrived ready to go. Still, having 20 third-grade girls looking at me—with the principal, third-grade classroom teacher and a school aide watching from the back of the room—proved to be intimidating. But anything for yoga. I began by teaching the kids that the sound of my singing bowl ringing meant, “Freeze!” We practiced this concept in the form of a Jell-O Dance. We got our wiggles out with lots of free dancing like wiggly Jell-O, and then when I rang the bell everyone would freeze! I then asked the stillest girls to look at the pose in which they’d spontaneously frozen and share the name of their “new yoga pose.” This served to be both a fun icebreaker and a way to get bodies and creative minds moving. It also introduced one of my classroom management tools, the bell, from moment one. After the Jell-O Dance, we stood in Mountain Pose and I taught the kids how to stand strong and tall like mountains in yoga. I gave the students a Mountain Test by walking around and gently wiggling their shoulders to be sure they were strongly rooted. I could tell by the faces of my new friends that everyone felt strong and solid in themselves, which was great. I then led the girls through a Sun Salutation sequence in which poses flow one into the next, using a song to guide us. After a few Sun Salutations, I asked the group how they felt. “Warm like the sun!,” said one bright-eyed girl in the back. My heart warmed, too, knowing this was going so well 7 Chapter 1 – OM Schooled

with the principal, teacher, and aide watching. Right on! I taught them the “yoga clap” I’d invented (which looked, es- sentially, like “jazz hands”) so we could clap for each other quietly, in a way appropriate for a quiet yoga class. We gave ourselves a quiet round of yoga applause. As we practiced our “pose of the day” (the demo lesson was short so I only had time to teach Downward-Facing Dog), there were moments when the class became loud and giggly or otherwise felt a little out of control. I could see the worried, ultra-observant eyes of the principal watching to see what I’d do. I rang the singing bowl and watched as all 20 girls froze. Some had flung themselves into elaborately silly poses as the bowl was ringing, but they froze anyway. This was one of my first lessons as a kids yoga teacher: make something a game and the kids will gladly follow along and order will be maintained. Whenever the class got rowdy, I’d ring the bell and the group would stop, look, and listen, seeing who could stop on a dime the quickest. After our Downward-Facing Dog practice, we played “Down-Dog Tunnel." We counted off by twos to make two even groups of 10. Then we made two Down-Dog tunnels by lining up our Down-Dog next to our friends’, with hands and feet aligned. I chose the girl on the end to wiggle like a snake under the tall, upside-down V shapes of the Down- Dogs. Once all the way through, the snake would turn into a dog and join the tunnel, allowing the next snake to slither through. I glanced at my adult audience and felt all was going pretty well. I rang the bell and encouraged the girls to walk back to their spots for Savasana, or relaxation pose. This transition took longer than I’d have liked and I worried about my demo performance, but I kept going. I turned a relaxing song on and asked that all girls who would like a “noodle test” put their thumb in the air to show me. (I’d already asked the principal if it was okay to safely touch students during relaxation and had gotten the okay.) I walked

8 My First Down Dog around, lifting up legs by the ankles and gently wiggling them to test for utter relaxation. Over and over, I remarked on how “noodly” everyone had gotten, and how relaxed everyone seemed. At the end of Savasana, I sang a little wake-up song about wiggling fingers and toes, wiggling elbows and noses, and then chimed a new bell and asked all my yogis to sit. I taught the group the meaning of the word “namaste,” an important word in yoga class. Namaste can be translated as “my light shines to your light,” and is a way to show respect and thank yourself and those around you for practicing yoga. (I’d also gotten the okay from the principal beforehand to share a little Sanskrit.) We brought our hands together in front of our hearts and said, “Namaste!,” to each other, smiling. I breathed a large sigh of relief, looked back at my adult audience, and saw a nod from the school aide. The principal stood up and publicly thanked me for coming and asked the girls to thank me with their applause. My heart warmed again as I saw 40 arms rise in the air with wiggling hands in a “yoga clap." Then I was off to one more interview with the director of the school. At the end of this interview day I learned another kids yoga teacher lesson: it’s important to maintain your own practice as you teach kids yoga, so you yourself are calm and strong and coming from a place of balance and clarity. The demo day and director interview had been wonderful, but nerve-wracking. I went immediately from the school to a yoga class, so I could get into my body and out of my mind as I waited for the decision from the school. In yoga class, I got to breathe and stretch and put myself into silly shapes and lie down in relaxation. By the time I left class, I felt much more ready to hear whether I’d gotten the job. Luckily, I received a call the next day with a job offer, and my journey began. I started with a full teaching schedule, five to seven yoga classes a day, five days a week, along with some literacy tutor- ing on the side to further assist the school. My classes were split by grade, Kindergarten to fifth, and kids came to me 9 Chapter 1 – OM Schooled in full class groups, generally around 25 kids. They arrived in my yoga classroom with their school uniforms still on. At the time, I shared a room with the music program (we would alternate periods using the classroom), so I had a pretty consistent space to utilize—except that the third graders, for scheduling reasons, had to study yoga in their classrooms. For those classes, I’d push desks out of the way and make a yoga space big enough to roll out yoga mats in a circle. As the years went on with the school, new challenges arose. Meeting these challenges as best I could meant con- tinuing to practice my own yoga, striving to stay both strong and flexible. One year I did not have my own room at all and had to teach in one corner of the gymnasium, while gym was going on. (If you do not remember the sound of the gym from your own childhood, I’ll remind you: the screech- ing and cheering of dozens of kids ricocheting off polished hardwood and high ceilings.) With the help of the principal, I put up a large curtain to visually divide the space, but we still had to deal with the noise and the occasional stray kick- ball. I told my yoga students that if they could do yoga with this kind of noise, they’d get very strong in their concentration and be able to do yoga anywhere! I also realized you can’t fully fight against the surroundings and had better go with, rather than against, them to some extent. (There are yoga lessons everywhere!) In the gym, we would begin and end our class quietly, but I allowed more chatting and more active asana (pose) games in the middle of class, since the energy in that space called for it. Despite those lessons, it was a trying year, and having my own yoga practice outside of teaching helped me to stay as centered as possible. Other challenges arose, too. Some parents were not supportive of having their child take yoga, either pushing against the school or I. Some even requested that their child take only gym and no yoga. I found that some of these cases were due to religious beliefs and the idea that yoga is linked to Hinduism. While the roots of recorded yoga practices are in India, yoga is actually an ancient practice that is univer- 10 My First Down Dog sal, and can be done by anyone with a body and breath to reconnect us to nature and spirit. Though India has done an amazing job of recording yoga and sharing it, and India is also the home of many beautiful religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, yoga itself precedes and is independent of any religion. At its heart, yoga is a science of mind, body, and breath. It is universal. As long as you are a person with a body and breath, you can practice yoga for a stronger body, emotional life, and mind. I always strove to teach with the ut- most cultural sensitivity in the school setting. While one can insert spiritual emphasis consciously into the practice, it is not necessary, and yoga is certainly not a religion. Sometimes educating the parent or adult guardian on what yoga is and allowing them to visit a class would alleviate such concerns. Other times the adult was adamant about limiting the child’s exposure, which I had to respect. Freedom of choice is an important aspect of yoga. In fact, in yoga practice when you are trying different poses, you are constantly asking yourself how things feel to you and making choices. For example, if you don’t feel good in Crow Pose or if the balancing nature of it scares you, you might choose not to do it for now. It is wise to know yourself and listen to your own limitations, as long as they are not coming from fear. If parents told me yoga was not right for them and their child, I respected that totally. You know that phrase “I can’t hear myself think?" I found a lot of kids—and teachers—in the school felt that way, and having a yoga break in the day allowed them to “hear themselves think." I grew up in a rural area and attended a small-town public elementary school. While school is always stressful, my own elementary school was surrounded by quiet nature and was less saturated than city schools. Working in a big-city public elementary school opened my eyes to the challenges there. Resources were ridiculously tight and many teachers were really tired and beaten down after years of teaching in such a cash-strapped atmosphere filled with such needs. The building itself was rough-and-tumble, with graf-

11 Chapter 1 – OM Schooled fiti and concrete walls. Remember how kids wet toilet paper and throw it on the ceiling in the bathroom? I had forgotten that until I took this job. Remember how kids throw spitballs? Remember how lunch consisted of fried food and Styrofoam trays, the popular table, not enough time and wanting to go outside to play? This was still true. In the inner city, the playground was a fenced-in concrete slab with rusted playground equipment. Teachers would monitor to make sure no stray adults from the surrounding area, mostly public housing and the highway, would wander in. It was a stressful environment, though the beauty of children’s resilient spirits still shone through, even with the increased emphasis on state testing and mountains of homework. Being inside this environment showed me the importance of inserting a wellness and stress reduction program into it. To some it may seem superfluous to have a 40-minute yoga session or even a five- to ten-minute yoga break in a school day. But those few minutes allowed all, teachers and students alike, to recharge and be more efficient in the rest of their day. Just as yoga had allowed me, a New Yorker, the space to reflect and recharge in the midst of the challenges of life, and specifically life in the big city, yoga helped those within the high-stress atmosphere of public school life. Allowing kids to breathe and stretch and focus helped them stay calm for studies, and for life outside of school. In school no matter what the stresses, kids are still kids. I knew of some of the immense challenges these children were facing. Some were in foster care. Some had parents in jail and were being shuttled from home to home. (Talk about not feeling grounded and needing something to center you!) Some of the children had big health or behavioral issues and spent a good portion of their school days with therapists and nurses, taking different prescriptions and practicing social skills. One year we had a beautiful little five-year-old girl in school who was obviously trying to deal with some kind of trauma. Any hint of criticism in class would set her off into a crying tailspin, which would sometimes feed on itself, re- 12 My First Down Dog sulting in her cowering in the corner crying and screaming. It took long walks and much discussion to calm her down, along with relationship-building so she felt safe. It took partnership with all the available adults in her life—at this point, her grandmother and her teachers and school administrators—to find ways for her to feel safe in school. Learning some yoga breathing helped her, miraculously. I taught her “Balloon Breath,” which is a slow inhale and exhale to the count of five (you can make balloon cheeks or arms, too) to slow down and relax the nervous system. She began Balloon Breathing anytime she was upset, in her classroom, lunch- room or hallway. All these big souls in little bodies were crammed together in a large concrete school building with big-hearted but understaffed and over-extended teachers. The needs of every child were unique and large. Yoga seemed essential to me in reaching some of them. I’d be astonished to witness these kids transition from the school day to the street. No matter where you go to school or what you’re going through, on some level if you’re five or six you are a kid, in school. But I’d see the same five- or six-year- old on the street with her older siblings or perhaps a parent, in a public playground, the streets around the projects or at the corner deli, and she’d have more swagger than I’d ever had. I saw kids exchange school uniforms for backwards caps and tough exteriors—I suppose to fit in and survive. I felt happy I was able to plant some seeds of something soft and nourishing in them, in such a tough environment. One of my favorite yoga students, seven-year-old Yolanda, who shined in class and loved yoga joyfully, told me she had to sneak in her practice at home so her older brother wouldn’t make fun of her. She felt like her mom didn’t understand, either, so she would close the door to her room and practice poses on her bed because they made her happy. Her room was the only space she had. I knew she lived with her extended family in close quarters in low-income housing, and the fact that her joy tethered her to yoga in such a strong way as to allow her 13 Chapter 1 – OM Schooled to be inventive in finding ways to practice totally warmed my heart. When I say I learned more from my kids than I taught them, you can imagine it was true. While the administration was generally supportive of me and my program, I did experience some pushback. In a way, I had to quantify yoga, and show that yoga could fulfill state physical education standards. I began to research studies to show what I already knew: that yoga helped kids perform better academically, increased their personal health, armed them with tools for checking in and healthier decision-making, and increased more peaceful interpersonal communication. I learned that administrations needed studies and numbers to help quantify success in the business of schools. I did my best to collaborate with other classroom teachers, to know what was happening with different children, and to keep up with their lesson plans in the hopes of cross-educating. (For example, when one class was learning about astron- Checking in: omy, I pulled out all my half-moons Being and we created Moon Salutations to aware of one's complement Sun Salutations.) I think physical, mental, there’s fertile ground for incorporat- and spiritual well ing academic lessons into yoga lesson being. Basically, plans. Math concepts can be taught through counting games, while his- determining, "How tory or geography can be addressed are you doing?" Can in class themes. There always seemed be done individually to be so much I could do with the yoga or shared with a program, but due to the number of group. classes I taught, I didn’t always have the time to implement everything. After I’d taught yoga in this charter school for several years—years of triumphs, challenges, setbacks, and breakthroughs—the program was drastically cut. Due to lack of space (remember the corner-of-the-gym dilemma?) and budget issues, the school moved away from in-house yoga and toward an after-school program instead. 14 My First Down Dog As for me, personally, though I was so sad to not see “my kids” daily anymore, I knew this was part of the impermanence yoga teaches us to embrace and understand. I began teaching elsewhere and in more studios, sharing my experiences with other yoga teachers through teacher trainings and writing. I kept hoping more schools and administrations would recognize the benefits of kids yoga and make space and funds available for full programs. Yoga can show up in many ways: after-school programs, yoga breaks in the academic classroom, yoga clubs, or in full-time programs to give kids wellness skills for immediate use and for life. When I started teaching in schools, I read every book I could find on kids yoga, watched every DVD and YouTube video, and attended every training I could. Still, I found many things didn’t address the reality I faced—teaching in schools. Often I had to tailor what I was taught elsewhere to fit my large classes of upwards of 25 students. I had to find creative ways, with the help of other school teachers and faculty, for introducing yoga to a new environment. I had to explore how to combine classroom management with yoga, which was a huge challenge for me, and how to create full lesson plans for a yearlong curriculum. Sometimes I really wished I had a mentor specific to this situation, but while I knew others who taught in after-school programs or were traditional classroom teachers working on inserting yoga breaks into the day, I was one of the few people I knew doing this full time. I found myself in yoga teacher boot camp! As I learned and tried, with the kids teaching me so much, I began to write this book as a guide. It's something I wished I’d had when I first started. It is truly my wish that more yoga programs arise in schools as we all come to realize the benefits of yoga in overall wellness and how increasing health increases academic success, too. I hope this book will help anyone who wants to bring yoga to their own kids, their students, their local school, and to their world. Namaste! (The Light in Me Shines to the Light in You!)

15 16 “Yoga is My Vacation” Why Yoga for Kids?

“Yoga helps my hot level go down. When I'm mad about something, I do yoga, and I forget about it.” -Andrea, age 6

remember being obsessed with looking upside down, through my legs, as a toddler. There are so many photos I of me under the age of six in this upside-down V shape, smiling at the camera. I didn’t know I was doing Downward- Facing Dog. I often naturally fell into Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose in this book) while watching TV or played with staying balanced in Bakasana (Crow Pose) without knowing it was yoga. Kids are natural yogis, using their bodies to

17 Chapter 2 – OM Schooled explore, play and develop, without calling it “yoga." Pablo Picasso said every child is an artist and it’s up to adults to remain one. I feel it’s the same for yoga. Every child is a yogi, freely exploring the world and his or her place in it through the senses and the body. (Some ancient texts even say babies perform 108 poses, or asanas, in the womb!)

So what is yoga? Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means “union.” It’s a way of unifying the body, mind, and spirit. I tell my students that yoga is a way of exercising these three things: the body, mind, and breath. Through yoga poses and breathing techniques, we help our bodies become strong, flexible, and well rounded. If your upper body is weaker than your lower body, for example, starting a yoga practice can help balance this. I speak from experience. I used to have runner’s legs and noodly arms, but now thanks to yoga I can balance the weight of my body on my arms as well as my legs. Yoga can help balance your mood and mind in a similar way. If you’re normally someone who operates at high-speed, yoga will encourage you to slow down. If you’re normally on a slow setting, yoga will invigorate you and get you moving. Even imbalances that occur day to day, whether you’re feeling sad or hyper or sleepy or unfocused, can be balanced out through a yoga practice that exercises your body, mind, and breath. Yoga poses take focus, so through practicing yoga we train our minds to focus deeply on one thing at a time. We also learn how to shift our attention from one thing to another in a timely manner. This type of focus is strong, but soft. If, for example, you think too hard about balancing on one foot, you are bound to fall. If you maintain a soft focus, however, you are more likely to hold your pose. Practicing mental focus is very important for school kids and can benefit them greatly, especially at this time of mental overstimulation and short attention spans, encouraged by our Internet and media culture. We all know that ADD (at- 18 Yoga is My Vacation tention deficit disorder) symptoms are on the rise. While some cases of ADD are biological, some are strongly influ- enced by the mental training of changing from one thing to another in quick succession. Clicking through channels and web surfing are two prominent examples. By contrast, practicing with a deep focus on one thing at a time helps you get better at it, plain and simple. And this means being able to focus more at school, in reading, and with homework. Yoga Basics: Learning to exercise the breath is Yoga means union in a key tool in learning self-regulation. Sanskrit, an ancient If you learn how to use your breath language from consciously, you’ll know how to calm yourself down or energize yourself, as India. Yoga unifies needed. You learn through practice the body mind and how to take a breath and pause be- breath, strengthens fore making a decision. In yoga, we and gives awareness practice taking deep breaths to calm around all three. the nervous system and we practice short, rapid breath like “Bunny Yoga helps kids learn Breath” to give us energy. We see that through developing if our breath is calm and deep we’re greater mental more likely to hold a pose, and if it’s focus. It gives them irregular and choppy, we’re less likely tools for regulating to do so. This translates to life off the yoga mat. If you’re having trouble their own emotions concentrating during a test, taking a by themselves. It few deep breaths can really help you develops strong and clear your mind and refocus. Kids flexible bodies. It learn this. teaches wellness and When discussing yoga with a teacher or school administrator, I may self-care habits. define it more in depth. Yoga can be described from its physiological, psychological or spiritual perspectives. It is important to note that yoga is not

19 Chapter 2 – OM Schooled a religion. While yoga has roots in India, it is separate from any Eastern religious traditions. In fact, yoga is a universal human practice and is separate from any religion. Anyone can practice yoga, as it is a science of body and mind with no religion at all. The spiritual aspect of yoga I address in teaching kids yoga in schools refers to how their spirits are affected by yoga. Yoga can pick up your spirit, uplift you, and make you feel clear and happy. It can get you in touch with your spirit, beyond your mind and body. Yoga is emotional and artistic in this way, too. Yoga has several physiological benefits. One great benefit is that it soothes the nervous system. We all know how physical stress can be: knots in the stomach, headaches, or difficulty sleeping. Our bodies are hardwired to react to stress with the ancient “fight-or-flight” response. When under stress, our brains send signals to the body to literally fight or escape. In caveman days, this was probably perfect. If there’s a bear in front of you, do you gear up to fight it, or run like the dickens? The surges of adrenaline and stress chemicals through the body were necessary and helpful to get you to the other side of danger, at which point they would subside. In our modern world, our bodies are constantly stress- triggered for very different, and often long-lasting, reasons. Inner-city kids, often at risk, are particularly susceptible to this kind of bodily battering from stress. Instead of being faced with the terror of a bear, kids are faced with different possible terrors. Maybe it’s a “Big T” terror, like bullying. Perhaps the child lives in a violent household of some kind, hearing verbal abuse (which certainly can send the nervous system into fight or flight, saying ”Let’s fight or get out of here”) or in other cases witnessing or even experiencing physical abuse. Maybe the child’s neighborhood is unsafe. These are real fears, and as a kid you have little control beyond how you react, which can include asking for help if you feel safe doing so. Unfortunately, many kids live in “Big T” terror situations and can’t just leave. 20 Yoga is My Vacation “Little t” terrors might include situations like neglect, either physical or emotional. Perhaps a student is put down by classmates for being different. Perhaps the child is homeless and moving from shelter to shelter. That kind of insta- bility can also send the nervous system into all-alarm. Being in a constant state of danger can lead to adrenal fatigue. Yoga can help by allowing for deep relaxation. Yoga also gives kids a way to feel grounded. A yoga practice will affect the nervous system immediately by soothing it, and will give tools for de-stressing in the middle of terrors big and small. It empowers kids to help themselves in situations that may be beyond their control. Many people associate yoga purely with asanas, or yoga poses. Asanas are an important part of the yoga practice, though as we’ll explore, there’s more to yoga than poses. Through yoga poses, we intentionally stretch some parts of the body while strengthening others. Yoga makes your body, your home, a stronger and healthier place to live. Strength and softness: Because the body is an inter- connected system, when you stretch one part, the connected, supportive part is asked to strengthen in response. For example, when you flex your biceps you are strengthening it, but the back of the arm, the triceps, must stretch in response to accommodate that the flexion. In a triangle pose, muscles are growing strong and stretching at the same time. In yoga, we sometimes hold poses and other times move through sequences of poses, perhaps moving “one breath, one movement” in conjunction with the breath. Both kinds of movement help to strengthen and stretch the body deeply. In a yoga pose, we try to use only the muscles we need and relax the rest. This trains the body and the mind to work when and where necessary and to relax when and where work isn’t required. Through yoga you do get a deep bodily workout and deep relaxation at the same time. And you train yourself, through repeated experience, to live in a yogic way. By that I mean you learn to be activated when needed and then to completely release all that activation when you can, so 21 Chapter 2 – OM Schooled you’re not carrying around unneeded stress. Being able to drop stress makes you healthier, happier, and more peaceful. And if we have more peaceful individuals we have a more peaceful society. From a psychological standpoint, if the brain is fed, then it’s optimized. When you are learning new poses in yoga, new ways of moving and balancing the body, the mind has to work to keep up. As your body grows to learn yoga, so does your mind. Our brains are constantly secreting hormones to keep our bodies healthy and in balance. The pineal-pituitary link means the pituitary gland works to secrete just the right amount of the right hormone at the right time. Yoga helps to strengthen this connection. By doing this, we beneficially affect the very ability of the mind to learn and to retain information learned. Little kids are still learning and developing in basic stages. Even the practices of differentiating left from right and coordinating the body in specific movements can help the brain develop in strength and elasticity. From the spiritual standpoint, yoga uplifts the spirit and makes you feel better about yourself and more accepting of who you are. This is powerful for everyone, but an especially powerful thing to share with children who are handicapped in some way; such as dealing with learning disabilities, obesity, or eating disorders; who may be from poor or struggling families; or who are dealing with self- doubt in powerful ways. From one yoga class, the “feel good” chemicals of exercise are released and the practitioner immediately feels uplifted. Since yoga is non-competitive and inclusive every kid yogi is a winner. Over time, you may watch yourself grow in yoga. If, when you began yoga, you couldn’t balance on one foot but in time you can, you feel better about yourself. The other lesson of yoga is to practice accepting the fact that you can’t balance at first. You practice closely observing where you are with things, how you react, and accepting them. You can also celebrate your learning and growth through yoga. Yoga is extremely empowering. 22 Yoga is My Vacation For example, in Warrior Two, you are encouraged to really take up space and grow large, unapologetically. Perhaps you learn Crow Pose, and can suddenly support your own weight on your arms. Perhaps you are in a wheelchair and learn how to make yourself feel energized with certain breathing exercises. The fact that you learn to do that yourself, and you can implement that kind of change for yourself, is immensely empowering. To break it down, I believe even just the immediate experience of feeling deeply good in your body, naturally, is a powerful thing. This can be part of the process of deeply friending yourself. It teaches you that you don’t need to change who you are to feel happy and good about yourself, but in fact can be totally yourself as you are right now. By deeply paying attention to who you are right now through yoga, you start to feel good. You don’t need drugs or alcohol to feel the natural high of yoga. A lot of kids have told me yoga makes them feel beautiful. Whether big or small, tall or short, disabled or not, rich or poor, yoga gives, through experience, an appreciation of the self and body. Feeling good right here, right now is a powerful lesson.

But, what is the evidence that yoga provides benefit? Why should a school district, principal, or teacher incorporate yoga as a break, into Physical Education (or PE), as an after-school activity, elective, or part of the curriculum? Why should schools allocate resources to this activity? More and more studies are showing the positive effects yoga can have on kids, and I have no doubt the studies will continue. In 2011, a study conducted by Dr. Ronald Zigler, as reported in the journal Education, on the effects of meditation (concentration) techniques on schoolwork for 189 public middle school kids found that “students who practiced the meditation program showed significant increases in math and English scale scores and performance level scores over a one-year period.” The study was conducted in California 23 Chapter 2 – OM Schooled and measured with California standardized tests. A significant portion of the meditating students—41 percent—showed a gain of at least one performance level in math, compared to 15 percent of the non-meditating students in the control group. Among the students with the low- est levels of academic performance, “below basic” and “far below basic,” the meditating students showed a significant improvement in overall academic achievement compared to students in the control group, which showed only a slight gain. This news is getting press too! There are many articles appearing all the time. For example, in February 2011, Kelly Brewington of the Baltimore Sun reported on a yoga and meditation program in inner-city Baltimore that was making a huge difference. Brewington collected direct feedback and quotes from the kids themselves. One eleven-year-old boy talked about how yoga helps him concentrate at school, saying, “It’s easy. I just close my eyes and think about the sunrise. I can block all that other stuff out." Another student, now 20 years old, actually said yoga “saved” him. The find- ings of this article, which focused on a pilot program started in 2008, were published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psy- chology. “They found students who did yoga were less likely to ruminate, the kind of brooding thoughts associated with depression and anxiety that can be a reaction to stress." While more and more studies are currently being conducted to gather information on the effects of yoga and meditation on youth, no studies were needed for me to see the positive effects of yoga on kids. On the personal level, I watched yoga improve the lives of kids around me, academically, socially, and personally. The child who impressed me the most with her personal improvement was Miriam, a kindergartner. She came to yoga class, and school in general, with lots of challenges. She had been diagnosed with ADD and already at the age of five had gone through so many traumas in her home life. Her single mother was in jail and she was currently living 24 Yoga is My Vacation with her grandmother, with whom she was not yet comfortable. She had trouble making friends and kept to herself. Any change would shake her; even the transition from her classroom environment to the yoga classroom would make her edgy. When Miriam first came to yoga, any slight suggestion or the wrong look from a classmate would tip her off into a whirlwind of tears. Sometimes she would get herself so worked up, she’d be in the corner of the room, crying and rocking back and forth, unable to calm down. Her crying broke my heart; it was so raw and frightened. Sometimes she’d have a full-fledged panic attack, with deep sobs, difficulty breathing, and fear. I was overwhelmed on her behalf, but wanted to try to help in any way I could. I asked the teacher if I could spend a little one-on-one yoga time with her. I first explained the routine of the yoga class to her so she’d understand it. I gave her a personal tour of the mats and materials. I taught her “relaxation” breath, so she would have a tool to calm herself down. I gave her a signal she could show me if she needed some time out in the “Peace Place” in class. And I began using her as my helper to make her feel needed and secure. It took time to build our relationship and for her to feel safe in her environment. But within a few weeks, she was completing the whole class, from OM to Sun Salutations to poses to Savasana, and smiling. This was huge. She would give me the signal if she needed time out, and would join back in when she knew she was ready, which was an amazing improvement in self-knowledge. She has since grown into a student who is amazingly comfortable in her own skin and has one of the most contagious laughs I’ve ever heard. Now she often comes up to me at the beginning of the class to tell me a joke and make me laugh. It’s as if the roles have switched and she is now helping me, trying to make my day better and cheerier. Her laugh completely brightens my heart not only because it’s awesome, but also because I know the dark place she was in when we met. 25 Chapter 2 – OM Schooled I’ve had several classroom teachers tell me stories of kids using “yoga breath” to calm down and focus before taking a test. One little girl was spotted holding her hands in a mudra (or “yoga hands”) under her desk to calm herself down. A few classroom teachers asked me to teach them some basic stretches and breathing techniques they could use at the start of the day, in the transition from recess back to work, and at the end of the day, to help kids relax and shift gears in a more subtle way. Parents have told me lots of stories of transformation, too. One mother of a seven-year-old yogi told me she spotted her daughter coaching a two-year-old cousin through some yoga and meditation during a temper-tantrum. She literally told her cousin yoga would help her feel better and started to lead some breath-work and stretching. Another caregiver, a grandmother, told me her granddaughter began teaching her yoga poses when her back was hurting. Grandma said the Cat/Cow stretches really helped! I was touched by her granddaughter’s caring heart, too. Another parent told me her eight-year-old skateboarding daughter, Sophie, would go into Tree Pose on the subway car while holding the silver pole, and then challenge her balance by letting go of the pole. Sophie claimed practicing balance in yoga helped her to be a better skateboarder. Made sense to me. I’ve heard it said that when you’re teaching adult yoga, you are facilitating shedding, or letting go of what’s not needed, but when you’re teaching kids yoga, you are facilitating expansion, building, exploring, and growing. While the kids may have some things to shed (like the shy- ness or trauma little Miriam faced) they are also exploring and building who they are. Your students will be changing a lot and trying on different ways of being as they grow. In general, you are helping them to build themselves more than to let go of “false selves." For example, one group of third- grade girls came to me very well behaved and attentive at the beginning of the school year, and by the end of the year they’d formed cliques and opinions that kept them separate 26 Yoga is My Vacation from each other and in constant conflict over small things. Our class had to adapt. I moved the mat placement to keep certain students separated, and we did a lot of work on teamwork and getting along with others. We did other work that involved really going inward and focusing on ourselves, and learning to pause before reacting. We talked about “right speech” and used this as a practice in class. By the end of the year, our overall class had healed again. The stories of transformation are endless and the ways in which to teach yoga are vast. Because kids are growing and developing so rapidly, as the teacher you learn to stay on your toes. The kids will be changing in front of your eyes.

27 Chapter 2 – OM Schooled

28 Bringing Yoga to Schools: Can You Say OM in School?

"OM sounds like Home, and both words make me feel cozy.” – Jasmine, age 6.

oga can be brought into the school environment in many ways. As mentioned, I was fortunate enough to teach yoga full-time for several years in a public Ycharter school. The director of the school was a yogi and understood the value of yoga for children, and wrote yoga into the charter as a requirement. My schedule was similar to that of a gym, art, or music teacher. I worked the full school day, from 7:30am to 4:00pm or so, and taught a full

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schedule of between five and seven classes a day. In free periods, I often tutored in literacy since I’m also a writer, but my main role was as yoga teacher, and as such I had to offer a full curriculum that held up to state physical education standards. I had to present written documentation aligning the yoga program with PE standards such as developing spatial awareness and providing strength training. My role was unusual even in yoga-friendly New York City, and though I have many yogi friends and knew lots of teachers, I knew few at the time who taught kids yoga in schools, and none to that extent. My other kids yoga teacher friends taught in after- school programs, in part-time day programs, or in studios teaching individual classes in a varying schedule. I also knew of some teachers who visited schools and taught workshops to classroom teachers for incorporating yoga techniques into the academic day. While my program was a success overall, there were some very large barriers that kept it from thriving as much as it could have—barriers I hope others can learn from. Being in a public school, space was an issue. Large classes were also an issue. As previously mentioned, some parents, staff, and administrators expressed concern over possible connections between religion and yoga, or the use of Sanskrit in schools. In this chapter, I’ll discuss some of my experiences with these topics and what I found worked. From the start, I thought it was amazing 30 Bringing Yoga to Schools for children to have yoga offered as a regular part of their school day. It allowed them a break for both exercise and relaxation as a part of their regular schedule and gave them tools for dealing with stress in the classroom and on the playground. The yoga class was a low-cost alternative and complement to gym with its extensive equipment. And having yoga in the school as a regular part of the day affirmed its value immediately to the children, as it could be equated with art or music in scheme. I think it was a good message to see yoga, and the yoga teacher, on the same plane as the art teacher or the reading specialist. One year the yoga program had its own classroom for most sessions, needing to go into the academic classroom for only a few yoga classes. For a short period of time, I had my own yoga classroom to use consistently, which was ideal. This set-up allowed me to create a studio-in-a-school. I could leave the yoga mats out, decorate the walls with yoga posters, play music, and create a relaxing feel. As mentioned, another year, space was so tight the yoga classroom had to share space in the gym, while gym classes were happening. That presented all kinds of challenges, from actual space to noise. The times when we had to move spaces depending on the day were the most difficult. This lack of consistency really took its toll on the kids, who need routine. I definitely saw the effects of space and atmosphere on kids. Kids thrive on the safety of consistency. If you must shift spaces out of necessity, it is important to create an organized system to simulate this consistency for the kids. One of my yoga teachers once told me she feels yoga teachers are “mood artists,” and I think this is helpful to think of in schools. As a yoga teacher, or a classroom teacher bringing some yoga to school, setting a relaxing mood, perhaps through lowering lights, playing nice music, or having some plants around, does wonders. Some unique issues of bringing yoga into the classroom include:

31 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled Large Classes: Having over 20 kids in a yoga class brings up special issues. What happens when you’re teaching a large class but one or two children need special attention? For some of the classes, a school aide was present, assisting with issues. But when I taught alone, I had to find different ways to deal with the need for special attention. For some classes, it made the most sense to set up mats in a large circle like rays of the sun, placing my own mat either in the middle or in the circle itself. For other classes, I preferred setting up the mats in rows and placing myself at the front. The most important thing, though, was being able to see all kids at all times. No hiding places! If I did have an assistant for a class, I made sure to strategically place her so the room was covered with adult eyes. In addition to large classes needing attentive eyes, I sometimes found myself needing extra hands. If no other adults were available, I’d choose student helpers based on behavior and attitude in class. Kids love helping out. I made sure to go through everyone in the class if possible, over time. Kids could help set up or clean up a room, help hand out materials, and even help teach a pose by modeling with me. I think the ideal size for a kids yoga class is around 10, if you are able to control this. That way, each student can be more carefully watched and attended to. I always set up a “Peace Place” in my in-school yoga environment, a Peace Place: a space where kids could take “time- ins” and collect themselves before set-aside space returning to yoga. Sometimes I for reflection, would ask kids to go there. I had an outside of the hourglass in the Peace Place, allow- yoga circle. ing kids to time their own time-in. For real disruption, or behavior issues with older kids, I armed the Peace Place with “Reflection Sheets." Students were encouraged to reflect on why they were taking time away from class and how they could be more ready for yoga. 32 Bringing Yoga to Schools Yoga and Religion: This can be a really hot topic when it comes to bringing yoga into schools. Indeed, in my case I had support from the school director and most teachers, but not all teachers supported yoga practice. One school administrator who had her daughters enrolled in our school, for example, did not allow her girls to take yoga because she felt yoga class would go against their Christian Scientist beliefs. These little girls would go to gym every day instead of alternating with yoga like the other students. I witnessed how these girls sometimes had to explain to their classmates why they weren’t in yoga. In general, it wasn’t a big deal among their peers, though I saw that the girls themselves were sometimes curious about what we were doing in class. A few other children were also not allowed to take yoga because their parents were concerned it would conflict with their religions. One little girl became Muslim halfway through the year and though she was allowed to continue with yoga, her mother asked that she not sing OM or other songs and that she keep her head covered during practice as she did the rest of her day. I spoke about this with the girl before class. Perhaps because she was so young, only six, she was pretty adaptable and we agreed on her sitting quietly during the OM song. She was, luckily, proud of her new head covering. To address this hot topic I followed two tenets: education and respect. I felt it was important to educate the staff and community about yoga, and also to then respect whatever decisions individuals made based on this information. At the beginning of the school year I wrote a “Wel- come to Yoga” letter to go home with all students, and also made it available during events such as Parent Teacher Night. In this letter, I introduced what yoga is and gave a few sample poses or breathing exercises to try at home, with family. I also provided my e-mail and contact information so parents could get in touch with me with any questions. Here is a sample “Welcome to Yoga” letter:

33 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled

Dear Families,

Yoga is a wonderful way to help students exercise their bodies and minds and learn tools for concentration, relaxation, and teamwork! It will help your child in the following ways:

-Helps kids calm down and energize during their busy day of learning -Builds confidence with new challenges and experiences -Encourages teamwork -Builds flexibility, strength, balance, and coordination in the body -Helps build focus and concentration for the classroom -Teaches respect and sharing -Teaches self-acceptance and awareness -Teaches anatomy/body parts

This is just the beginning of what yoga can do. We’re lucky to have it at our school!

Each class begins by warming up with Sun Salutations, a “dance” of poses to wake up the body. Next, we learn new poses, which change for each class. Sometimes there are partner or group poses to practice, and sometimes we learn poses to try alone. Often there will be yoga games or special projects incorporating creativity, art, and teamwork, and then time for relaxation. It’s great to have a chance to rest before the rest of the school day!

Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have about your child’s yoga practice.

Sincerely,

34 Bringing Yoga to Schools

I often explained that while yoga has roots in India, it is a science of body-mind wellness and connection that ap- plies to all people. At this point, yoga is practiced everywhere by all kinds of people of different backgrounds. It predates many of the religions that incorporated yoga into their own practices, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and the Sikh religion. So while yoga has been used by religion, it is not necessarily religious. This means that no one of any background should be excluded from benefiting from yoga. My teaching of yoga in schools was focused on the physical, as well as giving kids a mind-body awareness. My belief is that yoga is inherently spiritual, so whether you’re talking about it or not, your spirit will be affected by yoga class. You do quiet the external world and hear your inner world more, no matter what that means to you. You don’t even need to talk about it if it’s not appropriate, but it’s happening. Sanskrit, an ancient language of India, is yoga’s first language. Coming from this Indian tradition, many of our poses have Sanskrit names. Interestingly, Sanskrit is the ori- gin of many commonly used English words, such as cheetah, candy, shampoo, and orange! So just because something is unfamiliar doesn’t mean we have no connection with it. Usu- ally in my teaching, I teach both English and Sanskrit names of poses. For example, Mountain Pose is called Tadasana in Sanskrit. Boat Pose in Sanskrit is Navasana. From a learning standpoint, mentioning the Sanskrit terms facilitates the acquisition of language. It focuses the listening student on learning the syntax and structure of language, which stimulates the brain’s development of language. The more you practice learning language skills, the easier it may be to learn other languages, whether Spanish, French, or Russian. Apart from practicing learning a language, when we use Sanskrit in yoga class, we honor where yoga began thousands of years ago. Even my kindergartners knew a little bit of Sanskrit. They knew asana = pose. (The older kids knew asana literally meant “seat.”) They realized that the 35 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled word “asana” was inside other words we used, like Tadasana (Mountain) or Savasana, our relaxation pose. When I had my own yoga room, I created a Yoga Word Wall where we posted the yoga vocabulary words we were learning. Some of the words were English words and others were Sanskrit, organized alphabetically along the wall like a big visual dictionary. While Sanskrit words might seem long and complicated, the syntax used in yoga is surprisingly simple to decode. For example, “tad” = mountain and “nav” = boat. When combined with “asana,” we have Tadasana and Navasana. A complicated name like Adho Mukha Svanasana breaks down thusly: “adho” = down, “mukha” = face, and “svana” = dog, which becomes Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Understanding a little Sanskrit makes decoding something like Adho Mukha Vrkasana (Downward-Facing Tree Pose, or handstand) not all that difficult. In general, I only taught some Sanskrit terms for class, and usually taught them alongside English. Some, such as Tadasana, became so familiar to us from grades K-5 that I’d simply say Tadasana instead of Mountain Pose. Other times I’d teach both terms. I always made sure the kids knew what they were hearing and saying, though. It can be the same as learning a little French through ballet. I found that children enjoy learning about the roots of yoga, and the more you can teach, the better. You never know what parts of your teaching will affect a child. I remember at the beginning of one school year, I devoted a whole lesson to the history of yoga. I brought in a map of India, some pictures of famous yogis throughout the years (men and women, people of different ages and backgrounds who loved and benefited from yoga) and talked with a second-grade class about these things. A little girl in this class, Elizabeth, found the lesson particularly interesting. While with the other students the lesson came and went, and we moved on to practicing more than studying, some chord had appar- ently been struck in Elizabeth, because every time I saw her 36 Bringing Yoga to Schools she asked me about India. She told me she had taken a book out of the library about India, and would always mention when she’d seen something about India on TV or in a movie. She once even asked me if I was Indian because I practice yoga. (This was super endearing. I told her, no, my family is originally from Western Europe and that anyone can love yoga, no matter where they or their family are from.) In my school, every classroom was named after a role model, and I had named my classroom after Indra Devi. My yoga classroom door that year had an Indra Devi display, including a large picture of her smiling, another of her doing a yoga pose, and a short bio typed out, mounted on colored construction paper, and laminated. Elizabeth found Indra especially interesting, too. I found it interesting that she was so interested! I had taught my students that Indra was the first Western woman ever to study in an ashram in India and one of the first and most well known women yoga teachers ever. She was born in Russia and was always interested in and called toward India and yoga. She was also an actress, and went to India to work in her 20s. She approached Krishnam- acharia, a very famous yoga teacher, to learn from him and was first told no because she was a woman. But she persisted and Krishnamacharia was very impressed by her dedication, her strength, and her passion for yoga. Her famous classmates were Patabi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar, other teachers who went on to share yoga with the Western world. Indra Devi eventually went from being a student to also being a teacher. She taught in California and Russia and settled in Argentina. She wrote books about yoga and lived to 103. I spoke of her as an inspirational person who went after her dreams even if others at first didn’t understand them. She was brave and not afraid to be different. Elizabeth really hooked onto this story and wrote a fictionalized account of Indra’s life, complete with illustrations! I had no idea this sharing would strike a chord in this way with a student. It just goes to show you never know how you will affect your students with your teaching. I also often invited questioning parents to observe a 37 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled

class or two to further understand yoga. I found if parents saw a yoga class, they were more comfortable with it. It de- mystified yoga. It allowed them to see the physical benefits, as well as the mental, emotional, and social benefits their kids experienced in yoga. Another great idea is to have an open house and invite parents to witness a yoga demonstration with a select class. I found the more communication with parents, the better. If a kid was struggling in school, I might reach out to offer yoga tips, such as focused breathing exercises to help the child, which could be practiced at home at homework time. Communication is important.

Community Communication: There are many ways to foster communication between you as the yoga teacher and the parents, school, and community at large. I often wrote a yoga article for the school newsletter, which went home with all students regularly. In it, I might share a pose of the month, something to learn and try at home. I might feature a photo of a particular class practicing a new pose, or even scan and share a child’s Asana Art project! Giving practical tips to use at home (such as de-stressing tips during state test time, or cooling poses to do in hot months) also added to the validity of yoga in life off the mat. I made sure to reach out to parents via phone whenever I noticed a child sitting out often in yoga class, whether on their own or by invitation due to a behavioral problem. Being proactive and involving the parents really can foster trust and partnership. For example, one of my students in a fourth-grade class, Rachel, became more and more intro- verted as the school year went on. I noticed her sitting in the back row of yoga consistently and finding ways to sit out from most activity, from Sun Salutations to poses. This was a marked change in Rachel’s behavior. In third grade she’d been quiet but definitely more outgoing and always tried her best in the physical practice. With so much going on in the yoga room, it would have been easy to let that slide. After all, Rachel was not

38 Bringing Yoga to Schools causing any disruption to other students’ practices and there were a million things to watch and listen for in our 45-minute lessons. But I was concerned, so I called Rachel’s mom and ended up meeting with her in person. It turned out that Rachel was withdrawing in all of her classes. Her aunt, who had been an especially close family member, had recently passed away. Rachel had also undergone a big growth spurt and was now much taller and more developed than many of her classmates. This combination resulted in her diving into her passion, her art, and otherwise wanting to blend into the woodwork in school. I never would have known these details if Rachel’s mom hadn’t shared them with me. In Rachel’s case, a combination of chatting with her outside of class and moving her mat position closer to me resulted in her increased participation. She and I actually got along quite well and a little personalized attention went a long way. Rachel and I created personal goals together. For example, maybe she could start with one Sun Salutation instead of completing all three. Sometimes I invited her to assist me, which seemed to draw her out of her shell. The truth was, I remembered feeling similar to Rachel in middle school, often knowing the answer in class but being too shy to say anything, wanting to blend into the carpet. The teachers who pushed me, whether I really welcomed it at the time, were important in my growth. Sometimes just telling a child you want to hear their voice is enough to encourage them to practice using it. There are other initiatives you could take to increase community communication. Perhaps setting up a class Face- book page (definitely apart from your personal one; some boundaries are important!) can give kids a way to keep chatting about yoga online once they get home. The Internet can be a great place to foster community outside of class since kids are living online, anyway. (Again, don’t fight it; go with the energy!) Definitely check the school’s or facility’s policy on online communication before initiating any projects, however. You want to be sure you are abiding by any privacy 39 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled

agreements. Especially exercise sensitivity when using kid yoga pictures or, of course, names! You could also reach out to the community at large. Perhaps a local newspaper or station would like to do a story on your kids yoga class. Perhaps a student journalist would want to write a first-person account of yoga and share it in the school newspaper or beyond. I wrote yoga poems with some of my kid yogis and we submitted them to children’s poetry journals. There are many ways to share through words as well as actions and keep the conversations flowing.

Yoga and PE Standards: For those school administrators wondering how yoga can fit into the school system, yoga addresses all the National Physical Education Standards we currently have in place. Most state standards are also more than sufficiently addressed by yoga. According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, the PE standards develop “physically- educated individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.” (That certainly sounds like yoga to me.) The six national PE standards are as follows, with notes as to how yoga addresses them.

Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities. Yoga is all about developing motor skills and patterns of movement.

Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities. Yoga addresses all these points.

Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity. Yoga in the school can be a regular physical activity, and 40 Bringing Yoga to Schools because yoga can be done at home, without any additional props (though it’s always nice to have a mat, you don’t need one to do yoga), yoga can feasibly work its way into a kid’s home life more than sports requiring equipment. Yoga is an individual exercise. You don’t need to rally together a team to do yoga. At home, some yoga poses can even be done while watching TV. While this is far from ideal, doing some poses during commercial breaks is preferable to being a complete couch potato. Couch Potato Pose is too easy! Might as well challenge yourself and add a few poses during breaks. Some kids need to start where they are.

Standard 4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. Yoga has definitely been shown to enhance health, both mentally and physically!

Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings. In yoga, we actively practice sharing, working together and also respecting others’ space when need be.

Standard 6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction. Watching the joy my students experienced in yoga class proved to me that Standard 6 was being covered. I watched children challenging themselves, having fun, and practicing healthy social interaction and self-expression through already existing or newly-created poses. Yoga is a new way to address old Physical Education standards. And yoga addresses them completely and fully, both in school and out, giving kids ways to carry these standards into their lives. I found that some kids who didn’t like gym did like

41 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled yoga. For example, Lori was one of the bigger kids in her fourth-grade class, being both considerably taller and overweight. Her teachers told me that she struggled in gym. She felt self-conscious running in front of her classmates since it took her longer than the other kids. She didn’t like how her body looked, and so hated doing anything that called attention to herself. In team sports or even in-gym running, kids are on the spot, with other kids either booing or cheering. That idea mortified Lori, so she began to ask to sit out of gym a lot. When the gym teacher told her she couldn’t sit out without a note, she began to fake illnesses and would ask her mother to write a note. Her mom was already worried about her health because she was so overweight, so she began to write notes asking that Lori not push herself in gym, leading to her sitting out a lot. But she was urged to do yoga. As the teachers had warned me, at the beginning she tried to sit in the back row consistently and shied away from participation. I scrounged around for the most fun, least spotlight-creating yoga games to bring into Lori’s class. After Sun Salutations and Pose Practice, we played games where all kids played at the same time. I noticed that without the pressure, Lori slowly started to get into the fun of yoga class. Over time she became one of my most attentive students. Certain poses she felt silly in at first, like Candle (or Shoulder-Stand) where your legs are up in the air, but later she began to enjoy it. Any pose she didn’t like, which perhaps still made her feel silly, certainly had a variation, or she could rest for a moment. When we filled out “Reflection Sheets” at the end of the year, Lori wrote, “Yoga makes me feel beautiful." I kid you not. This was a huge leap for a kid who was asking for notes to sit out of gym class. Yoga provided an alternative. Yoga can be especially potent for special needs children. In my experience, I worked in inclusion environments where special needs children were in the same classes as the other students. I had students with severe ADD/ADHD practicing alongside kids who were not dealing with those issues. 42 Bringing Yoga to Schools

I had a few kids with mild cerebral palsy or learning delays. Of course, I also got to know teachers who worked exclusively with this population, and many of them began to bring yoga into their classrooms and to their kids. Yoga is an inclusive activity. One little boy who really struggled with school told me he was rarely picked for gym teams but liked yoga because “no one makes you sit on a bench in yoga class." This really touched me and opened my eyes. Unlike some other physical activities taught in schools, yoga engages all participants all the time. There’s no waiting for your turn, there’s no standing around. Dive right in! If you’re teaching a 40-minute yoga class, for all 40 minutes all the kids present, special needs or not, can be moving and participating. Learning and movement is maximized. One of the current educational concepts in vogue is called “differentiated instruction,” in which you teach a child at his or her level—a level that challenges but does not overwhelm or suffocate the child’s motivation to excel. Yoga is the original “differentiated” activity. In a class of 25, each child can be working at his or her own level and ability without any peer judging. Children can realize their own potential and incrementally see and feel real change and tangible accomplishment. Special needs children find as much success in yoga as the non-special needs students. In yoga, you are compet- ing against no one but yourself—and really, the practice is less about competition and more about celebrating who you are. How great is that for those with special needs, or for any child? There is a space for everyone in yoga. There are some wonderful trainings out there for those teachers working solely with the special needs population. I cannot speak in-depth to this issue since, as mentioned, I taught in inclusion environments. However, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that self-regulation, body-mind coordination, how you learn to love yourself, and the way that yoga has an entry point for everyone, that yoga is great for ALL children. 43 Yoga Checklist: Stock your yoga classroom with the following materials to begin a safe and fun practice: Kid-sized yoga mats: The sticky, nonslip surface of a yoga mat offers traction for safety in poses. Mats give kids their own “space” to learn, literally, about healthy boundaries between self and others. Your yoga mat is your world for exploring and introspection in yoga. Adult yoga mats can be cut down to smaller sizes for smaller bodies. There are also kid-sized mats being sold by companies such as The Little Yoga Mat (out of New York City). Many of these mats are decorated with bright colors and shapes. Whether you’re buy- ing a special mat for a kid or cutting down an adult mat and perhaps decorating it yourself or writing the child’s name on the mat with a Sharpie, it is nice to take the time to explore and celebrate the materials used in yoga class. Tibetan singing bowl or bell: It is very useful to use sound to signal a change of activity in the classroom. Kids will love learning about Tibetan singing bowls and bells, too. A small metal bell is helpful, also, for the Bell Game, as mentioned later in this book. A singing bowl is a great classroom management tool, as well as a transition sound. If a yoga class gets a little noisy, I often stop and quietly begin playing the singing bowl. Inevitably little yogis will stop and quiet down to hear it! It can also be a special treat and reward to teach a child how to play the singing bowl. Music: An index of kid-friendly music is listed at the end of this book. Using music is especially helpful in Sun Salutations, certain games, and Relaxation. I generally do not play music through the entire class, however, as this can be over-stimulating, especially with younger children. Many kids yoga songs can be found on iTunes. I also often bring in adult pop and rock music with a positive message, along with some classical music. Artists like Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, and The Beatles are great for children’s yoga. Cleaning supplies: A word to the wise: it is best to 44 Bringing Yoga to Schools maintain kids’ yoga mats with regular cleaning! A class- cleaning project can be a great lesson in Karma Yoga, or “right action,” as described later in this book. It is also a lesson in Sauca, a Sanskrit word meaning “cleanliness." Yogis take care, and keep things clean! Because germs travel fast around schools, it’s best to stay away from some adult-friendly props, such as eye-pillows. No one wants a case of yoga pink eye! Using non-toxic cleaning supplies, and recycling empty containers, also offers an opportunity to discuss how to care for the earth and your own personal environment. Yoga room: Whether you’re using the school gym, an academic classroom, or a designated yoga classroom in school, it’s helpful to keep things as clean and clear as possible for yoga. A relatively uncluttered and quiet room makes for an uncluttered, clear mind. Since space restric- tions are an issue in schools, if you find yourself teaching in a classroom, create a quick system for pushing desks out of the way and clearing a space to practice. This will also create a transformation ritual to signal the start of yoga. See if computers, radios, and other distractions can be turned off for the session. Speak about how we create a positive space not only through physical care but also by aiming to bring only positive thoughts and actions into the space. Encourage kids to leave their problems and worries outside the door. This, of course, will go hand-in-hand with the “Yoga Rules” section of this book and class discipline in creating a produc- tive learning environment, but also goes along with the true spirit of yoga philosophy, in treating each other, ourselves, and our environment with respect. Posters and pictures: Kids love to see what the asanas look like. If you are working in a designated yoga space, decorating the walls with collages created from yoga magazine images or posters is useful. It’s also great to have kids create pictures as they learn the poses, so they are able to co-create their environment and express themselves! Photos of your students showing the asanas and Sun Salutations will 45 Chapter 3 – OM Schooled

also be welcomed. Props: Optional props can add interest to classes. Feathers or tissues can be used for some of the Pranayama, or breathing, exercises. Percussion instruments, such as tambourines, drums, or sticks, can be used in practicing the Sun Salutation and other exercises, to create a dynamic sense of power and to keep everyone on point, working together. Beanbags or small, soft balls can be used for some of the games, such as the Name Game and Toe-Ga. You want the props you use to add to learning, not distract from it. It’s fun to brainstorm ways to add props into lessons. For example, you may want to use a yoga block in learning Plow Pose, and pass the block back and forth with your feet only. For very young children (ages 3-5), you may want to practice a balancing pose such as Tree while standing on a block. Small feet can fit, and it adds to the fun challenge.

46 Peaceful Warrior: Yoga Rules and Fun

“Yoga is not just poses; it's also about being kind to yourself and others” – Astor, age 10

ne of the most challenging parts for me of becoming a kids yoga teacher was learning how to combine Oyoga with classroom management. When you teach a class of adult yogis and say “Downward-Facing Dog,” rows of Down-Dogs appear. With kids, you’ll say the same thing and find some dogs, a few puppies, some cats or cows, and you may hear barking. When teaching in schools as opposed to studios, often a stricter standard of behavior is expected. I

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was expected to maintain order similar to an academic classroom, which is tricky when you are teaching movement and you have classes of around 25 children. Yoga is controlled movement; which can differ from the freer and more open movement of many gym classes, which involve running and space for noise. What happens when two kids start arguing or fighting during your yoga lesson? What about the child who comes in with an attitude problem, or the kid who is too tired and just wants to sit on his mat? When the principal walks into the room, what does she see? How do you keep a lesson chugging along while simultaneously dealing with behavior issues? Again, this was a challenge and hot topic for me as a teacher. Being a disciplinarian was not my strength, and it became part of my yoga practice to strengthen this. I use the word “practice” very deliberately here. I had to practice these skills. Sometimes I was better, more successful, than other times, but I did my best to improve. Sometimes I was too strict and found kids would rebel in response. Other times I was too lenient and found the class getting out of control or too lax. Just like holding Tree Pose, I began to think of this skill as one of little shifts and changes to maintain balance in the classroom. If you are too soft, you’ll fall out of balance. If you’re too hard, and thinking too rigidly, you’ll fall out of balance, too. The best approach lies somewhere in the middle. Another tool that helped me was to remember a teaching from the Yoga Sutras, Stirum Sukham Asanam. In this sutra, Patanjali is advising that yoga (poses, but also beyond that) should be both steady and comfortable. There should be both effort and ease in holding a yoga pose, and in practicing yoga. I believe the same is true in teaching yoga. You have to practice being both firm and friendly, both re- latable and intuitive, to be a strong leader. This sutra also helped me to remember that kids need structure. And integrity, too. When I said no, I had

48 Peaceful Warrior to mean no. If I said it was okay to do something, it had to be consistently okay. That kind of follow-through with words and actions created a sense of safety for children. The same is true in the adult world: if someone says one thing but acts differently, you start to distrust them. It’s important as the teacher to follow through with what you say, and realizing this provided a practice for me in personal integrity. There were times, especially in the beginning, when something came out of my mouth I didn’t fully mean. I remember saying during an Asana Art project instruction, “Only three crayons at a time!" As the lesson progressed, I found it might have worked just as well to let kids take as many as they needed. But I went with what I said, for the sake of consistency. I said three crayons, so let’s keep it three crayons. I wanted to impart to the children that I meant what I said.

Class Size: Ideally, you’ll be teaching classes of 10 yogis or fewer. But in the real world of classroom size, you’ll probably end up with large classes. What’s the best way to handle this? Class layout is important, and personal. What works best for you as a teacher, having rows of mats or a large circle? You want to feel like you can see all the kids. You’ll probably want to have a seating chart at first so you can control who sits next to whom. You may want to sit some of the more difficult students next to you, to keep an “eye” on them. For example, in one first-grade class I had an adorable but challenging girl named Jasmine. She had ADHD and was very fidgety in all of her classes. The openness of sitting on a yoga mat instead of a desk chair made for even more room for wiggling and playing—and, ultimately, for distracting both herself and others from learning. I found that when I sat Jasmine next to me, she stayed more grounded. I think just the presence of the teacher’s body next to hers centered her. She also knew I had my eye on her. When she began to drift in her attention or her actions (doing things like touching another student’s mat), I could quietly refocus her, since she

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was so close. I sometimes asked her to help with things, too, to keep her engaged. Proximity is a very important teaching tool. Just moving around the room toward any disruption is often all that is necessary to quiet the commotion. You also have to develop “The Look” that says, “I mean business.” Ideally, for classes larger than 10 you’ll have an assistant or helper. I think it’s really important to have more than one set of adult hands in the class. If you’re teaching, and an argument breaks out, you can signal to your helper to step in and trouble-shoot. Or if a student is taking a Time Inward in the Peace Place, you can ask your assistant to judge when the child is ready to return to the lesson. All kinds of unexpected things happen during the course of a lesson, and having help is invaluable. Again, dealing with reality, you may not have a helper. There may not be the budget or the school may be short- staffed. You will begin to grow eyes on the back of your head, and your senses will expand, out of necessity, to take a lot in. During times when I had to “leave” the main lesson for a moment to help kids who were having a problem, I would do my best. Perhaps I’d ask the class at large to practice their Sun Salutations or a certain pose they already knew for three minutes while I helped our friend(s). Perhaps I’d elect an assistant, a child who was very attentive in class that day, to observe the class while I helped our friends. I would always keep an eye on the class while addressing the problem. It is best to proactively discuss these moments and protocol with your school. Most likely, your principal and administration will have a system in place for kids who are struggling in class to the point of being disruptive. In my class, we had a “three strikes and you’re out” rule. I’d give a reminder, a warning, and then Time Inward in the Peace Place. If the child was still having problems, I’d send him or her to the office to have a real “Time Out." Sometimes a child really needs to leave the environment before re-joining. 50 Peaceful Warrior Yoga Classroom Contract: One of the most important elements in maintaining a safe and fun yoga classroom is laying out clear rules. Clarity is big! Sometimes when kids act out it's because they simply aren’t clear on what exactly is expected of them, and what the consequences are. I took time Sample Yoga Rules: at the beginning of the school year to create yoga classroom ➢ Stay on your contracts with all my groups. own mat and It was sometimes frustrating respect other to have to do this when I just people’s space. wanted to dive into teaching, but it ended up saving me a lot ➢ No shoes on the of headache in the future. mat. The first week is all about creating and practicing rules ➢ Respect the and procedures. Nothing is materials more important the first week. My goal was to make the ➢ Raise your hand to talk students feel they had a voice in co-creating our rules. I did ➢ When you hear not want it to seem I was telling the bell–freeze! them what to do. So we’d have a roundtable discussion about some good ideas for yoga rules. What rules would make our classroom safe and fun for everyone? I found the kids had some really good ideas! I’d write down everyone’s ideas and then pick the three or four I most agreed with to make our contract. Then we would all sign the contract, including me. Some good rules might be: -Stay on your own mat and respect other people’s space. -No shoes on the mat. -Respect the materials -Raise your hand to talk -When you hear the bell–freeze! After establishing our yoga rules, I made a sign de- 51 Chapter 4 – OM Schooled

scribing my “three strikes you’re out” routine. First, if you forgot one of our agreed-upon rules, you’d get a reminder. A second reminder would follow. Then you’d be invited to the Peace Place for a Time Inward to check in with yourself and re-center. I sometimes allowed kids just to chill out in the Peace Place, but other times had them fill out “Reflection Sheets” so they could reflect on WHY they were in the Peace Place and what they could do to improve. The little ones who weren’t writing yet could fill out the Reflection Sheet with pictures. It was like writing a note in a suggestion box for your future self.

The Peace Place: I created a Peace Place in every yoga room I taught in for Time Inward (a positive take on a Time Out). The Peace Place often consisted of a yoga mat with a big peace sign drawn on it in permanent marker, within easy view of my spot in class, and equipped with a small hourglass so kids could time their stays there. A child might be invited to take a Time Inward in the Peace Place if, after their reminder and warning, they were still struggling with concentration or with following a rule. Alternatively, if a child arrived at yoga very tired or injured, he or she might elect to go the Peace Place to quietly relax or read a yoga book. These were situations I addressed on an individual basis. I certainly did not want any yogis to sit out of yoga unless they really needed to. However, it is also quite yogic to be able to assess what you need in a given moment and give yourself that. If a child sincerely needed to sit out for a bit, I would use the Peace Place for this. If an assistant were present, I would often have the assistant check in with a yogi taking a Time Inward. Oth- erwise, the yogi herself would sit out for two turnings of the hourglass. The sand-timer I used was three minutes a turn. A word of advice: Don’t make the Peace Place too fun! One year I tried arming it with yoga books and a couple of fun props. But I soon noticed kids were trying to cook up ways to go there, sometimes when it wasn’t necessary. You

52 Peaceful Warrior don’t want the Peace Place to seem more fun than your lesson! If you notice a child going to the Peace Place repeat- edly, either on their own accord or due to your sending them there, definitely take the time after class or during the school week to investigate deeper issues. Perhaps talk to a parent or the classroom teacher and try to figure out what is going on with the child that may be causing this pattern. You do not want a child missing out on lessons all the time.

Yoga Star Chart: One year I invented the Yoga Star, a classroom temperature-taking system that worked really well for me. It became my yoga room trademark, and it’s a system I recommend if it resonates. I usually had a whiteboard and markers at the front of my yoga space. If not, I would bring in a large piece of paper and markers. A chalkboard would work, too. I would draw half of a large star before yoga class, and point it out to the students when they arrived. “Look, we are starting yoga today with half a star! Our goal is to get one whole star by the end of class.” In order to collectively earn a Yoga Star, we had to adhere to the classroom rules mutually created and agreed upon at the beginning of our time together. In introducing the Yoga Star, you can also remind students of these rules. In general, the Yoga Star is earned through collective teamwork, focus, and good effort. Perhaps you have a special goal for the class that day that would mean earning a star. One time I had a class of five-year-olds who really struggled with staying on their own mats, so I made that our daily classroom goal. If we could all work to stay on our own mats for the duration of yoga class that would certainly earn us a star. The Yoga Star became a good technique because it was visual and I didn’t have to say much in the way of reminders. If the class began to lose sight of the collective

53 Chapter 4 – OM Schooled goals, or got too loud or boisterous, I’d simply begin to silently erase some of the star. The students would always notice with a gasp, and try to get back on track. As I noticed everyone getting back on track, I’d draw some of the star back in. So what happens when you get a Yoga Star? In my class, a star meant a sticker for every student. We had a Yoga Star chart and collected our stars, too. Twenty-five Yoga Stars meant a yoga party! Some of my classes were getting so good at earning stars, I began decorating them out of the necessity to keep things fun. My whiteboard stars would get outfitted, and kids would wait to see what their star might wear. I might draw a pearl necklace on the star, or create little legs and feet for Converse sneakers. You can have fun in celebrating success in this way.

Yoga Party: I’m all about positive reinforcement and praise, praise, praise. I’d much rather celebrate positive efforts than chase after negative behaviors. The yoga party was our class goal, earned collectively through teamwork. The yoga parties I threw varied from class to class, but always involved a loosening up of the normal routine. Maybe we’d have healthy snacks, music, and yoga stations to visit in the room. Some station ideas would be having a Yoga Pictionary Cor- ner, where students can play Yoga Pictionary, on their own, in a small group, with one student drawing a pose and the others guessing it. We might have a Yoga Book Corner for reading and practice, and an Asana Art Corner for students to color and decorate yoga pose worksheets. The main idea is to provide an atmosphere of celebration and free exploration of materials and of yoga itself. I’d often give kids a little something to take home, too, perhaps a picture of themselves in a yoga pose or a certificate of success. The more special the yoga party, the more we’d be working toward another

54 Peaceful Warrior one in the future with our good behavior and focus.

Yogi of the Week: One year I collaborated with the school at large to create a Yogi of the Week award, complete with a ribbon, to be presented at monthly all-school gatherings. This was a great way to recognize an individual student. There were also Artists and Athletes of the Week chosen from the art and gym departments. Yogis of the Week were students who really excelled. While we worked as a group to earn Yoga Stars and yoga parties, the Yogi of the Week was one star who really stood out. I always made a point of sharing what it was that caught my eye with the Yogi of the Week, and also kept track of who I picked so by the end of the year everyone had a chance to be honored. I did not want to leave anyone out, but certainly wanted to choose those who really were trying. In one of my first-grade classes I had a very challenging student, Yolanda. She had ADHD and a slew of other challenges. Despite her big heart and enthusiasm, she just couldn’t contain her energy. She talked all the time, liked to steal the show, and often made her way onto other students’ mats or even got in the way of other kids practicing yoga. One-on-one, Yolanda was great to work with, but in a group setting she really tested my teaching skills. I spoke with Yolanda on the side about our Yogi of the Week and told her I was watching her. We came up with some individual goals and wrote them down in a little Yolanda Yogi notebook. She was going to try to stay on her own mat all during class unless she asked and received permission from a friend to visit their mat. She was going to try not to

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call out in class, and only share when she was called on. We began an individual yoga star chart for Yolanda in her notebook. After every class, she came up to me and we talked about her efforts and whether or not she should get a star. She was pretty honest and perceptive about her prog- ress. As time went on, she became even more aware of her behavior. This wasn’t meant to put her under a microscope, but simply to give her a little extra attention, encouragement, and praise. It took her almost the whole year to become Yogi of the Week. When she was chosen, it was so emotional not only for her and me, but also for her classroom teacher and mother, who had come to see her get her ribbon. We knew that yogi honor had taken a lot of hard work on her part. I wanted her to feel really proud that she’d set her mind to a goal and had achieved it, even if it had been hard.

Music: I’m not a huge fan of using music in the middle of a kids yoga class. Often we are singing or talking or working quietly and I find the music to be a distraction. However, if I found noise to be an issue with a group, I might try playing some soothing music and reminding everyone to keep their sound low enough to hear the music at all times. I could then simply remind students during class if the sound was overwhelming the music.

Try Whispering! Whenever the volume of my class got out of hand, I would ring my bell or singing bowl to initiate quiet. Sometimes all I needed was to whisper. I found that if I brought my voice to a whisper in the middle of a loud class, all the kids would get quieter to hear me. This worked especially well if I delivered my whisper with an animated face, or a face of disappointment that no one could hear me! This was a lovely way to find quiet.

Bring up the Yamas and Niyamas (Yoga Philosophy): I found it was way more interesting to share the word “Satya” (truthfulness) and to talk about that being a yoga practice, too, than to just say, “Tell the Truth!” Going into a discussion 56 Peaceful Warrior of Asteya (non-stealing) was more interesting than simply reprimanding a kid for stealing a prop from another kid. Sometimes it seemed more fun to do the right thing if the children knew it was part of the practice of yoga.

How Are YOU Showing Up? Dealing with classroom management brought a big mirror up to my own face. How was I showing up when things got out of hand? Was something in my behavior or tone encouraging chaos? How clear was I with what I wanted from the lesson, and how well did I communicate that? How were my patience and calm demeanor faring with this challenge? I had to remind myself again and again that yoga teaching is a practice, too—a Practice and not a Perfect. I often took some time at the end of my days to reflect on my own behavior with problem-solving in the classroom. I spoke with classroom teachers who seemed to be really good at classroom management, and observed them in action in their classes. I wasn’t afraid to ask for help, and knew this was a big area of growth for me. We’re human, and I certainly didn’t always do the right thing in the moment, but I tried my best to be present and aware. I found that when you teach kids, you’re teaching more than just the subject at hand. You’re also teaching and guiding them in how to be a good person and how to behave in a kind, respectful way to yourself and others. Sometimes I’d feel inner conflict when trying to establish order. Being an artistic, freethinking person myself, I sometimes understood and empathized with a child’s rebellion. At the same time, I was trying to teach and needed order in the class. There has to be compromise here, and you must keep your overall objective in mind: To teach a fun and informative lesson. There are no blanket solutions; as a teacher you have to use your best judgment. Another note on communication: there are plenty of ways to explore communication between yourself as the yoga teacher, and the school and other teachers around you. At

57 Chapter 4 – OM Schooled the beginning of my time teaching, I initiated yoga classes for teachers and staff in the school. Spend 20 minutes in a school and you’ll see how stressed teachers and administration are with so much demanded of them, and everyone trying their best to serve the kids. While my experiment with teaching yoga to staff was short-lived (based solely on the fact that my class load with the children was rather heavy), it was a worthy endeavor and I encourage any yoga teacher who is interested to pursue working with this population. By 3:30pm on a school day, so many teachers are mentally, emo- tionally and physically drained. Having a yoga class is much more beneficial in the long run than going to happy hour. Taking time to breathe, stretch and rest can help teachers and staff dump stress and recharge. As long as the class is taught playfully, it can be a fun bonding experience among coworkers as well. I often found myself sharing yoga resources with staff in lieu of teaching them myself. I would post information on any yoga events, festivals, or fun classes in the teacher’s lounge, or would send a staff e-mail. A few teachers approached me with questions about starting their own yoga practice. While yoga is not to everyone’s taste, I really do believe in sharing what I love and giving information when people are curious and receptive. There were a couple of yogi teachers in the school and it was nice to sometimes go to class and practice with them after work too. In fact, chatting about yoga and walking to class together gave a much-needed chance to talk with my teacher coworkers. Being so busy with classes and preparation all day, it was hard to find time to get to know my coworkers. A few times a week I had lunch duty, helping the kids out with getting food, getting along, and getting from point A to B. At this time I could chat a bit with other teachers and compare notes. Sometimes we brainstormed on how to work together, but with so little time and so much to do, collaborations only sometimes came to fruition. One year a fourth-grade teacher came up to me dur- 58 Peaceful Warrior ing lunch duty and asked if I’d like to teach a yoga class focusing on science and anatomy, to go along with his lessons. Another third-grade teacher was doing a unit on different cultures and saw the opportunity for me to teach on India, and other cultures associated with the history of yoga. I more often collaborated with the gym teacher since in my situation we often shared space and a department. It was good for me to know what the kids were doing in gym class to see if I could use my classes to complement it, in focus, strengthening, or coordination exercises. I always welcomed the chance to collaborate, since it tied yoga in a practical way to the “outside world” off the mat. It showed kids how yoga could help with sports and learning and was just a part of life. Again, there always seemed to be more ideas than time to execute them. If you as the teacher can pull different disciplines into your class, and use yoga to support the educational efforts of other teachers, you will become a more valuable to the school and more effective as a yoga teacher.

59 60 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try: Basic Full-Length Class Structure

“OM makes me relaxed, like a bubble bath for my brain.” – Jennifer, age 6

or those looking to create a full-length kids class of 40-45 minutes, whether in an after-school program, F during a PE unit, or as a separate class during the school day, here’s the nitty-gritty. After much trial and error, I found the following class structure works the best for kids classes. Of course, if you have more time for class, you can modify this basic outline.

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Full Kids Class Basic Structure:

Set-Up: 3-5 Minutes Tune-In: 3-5 Minutes Warm-Up: 8-10 Minutes Learn and Try: 15 Minutes Relaxation and Close: 5 Minutes

Basic Kids Class Tools: Mountain Pose Easy Seat Yogi Bell Yogi Voices

First arm kids with the following yoga tools to carry through class:

Mountain Pose/Tadasana: Mountain Pose is an important foundational pose in yoga practice. Stand with feet together, toes and heels touching. Talk about the four corners of the feet (big toe ball of the foot, little toe ball of the foot, inside edge of the heel, and outside edge of the heel) and distribut- ing the weight evenly between those four points. Try rocking back and forth and finding the middle. "Bring your hands together in front of your heart or leave arms hanging at your sides, standing quiet and tall like a mountain." Give students a “mountain test” by acting as a strong wind and blowing around the room. Ask the mountains to maintain their strength in the face of your strong wind, and gently try to move their shoulders. "Feel the strength of the earth in your feet and legs; feel

62 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try the lightness of air in the lungs and in your breath; feel the fire in your heart, and feel how your body is relaxed and fluid like water. You contain all the elements of the earth, as you are part of the earth."

Easy Seat: We’ll come back to this pose again and again, and start our practice here. "Sit crisscross style, with hands in front of the heart or on knees. Keep your back tall and proud!" Some people call this a “happy back.” Do you feel happy when your back is limp like a noodle or hunched? It feels much brighter to sit up straight and tall. This sitting posture can also be referred to as “Crisscross Applesauce” or Modified Lotus Pose, depending on the ages of the students. In this pose, we are sitting with our chest lifted and our shoulders relaxed. We have both an open heart and a strong back to support it. A healthy back has a slight S-curve when in proper seated position. It is not totally straight like a line, but not curved like a rainbow, either. If a child cannot sit up comfortably and correctly, he or she can sit on a blanket or bolster to elevate the hips above the knees. (Try using large textbooks if blan- kets or bolster are not available.) It’s nice to get a little boost, and there’s no shame in needing it! I like to sit on a folded blanket myself in Easy Seat.

Yogi Voices: We practice talking with yogi voices throughout yoga class. You know how when you go to the library you turn on your quiet library voice? How when you’re on the playground you get to yell and play with your outside voice? A yogi voice is quiet but strong. A yogi voice is calm, but commands respect. Practice using a yogi voice ahead of time 63 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled as a class by saying different phrases to classmates, such as “I love yoga." If the class ever gets loud, as the teacher, practice using a yogi voice to bring everyone back to a quieter way of talking. Often if you begin to whisper, the class will quiet to hear what you’re saying. From there you can re-instate calm and quiet.

Yoga Bell: As mentioned, I like to have a bell or Tibetan singing bowl in class to redirect student attention. The sound of a ringing bell or a chiming Tibetan singing bowl means, “Pay quiet attention!" Practice using the bell by asking kids to whisper with their neighbor, or to shake like Jell-O. Then, ring the bell for them to hear. The sound of the bell means it’s time to freeze, turn your voices off, and turn your quiet attention on. Sometimes I’ll use the bell to mark a transition from one part of class to another. I also use it as an incentive. If a yogi is particularly focused all through class, I’ll invite him or her to try the bell at the end of class. The Tibetan singing bowl is a particularly big hit in this respect. All of the students try their best to focus in class so they can get a chance to try and make the bowl sing! Does the singing bowl sound like “OM?” This is another trick I use to quiet loud classes. I pick up the singing bowl and begin to play it. First one, then two kids will notice and hush to try to hear the singing. Soon, the whole class will quiet down to hear the singing bowl. I ask kids to raise a hand if they hear it sing. Then, we play a sound meditation game. I might ring the bell/bowl and ask kids to raise their hand when they hear it stop. That kind of focused attention is a sort of meditation.

64 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try Getting Started. Before you even dive into class set-up, check out the chapter entitled “Peaceful Warrior” to think about classroom management, setting a tone, and designing rules and procedures. If you set the tone from the very beginning, your class will run more smoothly. Also check in with your own expectations before you begin. Remind yourself that kids yoga will look different than adult yoga. There will still be stretching, strengthening, and focus, but be sure to include a lot of fun and perhaps some learning as well. Set-Up, 3-5 minutes:

Now that you’re armed with a few essential tools and tips, you can get started building your class structure. Set-up is our time for taking off shoes (a production with little ones) and getting ready, both physically and mentally, for yoga.

Shoes: Have a designated spot for shoes, such as a “yoga shoe parking lot” or cubbies for storage. Model the correct way to remove shoes: placing them side-by-side like friends, and then finding a seat. Nothing can be taken for granted here, especially with very young yogis who are still learning to tie and untie shoelaces. Shoe removal can affect the feeling of the start of class, as well as the time available for the lesson. During the first week of school, make a game out of learning the “set-up." Time the class in taking off shoes, finding a mat, and sitting in Easy Seat. The class can compete in beating its own best time.

Mats: Will you have assigned mats, or allow children to choose their own? Will you have the mats already set up, or allow yogis to place them out themselves? Again, mats can be set up in a circle or in rows. There are advantages and dis- advantages to each. A circle feels more communal and can also make it easy to see every student. Rows can maximize space in the case of large classes and allow the teacher to call on rows for sharing. Circle set-up should look like rays of the sun, with the teacher sitting either in the center or with the

65 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled rest of the class. Number or label rows for easy recognition. You can also stick a nametag on mats so you have student name recognition. Regardless of the room layout, instill a few rules regarding the mats. They should be kept flat, not rolled up or played with. The mats indicate your own little world, and offer a great opportunity to practice healthy boundaries and personal space (terms most kids will know from the academic classroom). "That little yoga mat world is all yours unless you invite someone on it and vice versa, so please don’t step on others’ mats!" Because the mats are an interesting texture, shape, and color, lots of kids will be tempted to break these rules right away. For example, once in one Kindergarten class, I said not to touch the mats, but five-year-old Destiny decided to make herself into a yoga burrito by rolling herself into the mat. Her neighbor then lifted and held the front of her mat and began rocking and rolling with the momentum. At first I felt frustrated. My class was going crazy in a flurry of mats! In an adult class what the teacher says pretty much goes, and no one would start playing with mats after the teacher requested students not do so. But this ended up being a great lesson for me in going with the energy of a situation rather than fighting it. I recognized that the mats were just too interesting not to touch. From that point on, I set aside the first class just for material exploration to encourage curiosity. We created a class list of adjectives, to write a communal poem about the mats. Explore We asked ourselves, “How does the mat feel? Spongy, soft, sticky?" With thin paper and a crayon, we created “mat rubbings” to capture the imprint of the mat texture. (Simply place the paper over the mat, hold it, and rub the paper with the side of a crayon. See the pattern of the mat? What does it look like to you? Can you draw yourself practicing yoga on the mat?) Destiny, forever fascinated by the mat, 66 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try compared the texture to that of bread and jelly, and octo- pus tentacles! Her need to experience the mat fully turned from uninhibited rebellion into some great art once I, as the teacher, made some room for it.

Space: A clear space is important for yoga. Clear space translates to a clear sense of mind, and also keeps students safe. If the class is taking place in an academic classroom and desks have to be moved, it’s best to have a routine for this. For example, any student who is ready for yoga, with shoes off, sitting crisscross and looking ready can be chosen as a helper for moving desks. Model where to put your shoes, how to move a desk safely, and where to put it. Students will be anxious to help. I had one third-grade class of 11 girls who would rush through the door to remove their shoes and sit in Lotus Pose to be picked as the helper. The rush became a little too much, so I began to quietly pick the girl who had walked in calmly, placed her shoes together neatly, and sat down looking ready. Soon, the group caught on that mindfulness was just as important as efficiency when it came to being a helper. The whole crew slowed down their entrance into their room, and the shoe parking lot became a lot neater. I used the opportunity to talk about how the way we do things is often just as important as the fact that we are doing them! Before long, my yoga helpers arrived ready to push desks away in a more yogic fashion to clear our yoga space. During the first few classes, it’s great to go over, or co- create the Yoga Class Rules. (Please see Chapter 4 for details on how to do this together.) Practice the set-up routine a few times and ask the class if they feel everyone followed the class rules as a team. How well were they followed? For little yogis, do we give ourselves thumbs up? Thumbs to the side? Thumbs down? I quickly realized that young yogis were more likely to swallow rules if they were presented as a game. I began timing the class team-effort in the set-up routine. “OK, today we set up for class in five minutes! Do you think

67 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled we can do it more quickly but just as neatly? Let’s try again! Wow, today we got ready for class in only two and half minutes, amazing!. I’m going to begin drawing our Yoga Star on the board. If we get a whole star by the end of class, this will go on our star chart and work toward our class yoga party.” One way to make the set-up transition fun is to incorporate music. I began playing a song (The Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun”) when the class arrived for yoga, and our goal was to be ready, shoes off, sitting ready for class, by the time the song ended. I know other teachers will sing a song of their choosing with the class to be completed by the time set-up is over. The singing can keep kids occupied and on- task. By teaching the set-up ritual, you are beginning to impart lessons of respect for your own space and that of others, and of mindful attention. You are showing the power of collective group effort. And when you’re practicing the set-up ritual in a fun way, like a game, all the kids should stay on board.

Tune-In, 3-5 minutes:

Tune-In calms students, collects everyone’s focus, and marks the transition from other activities to yoga. When yoga class begins, the focus shifts from the outward to the inward. By sitting and getting quiet, and checking in with ourselves, the nervous system is soothed and we begin to link the mind and body, and slow down. It’s best to keep this routine, so kids know what to expect and to create a sense of ritual. Choose one or two “Tune-Ins” that work for you to practice opening class. I often ring a bell to signal the start of our practice, or use the Tibetan singing bowl. Or, if I’m using music during the set-up, the end of the song will signal the start of class. Option 1: How Do You Feel Today? Check in with yourself. Ask older classes how they are feeling today, on a scale of one to

68 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try 10. You can draw a line or bar graph quickly on the board, which often correlates with material the kids are learning in their math classes, to “take the temperature” of the group. Ask this question again after yoga class, to see if the class temperature has changed. This teaches kids to tune in to their feelings and also draws attention to the fact that feelings change and that’s okay. Older kids may choose to keep a yoga journal, and mark down their feelings at the beginning of yoga class. For younger kids, who might not grasp the one to 10-scale concept, pictures are helpful. Draw a smiley face, sad face, angry face, and tired face in front of them on the board, to keep their eyes on you. Ask who feels like which face and take the class temperature this way. Isn’t it interesting how we’re all in the same place physically, but feeling so different? By checking in with how we feel in the moment, we become more present. One of my fourth-grade yogis, Lauren, arrived at class one day in tears over a grade she’d received on a test. Although she’d tried really hard, her grade was low. She was really grumpy and upset and didn’t want to do yoga. “So on a scale of one to 10,” I asked, “how do you feel right now?” “Negative three,” she glumly remarked. “Whoa. Yeah, I’ve been there,” I told her. “Sometimes when I show up to yoga I feel horrible, but by the end of class I always feel so much better. Yoga might help you relax and cheer you up. Are you willing to try? If you don’t want to, you can take Child’s Pose or rest in the Peace Place, but yoga really might help.” She agreed to give yoga a try. We went around the room and each gave our “number." Some of her classmates felt like fives, others were over 10, and still others were in the negative range—much to Lauren’s surprise. She was surprised to see that she wasn’t alone in having a bad afternoon. By the end of class, Lauren was laughing with her friends and the tears were dry. I took the class’s temperature again: “So before we 69 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled leave, let’s go around the room and say how we feel now, in this moment, on a scale from one to 10. It can be the same or different than the number before. Things are constantly changing and this moment is different and new, so let’s just tune into this moment. Lauren?” “Nine,” she said, smiling. For her, the immediacy of this lesson was striking: yoga can really improve your mood. Option 2: You may choose to begin class by singing OM together. I generally describe OM as a song instead of a chant, to avoid any religious connotations the word “chant” might have, particularly in public school settings. Kids best understand OM as the sound of all sounds mixed together. It is the sound of cars and the ocean and birds and singing, all mixed together, happening at once. “Oh yeah? How do you know?,” asked one precocious seven-year-old named Precious after I gave this explanation. We decided to test it out. “You shouldn’t just take my word for it because I said so. Let’s test it out and see what you think. Can you name a few sounds for me?” I asked, pulling out the white board marker. Precious seemed surprised that I wasn’t just arguing with her, but was in fact honoring her question and asking for her input. She rattled off some sounds:. “The subway coming into the station on the tracks. Pigeons going ‘coo, coo.’ Taxicabs honking. My cat meowing." We made a list of sounds, and then I assigned each student a different sound. On the big-breath count of three, we exhaled our sounds out in unison. It may not have sounded like a perfect “OM,” but it definitely was hard to make out one independent sound, and there was a sort of baseline OMy sound coming through. “The ancient yogis called OM the sound of the universe,” I told the class. “They said when we sing it, we are connecting ourselves to each other and the universe. It also means we are starting yoga. What do you think, Precious?” “OM,” she sang and smiled, showing her gap-toothed

70 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try grin from her newly lost tooth. For the rest of our classes together, she would often quietly try to mix a different sound into our OMing at the beginning of practice. Another fun way to introduce OM is to talk about vibrations. Try putting your hand over your heart or gently on your throat while singing OM and feel the vibrations. Perhaps try the same with a friend. Notice how the OM sounds a lot like the sound a bell makes. You may also choose to try a full OM song as opposed to just the syllable, to start class. Kids, especially the little ones, love the completeness of a full song. Young children, especially ages five to eight, often use song to memorize things and are really “tuned” into their auditory intelligence. You can craft your own OM Song, or use the words below, set to a tune:. “Yoga Time, Sit Up Lotus, Take a Big Breath, OMM- MMM!” Feel free to revisit “Tune-In” time whenever a child is having a hard time in class. It’s a good way to respond to management or behavior issues. Letting kids go to the Peace Place to reflect when they are not behaving appropri- ately does wonders. Let the child tune in there, reconnect, and see what’s going on. What feelings are driving their behaviors? How do they feel now, in the middle of class, on a scale from one to 10? Are they a smiley face, or a frown? Perhaps have some paper and crayons in the Peace Place for young yogis to draw how they’re feeling. For older yogis, I’ll have “Reflection Sheets” where they can write essays or diary entries about how they’re feeling or, if there’s been a discipline problem, what they could do next time to make better decisions in class. Tuning in and visiting the Peace Place encourage self-awareness and control. Can they begin making better choices? Do they need to rest, or perhaps sit next to a different friend when they return to the yoga practice? An alternative to saying OM in environments that don’t welcome it is to say another one-syllable word, like 71 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled “Love,” “Joy,” or “Peace.” Warm-Up, 8-10 minutes:

A key word in both the Tune-In and the Warm-Up is “routine." It’s very important to create an expected routine so that the kids can get into it; plus, if they know the routine, you’ll have a chance to better observe. A structured, in-place routine can also allow for leadership opportunities for helper yogis. For example, in my class we always practiced the Sun Salutation three times, and sometimes I’d choose a helper yogi to lead it. Pranayama: Breath work is a great way to begin warming up and to introduce the idea of mindfulness of breath. There are a few breath exercises, outlined in the Poses section, which work well here: Balloon Breath, Head to Toe and Jell-O, Re- laxation Breath, Banana Breath, Karate Chop, Bird Breath, and Swan Dive will get the kids breathing and moving all together! Older students can learn more advanced techniques, such as alternate nostril breathing and Kapalbhati (Breath of Fire, or Dragon’s Breath.) Pranayama creates energy and heat in the body and teaches that by manipulating breathing rhythms, you can change your mood. Long inhales and ex- hales will calm, while rapid, short breath will energize. Hang a feather on the ceiling and see if your Pranayama practice is moving it! Or pass out feathers or tissues and use Balloon Breath to blow them toward a partner and back. A special Pranayama-centric class might include Straw Painting, in which students use plastic straws to blow paint across paper in Jackson Pollock-like designs. This demonstrates the power of one’s breath. Teach older kids about lung anatomy, and the mechanics of the diaphragm in breathing, in detail. I also feel it’s important to talk about how breath is connected to emotions naturally. And as a teacher, it’s important to stay open to potential learning opportunities. For example, one rainy Monday morning, two of my second- graders came into the yoga room pushing and shoving, and

72 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try then wisely sat far apart from each other on their yoga mats. They were still really upset about whatever personal issue they’d had before and both of them were audibly huffing and puffing. I began class, but their heavy sighs were really distracting. “So I notice both Samantha and Ashley are sighing really loudly,” I said. “In yoga, we talk about how breath is connected to how we feel. Can one of you raise your hand and tell me how you’re feeling right now?” Two small hands shot up like arrows. Obviously, they were both really anxious to talk about this. “Samantha?” “She said that—” “Wait, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but let’s not talk about the conflict just now. Please just tell me how you’re feeling so we can learn why you’re breathing like that.” “I’m mad.” “Okay, and I heard you breathing like this. (Sigh, sigh.) Who else breathes like that when they’re mad?” Fifteen little hands shot up, plus my one bigger hand. “Who can tell me how they breathe when they are excited?” Serafina began breathing in happy little sips of air, pulling the breath in with little gasps. Everyone started to laugh, including Samantha and Ashley. “Raise your hand if you breathe like that, too, when you’re excited.” Fifteen little hands shot up, as well as my bigger hand. We took a few more minutes exploring different kinds of breath and their related emotions. Everyone was really interested in it. We experimented with the difference between a happy sigh and a tired sigh. We thought about how we breathe when we cry and when we’re content. Then I explained, “Yogis realized we breathe differently depending on how we feel. They figured, if we change how we breathe, we might be able to change our emotions.” 73 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled I then led the group in Re- laxation Breath to calm us down. By the end, everyone felt calmer and ready for yoga, including Sa- mantha and Ashley. We finished by talking about different times in life we might want to use Re- laxation Breath. Sun Salutations: Surya Namas- kar, or the Sun Dance for little yogis, warms up the body just like the sun warms up the earth. Kids love Sun Salutations, and they’re a great place to introduce the idea of linking movement with breath. (For every movement, inhale or exhale, Vinyasa-style.) You can teach in “call and response” for- mats or with song, and then move on to silent Sun Salutations where students repeat “with bodies, not voices,” like in adult classes. Les- sons that focus on the Sun Saluta- tion provide great opportunities for links to science lessons about the sun and solar system, as well as light versus. dark. You can also share poetry or quotes about light and hope. Sun Salutation, broken down: Use call and response when first learning. Over time, when the Sun Salutation becomes routine, you can dive in and sing and practice all together. There are

74 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try several versions of the Sun Salutation below, divided by skill level. All of these versions begin in Mountain Pose, standing at the top of the mat. I usually practice three rounds of Sun Salutations per class. Beginner: Reach up! Touch your toes Downward-Facing Dog Plank Pose Chuturanga! Cobra/Snake Pose Downward-Facing Dog Hop feet to hands Mountain Pose! Intermediate I: (Challenge kids to hold poses by counting; generally I count to five.) Reach up! Touch your toes… Downward-Facing Dog Right Leg Up! Right Leg Through Warrior 1 Warrior 2 Cartwheel Arms Down Downward-Facing Dog Left Leg Up Left Leg Through Warrior 1 Warrior 2 Cartwheel arms Down Downward-Facing Dog Bend Your Knees Jump to your hands Mountain Pose!

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Note the rhyming of “Left leg through” and “Warrior 2." Any rhyming in class can be helpful for students learning the sequence! The Sun Dance can also be accompanied by drumming or other percussion. Intermediate II: Reach up! Touch your toes. Downward-Facing Dog. Right leg up. Right leg through. Warrior 1. Warrior 2. Cartwheel arms down. Plank Pose. Chutarunga! Upward-Facing Dog. Downward-Facing Dog. Left leg up. Left leg through. Warrior 1. Warrior 2. Cartwheel arms down. Plank Pose. Chuturanga! Upward-Facing Dog. Downward-Facing Dog. Bend your knees and look up. Jump feet to hands. Dive down to touch your toes. Mountain Pose! Kids will get into this flow and will especially love the silly sounding word “Chutarunga” and the motion of falling to their bellies from a push-up position. I’ve come to love the sound of a classroom of kids yelling out “Chutarunga!” and falling to their bellies. Flowing through the Sun Salutation

76 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try two to three times is a great way to warm up the whole class. When going through the flow three times, it’s great to add variation with volume to keep things interesting. First time through, sing the poses. Second time, whisper them. Third time, name the poses silently in your mind. You can start with the class as a whole moving in unison, and then ask individual rows or portions of the circle to try the Sun Dance on their own. Observing students can “drum” along by patting the mat twice between poses. Per- cussion used in between poses creates a tribal feeling, and helps mark movements. (Example: Reach up! Drum, drum. Touch your toes. Drum, drum.) I’ve also brought in hand- drums, tambourines, and rain-sticks for use during the Sun Salutation. The tribal feeling makes us feel earthy, strong in being connected to the earth. Often in poses, I’ll talk about “rooting down to reach up,” like a plant roots into the earth to reach toward the sun. In our Warrior poses in the Sun Salutation, our legs are rooted and our arms are reaching up like flowers. And just like the seasons of nature, in the Sun Dance, things keep moving. Talk about what a positive warrior is, and encourage kids to show their strong faces while in Warrior Poses. Explore what it means to fight for good, to be strong and powerful! Often I’ll ask the class to show different warrior emotions with their face while holding a Warrior Pose. The kids love making brave faces or peaceful faces and love looking at their friends’ expressions. Practice counting to five while students are holding a pose, such as Warrior 1, in English or Spanish, and perhaps by using fingers to count. How does the Sun Salutation make you feel different? Notice that no equipment is required to practice this and to cause change in the body and mind. You can feasibly do the Sun Salutation anywhere, anytime. I’ve heard stories of homeless youth using the Sun Salutation to warm up on cold nights. You never quite know who you’re affecting, or how. It’s helpful to pick one element of the Sun Salutation to focus on per class. For example, check your students’ 77 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled

Upward-Facing Dogs by walking around and looking for “eyes to the ceiling." Hold a number of fingers above each “Upward Dog’s” head and see if she can bark out the correct number. See if “Planks” are strong, straight lines. Focus one day on Plank Pose, and another on Warrior 2. This will allow for lots of room to get the flow down and learn more exact alignment of poses. In general, however, as long as kids are getting the spirit of the pose, don’t worry too much about alignment. The most important thing as a teacher of kids is to impart the joy of the poses. (See “Alignment Coaching” in the Poses section for more.) It’s great to do poses with the kids the first few times they see them. They will copy and catch on easier this way. Eventually, helpers can be chosen to demo while the teacher walks around, checking for general accuracy and safety. With young kids, the Sun Salutation is also a great way to teach right and left sides of the body and increase body awareness.

Learn and Try, 15 minutes:

Pick and practice two to three poses each class. Often I’ll have the day’s pose name written on the board, and I’ll post a picture of the pose as well, to help the more visual learners. Begin by demonstrating the pose. Then pick an attentive yogi (or two or three!) to model the pose. Next allow the class to practice together with both “yogi voices” and on their mats. These two constraints should keep the class under control as they move in to more free time with their own practice of the pose. After a minute or two of independent work, reconnect the class with the sound of a bell or chime. Then choose the row or portion of the circle setup that looks the most ready (sitting in Easy Seat, eyes to the teacher) to share their new pose. Emphasize good effort, instead of accuracy of poses. After all, yoga is not a competitive sport. Yoga is a “practice, not a perfect.” Poses to teach at this point in class are listed in the 78 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try

“Poses” portion of this book, along with tips on grouping them for lessons. Kid yogis love working independently on their poses and also love collaborating with friends. You may discover lots of creative ways to express the asanas from your students. For example, in one second-grade class I taught Wheel Pose, which quickly became a favorite. During independent time, the kids were more enthralled than usual with their practice, using their hands and feet to push up into upside-down U shapes. Wheel Pose is definitely a rush, really opening up energy and allowing you to have the sensation of bringing your heart over your head and going somewhat “upside down." After a few minutes of practice time, I rang my singing bowl for attention, and all my yogis sat in the middle of their mats again to get ready to share. I noticed the first row was looking particularly ready, so I called on them first to demonstrate their Wheel Poses. The five girls in this row had used their three minutes of independent practice time to create an inventive collaboration. One girl positioned herself in the middle of her friends and popped up into Tabletop Pose (with hands and feet planted, she raised her torso into a flat table-top shape) while the four friends around her raised themselves into Wheels. They had created a car! I was amazed by their creativity. They’d thought up this amazing car pose collaboration in under three minutes! During independent work time I’ve seen a lot of creativity and invention. I’ve seen full kitchen sets, with Table Poses and Chair Poses. I’ve seen simple Tree Poses turned into Statue of Liberty poses by raising one hand as if holding a torch and holding one hand as if reading a document. And I’ve just seen a lot of great practice with a lot of great smiles. After pose practice, you may choose to play a yoga game. (See the “Poses” section for game suggestions.) Yoga games are not free time. They allow kids to practice and incorporate poses learned in a natural way. They allow for teamwork practice and are great for kids who are interper- 79 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled

sonal learners. Yoga games also keep the class fun, and when something is fun, you want to keep learning!

Relaxation and Close, 5 minutes:

Just like adults, kids love and need relaxation. In this busy, multimedia, overbooked world, kids need real downtime. Allow kids to lie on their backs, stomachs or sides. This is a great time to play relaxing, instrumental music. It’s best to play the same song every time, for a sense of safety and ritual. You can also use this time to lead kids through a guided-relaxation story. If it is okay with your school policy, foot rubs, Jell-O tests, or third-eye massages can be given. Always ask kids if they want to be touched. I have my yogis signal if they want the Savasana adjustment or massage by raising a thumb quietly. Let them know it’s okay to not want one. Announcing that only still and quiet yogis will receive the day’s massage will keep wiggling to a minimum. Foot Rubs: Give small foot rubs, one student at a time. Jell-O Test: Kid by kid, lift a leg or arm and see how Jell- O-like it is. Look for the most relaxed kid. Third-Eye Massage: Gently massage temple and third eye areas. Dead Bug Test: This has become a favorite Savasana option with my students. We lie in “dead bug pose” (this often refers to Happy Baby pose, but here is simply Savasana). As the teacher, I check everyone for stillness, often searching for one or two “dead bugs” to recognize after class is over. The students like the challenge of staying perfectly still like a dead bug, and you’ll see some funny dead bug faces. Starfish Pose: Another variation on Savasana is Starfish Pose. I encourage students to lie with arms and legs extended like starfish, stuck to the bottom of the ocean. I often guide them through a visualization. “You are a starfish stuck to the bottom of the ocean. There are miles and miles

80 Tune In, Warm Up, Learn and Try of deep blue ocean water above you. On the bottom of your body, you have lots of little suction cups that are keeping you stuck to the bottom of the ocean floor...." Again, here I’ll walk around and give Savasana adjustments, coaching students to stay still as if stuck to the bottom of the ocean floor. Some kids might prefer to meditate rather than take Sava- sana. There are many kid-friendly ways of teaching meditation outlined in the “Poses” section. Whether you’re using Relaxation Breath, “cloud watching” your thoughts, or just allowing for some tune-in time, some kids really resonate with the calming and focusing effects of meditation and prefer it to Savasana. When seven-year-olds ask, “Is it okay if I meditate instead?” during Savasana, I’m always secretly really excited by their natural instincts for it. One of my second-graders, Madison, would always sit in meditation for the full five minutes of Savasana while everyone else in her class was lying down. Ease kids out of relaxation by waking up one body part at a time. Guide them gently into movement. I use the same words every time, in a routine, to lead students through relaxation recovery. In fact, I’ll sing, “Wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes, wiggle your eyebrows, wiggle your nose” to guide kids out of stillness. Then I ring the bell to signal transitioning into Easy Seat. Once the whole class is in Easy Seat, with eyes to the teacher, lead them in bring- Namaste is a ing hands to heart. way of saying Namaste! thank you in Namaste is described as “Thank you” yoga. It means in yoga, or “My light shines to your light!" Always close the class the same way, whether "my light simply by saying “Namaste,” or by using the shines on your “OM” song again. Emphasize safety and light." ritual. Some of my five-year-old students say

81 Chapter 5 – OM Schooled “Mamastae." When the students see me in the hallway of their school, I hear lots of “Mamastae, Yoga Teacher!" One of my eight-year-olds remarked that Namaste sounds like “Nah, I’m stayin’—like you don’t want to leave yoga.” Perhaps use this moment to tune in again, checking to see how everyone is feeling. Is it different than the start of class? Dismiss kids in an orderly fashion, row-by-row or child-by-child. Teach kids to fold and put away mats, if necessary. Cleanup is as important as set-up. Perhaps use the first week of school to practice cleanup along with the set-up lesson. Teaching these routines at the beginning of the year is much easier than trying to introduce them later, though you may have to periodically refresh everyone’s memory in how to set-up and close class. By beginning and ending yoga class in a structured way, there will be room in the middle for the freedom to play and try new poses. Consistency creates a sense of safety, and as we know from any yoga pose, once we get the form down there’s lots of room inside that form to feel free.

82 Tall as a Tree: Poses to Learn and Try

"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time." – Unknown

he bulk of your yoga class will exist in the “Learn and Try” section of the basic class structure. Here, Tstudents will focus on practicing one to three poses each time, grouped by theme. For example, you may choose to work on standing postures for the day, or learn poses that begin with the letter “B,” or work with animal poses to go on a “yoga zoo trip." You may choose to have a yoga beach day, and teach sea poses, such as Fish, Mermaid, and, Crab. Group- 83 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled ing and presentation is where the creativity comes in for teachers. Ujjayi Breath: To learn, first One year I taught the take a big breath in through “Yoga Alphabet." Each your nose and then our your week, we would work on poses beginning mouth, making the sound like with a different letter, you’re fogging up a mirror. Then, which helped in terms take a big inhale and exhale of organization. making the same sound but You may also with your lips lightly closed. This choose to group poses by the type of motion is called Ujjayi breath. Some and effect. For ex- people say it sounds like Darth ample, forward bends Vadar breathing in Star Wars, calm, with an intro- or like the sound you hear when verting feel. Standing you hold a shell to your ear to poses strengthen the body, help develop listen for the “ocean.” In ujjayi, concentration, and the exhale pools at the upper energize. Balance back of the throat. Many yogis poses encourage focus breathe this way for their whole and stability and help practice. If you can hear your to integrate different parts of the body and breath, it will help lead you in brain in the process your movements. Also, ujjayi of keeping balance. breath heats up the body and Twists cleanse the body the more heat and energy (yoga teachers often created within the deeper we refer to “wringing out” the body) and help can bend and stretch. integrate both sides of the brain. Backbends energize and release energy! I often called Wheel Pose, a large expression of a backbend, my “happy pose” because it brought me so much energy and a rush of feel-good endorphins. Back- bends are very extroverted expressions. Restorative poses are 84 Tall as a Tree nurturing, helping you to de-stress, recharge, and balance. You can choose the poses for a specific class based on the energy or atmosphere you hope to create. For example, if you teach a class of twelve-year-olds at the end of their school day on a Thursday and they seem to be consistently tired and worn out, you may consider that in your lesson planning. Do you want to try backbends and encourage energy? Should you try restorative poses and go with the energy of rest? Or is a combination of the two best? I often like to start with grounding poses for kids. If the energy is high, we might start with some energy releasing warm ups, but then move into grounding. Kids experience so much change, and a lot of behavioral problems seem to come from fear or acting out. I think it helps kids to feel their own sense of safety and strength by beginning with poses that, literally, focus on grounding. Mountain Pose, solid sitting postures like Easy Seat, and the Warrior postures are some examples of grounding poses. Encourage students to try holding each posture for five breaths, and then to work their way up to 10 breaths. Try counting in your mind to test your focus. Try counting in another language, such as Spanish, for fun and extra learning. Or try using Ujjayi breath as you hold your pose. Ujjayi is a special way of breathing in yoga that makes the breath audible and helps to create heat in the body. I teach my students that yoga is “practicing, not per- fecting." Yoga isn’t about getting the shape right; it’s about seeing how you feel in the pose. How does Tree Pose make you feel? What about Cobra? Yoga is also about noticing how you react when you’re in different positions, so you can learn about yourself. What do you do when you’re uncomfortable? How do you like to take care of yourself? With my older students, I often suggest thinking of yoga poses not so much as “shapes in space,” but as a “series of sensations." Try closing your eyes when you’re holding a pose. Don’t worry so much about how you look or what others are doing, but try to notice how you feel. I, for one, love how it feels to move 85 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled and stretch and fly through Sun Salutations, but sometimes it’s harder for me to slow down in more calming poses. Now I try to enjoy both. Remember to breathe deep and full breaths. Try Vinyasa is a popular style Ujjayi breath or a Vinyasa- of yoga where yogis are style one breath per pose. Guide students to notice their constantly moving, one thoughts during practice. What breath for one movement. are you thinking about when This creates a flowing you’re holding your pose? Are effect to the practice. you focused on the pose, or For example, you might something else? What happens to your Tree Pose when you inhale into your Warrior think about it too much, or not 1, and then exhale into enough? (Hint: timber!) If you your Warrior 2. Students make a mistake, what do you in school can try Vinyasa think about and what do you style, too. feel? When teaching adult yoga, alignment is key. When it comes to kids yoga, however, don’t worry too much about exact alignment, as long as the young yogi looks safe. It’s much more about the spirit of the pose than the law. You want the young yogi to be expressive in the pose and really get a sense of it. Being overly exact in alignment points can squelch creativity. If someone’s triangle looks a little different than mine, that is okay (within reason.). There is room for variation to accommodate for different body types and physical, mental, and emotional abilities. Work where the child is, and celebrate his or her own level of success in any pose. However, some alignment tips can be given, especially to older kids. And unlike adult yoga, where verbal cues are enough, kids usually need to see the feedback, especially if they’re visual learners. A few alignment cues are listed with each pose. 86 Tall as a Tree

When I’m teaching kids yoga, I try to be aware of all the different types of learners there might be in the room. According to a theory developed by Howard Gardner in 1983 and referenced in his book Intelligence Reframed: Mul- tiple Intelligences for the 21st Century, there are eight ways of learning, or intelligences. The more you can combine the eight intelligences in your yoga classroom, the more kids will take in. The eight intelligences are: Verbal Intelligence: Learning with words, writing, reading, talking and rhyme. Mathematical Intelligence: Learning with numbers, counting and problem-solving. Visual Intelligence: Learning with images, coloring, drawing, building and creating. Kinesthetic Intelligence: Learning through movement, dance, touch and physical poses. Musical Intelligence: Learning with song, drumbeats, and rhythm and sound patterns. When in doubt, sing instructions to kids. This is attention-grabbing and helps with memorizing. Social Intelligence: Learning by playing, sharing, com- municating, cooperating and memorizing. Intrapersonal Intelligence: Learning by introspection, intuition, journaling, reading and reflecting. Naturalist Intelligence: Learning through nature, whether it’s playing outdoors, taking care of animals or pets, or reading stories about animals. For the visual and verbal learners, try reading yoga books together, or reading picture books in which you can act out different animal characters with yoga poses. For the mathematicians, try holding a pose while counting, by twos or threes, all the way up to 20. Then try counting in French or another language, to also incorporate verbal intelligence.

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In one multicultural classroom I taught in, many students spoke English as a second language. We used the opportunity of yoga class to learn each other’s languages. One girl led a count of Warrior 2 in Korean for several weeks until we learned one to 10 in Korean. Then a little boy taught us one to 10 in Russian. It was a fun celebration of diversity to count this way. We engaged our minds in learning, and we practiced holding our poses and developing physical strength and endurance. You can sing a song to remember the Sun Salutation. Create “Asana Art” by drawing a picture of your friend who is holding Warrior 1. Write a story about the first yogis in India. Create a new group-pose for yourself and your friends called “Zoo Keeper,” in which you depict different zoo animals playing. The more creative the teacher and students can be together, the better! That way, no learner is left behind, since no two yogis learn in the same way. In addition to understanding the different types of learners, it’s helpful to know the different developmental stages kids generally go through before teaching them. Here are the basic developmental milestones (based on the research of Eric Erikson): Kindergarten, ages 5-6: At this age, kids become more self-reliant and test the limits of their body and physical abilities. They climb well, can rock and roll in a ball and rock up to sitting and maybe even standing. They show greater self-control than younger kids, are still very imaginative but are eager to follow directions. They’re learning what it means to be in school, share, learn with others, and be apart from family and the home. Grades 1-2, ages 7-8: At this age, children develop greater physical control and coordination, spatial awareness and a sense of competence. They are interested in how things work and begin to use logic and critical thinking to solve problems. Peers become more important and they begin

88 Tall as a Tree

to understand alternative viewpoints. Grades 3-5, ages 8 -11: Kids begin to establish peer group leaders and cliques. Friends become more important as does independence from family. They are very interested in learning new skills and are very aware of how well or not well they are able to do things. In general, lots of family support is needed for building self-esteem and self-confidence. Grades 6-8, ages 12-14: Usually puberty hits during this time, if not a bit earlier. Kids experience growth spurts and hormonal changes. Feelings of vulnerability or sensitivity about appearance are common. Mood swings increase due to hormonal changes. Peer conformity and privacy become more important concepts. This age group can be easily embarrassed, making sensitivity and praise very important. It’s said that during this age physical activity patterns are established that can last a lifetime. When crafting your lesson plans, your overall class tone, and what is taught, it’s helpful to know the developmental stage you are teaching. I’ve found a lot can be gleaned intuitively about where a child is at, but it’s helpful to know the basic milestones. Of course, poses do not have to live only within a 45-minute class structure. You can incorporate some poses into “Yoga Breaks” in the academic classroom. For example, why not try holding Tree Pose behind your chair, allowing the back of the chair to be there for balance? In your seat you can practice breathing exercises (Relaxation Breath and Lion Breath are hits in the classroom), dangle forward in a modified rag doll, or try spinal twists. One second-grade classroom teacher I knew incorporated Lotus Pose into her sharing circle at the beginning and end of the day, and whenever there was conflict. She found having kids sit in this way, which they were familiar with through yoga and associated with calm and focus, immediately shifted the 89 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled

energy of the room to one of concentration and receptiv- ity. She found sitting this way and evoking yoga was helpful especially before discussing conflict between two students. See the “Relaxation Breath” chapter for examples!

Individual Poses Now that we have all of this to think about, let’s dive into the poses themselves! While this book is not intended to be a full pose dictionary, focusing more on class structure, putting a yoga program together, and practical advice on challenges you might face, this section will arm you with a sampling of kids yoga poses. Some children’s yoga poses go by the same name as adult poses. Other poses have picked up more kid-friendly names along the way. Still other poses were invented just for kids. Remember to instruct visually and through modeling. But definitely use your words, too! The descriptions of the poses below are written to help you familiarize yourself, as the teacher, with the poses. When teaching to kids, you will want to find your own language and fun descriptions (you can be a bit less formal).

Animals Downward-Facing Dog: This upside-down V shape is a very common pose, and is part of the Sun Salutation. Hands should be shoulder-width apart, and feet hip-width apart (anatomical, hipbone width, not the outside of the hip). You can think of the space between feet and hands as being two fists’ distance. Let the head drop; you can even shake it out “Yes” and “No” to release tension from the neck. Think of spreading the fingers out wide on the mat to make full dog paws. Reach your heels toward the floor. Think of a line of energy shooting from the crown of your head, up your spine, and out your tailbone into the air. This is an active pose. Upward-Facing Dog: Press into your doggy paws

90 Tall as a Tree and press the tops of your feet into the mat, looking straight ahead or up toward the sky. Feel the stretch along the front of your throat and heart. You can wag your doggy tail a little in this pose. Think about having a strong stomach! Cat: Starting on all fours, arch your back like a scared Halloween cat. Think of sucking your belly button all the way up to the sky. Press into your cat paws and your knees. Have you seen a cat arch like this before? Cow: Starting on all fours, let the belly drop and look up toward the sky, letting out a “moo." This stretch is the opposite of Cat and is often paired with it. Can you try Cat and Cow one after another? Bear Walk*: Start in a Downward-Facing Dog. Then try walking your dog, but don’t let your arms or legs bend! Walk using your right arm and leg, then your left arm and leg, in big steps. You’ll be walking along, lumbering along, like a bear. This is a fun challenge and way to transition in the yoga space. Giraffe*: Have you seen a giraffe at the zoo, in a book, or on TV? Start by standing in Mountain Pose, and then come onto your tippy toes (since giraffes are so tall). Extend your arms overhead and glue them together to make a giraffe neck. Use your hands, opening and closing them like a giraffe’s mouth, trying to reach and eat the highest of the leaves at the top of the forest. To walk your giraffe, try walking on your tippy toes while munching high in the sky. Lion: This is a fun pose where you get to roar like a lion! I love practicing this when I’m frustrated, angry, or even sleepy. It lets me release negative energy and wakes me up in a good way. Start by sitting in Hero’s Pose on your knees with feet together. Let your spine be tall and long. Lions are proud! Bring your hands face down on your knees like lion paws. You can even engage the fingers like claws. Then, take a big breath in and roar! Roar with just your breath, exhal- 91 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled

ing all the air from your lungs and sticking out your tongue! (That’s the best part!) Try it a few times. Your exhale can be fierce and complete. I like to either cross my eyes and look at my nose when I exhale or close my eyes and just feel all the air roaring out. Rarrr! Elephant: Standing up in Mountain Pose, step your feet a little ways apart, a little wider than hip width. Raise both arms high in the air and glue them together to make an elephant trunk. Take a big breath in and stretch upward then exhale, folding at the waist and bringing your trunk to the floor to drink up some water. Inhale, reaching your trunk high in the sky again, and then exhale, swinging forward. You can try adding some elephant noises and even pretend to blow the water around with your very powerful trunk. Mouse (Child's Pose): I’ve also heard this pose called Rock Pose. It’s so relaxing and a great way to rest in yoga class when you need to! Bring your hips to your heels and your forehead to the mat. You can try Mouse Pose with your knees wide apart so your torso spills through toward the mat, or you can keep your knees together and let your body rest on your legs. You can also choose to bring your arms out in front of you with the palms of your hands face-down or let the arms rest by your side with the palms facing the sky. Find what’s most comfortable for you and notice that every day you might make a different choice! In Mouse Pose we get to curl up into little balls. It feels very safe. Close your eyes and just breathe, knowing the yoga space is a safe space. Snake: Begin by lying on your belly like a snake does. Glue your legs together behind you like a snake tail. Then bring your hands to the floor or mat right under your shoulders. Let your forehead rest on the earth to gather energy. Take a big breath in, then exhale and lift your shoulders and heart off the floor! I like to look up, and maybe slither my hips a little side-to-side and even hisssss like a snake. When you’re ready to move again, bring your forehead back to the 92 Tall as a Tree mat and gather your energy so you’re ready for your next hiss. Lizard: Begin by lying on your belly. Then bring your forearms to the floor so there is a straight line from your fingertips to your elbows. These are your little lizard legs! Curl your toes under and work to press up from the floor in a straight line. Use your strong stomach! In adult classes this is called Forearm Plank. I like to stick my tongue out in Lizard and maybe use Lion’s Breath, which becomes Lizard Breath in this pose. Butterfly: Start by sitting on the mat in Crisscross Applesauce with a tall back. Then bring the soles of your feet to touch so your knees are butterflying out like wings and your legs are making the shape of a little triangle. I like to open the soles of my feet upward like I’m opening a small book. Allow your knees to flap up and down like wings. You can bend forward, touching your head to your feet, for Sleep- ing Butterfly.

Water Animals Fish: In adult Fish Pose, a lot of pressure is put on the crown of the head and the neck. I always like to be extra mindful of young necks, so my kid Fish looks a little different! I Usually do not encourage kids to rest the head on the floor, to protect young necks. Lie on your back with your legs glued together like a long fish tail. Then prop your upper body up on your forearms. You can allow your head to drop back, exposing the fish gills on your neck, or look up to the sky. Try making a fish face.

Turtle*: Start in Butterfly Pose, and then reach up to the sky with both arms. Take a big breath in, then exhale and weave each arm under each leg. Try to plant your hands on the floor outside your legs. Inhale and look up for the sky, then exhale and tuck your head into your turtle shell,

93 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled reaching your head toward your feet. It is safe and protected in your shell and you can go there anytime you want. Crab/Crab Walk: Begin in a tabletop position, with your hands planted under your shoulders and feet under your knees, with your torso elevated in a flat line. To turn your table into a crab, begin to walk forward, back, and side- to-side, keeping your feet and hands in the same position. You can crawl fast or slow, you can snap with one of your hands/crab claws, or you can try a three-limbed crab. This is a fun transition pose to move from one spot to another. We’ve even done crab races and tried to play games, like Toe-Ga, while crab walking. Dolphin: Have you seen a dolphin swimming through the water, in books, movies, on TV, or in real life? Dolphins are beautiful, kind ocean mammals. To become a dolphin, come into Lizard (Forearm Plank), bring your hands together and interlace them, and walk your feet in a bit as if you’re in a little Downward-Facing Dog. Then, swim. On the exhale, bring your chin over your hands, and on the inhale bring your chin back and let your bottom stick up in the sky. This builds a lot of strength! Mermaid*: This is a very popular and fun pose that also strengthens your stomach. Sit on your mat and come down onto your forearms. Glue your legs together like a mermaid tail and then lean back onto your forearms so you’re sitting on your sit bones and your “tail” is reaching into the air. Inhale deeply and then exhale. Bring your feet (the end of your mermaid tail) to the right, near your hips. Inhale, reaching your tail high again, and then exhale, bringing your feet to the left, near your hips on the left side. I like to move my gaze so I’m watching my tail move, right to left. You are a mermaid, sunning herself on a rock. Surfer*: It’s fun to turn our Warriors (Warrior 1, War- rior 2, and Peaceful Warrior) into Surfers. Think of your mat

94 Tall as a Tree like a surf-board. Begin in a strong Warrior 1, riding the waves. Open up your arms and hips and move into Warrior 2, feeling the sun and the surf. Maybe transition into Peaceful Warrior, enjoying the ride. Then, when you see a shark or feel a strong wave, jump- switch your feet so the opposite foot is in the lead, and move through Warriors 1, 2, and Peaceful Warrior again. You can get a great Vinyasa, or flow, moving here. Perhaps different surfers in class can take turns being the lead surfer, leading the movements. I like to play beachy music (The Beach Boys, or Wipe Out by The Ventures) during our Surf Lessons.

Birds Roadrunner*: Begin in a runner’s lunge with the front leg in a right angle, the fingers framing the front foot, and the back leg extending back, knee off the mat. Taking a big inhale (and thinking of your tummy muscles) jump- switch your feet! Jump-switch again! Keep your hands on the floor as you jump-switch your feet again and again to alternate the front foot with the back. This is a great energy releaser! Eagle: Eagle Pose is a favorite pose for both adults and kids. Begin by standing on your right leg. Raise your left knee up to hip-height and then weave the left leg above the right, over the right knee. It’s like swizzle-sticking your legs. If you really bend the bottom leg, you may find you can

95 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled weave the top leg’s ankle around the back of the bottom leg. To complete the Eagle Pose, try Eagle arms. Weave the left arm underneath the right with elbows bent and raise the elbows to shoulder height. Then see if you can lower your bound arms so the fingers are closer to your nose. With the legs and arms bound, you can try folding forward to touch the elbows to the knees. Sometimes we let the arms go and wave them like wings while the legs stay bound. Make sure you switch sides once the left side is done! For the other side, you’ll be standing on the left leg with the right leg woven over it, and the right arm will weave under the left arm. This alternation of left and right sides is great for both physical and mental coordination, along with the balance challenge of the pose. Pigeon: This is a big hip-opening stretch. I begin students in Downward-Facing Dog, and encourage them to lift the right leg high in the sky. Then, bring the right leg through so the right knee is outside the right hand and the shin of the right leg is as close to parallel with the front of the mat as possible. Walk your fingers back toward your hips, opening up your heart. You might also walk the fingers forward to rest the torso on the front leg. Lower as much as is comfortable to you. Keep the back leg extended, with the top of the back foot down on the mat. You want to think of squaring the hips toward the front of the mat. Make sure you stay for several breaths to let the pose sink in and let the hip relax into this strange position! Also be sure to do the other side, as with all yoga poses. With the head down, I call this Sleeping Pigeon. If we raise the torso up and flap our arms, it becomes Flying Pigeon. Allow for some fun and for some adjustments. Kids should only go as far into this as is comfortable. Remember, yoga is not supposed to hurt! If anything is uncomfortable, you can do Pigeon on your back by bringing the legs into the

96 Tall as a Tree shape of a number “4,” with one ankle over one knee. Weave the arms under the bent leg and pull the legs in toward your chest.

Nature Poses Mountain: Begin by standing tall at the top of your mat. I often sing, “Toes together, heels together, hands together!,” and then walk around giving a “Mountain Test,” checking for rooted, strong mountains that are tall and reaching for the sky. You can bring your hands in front of your heart or let the arms rest by your sides, with the palms open and shining forward. Close your eyes and breathe. When you open them, find one spot, your drishti, to gaze toward to help you balance. Tree: This is a balancing pose we visit a lot! From Mountain Pose, shift your weight into the right foot and bring your left foot to the inside of the right leg, above or below the knee. It’s important not to put the foot on the knee, which can add unnecessary pressure. You can extend your arms above your head like branches in the wind. Make sure you practice your tree on both sides! Whatever we do on one side we do on the other. Flower: This is a seated balancing pose. You can begin in butterfly with the soles of your feet touching. Then, tip back to balance on your sit bones, with the soles of the feet still touching. Breathe and sit up nice and tall. Try inhaling 97 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled your arms high into the sky, and then weaving the arms under the legs. Allow your palms to shine up toward the ceiling and again breathe to extend the top of the head upward. We can practice our Flower Pose with friends, holding hands, to create a flower garland. Half Moon: From Warrior 2 (with the right leg forward, left leg back), push off your back foot and transition into Half Moon, standing on your right leg. The right fingertips can rest on the floor in front of the right toes. Try opening your left hip so the front of your body is shining to the side. Extend your left arm into the air and test your balance further by bringing the gaze to the left fingertips. You are shining like a half moon! To complete the other half, switch sides. Log Roll*: This is a silly energy-releasing pose, a pose that moves! It’s also fun to use as a transition in class. I usually encourage logs to roll on mats and often will line up mats so we have a soft spot to roll on. Lying on the ground, make your body straight and strong like a log. I like to bring my arms by my side, but I know other yogis who like to extend their arms overhead. Take a big breath in, and then roll—without allowing your log to get mushy at all! Roll and roll as long as you have safe space. Then try rolling back. Sun Dance: This is another name for the Sun Saluta- tion. There are many ways to teach this, depending on age level! See the chapter on Basic Class Structure for several variations. The Sun Salutations are a ritual, and part of every yoga class I teach.

Volcano: This is another energy-releaser that also dynamically combines breath with movement. Beginning in Mountain Pose with your hands in front of your heart, imagine a mountain with lava in its belly. Then, take a big breath in and exhale, shooting your hands up toward the sky

98 Tall as a Tree and then open, so the arms come to rest by the side. Bring the hands in front of the heart again, inhale, and exhale up and out, shooting the lava up and out of the volcano of your body. Rainbow (Side Plank): This pose combines strength, coordination, and balance! Begin in Plank Pose and then bring your right hand to the center of your mat, right under your heart. Then bring your feet to touch behind you and roll over so you’re resting on the outside edge of the right foot and the right hand only. Really think of pushing your hips toward the sky, engaging your tummy muscles and the muscles on your sides! (This strengthens the core, all the way around your torso.). There are many variations to this pose. You can bring your bottom knee to the ground for more support. If you have good balance, you can try to extend the top leg to the sky, or even bring the top leg into a Tree position, so you have a tree on its side. Keep your top arm reaching into the air and see if you can look up toward it. Really extend big, arching like a rainbow with each breath. Come back to Plank Pose, or maybe rest in Child’s Pose for a moment, and then rock onto the other side with the left hand down and outside edge of the left foot to the mat.

Eagle in a Tree: This is a fun pose that combines two poses we already know into one! Come into Tree legs on the bottom and Eagle arms on top to make an Eagle in a Tree. This takes balance and coordination! Make sure to do the other side, as well, to be balanced.

Food Poses Pizza: This is wide-legged forward fold position on the floor. Begin with your legs extended in a big V shape. Then, inhale, reaching up into the sky for pizza ingredients! In my classes, we usually share our pizza topping ideas. Does your pizza have mushrooms? Pineapple? Broccoli? With the 99 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled

exhale, put the toppings on the pizza by forward-folding, trying to reach out as far as you can, and out, too, to your toes. Repeat this ingredient-collecting and forward-folding several times before taking one final big inhale and then exhaling, forward-folding in to “eat the pizza”—a slightly longer stretch period. Sandwich: Sit up tall with your legs extended and stuck together. I like to flex my feet so the toes point back at me. With the legs positioned like this, you have your bottom slice of bread for your sandwich! Then inhale up to the sky, reaching for ingredients, and exhale, bringing the ingredients to the bread. I often use this opportunity to talk about healthy sandwich options. How about whole-grain bread and vegetables? Again, reach and stretch to collect all of your sandwich toppings. As with Pizza Pose, the final forward fold is longer, as you devour the healthy sandwich. Birthday Cake: I often create this group posture with a class when a child is having a birthday. We come into a circle and all come up into Candle Pose (Shoulder Stand). The birthday child gets to walk around and blow out the candles one at a time. When a candle is blown out, the yogi can safely rock down to the mat. Orange*: Sitting on the mat, squeeze your knees in to your heart. Really squeeze, squeeze hard—even squeezing your face, closing your eyes, pursing your lips. You might squeeze and then roll back and forth on the mat, or squeeze and then pop open (orange juice anyone?) by coming into a Starfish Pose, legs and arms open, on the mat. Banana*: This is a big side stretch. Beginning in Mountain Pose, inhale your arms overhead with palms touching. Then exhale, bending over to the right. Really stretch fingertips to toes. Inhale back to center and exhale, bending over to the left. This is such a great stretch for the sides of the body! To peel the banana, open your arms, letting the

100 Tall as a Tree arms come to the side of the body. Jell-O: This is one of the ultimate energy releasers I use with wiggly, energetic yogis in class. We shake and wiggle like a bowl of Jell-O (making sure to stay in our bowls, on our mats) and then freeze when the bell is rung. A few rounds of Jell-O help us to shake off excess energy so we can move on to more focused poses. Popcorn: Begin as a popcorn kernel on your mat, squeezing your knees to your heart as in Orange Pose. Then POP the corn by jumping up and extending your arms and legs fully out in a star shape. I encourage kids to pop super high! We practice this a few times to release extra energy, and it’s fun. Burrito*: This is one of the rare times in class when I encourage kids to play with their mats. Starting at one end of the mat, lie perpendicular to the mat, with your toes and head hanging off the mat. Then, grab onto the back of the mat and roll, rolling yourself up like a burrito. This can be a very comforting, containing pose for kids, especially those dealing with challenges such as ADHD. It can feel secure, like a hug. For some kids, however, this pose can feel a little scary or claustrophobic. It’s important to know your students and only assign this if it seems right. If a child doesn’t like how it feels, remind him or her how easy it is to unroll! Most kids love this pose, however.

Objects Boat: This is a great pose for strengthening your core and practicing balance! Start by sitting on the mat with your legs extended, then tip back to balance on your sit bones. You can choose whether to bend your legs or extend them straight. Think of keeping your heart shining toward the sky with your back extended to support it. You can move from Boat to Half-Boat by lowering your upper body and legs half

101 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled the way down toward the floor, and then challenge yourself by moving back into Full-Boat. Boat has many kid-specific variations, including: Sail Boat: For Sail Boat, start in Boat Pose and then raise and lower your arms like sails in the wind! Paddle Boat: For Paddle Boat, start in Boat Pose with bent knees and then peddle your feet and bent knees. This takes a strong stomach, which is important to build for a healthy back. Yoga Phone*: This is a silly pose that also stretches the hips. It is often a real hit with kids. Begin sitting in crisscross position on the mat. Then—ring, ring!—hear your imaginary phone ring and answer it by lifting your right foot with your right hand, bringing your foot toward your ear to answer your phone. “Hello? It’s for YOU!" If the call is for your neighbor, extend your leg to the right, keeping hold of the foot with the hand. Be sure to answer the yoga phone in your left foot, too! Guitar with Rock Star*: Start in Rainbow Pose, or Side Plank. Then allow the top foot to find the mat behind your rainbow. Open your heart to the sky! Bring your upper arm around and around as if strumming an air guitar! Let your head hang back if it’s comfortable and play your guitar. Bow and Arrow: Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Then reach for your right foot with your right hand. Use your two peace fingers to grab onto your right big toe in Yogi Toe Lock. With that grip, pull back the right arm, bending the elbow, to bring the foot toward your ear. Take a big inhale and then exhale, extending your bow and arrow. Bridge: I also call this Baby Wheel. Begin by lying on your back with your feet planted on the floor and knees bent.

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Reach down with your hands and make sure you can brush your heels with your fingertips to check your alignment! Then take a big breath in and push your hips up Helpful Hint: into the air, keeping your shoulders Whenever I’m and feet on the ground. Bring your teaching Wheel, hands under your back and interlace I teach Bridge or your hands, pushing them into the Half-Wheel as well. earth to push your bridge upward. Both are equally Swing*: Begin by sitting in great wheels! Crisscross Pose. Try to move your feet into Full Lotus position, where the right foot rests on the left thigh and vice versa. Plant your hands into the earth outside your hips, take a big breath in and exhale, pushing your seat up off the ground! Then see if you can swing your seat back and forth. This is a very challenging pose for many kids, and there are variations to try. I love Kick-Stand Swing. Begin by sitting in Crisscross Pose, keeping your feet on the ground. Plant your palms outside your hips, breathe in, and push your hips off the ground, using the feet still on the ground to help you push your swing back and forth. Your toes are your kick-stands. With this variation, you can actually go even higher in your swing. Slide: Start by sitting on the mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Plant your hands on either side of your hips, with your fingers pointing toward your toes. Point your toes, take a big breath in, and exhale, pushing your hips toward the sky while keeping your legs straight and toes pointing to the floor! Use your tummy and arm muscles; it’s more challenging than it looks! Sometimes I’ll roll a ball down the kid-slides by placing a squishy stuff ball on the kid’s belly or heart and letting it roll down the legs. Wheel: This is another super-popular pose. It brings 103 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled your heart above your head, wakes you up, and gets the blood, oxygen, and serotonin flowing. Plus, it’s fun to look upside down. To try Full Wheel, begin by lying on your back with the feet planted into the earth and knees bent. Walk your feet in toward your hips so you can reach down with your fingers and brush your heels. Then, place your hands beside your shoulders and push up into an arching backbend on your hands and feet. Come out of Wheel by tucking the chin into the chest and setting the back of your head on the mat. Plow: To come into Plow Pose, begin by sitting up straight with your legs stretched out on the mat. Then, lie down with your legs pointing to the sky. Rock back a little so eventually your feet are over your head, reaching for or touching the floor above your head. One of my students described Plow as “Peanut Butter and Jelly Pose,” as if you are folding yourself in half like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Candle: From Plow, you can rock up to Candle Pose, or Shoulder-Stand. With your legs high up in the air, bring your hands to the base of your back with your fingers pointing up toward your feet. Your elbows will rest on the mat like little shelves, and you can point or flex your toes—pick one, and engage them! This is an active pose, like an exclamation mark. 104 Tall as a Tree

Bow: Start by lying on your belly. Reach around with your hands and grab onto your feet or above your ankles. Take a big breath in, and then exhale and rise! Raise your shoulders and legs up off the mat, by thinking of kicking into your hands. Look up; the body will follow the eyes. From the side, you will look like a letter “U." When you come down, rest your hands by your sides and bring one ear to the mat to see if you can feel your heart beating into the earth. Gate*: This is a pose you can practice alone or with a friend. Begin by standing on your knees. Extend one leg straight to the side, keeping the other knee bent. Bring your fingers to the floor outside of the bent leg. Bring the other arm up to the sky, and then take a big breath in and exhale, reaching your extended arm over your ear. Imagine you have one line of energy from fingertip to toe tip, on the side of the extended leg. If you are practicing with a friend, practice side by side, with your friend mirroring you so your extended fingers touch or reach for each other. Once done with one side, switch and try the other side. Triangle: Begin in Warrior 2. Then, straighten your front leg so both legs are straight. Keeping your straight legs, reach for the front of the room over your front leg, and exhale, bringing your front hand to the shin, thigh, or floor. Keep your top arm raised high, with the fingers engaged. You are creating the shape of a triangle, from fingertips to foot to foot. Make sure you try the other side, too! Airplane: This is another name for Warrior 3. I like to begin in Warrior 2, and then push off my back foot so I’m balancing on one leg. I keep my arms extended like airplane wings, maybe allowing them to fly backward a bit, with palms facing the floor. To keep your balance, look at one spot, your drishti, and focus on it softly. Think of keeping your heart reaching forward. Try the other leg, too! Chair: This pose builds a lot of leg and core strength.

105 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled Begin in Mountain Pose, and then separate your feet hip- width apart (two fists’ distance, if you’d like to measure). Take a big breath in, reaching your hands high to the sky, and then exhale, sinking back as if sitting in an imaginary little chair. Think of putting the weight in the heels, so you could even lift up your toes and wiggle them a bit if you wanted to. Tuck your tailbone a bit so your bottom isn’t sticking out and your core is engaged. Reach your arms up, but allow your shoulders to relax away from your ears. With each breath, challenge yourself to sit a bit deeper in the shape. When you’re ready to come out of Chair, find your Forward Fold, or Rag Doll, releasing in an easy forward bend and letting your arms and head drop. I like to try three Chairs in a row! Rag Doll*: With your feet hip-width apart, allow your upper body to flop and fall toward the earth, so your roots are strong but your upper body is dangling and relaxed. This is a way to release the back, neck, and head. I like to think of dropping all the concerns and worries out of the top of my head in this pose, knowing the mat or earth will absorb them! On a really tense day, I might need to swing side to side a bit, gently, to make sure all the worries drop out of the crown of my head. You can let your knees bend a bit if you’re feeling tight, or you can grab opposite elbows for a deeper stretch. You can also try interlacing your fingers behind you, letting the arms drop overhead. Pogo Stick* (Eagle or Tree Legs): Take your pick, trying either Eagle wrap or Tree legs. Then take the hand position of a pogo-stick-jumper, holding your imaginary pogo stick in front of you. Then,jump! On your Tree legs or Eagle legs, challenge yourself to stay on one foot.

Warriors and Strong Poses

106 Tall as a Tree Warrior 1: We practice our Warriors in pretty much every class. They are peaceful warrior positions, ways to practice feeling strong and steady in our own skin while building physical strength. For Warrior 1, begin with your right leg in front, left in back. Come into a 90-degree angle in your right leg with the knee stacked over the ankle. Square your hips toward the front of the room, so if you had headlights on your hips they’d be shining light over your front knee. Keep your back leg extended straight and strong, and let your left foot come in at a 45-degree angle so the toes are pointing toward the left corner of the mat. Even though you are facing forward, remember to think about that back leg and keep it strong. Then, raise your hands high into the air, framing your face. Melt your shoulders away from your ears and relax your shoulder blades down your back, but keep your arms and hands engaged and pointing upward. Remember to try your Warrior 1 on the other side, too! Warrior 2: For Warrior 2, assume the same base/leg position, but this time think of your hips opening to the side wall. Let your arms open like wings. If your right knee is bent, look over your right hand, gazing over your fingertips. With each breath in, take up more space, and grow large! Think of the inhale lighting up your heart. Think of sinking lower into your legs (keeping the 90-degree angle in the front leg) with each exhale. Warrior 3: This is sometimes called Airplane Pose in kids yoga. Starting in Warrior 2, push off your back foot and come into a balancing pose on one leg, keeping your other leg extended behind you like you’re forming half of the letter T with your legs. I like to fly my arms backward, with palms facing down like airplane wings. Look forward, not down, to keep yourself up! The body follows the eyes.

107 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled Super Hero: Super Hero begins by lying on the floor on your belly. Extend your arms out in front of you with the palms shining toward each other, pinkies on the floor. Extend your legs out long in back of you. Take a big breath in, then exhale and lift your arms and your legs, like you are a Super Hero (you are!) flying over the world. With each breath, lift higher! Then exhale, release, rest, and bring one ear to the floor. Hero: Sit on your knees with your feet folded under you. Keep your back tall and proud. Bring your hands palms-down on your legs above your knees. Begin to calm your breath and either close your eyes or find one spot to look at, with quiet strength. Wood Chopper*: This is a dynamic, energy-releasing pose. Begin standing in Mountain Pose, and then widen your legs a bit further apart so you’re standing in a V shape. Inhale, bringing your arms high above you, and interlace your fingers. Exhale out of your open mouth, loudly if you wish, folding at the waist and bringing your arms, still interlaced, to the floor, as if you’re chopping wood. Inhale and reach up, exhale and fold forward. Repeat until all the wood is chopped or you’ve released a lot of extra energy, whichever comes first.

Partner Poses 108 Tall as a Tree Double Boat: This pose is made of two Boats, facing each other with feet touching and hands grasped. You can extend your legs inside or outside the arms. Lizard on a Rock*: This partner pose is comprised of one Rock Pose (also known as Mouse or Child’s Pose) and one Lounging Lizard. The lizard will stand behind the rock, facing away, and then very carefully sit on the rock, lining up pant seems. Then, the lizard will carefully lie down on the rock and open the heart, sunning itself. It may seem scary to let one kid lie on another, but I’ve found the rock usually feels great, getting a nice back massage! This is a super fun pose and all body types can do it. I do encourage the lizard and rock to communicate. If one doesn’t feel comfortable, of course he or she should say so and move! Forest: What happens when you join trees together? You get a forest! This partner or group pose is just like it sounds. Create a Tree Pose and ask your friends to do the same. Then, hold hands gently. Sometimes we collectively raise our hands above our heads and wave back and forth, creating a forest in the wind. Does it seem easier or more difficult to balance together? Gate*: Come into Gate Pose alongside another yogi who is doing the same. If you are extending your right leg, have your yogi friend extend his left. With the side stretch, you can reach, touch, and hold hands. Then, open your gate by side-stretching the other way. In my classes, we’ve lined up rows of gates to create a drawbridge. Elevator Pose: This pose takes three yogis: two to make the elevator and one to be the passenger! The two elevator yogis begin by facing each other about arms-length apart, so if they were to extend their arms they could touch fingertips. Then, the two yogis practice Chair Pose at the same time, as if they are looking into a mirror! For this Chair Pose, the yogis keep their arms outstretched to form

109 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled the walls of the elevator. The passenger yogi stands between the elevator yogis, ideally practicing a balancing pose. Have you ever tried to hold a balancing pose such as Tree Pose while in a moving elevator? It can be tricky! The elevator yogis move up and down in their Chair Poses, at the same time, mirroring each other. This creates the up and down of the elevator. The passenger can direct the yogis to a specific floor. Is it a high-rise building? Maybe the elevator goes to the 100th floor! When the yogi is ready to leave the elevator, the two elevator yogis release their arms to open the elevator door and let the passenger off. Then, the roles switch, and the passenger becomes part of the elevator, and an elevator yogi becomes the passenger. This takes teamwork, and strengthens legs and focus. Double Dancers: Come into Dancer Pose while facing your friend. Dancer Pose is a one-legged balancing pose where you hold the lifted leg behind you, grasping the foot. For Double Dancer, ask your friend to come into Dancer, too, and gently hold hands. This is such a pretty pose, and again it’s interesting to feel how balancing can be different when you’re joining forces with someone else! Seesaw Pose: This is a great pose for a playground- themed class! (You can also include Slide Pose and Swing 110 Tall as a Tree Pose!) It takes two yogis and partnership to make a seesaw. I like to try Seesaw Pose by first sitting the two yogis back to back. We sit up nice and tall and spread our legs wide into a pizza-slice shape. Then, using kind words and clear communication, we decide who gets to forward-fold first and who gets to back-bend. You can also try this with legs glued together and stretched out long in front of you, as if coming into Sandwich Pose. The forward-folder gets some natural assistance in moving further into the shape from the gentle pressure of the yogi friend’s back. The back-bender gets the support to lie back as if in a beach chair, opening up the heart. Don’t forget to switch, since seesaws go back and forth!

Group Poses Group Bridge: All yogis come into a circle, sitting close, with feet facing the center. Then, we lie on our backs in preparation to come into Bridge Pose. I like to practice Group Bridge in a wave, where we take turns coming into the posture. One-by-one, we come up into bridge and then lower, at which point our neighbor comes up. Of course, you can practice coming up into bridge all together, or even try it in a straight line. Can you roll a ball under the bridge? Will everyone stay up? Group Flower*: This is a favorite group pose I also call Flower Garland. Yogis sit in a circle facing the center. Then we tip back to balance on our sit bones, bring the soles of our feet together while balancing, and weave our arms under our legs to create Flower Pose. While keeping balance, we work to hold hands with each other, creating a flower garland. Can we all rock backward while holding hands, and then rock back up to our sit bones and collectively find balance? Is it more challenging or easier to balance as a group than alone? This is a really pretty pose, as well as fun; I have so many pictures of this one!

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Group Pizza: What’s better than a pizza slice? A whole pie! We sit in a wide circle, with legs extended in Vs, so each of us is an individual slice. If we touch our feet together, our slices combined become a pizza. Then we take turns shout- ing out healthy and delicious pizza toppings. Would you like broccoli or mushrooms on your pizza? With each stretch up we collect toppings, and with each stretch forward we lay them on the pizza. A stretch upward brings a big inhale, and a stretch forward brings a big exhale. At the end of our pizza creating, we inhale up one last time before exhaling forward to devour the pizza, finding a final and long forward stretch. Massage Train*: We use this collective exercise often at the end of class, to reward ourselves for a class well spent. Sometimes in school when a class was lined up and waiting for the teacher to arrive, we’d sit in line and practice Massage Train, as well. Line up so you have enough distance to reach the person’s shoulders in front of you. Normally, I stand at the front of the line and direct yogis in massage techniques. Can you massage gently, like rain on the back? A little gentle chopping is a thunderstorm. Maybe you draw big puffy clouds or a sun on the back of your yogi friend. I usually end our massage session with a challenge: try drawing a mystery letter on the back of the friend in front of you, and see if he/ she can guess what letter it is! We’ll usually practice a few rounds of Massage Train, and by conducting the movements I can ensure everyone gets a nice massage—nothing too harsh! Of course, be sure your facility is fine with a massage touch (kid yogi style) before executing! I most often use the rain/thunder/cloud motif to direct. Car: This is one of my student-invented poses. It takes a team of five yogis to execute. One yogi positions him or herself in the middle to be the body of the car. This yogi takes Tabletop position. The other four yogis come into Wheel Pose around the Tabletop. Using teamwork and strength (it’s challenging to hold these poses!), you create the 112 Tall as a Tree look of a yoga car. Vroom vroom!

Games After learning and trying poses, it’s fun to try a yoga game that either incorporates the pose(s) of the day or works on an element of yoga philosophy you’re investigating together. Yoga games are great times to practice teamwork, getting along with others, sharing, and establishing healthy boundaries. They’re also great times to practice being a good listener, taking turns, and being honest. A few yoga games are listed below. Down Dog Tunnel*: If I have the chance to play only one game in a kids yoga class, this is it! Kids of all ages enjoy Down Dog Tunnel. I’ve even taught it in parent-child classes in studios and seen adults enjoying the game, as well. To create a tunnel, line up Downward-Facing Dogs side-by-side, so that paws and heels are touching and there’s one big upside-down V tunnel running underneath all the dogs. Then choose one end of the tunnel to begin, and elect for the last dog on the tunnel to turn into a snake and crawl, on her snake belly, through the tunnel. It is important for the sake of teamwork for the snake to crawl on her belly and for the dogs to stay in position. I always tell my dogs they can come down and rest when the snake isn’t under them! When the snake makes it all the way through the tunnel, she becomes a dog, and the next dog on the other end of the tunnel turns into a snake and crawls through. For a little friendly competition, sometimes in larger

113 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled classes I’ll create two tunnels and have the two groups race. Which one will finish first, using teamwork to play safely? Toe - Ga*: Toes are very important in yoga! We use them in balancing poses to maintain our postures. We grab onto toes in yogi-toe-lock. When thinking of standing in bare feet, we think about the “Four Corners of the Feet,” two of which involve the toes: big toe ball and little toe ball (the other two corners are inside of the heel and outside of the heel). In Toe-Ga, we practice consciously using our toes in a game. In general, when a child is You will need small “out” in a game, I’ll have craft-store pom-poms for this him stay engaged by game, and at least one small bucket, cup, or other container. either holding a pose until The objective of the game is to the game is over (yikes!) or pick up the pom-poms with joining me, the teacher, to toes only, and place them care- provide extra eyes, ears fully in the bucket, not allow- and hands if I need help. ing it to fall over. Sometimes I’ll add to the challenge by assigning each child a specific color of pom-pom to focus on. Sometimes we’ll try Toe-Ga while doing a Crab Walk. The important thing is to use toes only. No hands! Again for some friendly competition, I’ll create two Toe-Ga teams and see which one can finish picking up all their pom-poms first. This game is a hit with all elementary ages, and I’ve even had some pre-teens loving this too. Yoga Wave*: Remember the wave at baseball games? One person starts it by standing and throwing her arms in the air, and then when she sits her neighbor does the same and on and on until the whole stadium is filled with a wave like the ocean. This game is like that, but with yoga poses. I like to play this with all yogis sitting in a circle. Ev-

114 Tall as a Tree eryone sits in crisscross position, waiting for his or her turn. The first yogi to go will do a yoga pose of her choice and then sit again in crisscross position. Then, the person to her right will do the same pose and sit. The next person repeats, and on and on until the pose is traveling around the circle in a wave. The person who started this pose gets to do it again to end the circle, and then the yogi to the right of the leader starts a new Yoga Wave with his or her favorite pose. This is a good way to review poses and practice patience and waiting your turn. If the wave really gets going and stays flowing, it looks really cool! Plow Pass*: This game uses Plow Pose, yoga blocks, and teamwork. I usually pair students off. They face back to back, with enough space in between so both yogis can practice Plow at the same time without bumping into each other, but with feet rather close. (You’ll see why!) One yogi begins by carefully placing a yoga block between his feet. Then, the yogi rocks back, holding the block (use your muscles!). At the same time, yogi number 2 rocks back. The idea is to pass the block from one yogi to another, using only the feet to hold the block, without letting it drop to the floor! Practice again and again. Invent a Pose (using balance, strength, or flexibility): I often save some free moments for students to invent their own poses, either alone or with friends in a team. The idea is to create a brand new pose that incorporates balance, strength, or flexibility. Of course if you can incorporate more than one, even better! Perhaps you create a nature pose, like many of our poses are, or a pose based on something specific from your life. After a few minutes of practice time, we’ll show and tell our poses, taking turns teaching each other and being innovative leaders. Walk Stop Jump Clap* (careful listening!): This popular game incorporates careful listening. I often find the kids are better at it than me! 115 Chapter 6 – OM Schooled

I usually explain the instructions, demo, and play along. For round one, it’s simple: when I say walk, you walk, and when I say stop, you stop. Jump means you jump, and clap means you clap. We play a few rounds, doing just as the instructions say. For round two, things get trickier. Walk now means stop, while stop means walk, but jump still means jump and clap still means clap. We play around for a while. How strange when words don’t match their meanings! For the last round, everything gets crazy. Walk means stop, stop means walk, jump means clap, and clap means jump. Yogi Says: This is just like Simon Says, if Simon were a yogi. When Yogi says “tree,” you find your Tree Pose. When Yogi says “rainbow,” you find your Rainbow Pose. But if the leader just says the pose name, with no “Yogi says,” you must freeze! If you forget and do the pose even though Yogi didn’t say, you’re out! Yoga Pictionary: This is a game I play with yogis on quieter days, or days I’d like to quiet things down. It requires a white board or chalkboard, or, less ideally, pen/pencil and paper. The artist gets the writing utensil first and gets to slowly draw a yoga pose for everyone to see. The artist can either draw a yogi doing a pose, or the animal, object, etc. after which the pose is named. Yogi’s choice! The artist draws nice and slow, and if anyone in the audience has a guess as to what pose the artist is drawing, he raises his hand to be called on, either by the teacher or the artist. The first yogi to correctly guess the pose being drawn gets to be the artist next. Night in the Yoga Studio: This is a spin-off of a popular theater game called Night at the Museum. This was such a popular game in the yoga classes I taught that, once introduced, I usually found myself leading it each week!

116 Tall as a Tree

Typically the yoga teacher leads by being just that, a yoga teacher who is closing up the “yoga studio” at night. The yoga teacher walks around with an imaginary (or real) flashlight, inspecting all the shapes of the studio in the dark. All seems still and quiet. The students are posed in the yoga studio, but holding their shapes. They don’t want to move a muscle as long as the yoga teacher is inspecting the space! Then, the yoga teacher turns her back and goes for a walk around the perimeter of the studio. With her back turned, the students can change yoga poses, go through a yoga flow, or even walk in a pose (no running or talking!). The challenge is to stay very aware and present in your movement so when the yoga teacher inevitably turns back to face the studio space for another inspection, all yogis freeze! If you, as the yoga teacher, see someone move, they are “out." I usually let kids dance, make silly faces, or try any safe pose when my back is turned, but as soon as I turn back to them, they must freeze! Of course, it’s fun to also vary who is the teacher. I enjoy empowering different students to lead the class.

117 118 Satya = Truthfulness And Other Yoga Philosophy Equations

“I am the leader of my life” – First-grade student when asked what he's learned in yoga.

oga philosophy doesn’t have to be shied away from in kids yoga classes. It just has to be addressed in a Yway that’s kid-friendly and respectful to the environment. Of course, if your school or setting wants the class to be purely physical, your focus can be on the “Asana” limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path. If, however, you have the opportunity, kids can be introduced to the other limbs, including the Yamas and Niyamas (guidelines for living) and Pranayama

119 Chapter 7 – OM Schooled (conscious breathing, or breathing exercises). I find a lot of children understand the eight limb concepts intuitively, anyway. Kids are very perceptive and in this way are very in touch, already, with their intuition, which is something a complete yoga practice helps to develop. They are actively working to develop their definitions of truthfulness and are practicing focused attention in school. Just naturally, in teaching a kids class, opportunity for discussion of yoga philosophy will arise. Here are some ideas on how to approach it all. * * * * * Patanjali was a wise man that lived about two thousand years ago in India. Though people were already practicing yoga, Patanjali wrote down the Yoga Sutras to share the “eight limbs of yoga." You can think of the eight limbs like branches on the tree of yoga. The eight limbs are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. You can practice as many limbs, or branches, as you are interested in. Asana is the most familiar limb in the west. Asana means “pose,” and makes up all the physical yoga poses we practice. When you focus on improving your balance in Tree Pose, you are focusing on the Asana branch. Pranayama goes hand-in-hand with Asana. Pranaya- ma is breathing exercise. When you try “Relaxation” breath or “Bunny Breath,” that’s Pranayama. When you focus on your inhale (taking breath in) with one movement and your exhale (letting breath out) with another movement, you could say that’s Pranayama, too. Both Pranayama and Asana practice can really change how your body and mind feel. You can calm yourself down, or give yourself energy. You can become more physically strong and flexible and more mentally focused. The Yamas and Niyamas are guidelines, or suggestions, for living well. The Yamas have to do with how to live peacefully with others. The Niyamas deal with treating

120 Satya = Truthfulness yourself well. The goals of both are peace and harmony and a clear, elevated way of living well. The Yamas are: Ahimsa, or “do no harm,” Satya, or “tell the truth,” Asteya, or “don’t take what doesn’t belong to you,” Brahmacharya, or “use your energy wisely,” and Aparigraha, or “appreciate what you have and don’t want what you don’t have.” There are lots of opportunities to teach the Yamas in the yoga classroom. When we talk about sharing materials like mats, blocks, or even space, we can talk about Asteya. When we talk about playing the yoga games fairly, we can ref- erence Satya. When we Eight Limbs of Yoga talk about thankfulness during a Tune-In, we can discuss Aparigraha. The Niyamas are: Saucha, or “being clean,” Santosha, or “being content and happy with what you have,” Tapas, or “working hard and with enthusiasm,” Svadhyaya, or “studying yourself,” and Ishvara Pranidhana, or “being devoted, or surrendering your efforts to the greater good.” When we clean the yoga room together or roll up mats neatly after class, we are practicing Saucha. When we are okay with our neighbor having the lone purple crayon during an Asana Art project, that is Santosha. When we realize we are a little afraid to go upside down in a pose, that’s 121 Chapter 7 – OM Schooled Svadhyaya. The purpose of talking about these concepts is not to be preachy at all, but rather to bring young yogis an awareness of the other parts of yoga. Yes, we do fun poses in yoga, but we also try to learn about ourselves and the world around us! With one of my fifth-grade classes, we decided to practice one Yama or Niyama a week. One week we’d focus on Satya, or telling the truth. In yoga class, we tried to be 100-percent honest 100 percent of the time, and some students decided to take this off the mat and really try to be as honest as possible all week. Another week we focused on Saucha, and went out of the yoga classroom to help clean up the school. We even started a recycling project in the school to help keep the earth clean and healthy. Some of the students got into a discussion about San- tosha, contentment. The talk originated at the beginning of class when Marcus was parking his shoes in the shoe parking lot and his classmates noticed his new fancy Nike sneakers. The kids passed around the shoes, which were scuff-free with a colorful Nike swoosh and laces, for several minutes. Some of the kids started ragging Marcus about how much the sneakers must have cost. I had to try to end the conversa- tion, because it was beginning to eat away at class time, so I held up my beat-up boots, asked if we could talk about shoes later, and invited everyone to their mats. Since we’d been studying yoga philosophy, however, it seemed like a good idea to discuss contentment. Is there a way to feel content whether you have new kicks or not? Marcus admitted he liked his new shoes a lot, but felt anxious about getting them dirty and described his feelings as more proud than content. Some of the other students began talking about how it can be a struggle to feel content when you literally don’t have something you want. This discussion lasted a while and since we’d shifted the focus from the object (shoes) to philosophy (contentment in our world), we were practicing yoga by talking this way. It was really interesting to hear the 122 Satya = Truthfulness fifth-graders’ ideas on wants, needs, and happiness. The last four limbs of the eight Yoga Sutras are the more spiritual ones, so they are the ones I use most spar- ingly, if at all, in a school setting. Pratyahara is withdrawing the senses, and we can practice this by closing our eyes when we do poses to notice how the pose feels from the inside. When we do this, the pose becomes a series of sensations and not so much a shape in space. This allows kids to tune in and worry less about how they look in relation to others, and to avoid becoming distracted by what neighbors are doing. It can be a really fun challenge for young yogis to try poses, or even a whole Vinyasa, with eyes closed. Doing the Sun Salutation with eyes closed is a fun challenge. Dharana involves concentrating on one thing completely. We can talk about this with schoolwork, or a time when we read a book with such focus we didn’t think about anything else. With older kids, we can discuss the pluses and minuses of multitasking versus Dharana. This is a generation growing up with the Internet, lots of media happening at once, busy school schedules, and so many other activities. Discuss how it can be refreshing to focus your energy on one thing at a time. Some say we wake up every morning with a bucket full of Prana, or energy, to use. How do you want to use your energy today? Notice how using your energy on one thing at a time saves more energy for later, as opposed to using it on many things at once. Being scattered can be very draining. Again, my group of fifth-graders found the idea of Dharana very interesting and pledged to spend one week doing homework without any distractions. No TV, no music, no phone—just homework, one thing at a time. The next week when we met, we discussed how the experiment went, what was hard and what proved to be easy. A few of the kids had “broken” their pledge, so we talked about what happened and the idea of forgiving yourself. Pratyahara and Dharana can be used during the Tune-In time. If we close our eyes, turn inward, and focus 123 Chapter 7 – OM Schooled on just our breath, or put our hand on our heart to feel it beat, or listen to the bell or the OM song, we are using both limbs. Dhyana is meditation. We can talk about meditation as focusing on one thing for a period of time, and coming back to that one thing if we get distracted. Meditation can be practiced with the breath, with an image such as a flower or candle flame, or with a helpful saying or mantra. Again, I don’t use Dhyana too much in public school settings especially, but some kids will be naturally drawn to it, will reflect an intuitive understanding, and will choose to meditate during Savasana time. Samadhi is described as complete joy. It is the concept of unifying the small self with the larger self, or the universe. Because this is treading into very spiritual territory, I rarely talk about Samadhi. If a child asked me about it, I’d probably describe those moments when you’re meditating, practicing yoga, or doing something else you really love and you forget yourself and just feel in the flow and really joyful, as being a “taste” of Samadhi. Again, I don’t discuss the last four limbs of the Yoga Sutras often because it’s often just not necessary in the yoga classroom, and can be inappropriate for some settings. But if a curious young mind wants to know, I’ll certainly do my best to explain. Yoga values are really interesting because they can be practiced on the mat, in class, or in a yoga break, and then taken “off the mat” into the rest of your life. They are to be practiced through experience, which is a different way of being exposed to a value than being told “this is how it is." I find it to be a rather gentle way of introducing character- building concepts.

124 Asana Art: Yoga and Creativity

“My favorite pose is Plow because I feel like I’m a sandwich being folded in half. I get to fold and stretch and get really relaxed.” – Breanna, age 7

enjoyed changing the pace of yoga class from time to time by dedicating all, or most of a yoga session to Asana IArt. Asana Art simply meant any kind of art project inspired by or incorporating yoga poses or yoga philosophy. We usually still began our time together with an OM Song to set the tone, and if we had time we might warm up a little. Then we’d settle into learning and sharing in another way, through art.

125 Chapter 8 – OM Schooled After art-making, we would evaluate our work in several ways: 1. We would talk about the poses students chose to feature in their projects, if applicable. 2. Did they understand the body parts needed in the position? 3. Could they make their own body/breath do that? 4. Sometimes we set up a Helpful Hint: Try to foresee display for students to walk around. We’d try the poses any frustrations that may others chose to feature in arise for students in the proj- their art. ect. Proactively discuss these 5. Did students understand frustrations with students and the vocabulary used? how they might address them. 6. Did they follow the steps Guide the teaching by show- needed to create each pose ing the steps yourself and your or project? completed work/outcome. I found it helpful to evaluate Address any vocabulary that myself after a project, too. may come up in the lesson, Ask the question: What parts of the project can I improve and when appropriate give on? students an idea of something you’re “looking for” in this Yoga Art Education Stan- project. (Sometimes I would dards say, for example, I’m looking The following are for careful cutting with scis- based on New York State Art Education Standards, which sors, or patience in sharing I often referenced for Asana materials, something I fore- Art projects. Most Art Edu- saw as a possible challenge cation standards are similar that I could bring students’ state-to-state, but check with attention to before the fact in yours to see if these need any tweaking! a healthful challenge way.)

126 Asana Art Standard 1: Creating, performing, and participating in yoga. Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in yoga, including practicing yoga poses, breath-work, and techniques, participating in yoga practice. Standard 2: Knowing and using yoga materials and resources. Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of materials and resources available for participation in yoga. This includes external materials such as mats and blocks and inner resources such as physical and mental strength and flexibility. Standard 3: Responding to and analyzing works of art in yoga. Students will respond to a variety of works in yoga arts, connecting to the individual work and to others and to aspects of human endeavor and thought. Yoga is an art form, in many ways. In Asana Art projects, we take time to reflect on yoga and to respond to and healthfully analyze practices and poses we may normally move more quickly through in yoga practice. Standard 4: Understanding cultural dimensions and contributions of yoga. Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape yoga in the diverse cultures of past and present society. In this piece, we take time to understand the roots of yoga and/or how yoga fits into life “off the mat” in our culture. How does yoga knowledge and practice contribute to life in our culture? The following are some Asana Art projects that were especially a hit with kids ages 5-10, including what students learned by doing them.

Breath Art! We talked a lot about the importance of breath in yoga practice. If we’d been learning a lot of kid Pranayama and talking about how changing the way we breathe makes us 127 Chapter 8 – OM Schooled change the way we feel, we might continue the exploration of breath consciousness through some art. This project makes our breath visible. Materials: Paper, watered-down Tempura paint or, with older kids, India Ink, straws, smocks Time: 30 minutes Directions: Each child begins with a blank piece of paper in front of him or her, and a straw in hand. Carefully place a few large drops of paint or ink on each child’s paper. By blowing through the straw with control, the artist can move the paint around, creating a Jackson Pollock-esque design. (Often I’d actually bring in a Jackson Pollock poster to show them the look, and talk about movement in art.) Leave the paper flat to dry. When completed, each yogi-artist will have a picture of his or her breath! Be sure to provide smocks or ask kids to bring in big T-shirts and to demonstrate how to blow the paint around. Yoga Education Standards: 1 and 2. Active engagement in awareness of breath, a key component of yoga. Exploration of breath, which we carry with us constantly. This project is a portal for discussing how breath makes us feel and how we can manipulate it. Breath is a yoga resource!

Mudra Puppets Materials: Tag board (a heavy paper) or paper plates, craft sticks, scissors Time: 30-40 minutes

Directions: Trace your hand on the tag board or paper plate. Cut out the hand and bend it into a Mudra. You can use this time to discuss hand joints, and to teach different Mudras. (The one we most commonly use is Chin Mudra, in which the thumb covers the pointer 128 Asana Art finger.) You can glue or staple the Mudra into permanent place. Glue the Mudra puppet to a stick. Yoga Education Standards: 1, 2, and 4. Students gain awareness of Mudras, or “yoga hands,” a key component in yoga practices. Can discuss cultural or his- torical significance and also teach joints and fingers of the hand through this awareness.

Yoga Sketch Artist/Yoga Portraits Materials: Paper, number 2 pencils, patience Time: 30 minutes Directions: Welcome to sketch art! Pair students. One person will begin as the artist while the other is a yoga statue. The yoga statue gets to choose a pose to hold for five minutes (choose your pose wisely!). During that time, the yoga artist will carefully look at her friend and sketch what she sees. I used this exercise to point out alignment points in poses I normally might not address, and to encourage holding postures with patience. In some cases, I assigned poses to hold, or had yogis pick a yoga pose from slips of paper in a hat. When the artist is done sketching, or the five minutes is up, switch! Yoga Education Standards: 1, 2, and 3. Engagement in the process of focus and concentration. Reinforcement

129 Chapter 8 – OM Schooled of yoga pose elements. Teamwork and mutual understanding developed. Responding to and analyzing yoga poses.

Pose Puppets Materials: tag board or paper plates, scissors, glue Time: 30 minutes Directions: In a variation of the Mudra Art above, trace a body pattern (pre-made) onto tag board or a paper plate. You can color or decorate the figure. Bend the figure into a pose, affix with glue or staples into the shape, and glue to a craft stick base to make a yoga pose puppet. Yoga Education Standards: 1, 2, and 4. Reinforces yoga poses learned in lessons. Practice focus and patience as well!

Pipe-Cleaner/Wire Asana Sculptures Materials: pipe-cleaners or thin chenille wire, cardboard squares for a base, glue Time: 40 minutes Directions: Our objective is to create yoga pose sculptures out of wire/pipe cleaners! First we discuss different poses (using our own bodies or pictures) and discuss anatomy and alignment in basic terms. Students experience the potential and limits of creating wire poses similar to the potential and limits of actually doing yoga poses. If you can’t do Crow Pose fully, and your wire yogi can’t, is there an accommodation you can make? Just like us, our wire yogis do the best they can with their poses. We employ concepts of yoga, imagination, and dexterity in creating our wire poses.

130 Asana Art

Create yoga poses out of the wire. Demonstrate, then have students follow along, step by step. It’s best to twist wire well at connections so the body doesn’t flop around. Have students touch body parts as you go. Where is your neck? The bend in your elbow? The top of your head? We can only bend certain ways! Once the wire yogis are made in their twisty way, affix to an 8-inch by 8-inch cardboard square. You can display the figures in a yoga gallery. Creating sculptures or using dolls can help increase a child’s comfort level with yoga. I’ve heard of kids being more receptive when they can make their dolls do the poses first. Yoga Education Standards: 1, 2, and 3. Awareness of yoga poses and our own body. Respect for the limitations of the body. Sharing in other’s art and responding to different renditions of yoga poses.

Color is Mood Materials: paper, crayons or colored pencils, print outs of yoga poses, blank to be colored in (make your own or see the materials available at www.spiralinghearts.com) Time: 30 minutes

Directions: Begin by discussing how poses make you feel. How do you feel in Wheel Pose or Child’s Pose, for example? Then discuss the feelings of different colors. What emotion does yellow make you think of? What about blue? For this

131 Chapter 8 – OM Schooled project, hand each student several coloring sheets showing different poses. The objective is to reflect on how poses make you feel, and to color the poses (and the space around the poses, if desired) with colors to communicate an emotion. For example, Child’s Pose makes me feel calm, so I might choose to color it in with different shades of blue, which is a calming color to me. Yoga Education Standards: 1, 2, and 3. Reflecting on the emotional affect of different poses. Encouraging awareness beyond the pose specifics to how the poses make you feel.

Yogis are Observers Materials: 12-inch by 18-inch paper, images cut and collected from magazines, glue sticks Time: 30 minutes Directions: Collect pictures from the environment that represent poses learned. For example, trees = Tree Pose and dogs = Downward Dog. Cut the pictures from magazines and have a pool of images ready for students. Create a yoga collage, gluing pictures on 12 x 18 paper. Add words, drawings, and designs. Discuss how yoga poses are named after things observed in the environment. Yoga increases awareness of the world. What are your favorite poses to feature? Yoga Education Standards: 2 and 3. Awareness of yoga poses and our own body. Respect for the limitations of the body. Sharing in others’ art and responding to different renditions of yoga poses.

132 Birthday Candle Pose: Yoga for Special Occasions

“When I go to yoga, I get so excited my heart beats like 10 drums.” – Kayla, age 8

ids love to celebrate a special day, love something different, and love the occasional surprise. Check K with your school regarding policies for celebrating holidays. Below are suggestions on how to add some yoga- fun into special days. April Fools’ Day: Try a “backwards class!" Begin your class with Savasana and proceed backwards, ending with the

133 Chapter 9 – OM Schooled warm-up and OM. Try saying one pose name and doing another, testing kids’ knowledge and attention. April Fools! With its new sequencing, this lesson enforces following directions and turn-taking. When you flip the order of everything, kids’ awareness of yoga practices increases. Doing class backwards also touches on the importance of staying in the moment and not getting too complacent. Thanksgiving: Being thankful is a big practice in yoga. Practice kid-style by playing: Thankful Ball Pass: Sit in a circle and pass around a ball or beanbag. Whoever catches it has to say one thing he or she is thankful for and do a pose. As a memory test, the next yogi has to say what those before them were thankful for, while demonstrating the accompanying poses. Partici- pants will be thankful for good memories. This lesson emphasizes kindness and appreciation. It also works memory and teamwork. Thank You Yoga Flags: As an Asana Art project, create flags in the spirit of Tibetan Prayer Flags to celebrate and explore what we are thankful for. You can use colored printer-weight paper, cut into squares. Each child draws what he or she is thankful for, leaving a 2-inch strip blank at the top (to simplify things, mark this as a border for the child). When all the pictures are complete, hang them on a string by folding over the 2-inch strip and gluing it onto itself. These Thankful Yoga Flags can be used to decorate the yoga classroom or academic classroom. In my classroom, students drew pictures of families and pets, favorite teachers, friends, and even some yoga poses and concepts they were thankful for. This lesson emphasizes gratitude, teamwork, and reflection. As in all group activities, teamwork and sharing are emphasized. Thanksgiving Turkey Pose: There is no “turkey

134 Birthday Candle Pose pose” in yoga! Thanksgiving may be a good time to invent one. Working in teams or individually, ask kids to invent a Turkey Asana. Then, share the poses row by row. One of my second-grade classes agreed on one version of Turkey Pose: students would move into a squat-like Chair Pose, bring their hands to their lower back with the fingers faced out and fanned like feathers, and then strut around the room. The yoga room was filled with cute turkeys gobbling, using their imaginations and their legs. It’s great to practice imagination and teamwork this way. Be inventive and learn to share with others in creating. New Year’s Time Capsule: Setting an intention is an important practice in yoga. Use the opportunity of a new calendar year to encourage children to set their intention for the following year. This exercise can also be used at the start of the school year. Hand out paper, pencils, and crayons, and encourage students to write or draw, depending on grade level, what they want to do this year. Have them think about their future selves, and write a letter to who they will be a year from now. Or let them draw a collage of the things they want to do and try and grow into by this time next year. Roll the intention sheets and store them in empty cardboard tubes (like paper-towel tubes), one per class. These time capsules can be opened at the end of the year, to see how far we’ve come and whether or not we’ve accomplished our goals, or if the goals have changed. New Year’s Yoga Lifeline: Many yoga class sequences are formatted with a Child’s Pose in the beginning part of class and Savasana, or Corpse Pose, at the end of class. Use the New Year to think about beginnings and endings in yoga classes. Teach Child’s Pose, followed by Savasana or Dead Bug Pose. Child’s Pose can also be called Seed Pose, and students can learn about lifelines, beginnings and ends, by practicing this pose followed by Lotus, Flower Pose, Tree

135 Chapter 9 – OM Schooled Pose, and other poses named for living things. There are so many beginnings and endings in nature that can be called upon for this lesson. Valentine’s Day Heart Openers: Kids love to learn about the yoga concept of “heart openers." Discuss what it means to have an open heart in life. Then teach various backbends, such as Wheel, Bridge, and Camel—any pose that pushes your heart up above your head. Let the kids know that while they’re practicing physically opening their hearts toward the sky, they are also reminding themselves to keep an “open heart” in the more metaphorical sense. This lesson is a good one to begin to teach kids about the various layers of yoga, how the physical postures translate into mental and emotional states. Valentine’s Day Asanas: Pair students off and ask them to invent a Heart Pose in honor of this loving holiday. Other good poses to create at this time are Friend Pose, Rose Pose, and Love Pose. How do we make a heart shape with our bodies? How do we show what friendship means with an asana? Birthday: When it is a student’s birthday, it’s time to make a yoga birthday cake! Direct the class to form a circle and then, on the count of three, to move into Candle Pose, or adult Shoulder-Stand, together. The birthday child can make his or her wish and then go around and “blow out” the candles. When the birthday child blows on another child’s Candle Pose, that student can roll down into Easy Seat or a forward-fold. Try modifying the Thankful Ball Pass game for birthdays. While passing the ball around, each student can say one thing he or she appreciates about the birthday child. It is a great lesson in kindness and the gift of loving words.

136 Relaxation Breath: Yoga for Your Desk

For the meditators and yogis:"You can learn a lot from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room." – Dr. Seuss

’m a big believer that yoga doesn’t have to only show up in full yoga class. It’s wonderful to incorporate yoga Ibreaks into the academic classroom, especially during transitions of any kind. For example, at the beginning or end of the day you might want to do a little yoga. You might squeeze in some yoga after lunch or recess before diving back into work. What about doing some stretching and breathing before a test?

137 Chapter 10 – OM Schooled I know some classroom teachers who have incorporated having a Peace Place into their classroom. When kids are having trouble focusing or misbehaving, the teacher might invite them to the Peace Place for a break before rejoining the class. Some teachers I know start their morning meeting by sitting in Lotus Pose with everyone to evoke stillness and focus. Once tools of calm and concentration have been practiced in the yoga room, they can be evoked in the classroom. The Yoga for Small Spaces card deck set is a great resource for lots of yoga-break ideas. Below you’ll find a few examples to dive into. Of course, feel free to try any element from yoga class in your classroom or in your home, too, and see if it helps! Standing Balancing Poses Behind Chairs: Try poses such as Tree Pose, Warrior 3, or Dancer Pose standing up behind the desk chair. Demonstrate that the chair is always there in case you begin to feel wobbly and need something to hold onto. Getting kids out of their seats and moving and balancing for a few breaths can wake up sleepy students and calm and concentrate the jittery ones. Breathing/Pranayama at Desks, in Chairs: A lot of the Pranayama techniques discussed here can be done in the academic classroom for a break. Relaxation Breath is great for calming pre-test jitters or for “taking five” before returning to work. You can lead Bunny Breath for energy if everyone seems sleepy, or Three-Part Breathing for those who need to calm. Feeling frustrated? Try Lion’s Breath, or exhale through fluttered lips! Seated Forward Fold/Rag-Doll: Inhale sitting up tall in your chair, then exhale and hang your torso over your legs. Let your arms hang loose and heavy like gorilla arms or rag doll arms. A few of these stretches followed by releases will circulate stagnant energy. Putting the heart above the head by folding forward will both calm and energize.

138 Relaxation Breath

Seated Twist Using Chair: Wring yourself out using your chair. Inhale sitting up tall, then exhale while twisting to the left, holding the back of the chair. Inhale back to center, then exhale to the right, using the chair for leverage. I sometimes call this a slow- motion washing machine to make it fun. Just like a washing machine, we are cleaning things out, from the inside out, by twisting and breathing. After a few twists we usually feel more energetic, especially if we pair the twists with other movements, like raising the arms up and down or touching the shoulders with fingertips. Shoulder, Head, and Wrist Rolls: Sitting stiffly in a chair can really get to you! Untie the knots by rolling the shoulders, head, and wrists in different directions, mindfully. Lettuce Feet, Barbie Feet: This is a fun way to get students to flex and point their feet. I like to flex/point feet after head and neck rolls. Happy Spines: Sometimes I just need to remind kids to sit up straight and tall. We call this having a happy spine. We might first practice having slumped, sad spines, and then sit up, happy and alert. Just taking a few minutes to stretch, breathe deeply, flutter the lips, squeeze the face and open the mouth in Lion’s Breath will release so much tension. I remember when I was a high school student a favorite teacher advised me to get up during long study sessions at home and do a few push-ups. It’s the same idea. Get up and away from your desk, or use your desk and chair, but take a movement and breath break. Recharge yourself!

139 140 Living Yoga Off The Mat While Teaching On the Mat

“Stirum Sukham Asanam" (Yoga is both steady and joyful, a balance of effort and ease) – Yoga Sutras

s my practice teaching kids yoga deepened, so did my own personal practice with yoga. In the time I Ataught kids yoga full-time, I kept to my personal practice and deepened my knowledge by completing several yoga teacher trainings over summer breaks and on week- ends. Teaching in public schools is stressful, and teaching kids yoga takes a lot of energy—mental, physical, and emo-

141 Chapter 11 – OM Schooled tional. I’d always laugh when people said, “Oh, you teach kids yoga, you must be so relaxed!" When you teach kids yoga, first of all, you find yourself demonstrating yoga poses all day long, and therefore being really physically active. When I first began teaching, I injured my lower back (off the mat, herniating a disc) and couldn’t demo all the time. I actually had to start using more kid yoga helpers to demo on my behalf. Teaching children yoga is also very energetically draining, since your number one job as a teacher is to be present. Being fully present in such a way as to react healthfully to kids all day long can take a lot out of you. You have to be there for the melt-downs, the shy kids, the angry kids, the kids who can’t hold it together in Sun Salutations, the ones who are energy balls, and every other type of child. The schedule I had was also very demanding. My classes were back-to-back, with maybe a few minutes in between. Sometimes I had to travel to a whole different part of the school, mats in tow, during those few minutes. I’d literally find myself running sometimes. Often I’d pass another “spe- cials” teacher in the hall (music, art) and exchange frazzled expressions in a moment of shared agony. We were called to give 110 percent. To try to maintain my own practice, it was essential to go to yoga class after my teaching day was done. It wasn’t a hard practice to keep, and it was necessary. I’d arrive on the mat and begin dumping the weight of stress off my shoulders. Through sweat, breath, and concentration I’d get my own balance back and clear my mind to better see my own day, successes and places to grow. Having my own personal practice also kept me in touch with what I was teaching the kids. I knew my kids were in the midst of extreme stress, too, in many cases, and doing yoga myself reminded me of how amazing the practice is for dealing with stress. I was viscerally reminded of the gifts of yoga. I could release, relax, regain myself, refresh, and start again the next day from a point of center. 142 Living Yoga Off the Mat I also found myself taking things I’d learned and tried in adult classes to the kid classroom. If I found myself in a great back-bending class at night, and heard a new way of explaining Wheel Pose, I might take that to my kids the next day. Taking yoga class and keeping to my personal practice allowed me to stay fresh in my own teaching. As mentioned earlier, I would often think of the yoga sutra “Stirum Sukham Asanam” while teaching kids yoga. It was important to be structured and a strong leader for kids. I had to plan my lessons and have structure to how my class was run. But I also had to practice being receptive to what was actually happening with my kid students in the moment. I had to listen and be aware, adaptable, and caring as a teacher. I aimed for not being too lenient or too strict, being both kind and a reliable strong leader. Viewing teaching yoga as a practice helped me ride the ups and downs, as did my deep belief in yoga. I highly recommend staying connected to your own practice when you are teaching.

143 144 OMwork for Teachers: Worksheets and Handouts

"I think adults have too much stress on their brains and that's why they forget about their dreams." – First Grader

oga worksheets provide helpful supplementary material, to support and flesh out asana lessons. Student Yworksheets can be completed in class, or as homework. Worksheets allow children to reflect on what they know and to write and draw about feelings, intentions, and experiences to expand self-knowledge. Worksheets are particularly helpful for the visual and verbal learners in class. The teacher lesson plan format is helpful in plan-

145 Chapter 12 – OM Schooled

ning class structure. Choose a Tune-In, Warm-Up, and Sun Salutation from those included in this book, or devise your own. Choose two to three asanas per class to learn and try. Try choosing asanas that have something in common, for example, two balancing poses. Or choose asanas that are opposing, such as one standing and one sitting posture, and ask the kids to notice the differences and similarities between poses. You can also choose asanas that are linked based on concept, for example Chair Pose and Tabletop Pose, or Seed and Flower.

146 OMwork for Teachers

Yoga Lesson Planning Sheet

Date: Grade Level/Age: Objective/Goal/Asanas taught: Tune-In:

Warm-Up/Sun Salutation Practiced:

Direct Instruction/Demonstration:

Independent Practice:

Assessment/Follow Up:

Savasana:

Close:

Materials Needed:

147 Chapter 12 – OM Schooled Yoga Lesson Planning Sheet Example

Date: November 19th

Grade Level/Age: Second/third Ages 6-8

Objective/Goal/Asanas taught: “Ocean Class”: Stingray, Sea Turtle & Fish Pose

Tune-In: OM Song, Fish Breath (talk about breathing underwater, holding breath, snorkeling, how fish breathe with gils, Teach fish breath.)

Warm-Up/Sun Salutation Practiced: “Reach Up High” Sun Salutation: review from last week. 3 times to warm up, eyes open/eyes closed.

Direct Instruction/Demonstration: Model “Stingray” (lay on stomach, hands on hips, on count of 3 inhale legs, arms/elbows and head up off mat. Model “Sea Turtle” (sitting with knees stacked, thread arms under legs so hands are under ankles). Model “Fish” pose (lying on back, prop up on elbows and place crown of head on mat, looking toward back of room).

Independent Practice: Model one at a time, with 3-4 minutes between for yogis to practice alone or with neighbor. Share Row-by-Row, one pose at a time, for general assessment.

Assessment/Follow Up: Play “Under the Sea” song and allow kids to practice their favorite ocean pose of the day. Can also add “Mermaid” pose. (lying on back, prop up on elbows, keeping knees together, bend knees to chest and then extend, like a mermaid tail. Point toes and angle tail to the left and right. Core strengthener.)

Savasana: Starfish relaxation. Guide yogis to lie on backs with arms and legs extended so whole body is in star shape. Describe how starfish have tentacles on the back of their legs and arms so they stick to surfaces. Visualization: “You are a starfish, stuck to the bottom of the ocean. It is very quiet and peaceful at the bottom of the ocean. The rest of the world is far, far, above you. You are surrounded by peacefully swaying seaweed and other quiet starfish. Once in awhile a colorful fish floats by.” Optional: put thumbs quietly in the air for a “starfish test." Check that arms and legs are “stuck” to the floor & that yogis are still.

Close: Ring bell to transition to Lotus Pose. Sing “Namaste” song and dismiss yogis one by one.

Materials Needed: Under the Sea song. Seashells, starfish, sea glass, etc for decoration. Optional pictures of stingray/sea turtles/fish. Mats, bell or singing bowl. 148 OMwork for Teachers

Yoga Intention Sheet

Name ______

Date ______

An intention is something we plan to do or hope to do. It’s good in yoga to take some time to think about intentions.

1. What are my hopes, dreams and intentions for yoga this year? Use the space below to draw or write.

2. What do I want to learn and try by the end of this year? Draw or write below.

149 Chapter 12 – OM Schooled

What Do I Know About Yoga?

Name ______

Date ______

1. What does the word ‘yoga’ mean?

2. What makes yoga different from other exercises?

3. Draw, name and describe your favorite yoga pose below.

150 OMwork for Teachers

Yoga Fun with Yogini Piggy!

Yogini Piggy is practicing Dowward Facing Dog pose. But she's feeling a little dull. Cheer her up with some color.

Find and circle all 10 yoga terms. They can be found forwards, backwards and diagonally!

S X G W Y Y K Y H E Downdog D O W N D O G G P C Updog D N A T S G A E H I Meditate B A C S V A T O U T Mat R T G B T A T P Y C Yoga E A Y O T R D M U A Breath A M D I Y O E S O R Practice T Z D U G D Z T O P Stretch H E A N A S A N C R Asana M L G P O X O O B H 151 Chapter 12 – OM Schooled Yoga Fun with Yogini Piggy!

How many words can you make from the word: MEDITATE

Yogini Piggy found 10. Can you find more?

Color Me!

152 Asana ABCs: Yoga Kids Dictionary

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” – Mother Teresa

Asana A yoga pose. This literally translates from Sanskrit as “a seat,” or your connection to the earth. Can you find the word “asana” within yoga pose names? (Example: Ta- dasana, Mountain Pose, or Savasana, Corpse Pose.)

Balance Holding the body so that both sides are equal. Don’t tip over! 153 Chapter 13 – OM Schooled

Brahmacharya Creative energy. You can think about using your energy wisely. Some yoga teachers say every morning you wake up with a bucket full of prana, or energy (see below), and it’s your choice how you will use it. Do you want to use it spending time with friends and on things that really matter to you? What really matters to you?

Checking in The act of assessing one's physical and emotional well being.

Chant A simple song that can be sung out loud or in your head, to help you relax and focus.

Drishti A gazing point for a pose. When you practice Tree Pose, for example, it helps to find your drishti.

Flexibility The ability to bend your body in many different ways. It takes strength to be flexible and flexibility to be strong! A tree shows us both; it has a strong trunk and roots, but is flexible enough to bend in the wind and not fall over.

Inversion An upside down pose. Examples are Candle (shoulder stand) and Safe Head- stand.

Mantra A sound or phrase that is repeated during concentration. This is a tool to help us calm and free the mind. We can use mantras to cross over from worrisome thoughts to positive ones.

154 Asana ABCs

Mudra Yoga for your hands! This is a Sanskrit word for “seal” and refers to positions used to seal energy in the body. Many Mudras are hand positions used during meditation and breathing exercises in which fingers touch and seal up energy.

Namaste A Sanskrit word that means “The light in me honors the light in you." It’s a nice way to greet people and say "thank you" in yoga class.

Niyamas Guidelines for how to treat yourself well. The Niyamas are: Saucha, or “being clean,” Santosha, or “being content and happy with what you have,” Tapas, or “working hard and with enthusiasm,” Svadhyaya, or “studying yourself,” and Ishvara Pranid- hana, or “being devoted, or surrendering our efforts to the greater good." Where do the Niyamas show up in yoga class? For example, try your hardest (Tapas) and study how you feel (Svadhyaya) but give up wor- rying about being right or wrong (Ishvara Pranidhana).

OM OM is the sound of all sounds mixed together. When we chant/sing OM in yoga, we are mixing our voices together and getting ready to focus and have fun. It has the vibration and sound of a bell. Can you hear “OM” when a bell is rung? OM is a basic sound that connects us to each other and to the world. OM actually has four parts to it: Ah (opening the mouth wide), Ooh (form lips into a circle), Mmm (close mouth and hum) and the silence afterwards. 155 Chapter 13 – OM Schooled

Patanjali A man who lived in India around the second century C.E. He wrote down information about yoga in a famous book called the Yoga Sutras. Many people practiced yoga before Patanjali, but he was the first person to write it down in a clear system so others could study it.

Prana Energy. Life force, the energy that makes things alive.

Pranayama Breathing exercises. Changing our breathing can change how we feel. We can get more energy by breathing certain ways, or relax our energy by breathing in other ways.

Santosha Being happy and content with what you have

Satya Truth, or telling the truth

Saucha Keeping the body and your environment clean. Many say having a clean and clear home will help you have a clear mind.

Savasana Rest pose in yoga. This usually occurs at the end of class and is a way for the body and mind to take in all the poses that happened during class. This is a way to deeply relax the body and mind. This is a practice of letting go.

Singing Bowl A type of bowl typically made of metal or crystal. When rubbed with a padded or wooden mallet it resonates a characteristic fundamental frequency and a harmonic

156 Asana ABCs overtone.

Svadhyaya Studying the self. In yoga we get to know who we are deep inside. You get to know how your personality reacts to things: for example, notice how you feel during challenging poses. Do you feel sad or angry or curious? In yoga we also get to know and feel that part of us beyond our personali- ties, our happy spirits.

Tapas Working hard and having discipline.

Ujjayi A special way of breathing through the nose and using the back of your throat, with the mouth closed. Ujjayi breath makes a sound like the ocean. It can help you follow your breath when you hear it in this way.

Vinyasa Linking movement with breath and flowing from one pose the next. Notice what you are thinking about during your Vinyasa. If we plant happy thoughts, those will grow, in yoga and in life! Our thoughts truly matter, and inner thoughts affect outer actions.

Yamas Guidelines for how to live peacefully with others. The yamas are: Ahimsa, or “don’t do harm,” Satya, or “tell the truth,” Asteya, or “don’t take what doesn’t belong to you,” Brahmacharya, or “use your energy wisely,” and Aparigraha, or “appreciate what you have and don’t want what you don’t have.” Where do the yamas show up in yoga class? For example, when we are careful with our bodies in a pose, this is ahimsa.

157 Yogi Toe Lock A way to hold your foot by hooking your two “peace fingers” (your pointer and middle fingers) around your big toe

Yogi A person who practices yoga

158 Resources

Music for Kids Class:

Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles

One Love, Three Little Birds, Bob Marley

Imagine, John Lennon

Wipe Out, the Ventures (fun for practicing warrior poses as if surfing on your mat)

Golden, Jill Scott

Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFarren

Savasana Song, The Bingo Kids

159 Resources

Videos:

YogaKids, Marsha Wenig

YogaKids Silly to Calm, Marsha Wenig

Whale Yoga, Jodi Komitor

Kids Yoga Books:

Dogi the Yogi, by Maria Notarile Scrivan, published by Out- box Media, 2008

My Daddy is a Pretzel, by Baron Baptiste and Sophie Fatus, published by Barefoot Books, 2004

Babar's Yoga for Elephants, by Laurent de Brunhoff, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2002

Um....Like....Om: A Girl Goddess's Guide to Yoga by Evan Coo- per Cohen, published by Little, Brown Young Readers, 2005 (for tweens/teens).

Yoga Card Decks

Learn With Yoga: ABC Yoga Cards for Kids, Christine Ristuccia, Addriya, addriya.com

Yoga for Small Spaces, Christine Ristuccia and Lynn Geddes, Addrya, addriya.com 160 Resources

Resources for teachers:

Spiraling Hearts coloring books, workbooks and board games for kids’ yoga classes, spiralinghearts.com

The Little Yoga Mat Company, thelittleyogamat.com

161 Notes

162 Notes

163 Notes

164 About the Author

Sarah Herrington is a kids yoga teacher and writer living in New York City. She has taught yoga full-time at a public charter school in Manhat- tan, working with a year-long curriculum she created, and in several NYC yoga studios. Sarah also leads workshops and teacher trainings for other yoga teachers on the topic of kids, teen, and school yoga. She is Yoga Alliance 400-hour certified in adult Vinyasa yoga and has children’s yoga certification through Karma Kids Yoga, MiniYogis, and YogaEd with continu- ing education through the Art of Yoga Project and Little Flower Yoga. Sarah has written articles on kids yoga and yoga in schools for NYYoga Magazine, YogaCityNYC, Tonic, and Yoga In My Schools, and is an expert blogger for Mindbodygreen. Also a creative writer, she is the author of Always Moving, a collection of poetry, and was chosen by O, The Oprah Magazine as a Poet to Watch. Sarah strongly believes in the ability of yoga (and writing!) to cultivate a positive self-image, confidence, and an open mind and heart. She received her degree in English and Creative Writing from New York University and can be found online at: www.sarahherrington.com.

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