What are the benefits of yoga to children???

What are the benefits of yoga to children ???

Yoga for children can have huge physical, emotional and educational benefits.

Physical benefits: increased fitness level, improved flexibility, better posture and improved co-ordination.

Emotional benefits: can help children to improve their social skills, to discover ways to relax and stay calm, which can in turn help them to deal with life’s challenges.

Educational benefits: can help children to improve concentration, speaking and listening skills. It encourages them to be creative in producing their own yoga stories which can in turn improve their writing.

Yoga can also increase a child's sense of self esteem and therefore live a happier and healthier life.

The main areas that Beaming Buddhas target are:

1) Physical fitness

2) Behaviour

3) Concentration

4) Relaxation & Calming

5) Well-being & self esteem

Improvements in all of these areas do not happen overnight, just because the child is performing a series of yoga postures. Improvements can only develop over time.

When we target these areas how will you benefit? Concentration – children can transfer their concentration skills to other areas of the curriculum
Behaviour – improving and changing challenging behaviour is at the core of our teaching approach . This is one of the major benefits of of providing yoga as part of the integrated school day. Physical fitness – increased flexibility, muscles toned and strengthened, better posture, healthier bones, improved balancing skills. Relaxation & Calming - children learning how to stay calm in difficult situations. In other words they learn how to be in control by using their new found breathing techniques and calming skills
This is often a major breakthrough for many children who may never get the opportunity to learn how to relax. Well-being & self esteem – children enjoying a great sense of achievement from the posture work because we make the activities achievable and fun. In addition children feel good about themselves and their bodies because of the exercise.


If you would like us to provide yoga in your school or you would like your children to attend one of our yoga classes please contact Nikkola Woods from Beaming Buddhas by email nikkola.woods1@gmail.com or telephone 07950 277877

www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

It's time for families to change, for life!

Modern life can be pretty comfy – sofas, TVs, computer games – there’s just so much to keep kids sat down. But bodies weren’t designed to sit down all the time – they need to walk, jump, run and move to be healthy, grow properly and use up the right amount of energy.

Of course it’s important to relax, but there’s a difference between chilling out and vegging out. The fact is that kids who are inactive don’t burn off enough energy and store up fat in their body - yuk.
'Up and about' is all about activities for kids, and trying to get them moving whenever they can during the day. Simply being up, about and moving burns calories and helps fend off diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

Just getting kids up off the sofa will help. So if they’ve been sitting for a while, get them up to jump around for a bit. You could try limiting the time they spend in front of the TV or computer too!
And if you can walk to school, or anywhere else you need to go, then do that instead of the car – it’s better for the environment and you and the kids. If it’s too far to walk the whole way, try getting the bus but get off one or two stops earlier and walk the last bit. It’s about making small changes to your life to help your kids be more active and stay healthy.

Why get fit?
Activity is good for kids' health. It raises their heartbeats and helps pump blood around their bodies. It’s like a mini workout for their lungs and muscles! It also decreases their chances of getting life-threatening diseases.
A good dose of fresh air and exercise also helps us all sleep better. So tiring out kids with activity every day will help them nod off at a good hour and make them feel alert for the next day.

For ideas on how you can make positive changes to your family please visit Change4Life by clicking on link below:

http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/change-for-life-families.aspx

Article taken from http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/up-and-about.aspx

Why give Yoga for Free?

At Beaming Buddhas it is our aim to introduce yoga to children through a fun and enjoyable way.  We introduce yoga postures and poses to children and families through story, games and other activities.  Unfortunately, yoga appears to be a little mysterious, with not many people knowing what yoga is about.  It probably does not help those that are not in the know, that there are so many types of yoga it is easy to become confused. 

Today, Beaming Buddhas are offering some classes for free.  But first, we will ask that question: What is Yoga?  Yoga means union, and can be seen as union between body, mind and soul.  Commonly yoga is referred to as asana, which is the practice of physical postures or poses. Many people think that yoga is just stretching, but while stretching is involved, yoga is about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. Because of the physical benefits is the main reason it is becoming more and more popular and many sportsmen and women practice yoga alongside their own discipline. 

Beaming Buddhas concentrates on Hatha Yoga which is the study of yoga postures and poses.  

Is yoga a religion?  Our own answer is taken from our website www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk 

"Yoga is neither a religion nor an esoteric movement. Every person, regardless of age, origin or faith can practice yoga."

Now we have the 'jargon' out of the way and hopefully have de-mystified yoga for you in words, we would like to invite you to a FREE Beaming Buddhas Yoga Session.  We have two FREE sessions available for you to choose from:

FAMILY YOGA Monday 18 June 2012 2-3pm 

at Morton Memorial Hall, East Morton, Keighley

KIDS YOGA CLUB Thursday 21 June 2012 

4.30-5.30pm also at East Morton

Our Family Yoga sessions are suitable for adults and children aged approximately 2-4 years and Kids Club is suitable for boys and girls aged 4-10 years

No need to book, just turn up on the day

So, why for FREE?  We want to show parents and children how fun our yoga sessions are.  We understand that you already have other classes and activities that you may attend, but we believe if you can try us for free you will see first hand the fun and also health benefits both you and your children receive.  So what have you got to lose?

Still unsure? Visit our website to read some of our testimonials

Not sure about coming on your own?  You are welcome to bring a friend, but if you this is not possible for you then we can assure you that you will make friends as we are a friendly bunch! Come along, join in some yoga, fun and games and (for family yoga) we even have time for a cuppa at the end.

Finally, we promise not to pressure you into attending further classes or try and sell you anything!  There really is no catch, if you want to just attend the class for free and then leave and we do not see you again then that is your choice.  However, if you and your children enjoy the classes you are more than welcome to join us again and our prices will not scare you away

For more information please see our website www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

Is it just a co-incidence that most of our children enjoy relaxation the most?

A lot of our classes are held at the end of the school day.  Many of the children appear to be quite hyperactive after a busy day in school.  Our children experience increasingly stressful lives as they strive to be the best they can down to pressures not only from their parents, carers and teachers but also from life in general.  It is widely portrayed that in order to succeed in life you have to be the best!  To get the best jobs you have to get the best grades, to be the best performers in sport you need to work the hardest...

Beaming Buddhas aims to take away some of this stress through the yoga session and always ensure they have a wonderful relaxation session at the end of the class.  This relaxation gives the children the time they need to unwind and relax.  The other week we even had one child who fell asleep in the 15 minute relaxation and was snoring! At the end of the yoga courses when the children are asked what they enjoyed most from the yoga , many of them respond with the relaxation, being able to lie down with the lavender eye pillow, 'chill out' and either listen to music or guided meditation.

It is no coincidence that many of the children enjoy the relaxation as it is a much needed 'time out'.  It is perfectly normal to want the best for your children and to encourage to be the best that they can be.  It is equally important to ensure that your child is allowed 'time out' to properly relax.  If you child can learn how to relax properly they will learn techniques on how to manage their whole life much easier.

To see more health benefits of yoga visit http://www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk/kids-yoga-club.html
To shop Yoga products including relaxation aids visit http://www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk/boutique1.html

http://www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

Beaming Buddha student putting together their own yoga stories

www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

Alien Adventure

This week we are on an alien adventure.....

For our yoga, we visit the moon and see lots of different aliens including space ducks and space worms! But first we need to do our training so we can become an astronaut and fly to the moon in our rocket.

We played today we went to the moon and saw...... (a great memory game just like today we went to the shops and bought...)

We had a nice relaxation at the end with our lavendar eye pillows as flying to the moon was very tiring!

We finished off with colouring (for the small ones) and drawing space pictures (for the older ones) which encourages creativity and did you know that colouring is also a form of meditation?!

Before the end of class we shared a great book called 'Welcome to Alien School'

Namaste!

www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

Yoga through fun and play for healthy and relaxed children

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What is a Beaming Buddha?

It was no accident how we arrived at our name for our business.  It took weeks of brain storming and was originally called Beaming Buddha, until it dawned on me that to make it plural would be to refer to my students. Beaming Buddhas are what we are trying to create.  


Beaming: Shining brightly
Buddha: A person who has attained full enlightenment

Photographs from our classes this week - ice cream scoops, plough and elephant walking

An African Adventure

This weeks theme is African Safari - We pack our suitcases and we are off to the Savannah to see lots of animals, lions, tigers, elephants..... Our Kids clubs will get the chance to colour in animal mandalas and we will be sharing the book 'We are going on a Lion Hunt'

Our yoga postures include Chair, Lion's Breath, Elephant, Deer, Cobra, Warrior, Dancer, Happy Baby & Corpse as well as some of our own to encourage the children's creativity.

For more information of our classes please visit www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk or call 07950277877

What is a Mandala and what do you do with them?

Yesterday children at one of our afterschool clubs coloured in a mandala, they all did beautifully and those that did not finish were eager to take them home to complete, so they must have helped the children to relax and feel good.

 

Although you may not have heard of the word mandala before, you already know what it is. Mandala means circle in Sanskrit.

Circles are a ...powerful symbol found in every culture. We see them in halos, prayer wheels, and other religious symbols, architecture, and nature. Mandalas are sacred circles that have been long been used to facilitate meditation in the Indian and Tibetan religions. People create and look at mandalas essentially to center the body and mind.

Mandalas are entering medicine as a healing tool. An increasing body of clinical trials suggests that meditation can boost the immune system, reduce stress, combat depression, reduce pain, lower blood pressure, and stimulate the release of melatonin, a hormone believed to slow cell aging and promote restful sleep.

Mandalas are not just something to look at or meditate on. There are now mandala coloring books. Coloring a mandala using pencil crayons, crayons, paint, or pastels combines the benefits of meditation and art therapy.

People who color mandalas often experience a deep sense of calm and well-being. It's a simple tool that doesn't require any expertise, but it can be remarkably soothing and nourishing. Mandalas not only focus your attention, but allow you to express your creative side, which many of us neglect in our daily lives.

They can be particularly useful for: •children -- coloring mandalas can help children deal with emotions and cope with illness. Instead of verbalizing their feelings, many children express themselves through color and art. Psychologist Barbara Sourkes, PhD, has used mandalas with children at hospitals.


•people who cancer or terminal illness -- The University of California at Irvine Cancer Center and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center are just two cancer centers that have offered mandala workshops to cancer survivors.


•people who are trying to quit smoking -- for the same reason that many smokers take up knitting when they quit. Coloring mandalas keeps your hands occupied and relieves stress. You can bring your mandala book with you so you can pick it up for a several minutes at a time whenever you have the urge to smoke.

How to Get Started
1. You will need crayons, pencil crayons, chalks, pastels, paint, or markers in a variety of colors.

2. Print the mandala. See websites such as creatingmandalas.com or http://www.coloringcastle.com/mandala_coloring_pages.html

3. Find a quiet and comfortable place.

4. Start coloring. Don't think about your choice of color too much and don't worry about matching colors. Let your instincts guide you. After you've begun with the first color, the rest will follow naturally.

Taken from http://altmedicine.about.com/od/mindspiritandself/ss/mandala_3.htm and adapted by Beaming Buddhas

Why is Kids Yoga so popular?

This content is taken from The Kids Yoga Resource - Link http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com/benefits-of-yoga-for-kids/

I agree with the content of this blog and a picture of my own youngest daughter can be seen here on the home page of our website:

http://www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

"No matter how young your children are, it’s never too early for them to learn yoga!

Even if you’re familiar with the many benefits of yoga, the thought of your child practicing yoga, sitting quietly, breathing, and stretching can be difficult to imagine. It’s even harder to imagine that our children are stressed and need tools for relaxation and wellness. “How can they be stressed? They are kids,” we say.

But whether we realize it or not, our children are growing up immersed in a culture of stress. They are overwhelmed at every turn in their uniquely modern lives. Just watching the adult lives around them would be enough to induce anxiety, but their own pressures in school include learning more content sooner and pleasing both parents and teachers. They worry about being accepted by friends and face judgment by others who may not be their friends. The social forces are enormous as they try to assimilate what the media tells them about how to look, dress, and act. Ever-increasing electronic devices are a double-edged sword, offering fun and escape, yet still bombarding them in sensory overload.

Throw in a heavily scripted schedule of sports, clubs, and play-dates, and if you are doubting the wisdom of adding yet another activity to your child’s schedule, then you’re on the right track.

Yoga, however, is a life preserver in this sea of stress.

Introducing yoga can counterbalance stress factors and help your child become more grounded, thoughtful, and balanced. Yoga can break the cycle of anxiety and give them tools to become healthy adults with a strong body and mind.

You may be thinking, “My child won’t still long enough for a yoga class!” Don’t worry, they won’t be expected to. A knowledgeable teacher will help kids explore yoga postures and philosophies through song, games, activities, and books. At the end of class, they will even practice relaxation!

As your child grows, yoga can remain fun and also very beneficial for overall health and wellbeing. If your child is athletic, a yoga lifestyle (poses, good nutrition, and time for stillness and meditation) can help build muscle strength, mental focus, balance, and coordination, all which will improve their performance.

Yoga can instill confidence and self-acceptance in children who suffer from anxiety and low self-esteem, while aiding them to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly. For children who have a tough time paying attention at school, practicing yoga can help them calm down and focus, giving them tools to control behavior and improve concentration. As your child becomes a teen, yoga can help balance their emotions and develop a greater self-esteem and positive body image.

Classes for your children are available at yoga studios nationwide, and many instructors have received special training for working with children. Give your children the gift of yoga; they can start at any age, and the benefits will last a lifetime.

Article reprinted with permission of the author from Be Well World.com.

Marge Ely, is a certified instructor in both adult and children’s yoga as well as a professional photographer. Her mother first showed her yoga poses when Marge was in elementary school. As an adult, she turned to yoga for stress relief and later discovered yoga’s benefits for pregnancy and childbirth. Marge has been teaching yoga at Sol Yoga for six years and leads the Little Sols Kids programs. She can be reached at marge@solyoga.org."

Book of the Week - Peaceful Piggy Yoga

The story of Peaceful Piggy Yoga, by Kerry Lee MacLean - Part 1

 A beautifully illustrated book, which we would recommend you buy or borrow from somewhere to see exactly how lovely it is. Children love to look at the pictures and we use this book in our classes as it is very popular. 

"Everyone loves yoga. Kids do it for fun! Mums and dads do it for peace of mind. Football players do it to get stronger. Ballerinas do yoga for better balance. Movie stars do it to look good. Cowboys do yoga after a hard day in the saddle. Babies do yoga without even knowing it. You can do yoga anytime, anywhere, any place! Try yoga at school to get calm and clear before a spelling test. And at bedtime-when you're too rootin' tootin' riled up to go to sleep. Daily yoga helps piggies concentrate better... run faster...climb higher than ever before...which means peaceful piggies feel on top of the world!"

 

Later in the week we will be explaining some of the yoga postures for you to try at home with your children.

 

Until then, have a Beamingly Beautiful day,

 

Beaming Buddhas x

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2010/01/28/children-yoga-health-benefits-news/

A fantastic article which outlines the health benefits for children as a result of participating in yoga classes.

Happy reading

Beaming Buddhas x

New Kids Yoga Classes

Beaming Buddhas is proud to announce the launch of a new Children's Yoga Club at East Morton War Memorial Hall, East Morton, Keighley, West Yorkshire. The class will run from Tuesday 24 April 2012 at 4.00pm-4.45pm.

The class is aimed at children aged 4-10 years. It is a fun class which incorporates yoga, yoga games and songs as well as teaching children to relax and the benefits of this. Yoga has many health benefits as well as helping to encourage confidence, creativity and focus.

In addition, a Family Yoga class will run on a Monday from the 23 April 2012 2-3pm for parent/carer and child(ren) aged 2-4 years.

Please see www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk for further information or to book.  Alternatively contact us by email nikkola.woods1@gmail.com

Peaceful Piggy Yoga

Our focus for some of our new younger students this next term is a book called '...Peaceful Piggy Yoga' by Kerry Lee MacLean. Aimed at 4-7 years it is perfect for introducing little ones to yoga and includes lots of classic yoga poses.

I will be sharing bits of this book with you over the next few weeks, so those of you who cannot make the classes can share it with your little ones.

To start, for those of you who do not already do yoga, here is what the author says:

'Yoga is a series of gentle stretches that bring joy and relaxation. You should never stretch muscles to the point of pain, but just enough to feel a nice pull. Try to hold each pose for at least three deep breaths. The Peaceful Piggy Yoga series is safe for piggies of all ages. It can be done at home to spend time with parents, brothers and sisters; at school in the classroom (before a test or just to calm and quiet everyone); and just about anywhere with your friends. Regular practice teaches piggies that caring for their minds and bodies feels good-and it can even be fun!'

So you can see, yoga is for everyone, everywhere, to share with anyone :)

More from this book later, in the meantime, Beaming Buddhas wishes you a Beamingly Beautiful weekend, BB x

 

by: Beaming Buddhas Children's Yoga

Celebration of Life

With Easter almost over, we are looking to the future as we begin to plan our new lessons for this next term.  This term in our Children's Yoga Club we will be learning about our planet and how we can help to save it.  Our classes will be themed, with the first class being modes of transport.  We will be learning new 'transport' yoga poses as well as playing games and singing songs which will complement the class.

This will then lead us on to the best ways to travel, we will learn about carbon footprints, and how we can all do something to help reduce it.  With the rising cost of fuel and with the encouragement of riding or 'scootering' (not sure this is a word but it is now as we all know what this means) or maybe its scooting to school we think this will tie in nicely with what children are learning at school.

One thing is for sure, as it always the case with Beaming Buddhas, our children will have lots of fun whilst keeping fit and healthy and learning lots of new yoga.

Beaming Buddhas x

P.s. For further information together with details of our classes can be found at www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk
All new students receive a Beaming Buddhas wristband when they sign up for the term.  As always, we look forward to meeting some new faces!

New Family Yoga Class to open

Beaming Buddhas are pleased to announce the opening of a new Family Yoga Class at East Morton War Memorial Hall, East Morton, Keighley, West Yorkshire.  The term for the class will start on Monday 23 April 2012 at 2.00pm-3.00pm and runs for a period of 5 weeks. 

The classes are aimed at parent/carer and child aged 2-4 years. 

For all enquiries or to book your place please visit www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk or email nikkola.woods1@gmail.com

New Kids Yoga Club

Beaming Buddhas is proud to announce the launch of a new Children's Yoga Club at East Morton War Memorial Hall, East Morton, Keighley, West Yorkshire.  The class will run from Tuesday 24 April 2012 at 4.00pm-4.45pm.

The class is aimed at children aged 4-10 years.  It is a fun class which incorporates yoga, yoga games and songs as well as teaching children to relax and the benefits of this.  Yoga has many health benefits as well as helping to encourage confidence, creativity and focus.

Please see www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk for further information or to book or alternatively contact us by email nikkola.woods1@gmail.com

The Meaning of Spring

The meaning of Spring: Season. To move upwards or forwards in a springing action

Also means: Rebirth, renewal, Spring clean, lambs, daffodils, tulips, crocuses and hyacinth, new buds on the trees, sunshine....

Time to clear out the old to bring in the new to enable yourself to move forwards in life

What does it mean to you??

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Our Beaming Buddha

Beamingly Beautiful Testimonials

"My daughter is 2 years old, she really enjoyed family yoga. She has grown in ability and looked forward to each session." Parent from Reevy Hill

"My daughter Olivia who is 4 and I have particularly enjoyed Family Yoga with Beaming Buddhas. Olivia likes the active games and singing and I have felt the benefit of the stretching and the relaxation at the end of the class. Nikkola has been very patient and has encouraged the children to try the various exercises and techniques, praising their efforts and reassuring us. Highly
recommend this class". S. Tinkler

"I did Family Yoga with my two children aged 2 and 4, we all throughly enjoyed it. Nikkola was fantastic, fabulous with the children. Would recommend to anyone with young children". P. Offless

"Did yoga with my granddaughter and thought it as ery interesting. We both really enjoyed it and would recommend it
to everyone." Parent from a Children's Centre

"My daughter Siobhan and I attended Yoga. We both looked forward to it every week. It was lovely doing
a class that we both joined in together." Anon. Reevy Hill Children's Centre.

A Beamingly Brilliant Class of Yoga

Family Yoga this week was a real hit with our Big Buddhas and Baby Buddhas!

There were alligators, and our alligators swam under the bridge, a Warrior came to save us and we showed him our flying hearts.

We did some team work and built a bus, we all sang Wheels on the Bus which was enjoyed by adults and children alike!

At the end of the class the children have learnt over the last four weeks to make burritos with their mats and bring them back to me.....because I love burrito's :)

Making a Burrito at the end of the Class

Over the last five weeks our children have gone from strength to strength and become really confident. 
This little buddha could nt wait for me to take his picture ....a big step from the first day we met him when he hid behind his mummy

Beaming Buddhas Story of the Week

This week our story for relaxation time was 'A Kiss Like This'.  A lovely story about a little lion who loved to be kissed and was kissed by everyone from a monkey to a parrot to a snake.  In the end when he was tired all he wanted was a kiss from his mummy."

It is our final week of the course next week with this particular group.  We will really miss them and truly hope we will see them again soon.

Until next week..........

           Keep on Beaming : ))))))) 

                   Beaming Buddhas x

Progress!!!

Week 4 of one of the family yoga classes I teach at and its finally clicked! Woo hoo!!!!!  The mums and Kids were all 'really' taking part and it was fabulous to see.  Even one of the children who is such a live wire and does nt have much concentration span, momentarily held the poses. She was also the one who could tell me poses we did last week.

Looking forward to seeing them all again next week as it was a lovely class and to see what you are teaching begins to make a difference is what makes my job so worthwhile.

Mum's gaining the confidence to exercise

We are in the process of setting up more classes, not only for children, but also for families so parents and carers can join in the fun with their children. 

Often after having children some mums find it difficult to get back into exercise.  With Family Yoga, it is an easy way in.  Over the time I have been running some of these courses in the Children's Centres what I have realised is that mum's have come to the classes with the children for an activity to do.  They have done the yoga with their kids and realised they have really enjoyed themselves.  Mums begin to make comments like "I could do with coming on my own without my kids..."

This is great to hear, that my Family Yoga class gives them the confidence to start to exercise again.  Exercise is so important and as we live in a nation where obesity is an ever rising problem we really need to do all we can to keep ourselves healthy.  If you ask any obese person not one of them will say they planned to get so big and many did not even realise how big until they get a wake up call.  I am not saying for one minute all mums are going to end up obese, this is not my point at all, but I think we all need to make sure we are doing all we can to ensure both ourselves and our children are living healthy lifestyles. 

We are all guilty of having many poor eating habits, or driving to the shop two minutes away when we could have easily walked etc.....  Life is prescious, we need to do all we can to ensure we enjoy life and stay healthy.

Well done for taking that first step, BB x

For details of Family Yoga near you please check out our website http://www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk
or contact us t: 07950 277877 e:nikkola.woods1@gmail.com
You can also find us on Facebook

Children's Yoga Classes 4-11 years
Family Yoga suitable for parent/carer & children 2-4 years

We've joined Change4Life, here is how you can too...

Change4Life is a nationwide movement that aims to help us all, but especially our kids, eat better, move more and live longer.

These days it’s easy to eat too much unhealthy food and get too little exercise. As a result, we end up with too much fat in our bodies.

The link between this fat and preventable illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer has been proven. Children are particularly vulnerable because the habits they get into when they are young can turn into health problems when they’re adults. In fact, if we carry on as we are, 9 out of 10 of today’s kids will grow up with dangerous levels of fat in their bodies.

Anyone can join Change4Life and it is full of lots of great information for keeping you and your children healthy.

You can join by visiting http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/why-change-for-life.aspx

A Beaming Pancake Day

It's pancake day! We all love pancakes, with lemon, sugar, honey, chocolate....the list goes on. Why not set the theme of the day with a little yoga, a sun salutation to wake up the day and a little game of making the pancake. Sit with your legs straight in front of you, bring the soles of your feet together so your legs make a diamond shape. using one arm pretend you are holding the outside of a large bowl and with the other arm you are going to mix the pancake mixture. Your whole family can sit in a circle and go around the circle in turn saying "Today is pancake day and I am going to put on my pancake....." As you move around the circle you must remember the items your family have already placed on the pancake and then add another one of your own. This game is great for memory and concentration and lots of fun : )

HAPPY PANCAKE DAY FROM BEAMING BUDDHAS X

What is Family Yoga?

What exactly is family yoga?

Family yoga is a way for the child and carer to communicate, work together, enjoy each others company, bond, keep fit and active and have fun.

We start with some warm ups, simple exercises for children and carers to follow, to raise our heart beat and warm up our bodies. Yesterday we did giant yawns, shake wiggle and roll, jumping on our trampolines and skipping. Once we have warmed up our bodies we do some yoga postures. Yesterday we learnt 'Table', 'Cat', 'Cow', 'Twisted Cow', 'Child', 'Down dog' and 'lunge'. The carer gave the child a massage by pretending to make pizza on their back and the child then got the opportunity to do the same to their carer. Next we played a game to explore breath. I handed over to each person a straw and a cottonwool ball and got them to blow the cottonwool up the mats. It was lovely to see how the children progressed from sucking the straws to realising it was the out breath that blew the cottonwool, and eventually the 2 & 3 year olds learnt to direct the straws to blow the cottonwool in the right direction. It was funny to see some of the carers adding ramps by rippling the mats, it began to look like crazy golf! Next came the mind yoga, with a memory game, where carers and children were put into groups and parents took turns to take away an item and the children had to guess what was missing. The session was concluded by carers getting to lie in the 'corpse' position with a calming eye pillow and the children lying on the carers tummy cuddling up to teddies whilst listening to calming music and me reading a story about a girl who had lost her tummy button!

It is a fun and creative exercise session for child and carer and it enjoyed by all, even for the quietest of children, by the end of the class they are wanting to join in. The classes are run in a block of 6 spanning over 6 weeks, with the carer and child being awarded a certificate of attendance at the end of the course.

For more information or details of our current Family Yoga classes please contact us for more details.

t: 07950 277877 e: nikkola.woods1@gmail.com w: http://www.beamingbuddhas.co.uk

What is kids yoga?

Hear the word 'Yoga' and it is easy to think of a load of children in a hall doing sun salutations and standing poses and then thinking how on earth will they manage this!

Kids Yoga is taking elements of yoga and putting them to music, story and song. The result is a fun and great way to exercise whilst giving the children tools to increase their confidence.

The other day I took a well known children's story book - 'We are going on a Bear Hunt' and put simple yoga moves with the story. My two daughters, 5 and 3 loved it and we did the sequence 4 times that evening before I had to call it a day, much to the disappointment of my daughters!

Once you know some yoga poses yourself, with these in mind whilst reading simple stories you will be surprised at how easy it is to make a sequence and your children love it as they can really get involved with the story and without realising it are doing some exercise.

Yoga is great for teaching children how to relax. After a busy day this is really important and something that many adults struggle with. If you can teach your children how to do this at a young age just think of the great start you are giving them.

At the end of my classes I always incorporate a good 5-10 minute relaxation (time dependant upon age) and you can do this with your own children. How you do this is up to you. You can ask your children to lie on the floor, close their eyes, legs hip width apart and arms by their side or maybe get them to lie in their bed. (At this point I like to give them a lavendar pillow for their eyes). You can simply play them some relaxing music or a guided meditation from one of the CD's available try one of the online music stores for a good selection. If you have a child who finds it difficult to get to sleep on a night, you are likely to find this will improve it.

As you can see, kids yoga is easy to incorporate into every day life. Over the coming weeks I will be adding lots of photos and ideas for simple things you can use at home with your children.