I chose to certify through Little Flower Yoga's Children's Yoga & Mindfulness program because of LFY’s proven curriculum which is being used in schools across the nation. The lessons challenge students to learn in new ways, make connections, and recognize their tremendous capacity to achieve. Little Flower Yoga offers each student a unique experience combining yoga and mindfulness in a developmentally appropriate way to support the success of all children and adolescents. One of my goals is to teach yoga and mindfulness in schools as part of their health program and school after-care programs.
I'm grateful to be a Little Flower Yoga Member Teacher, leaders of the kids yoga & mindfulness movement bringing awareness of how yoga and mindfulness gives kids tools they will use throughout their lives. LFY's founder, Jennifer Cohen Harper, MA, E-RCYT, has written several books including Little Flower Yoga for Kids, A Yoga & Mindfulness Program to Help Your Child Improve Attention & Emotional Balance along with a companion Activity & Coloring Book and Card Deck. She also co-Edited the book Best Practices for Yoga in Schools.
Little Flower Yoga's approach incorporates five key elements in each session; connect, breathe, move, focus and relax:
Connect: In each class we make a deliberate effort to foster connections both for each student internally and among the students within the group. Yoga is all about coming together--- connecting to the body and the mind, connecting to our true selves, to others and to the world. The way that we approach the element of connecting in class varies based on the age of the children and the goals of the particular class. The theme of connecting to our own inner self, becoming more aware of emotions, experiences and forming a healthy loving community is always present.
Breathe: The breath is one of our most powerful tools for self-determination. Teaching children that they have some control over their own emotional and energetic state is an empowering lesson. Gaining control of the breath in a safe way can be extremely beneficial in helping children regulate their emotions and energy level. Breath work can also help children who suffer from asthma minimize their symptoms and can help children struggling to concentrate regain their focus. Each class includes breath work to an age appropriate degree, erring on the side of being cautious and gentle with the emphasis on deep, slow belly breathing.
Move: Yoga poses are used in a variety of ways as tools to channel student’s energy, improve their health, build their confidence and many other purposes. A central tenet of our classes is that no child will ever be forced or pressured into any posture that they feel uncomfortable with for any reason. The emphasis in our movement practice is on exploration, not competition. While we encourage students to work towards achievements, classes are designed to ensure that all children experience many more successes than failures.
Focus: Children are naturally imaginative and open to visualization, however, for many students it is a struggle to keep their body still and mind focused. This is a task that they will be called upon to perform often in life. In addition to being restorative and relieving stress, learning to focus and calm the mind can do wonders for children’s ability to succeed in school, control their emotions, and get to know themselves during the critical developmental years. All classes incorporate activities that teach children focus, not just ask them to focus.
Relax: All students of any age benefit from a relaxation period at the end of class. Our children are exposed to an overwhelming amount of sensory stimulation, are chronically sleep deprived, and generally have no idea how to calm themselves. Our classes are always timed to include substantial rest, incorporating both gentle restorative asana and savasana, a period of quiet time where students are guided into a state of calm relaxation.
Through these elements, and within a framework of respect for all students, compassionate communication, and joyful exploration, students are taught fundamental life skills that are immediately available for daily use.
