Breath Work & Character Development
Today as part of Reflecting on "Breathing in the Big Me,," students got to randomly select an affirmation statement for themselves from a deck that I had brought. We talked about what the statement meant and when we could use these positive statements.
Asanas/ Poses
We continued our trip to Australia, while working on poses that challenged our balance. This is definitely an area where we will be spending a lot more time. Balance poses require a great deal of focus and attention. With practice we can definitely improve and challenge our balancing skills! In addition we learned about some unique Australian wildlife such as an Ibis, a Dingo, a Platypus, a Koala, an Echidna and everyone's favourite, the kangaroo. See if they can show you what the Kangaroo pose looks like!
Strength
We continued to work on our L handstands and everyone was able to raise their personal bar and hold the pose for much longer today. Next week we will see if we can move in one direction in this pose. Great work to all!
Mindfulness
Today we worked on a Mindful Listening Partner game. The students found it easy to hear the sounds when we were quiet and calm. Ask your child on how they did with the guessing the sound game.
Relaxation
We continue to challenge ourselves to use our breathing buddies and gently rock them to sleep with our breath. This is another area where we will be using other creative techniques to help us learn the art of relaxation!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
St. Judes Academy, Nov. 16th After school Yoga
NOV. 16TH - BUILDING STRENGTH AND VISUALIZATION
BREATH WORK & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Breath Work is one of the most important skills and limbs of Yoga. "Teaching children to focus on and control breathing can help them become less reactive and more reflective when feeling anxious or stressed." This class we use extended breathing technique whereby we inhale for 3 counts and exhale for 4 counts.
The Theme for this term is using our breath to inhale what serves us well and using our breath to exhale what does not serve us. We call it Breathing in the Big Me and Breathing Out the Little Me.
To date we have completed a reflection on what are those positive statements we can say to ourselves that help us feel better in a situation. Example, I am strong when doing the yoga class or any other activity that challenges our strength.
ASANAS/POSES: Students have been practicing various yoga poses while also developing their visualization skills as we journey to Australia. Last class we took a short trip to the Great Barrier Reef and explored some beautiful aquatic life as we transitioned through our poses. This is a wonderful way to help kids develop their imagination, build knowledge about another country all while doing yoga poses!
STRENGTH: We will be working on building strength in our shoulders and upper body over the next few classes. I have been guiding the children though an L shaped handstand against the wall, so we can safely build strength and endurance. Be sure to ask them what count they are currently working towards.
RELAXATION: This is another branch of Yoga that we practice every class and can be quite challenging for many children. We have been using breathing buddies to help us relax our minds and bodies at the end of every class.
MINDFULNESS: We have been working on setting a foundation for developing our mindful listening skills. "Research suggests that children become more focused and responsive to their enviornment by participating in mindful listening activities. "
Interesting Read:
*Source: Mind-Up Curriculum, Pre K-2.
BREATH WORK & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Breath Work is one of the most important skills and limbs of Yoga. "Teaching children to focus on and control breathing can help them become less reactive and more reflective when feeling anxious or stressed." This class we use extended breathing technique whereby we inhale for 3 counts and exhale for 4 counts.
The Theme for this term is using our breath to inhale what serves us well and using our breath to exhale what does not serve us. We call it Breathing in the Big Me and Breathing Out the Little Me.
To date we have completed a reflection on what are those positive statements we can say to ourselves that help us feel better in a situation. Example, I am strong when doing the yoga class or any other activity that challenges our strength.
ASANAS/POSES: Students have been practicing various yoga poses while also developing their visualization skills as we journey to Australia. Last class we took a short trip to the Great Barrier Reef and explored some beautiful aquatic life as we transitioned through our poses. This is a wonderful way to help kids develop their imagination, build knowledge about another country all while doing yoga poses!
STRENGTH: We will be working on building strength in our shoulders and upper body over the next few classes. I have been guiding the children though an L shaped handstand against the wall, so we can safely build strength and endurance. Be sure to ask them what count they are currently working towards.
RELAXATION: This is another branch of Yoga that we practice every class and can be quite challenging for many children. We have been using breathing buddies to help us relax our minds and bodies at the end of every class.
MINDFULNESS: We have been working on setting a foundation for developing our mindful listening skills. "Research suggests that children become more focused and responsive to their enviornment by participating in mindful listening activities. "
Interesting Read:
4 Exercises to Teach Your Kids about Mindfulness and Compassion
http://www.chopra.com/articles/4-exercises-to-teach-your-kids-about-mindfulness-and-compassion
*Source: Mind-Up Curriculum, Pre K-2.
Monday, November 21, 2016
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