I had the honour to teach Yoga to kids at the American School In Japan's Summer Day Camp this past summer of 2021. Three weeks of constant teaching, 5 hours a day, 756 Japanese kids! That was intense, but super fun!
You ask - How do kids to Yoga??? It seems such a mature activity requiring calm and reflection, all opposite to kids' nature. Well, it doesn't have to be! Modern yoga offers a wide range of ways for kids to learn yoga physically and mentally. Most of them are adapted in a way that kids would just naturally and curiously try.
In this short article I'm bringing to you a few tools for your children to start the mental yoga: by colouring and crafting. This could be done anywhere - at home, at a restaurant while waiting for food, at the park. Hopefully this will keep them mindfully entertained! Drop me a note below and let me know how it goes.
Gratefulness Fingers
You can do the first exercise called Gratefulness Fingers together with your kids. Ask them to think about 5 things they feel grateful about and write them on the finger drawing in the sheet below. Help them with cutting the hand out and make it a piece of art!
Mandala Colouring
Print these out for your kids to carry them around of a few colour pencils. Mandala Colouring could be done anywhere! Mandala is a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Mandala colouring is in fact a meditation techniques, which I myself do on a regular basis. People who colour mandalas often experience a deep sense of calm and well-being. Mandala colouring not only focuses your kids' attention but also allows them to express their creative side.
I found these amazing mandala drawings on www.yummiyogi.com. They have a lots more if your kids get bored of the 5 yoga poses below. And I bet, adults would sometimes love them too!
Hope it helps! Let me know how your kids like it and how it helps you keep them entertained. If you want your kids to a physical yoga class, you know where to find me!
Love,
beetee