Rise and Shine…it’s the dawning of a new day. And the day starts with school yoga. Just imagine what a difference it would make in public schools if/when this becomes the norm. A good breakfast….and some yoga to top it off!
Thanks to “Mrs. Williams”, as her fourth grade students call her, I had the pleasure of teaching yoga in her Rise and Shine Yoga club. At 7:15 on a Monday morning the children were already in the classroom setting out yoga mats. It was so much fun to hear the cheerful banter of elementary-aged kids as they organized the placement of each mat, in preparation for an auspicious class taught by their “teacher’s teacher”….me.
It was also really fun (and really easy!) to be with children who already had a practice of yoga. Most of the children were 8-10 years old–young enough to easily find joy in life and old enough to enjoy meaningful interaction and conversation.
We started with the Five Fingered Family book, an old Panjabi folk tale rewritten by me and illustrated in authentic and beautiful Indian style. The yoga allowed them to exercise their bodies and explore feelings in a playful way. Each page I read to the eager group was accompanied by yoga exercises and poses… a group tree pose to circumscribe the size of the large tree in the story. The Five Fingered Family story is colorful– trolls, treasures, gratitude….all expressed in yoga poses and games!
Enjoy this video clip
from our class, may it inspire you to think creatively with your yoga for children. And if you are a teacher, may you be inspired by the Rise and Shine yoga club….I know I am!
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