Adult yoga classes and workshops are back!

November 17, 2020Leave a comment

“The ordinary is the extraordinary” ~ Qi Gong ProverbEase into the morning with a Slow Flow class at Kids Yoga Garden with Kru Rosalie.

Ease into the morning with still and quiet forms of yoga and build into a dynamic hatha practice in a way that aligns with the time of day, time of the year and the delicious moment of now. Utilizing practices that strengthen the physical container of the body and relax the nervous system, we’ll work gently to deepen our connection with ourselves and source.

In this class, we will explore:
– Calming and Cleansing Pranayama
– Still and cool movements
– Dynamic fluid expressions of asana
– Chances to tap into our own
internal rhythms

Friday November 20 + Friday November 27

10 am – 11:30 am

Referral Program

November 12, 20201 Comment

So much of what we do at Kids Yoga Garden is superpowered by our amazing community of supporting families. To say thank you, we have created a rewards program to give back to you all.

So how does it work?
Simply refer a new family to Kids Yoga Garden, if they mention you on their registration form, we will add a half punch sticker to your existing punch pass.

Do new families need to buy a pass to earn me a half day?
No, new families do not need to purchase a pass to qualify the referrer for a free half day. However, the new family must join for at least a full day to qualify.

What if they only join for a half day?
One half day does not qualify for a referral, but don’t worry! We will keep track and if they join for a second half day you will still receive your referral reward.

Do I need an active pass to earn referrals?
Yes, this is the best way we can keep track of the active members of Kids Yoga Garden.

Can I gift my referral bonuses?
No, we are sorry but referrals are for you and your family.

We hope this program will help us give back to those of you who have supported us over the years and make it easier for you to join us each week at a more affordable rate!

Yoga Cat: Free Download

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020Leave a comment

Looking for a little in-home inspiration?

The quarantine cycles are real and I find myself drifting between extreme bursts of creativity and heavy lethargy. The past week has been a bit brighter and I want to share some of its fruits with you all.

Meet Yoga Cat — your guide through a 20-30 min at home yoga practice for 3 to 10 year-olds. This little printable yoga book was created for those at home looking to incorporate some playful movement with their children.

Using a visual aid for yoga is especially helpful with children under the age of seven or for those who are trying yoga for the first time. Try printing it in color, cutting each page in half and binding for a little yoga break in your child’s day. You can also print the book in black and white and let them color it in and add their own personal details.

With repetition, you may find your little one sharing poses with you throughout the day.

❤ It’s FREE, fun and filled with love for you and yours.

Download it now:

Yoga Cat Color & Play Book

Something from nothing

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Leave a comment

It’s time to celebrate the small things and whip out the sidewalk chalk for some imaginative fun. Balloons, bunny ears, superhero capes? Anything you imagine is possible with a little collaboration and creativity.

This cutest of cute inspiration arrived to me this week from my dear cousin back in the states and her daughter Henley. Cassie Cline is a specialist in special education, fierce mama, and fitness maven who’s been working from home while balancing the various roles of her life for the past month. To all you moms making it work right now in your various situations, please know that your efforts are making a difference and the world is better because of your care.

By now we recognize you may be running out of materials to keep your kids playfully enthralled in the joy of living and sidewalk chalk is long gone. Did you know you can make sidewalk paint from baking soda or cornstarch?

Just mix up:

1 cup latex paint

3 Tbs. cool water

1/2 cup baking soda

We like to mix colors in old muffin tins so that they are easy to use without spilling. Use old paintbrushes or a piece of sponge clamped with a clothespin and watch the color appear as it dries on pavement.

Cornstarch also works with a bit more water in the mixture. Try out this Recipe for chalk or this recipe for puffy paint.

Once you’ve taken the photos, send them to a family member or friend far away for some instant cheer.

Thanks again Cassie and Henley for the great idea!

Try it out and let us know what you think!

<3,

Kru Rosie

Quarantine To-Do’s

April 3, 2020April 15, 2020Leave a comment

Whew, is it getting real enough out there for you?

The days go by and we know that coming up with inspiring projects to keep your little one active is no small task.

That’s why each day on the Kids Yoga Garden Facebook page I have been sharing a resource that can be used as a part of your homeschool / unschool / or online schooling routine. Some of the shares have been activities we do at our learning center, and others have been more directed towards our parents and caregivers to offer extra support in this time of need. I’ve also tried to highlight teachers and communities that have a wide breadth of online materials available for use so you can use these projects as a starting point for online searches.

To keep things simple, I will collect all the project links here organized by category and update as this project continues. If you’d like to see something in particular, like more art projects or cooking recipes, please let me know so I can keep it tailored to your needs.

Quarantine PLAYlist:

Art Projects:

God’s Eye Weaving Craft. Video
DIY Play Dough with Kru Georgie of Chiang Mai Drama Centre
Draw Along with Me “Happy Sun” with Deep Space Sparkle
Magical Thailand Coloring book by Magical Thailand
Crafting with Shabby Tree Paper Plate Hats
DIY sidewalk chalk photobooth from Kids Yoga Garden

Yoga and Movement for Children:

Rub Your Hands Yoga Warm-up Song by Karma Kids and Kids Yoga Garden
Wiggle Like a Worm Sun Salutation Song by Yogiful
Full free yoga classes with Cosmic Kids Yoga – Pokemon Episode
Chair Yoga Video with Calm Classrooms and worksheets
KidFit water bottle workout video and KidFit Easter with Reenie Brooking
Sun Salutations for Kids Video by Kids Yoga Garden
Gratitude Relaxation by Yoga 4 Classrooms

Cooking:

Papaya Salad Recipe by Kids Yoga Garden
Banoffee Recipe by Eco Logic Thailand
Taste the Rainbow cooking class by Sunny Days Organic
Tiny Green Chef Free Cooking Lesson

Science:

Mystery Science Adventures with Doug. Mini Lesson on Viruses
COVID activity book: “Why is this virus making me stay home” printable
Daisy Creek Farms regrow your vegetables video tutorial
Imagination Tree 5 Things to Do in the Rain activity list
Bird Snacks by Sprouting Wild Ones
Earth Day Printablesby Little Bins for Little Hands

Math & Music:

Andrew Bird 8s Times Tables song

Storytelling:

The Princess and the Pea with Fairy tales with Belle by Cascadia Cosplay

Parent Resources

Free Adult Yoga classes by Yogamour
Free Live Streaming Yoga Classes with Chiang Mai based Annie Bliss.
Supporting Children’s Emotional and Mental health with mindful meditation, free 3 part online workshop by Divine Light Yoga.
Parent and Teacher Resource Center by Dictionary.com

We’d also like to remind you that when all else fails and you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and create some boundaries that create space for both you and your little. Maybe its a little play and dance break together, maybe its 20 minutes of “independent” time where you can both try something you love, maybe its learning how to fold clothes like Maria Kondo and getting some house work together. The biggest way you can support your child is by spending time with them, it doesn’t need to be completely structured and educational to aid in development. You are already doing enough. ❤

More to come! Take care out there and share your pictures with us, we’d love to see how they look through your eyes.

Sun Salutations

March 31, 2020March 31, 20201 Comment

We often get asked by our parents, “What’s that song, the one with the sun in it that my child can’t stop singing.” It never fails to bring a smile to our lips as we know instantaneously exactly what they are referring to.

The answer?

It’s Dance for the Sun by Kira Wiley, our very favorite way to teach one of the most fundamental set of postures in traditional yoga asana in a fun and child-friendly way.

Sun Salutations are a part of both the Hatha & Ashtanga yoga lineages and have been incorporated into most schools of yoga today. They include a slightly variable set of yoga poses linked by breath to create a smooth circuit of prana (life energy) running throughout the body. Simply put, Sun Salutations help warm up the body, increase the heart rate, and create heat needed for deeper and stronger yoga poses that follow in the practice.

For children, Sun Salutations can be an essential landmark or focal point for the children to grab onto during a yoga class. Students who have heard the song many times before may feel comfortable singing and will link the movements automatically with ease while newer students may enjoy listening and following along their peers and the teacher.

It’s a fun and easy way to engage children in traditional practice without requiring a lot of teaching or modelling.

How to practice:

For a little context watch this video of one of our class practices.

Do a light warm-up of the joints in the body especially the wrists and ankles.
If students are new you can take a moment before to introduce:
- Mountain Pose
- Forward Fold
- Plank
- Cobra
- Down Dog
Play the song: Dance for the Sun by Kira Wiley.
Follow the movements as directed by the song

Benefits:

Yoga pose vinyasa: The sun salutation is a group of yoga poses linked together by breath to create a sequence of movement. It is the only traditional part of the physical yoga practice that traditionally promotes cardio-vascular health.

Sequencing: Learning postures in sequence helps develop memory function as well as coordination and problem solving.

Rhythmic breathing alleviates stress, oxygenates the brain, strengthen lung capacity and builds respiratory endurance.

Yoga poses: help build good posture habits, stabilize the core, strengthen the extremities and develop balance.

Try it out at home and let us know what you think!

Interested in learning more about sharing the practice of yoga for children? Learn more about our training programs here.

Papaya Salad Recipe

March 23, 20201 Comment

It’s as good a time as any to get your little’s active in the kitchen. Papaya Salad is an easy, healthy and versatile option for little hands and fingers. Practice cutting different textures and preparing raw food the whole family will enjoy!

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 unripe green papaya
1 large carrot
2 long strings of green beans cut into 1 in. pieces
2-4 medium sized tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic
Handful of unsalted roasted peanuts (opt.)

Sauce:

3-5 limes
2 tbs. palm or coconut sugar
1 tbs. fish sauce (leave out for vegans / vegetarians and the faint of heart)
Salt to taste

Process:

1.) Remove skin from the carrot and papaya, then use a serrated peeler to cut them into long strips. Quarter tomatoes, cut green beans and set aside.

2.) Mash garlic in a wooden mortar (referred to in Thai as the Pok-Pok) until it is broken into small pieces. Add green beans and mash until slightly broken open. (Alternatively, if you do not have a mortar and pistil, chop garlic and mix with green beans).

3.) Add papaya and carrots, mash gently. Add tomatoes and toss together.

4.) Squeeze limes and combine juice with palm sugar, fish sauce and salt. Taste to ensure the balance of sweet, salty, sour and fishy is to your liking. Take time with this step and don’t be afraid to play with your proportions, every traditional Som Tam maker will have their own distinct blend of flavors.

5.) Add sauce to salad so that it is slightly dressed and well combined. Sprinkle in peanuts and serve with your favorite kind of rice.

** This dish is traditionally made with chili and is so spicy that it is eaten with rice to cool the palette. For adults who like spicy food add 2-4 Thai red or green chilies with the garlic in step 2.

** There are many variations of this dish so if you don’t have all the ingredients, experiment with what you have. Thai eggplant, corn and fried sardines all make tasty compliments to this famous dish.

Papaya Salad or Som Tam is traditionally paired with sticky rice, a plate of green herbs and veggies, and a protein like a bbq grilled chicken, pork or fish. We also love it with fried chicken or a plain omelette.

Weekly Pop-ups Around Town!

September 15, 2019September 15, 2019Leave a comment

We know our families come from all around the beautiful city of Chiang Mai and want to make sure our classes are accessible and easy to reach! That’s why we are teaming up with Chiang Mai Drama Centre to bring you two weekday classes for early years yogis.

Tuesday evenings 5-6 pm is your chance to join our after school yoga club with 8 weeks of yogic learning and growth. Come in and join for a single session or sign up for a whole group of classes!

Wednesday morning is our class for little yogis 1.5-4 years old and their caregivers. Join us 9:30 am – 10:30 am for playful yoga, movement, chanting and lots of giggles and cuddles.

Send us a message to let us know you are joining in!

Summer of PLAY

June 30, 2019June 30, 20194 Comments

This month we are open each and every day to give you lots of opportunities to try something new, hone creativity and enjoy movement. Our weekday activities are completely booked but we welcome you to come join our weekend workshops which will feature a blend of traditional Thai cooking, baking, crafting, tie dying and more. As this will be a busy time, please send us a message or email to reserve places for your children.

Click the photos to join our Facebook Events!

June Workshops

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019Leave a comment

It’s a new month and we are ready to make, move and create our way all the way to summer camp. In addition to our weekly classes on Tuesday and Thursdays, we have special weekend camp workshops each weekend in June. Join us for one or all of them by sending us a message to reserve your place.

Children ages 3-10 are welcome.