Tag: Yoga

Adult yoga classes and workshops are back!

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“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

Sun Salutations

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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.

plank

 

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

Cobra pose

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.

mountain

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.

Family time for connection

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We know that you are busy, between work, home life, school and after school activities. There’s a whole lot happening week to week to keep track of and with all the bustle, we often lose track of the connection that makes it all worth while. Family yoga is a great time to connect and share with your own family and build healthy traditions that can anchor your week. Check out this article in the Charlotte Observer for more benefits of practicing yoga as a family.

 

Our Family Yoga Circle is each Thursday afternoon 3:45 – 5 pm is the perfect chance come as you are for a laid-back playful circle created especially for families of 1-3 year olds. This is a no pressure environment for families of littles who are looking for a way to joyfully bond with their child and make connections with other families.

Mom n' MeCircle

For families of older kiddos, we welcome you to our family yoga class Sunday evenings 5-6 pm. This class is suited best for families of 4-10 year olds and will teach yoga basics intertwined with themes and stories.

Family Yoga Sundays

 

For families of younger and upper teens, we recommend booking private or group sessions on weekday or weekend evenings.

 

“Yoga emphasizes the power of connection; connecting movement with breath, connecting in with the self, and connecting with others.”

  • -Margot Brinley-

A class for the teachers

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It’s happening. Kids Yoga Garden is about to host a course that I’ve been dreaming up for years now. A course that demystifies the world of “kids yoga,” a course that taps into the inner child joy in all of us, a course that is accessible to people from all sorts of backgrounds due to translators, compassionate facilitation, and affordability.

Join us for an Introduction to Teaching Kids Yoga: An Intensive Workshop September 29-30 2018 for all this, and much more. As a co-founder of Kids Yoga Garden I’ve gathered the essential building blocks for understanding this world and relating it to different audiences to create new spaces for community and interaction. I cannot wait to share it with you.

 

Jai Thep Festival 2018

The course will cover :

 

1. What is Yoga for children? 

Participants will learn the benefits of kids yoga and how to articulate those benefits to adults. We will learn ways to explain yoga to children and get tips on age appropriate development focuses.

2. How to a create safe and engaging learning environment: 

Learn techniques for classroom management, how to set the space and foster growth despite the busy atmosphere of a kindergarten / primary level classroom. How do we set expectations that create safety for all participants with freedom to be as one needs to be? This section of the course will deal directly with these questions.

3. Identify age appropriate yoga asanas (poses): 

Dive into the structure of poses and examine the language used to bring them to life for our students. We will discuss the kind of adjustment and modeling that is appropriate for these ages and start to think about the energetic and physical results of said movements.

4. Guiding mindfulness and meditation techniques: 

Learn to guide child-focused meditations and games which can help foster inner quiet and peace. Explore props and music that can be used to signal quiet times and reflection.

5. Creating Storytelling Yoga Lessons:

One of the most effective way to immerse children into a yoga class is by bringing them through a storyline or adventure. This section of the course will enable the discovery of the energetic arch of a class and begin to place asanas into an order that starts and begins with mindful moments for meaningful exploration. We will discuss themes, books and music that bring the imagination into the yoga class.

Workshop black and white. png

Course Times: 

Saturday and Sunday September 29-30, 9 am – 5 pm

Investment:

Regular: 5,000 THB

Early bird (before September 7): 4,000 THB

 

Upon completion of this course, attendees will be awarded certificates for the 16 hour course. Further opportunities like class shadowing lead teachers and additional workshops will follow. 

Mindful Moments

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What happens when you mix a camping festival + one big picnic mat + Kru Yok + new friends?

 

You get magic in the form of breath and conscious interaction, strength and flexibility with some of our favorite dynamic asanas, calmness and coolness with rainbow scarf meditations.

These little yogis are living proof that yoga doesn’t require individual mats, fancy stretch pants or expert positioning. Each of us are on a unique and precious journey. When we take time to arrive into the living moment of now, we create the space to see and be seen. We allow ourselves the opportunity to grow.

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Thanks East Meets West for having us and allowing us the chance to share our imaginations and hearts with you! 

❤

Yoga on the Road!

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We are bringing our imaginative kids yoga practice to the hills of Samoeng this weekend for a unique event hosted by some of Chaing Mai’s finest.

“East Meets West is all about bringing the diverse, artistic Chiang Mai community together with a day in nature, appreciating each other’s talents and cultures!” – East Meets West #4

This will be a family friendly event featuring musicians from around the world, delicious food, handicrafts and some workshops.

Our workshop begins at 3 pm and is open to all ages, cost included in admission ticket (100 thb camping spot included).

East meets west

Children’s Day in Thailand

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Children's Day

 

“Children are the future of the nation, if the children are intelligent, the country will be prosperous.”

-Thai saying

 

If you live in Thailand, you probably already know that this is a wonderful place to be a kid. Ample sun for expanding energy and growth, abundant agriculture of tropical fruits and veggies, not to mention the world renowned nature of the “Land of Smiles.”

But even further, Thailand nurtures children and acknowledges their importance as the future of their country.  In 1955 the country established National Children’s Day to celebrate the significant role of their children. From Northern Thailand to the Southern Peninsula, the second Saturday of the month is saved for activities that fill their youth with joy.

At Kids Yoga Garden, we are committed to expanding the physical, mental and emotional intelligence of children through awareness and sensory-based creative activities. We love serving the mind, body and souls of our community by creating a nurturing environment to grow.

This year we will join the festivities with a FREE Children’s Day BBQ Potluck in our garden this Saturday, January 13th from 11 am – 2 pm. We will be joined by some of our favorite teachers, facilitators and families to welcome you to our space and some super special activities.

 

Workshops will include:

+ Arts and Crafts

+ Yoga Games

+ Tepee construction

+ Chess and Robotics

+ Circus skills

 

All Day enjoy:

+ BBQ (w/ veggie and vegetarian options)

+ s’more roasting

+ face painting

+ community

 

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Holiday Craft Camp

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Let’s use less cash and more creativity this holiday season! Expose your children to the magic of their own imagination as we gather to create gifts, cards and movements that carry the cheer of the season with a smaller ecological footprint.

This craft camp will include tutorials on how to make 100% natural soap, DIY gift wrap, recycled snow globes, ornaments, cider, cookies in a jar and much more!

As always there will also be plenty of movement by the way of yoga, dancing and even Thai boxing. We will exercise our inner performers with drama, music and storytelling activities incorporating different traditions from around the globe.

And we’ll round it all off with a celebration on the final day!

Ages 3 -12 welcome

Holiday Craft Camp (2)

Limit: 9 children per age group