Day 1

Today we discussed some basic guidelines that we follow when we practice yoga.
Do you remember them?

1. Every forward bend is followed by a ____ back bend.
2. Every exercise that we start with one side of our body, has to be repeated with the ____ other side to complete the set.
3. Every inhalation is followed by an ____ exhalation.
4. When we do lunges, our feet should be at ____ right angles with the ground to prevent injuries to our shins or ankles and knees.

What 3 Pranayama did we learn today?
1. Anulom Vilom : we inhale and exhale deeply with our chest not our tummy.
2. Kapalbharti : we perform rapid exhalations and feel it by keeping our hand on our tummy.
3. Bhastrika : we place our thumbs on ears, fore finger on forehead, middle and ring finger goes on our closed eyes near the nose and little finger is placed gently on cheeks. With lips closed we try to hum 'Om'.

Sun Salutations
We will always start with Pranayama followed by sun salutations for every class.

What other asanas did we learn today?

Rest asanas
1. Vajrasana : sitting pose
2. Child's pose : rest pose, variation of vajrasana
3. Shavasana : Dead man's pose or complete rest pose

Can you identify the following asanas?
1. Half lotus pose
2. Padmasana: Lotus pose
3. Bhujangasana: Cobra pose
4. Adho Mukho Svanasana : Down dog pose
5. Butterfly pose
6. Ardha Matsendraysan: Half lord of the fish pose (twist pose)
7. Vrikshasana : Tree pose (balance pose)

How many animal poses did we learn today? Can you count them?
If you answer 4 you are correct!

If you consider how many living things are named in the poses that you learned, will the count still be same? No. You will add Lotus and Tree poses to the count as plants and trees also have life.

Excellent class today kids! You all did very well!

First Class Details

First class - May 31^st, Saturday. 8.30am   

When

• Our plan is to do yoga twice a week for 5 weeks on Saturday and Sunday from 8.30am – 9:45am. 
•  Exercise time would be around 60 minutes. However we would like to hear from you. What do you think would be the best time? We will try to make it as convenient as possible. 

Location

Cafeteria, Mcnair Elementary School

Herndon 

What should you wear: 

• Wear Clothes that are both comfortable and made from breathable fabric (like cotton). 

What should you bring:

• Yoga Mat
• Towel (Optional)
• Water

Some general guidelines:

• Yoga is to be practiced on an empty stomach, allow 2 hours after a light meal,
  4 hours after a heavy meal.

• We can drink water during practice but in moderation. We can drink water to our hearts fill after the practice.

• Wear comfortable, modest clothes that allow you to move and breathe freely. Clothes should allow the instructor to see alignment. 

• No jewelry. Jewelry may get in the way of practice. Kids may even lose jewelry.

• Never overdo a stretch or strain for a pose. With practice and increased flexibility we will notice that it gets easier to practice asanas.

• Always go to the rest pose if you feel you are tired or want to take a break.

What we plan to do in our first class: 

• Discuss rules listed above.

• Introduce rest poses.

• Introduce Pranayam is an ancient practice concerned with breath control. Research has shown that practicing Pranayama can relieve symptoms of asthma. It is also beneficial in treating stress related disorders, such as anxiety and depression.

• Introduce Surya namaskar / Sun Salutation means a salute to the sun. It is a continuous series of 8 related Yoga postures, some done twice, in what totals 13 poses. It is designed to warm up your whole body and integrate the body, mind and breath. The Sun Salutation is a warm up or toning exercise and is considered the best of all Yoga exercises as it stretches, compresses, arches and reinforces all the major muscles of the body, as well as the digestive and respiratory organs. It also helps develop flexibility, strength, balance, concentration and focus. Sun Salutation is a great way to synchronize your breath and can be practiced twice a day.

• Every class will end with Shavasana followed by chanting 'Om' thrice.

 

Benefits of Yoga for kids

It is said Yoga is more than 5000 years old. Yoga is a practice that started in India, and is now very popular in the United States and around the world. It has gained a lot of attention lately maybe because it is a fun and easy way for both adults and kids to feel healthy and happy.

The word “yoga” means “union” in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. Yoga is the union coming of mind (thoughts and feelings) and physical body.  Asanas or physical postures are just one aspect of yoga. Benefits of Yoga for Kids: Maintains Flexibility and Strengthens Growing Bodies Children are born with an innate flexibility and yoga poses help to prolong this gift. Poses like Warrior One and Two aid in developing strength in their growing muscles and bodies. Strength and flexibility allow for fewer and less-severe injuries, especially when kids are engaged in sports and playground activity. Enhances Concentration. In kids’ yoga classes, some poses are fast moving while others are slow paced. This allows children to learn self-control, enhancing their focus and awareness. Moving from Flying Bird Pose (Warrior Three) to balancing in Tree Pose takes great attention—a skill that is essential in most learning environments. Increases Self-Esteem. When a child displays great strength, focus, and flexibility in Yoga, it does wonders for their confidence. A successful Crow Pose yields poise and power, which leads them to believe in and pursue their true abilities. Yoga success grants children persistence to achieve greatness as they embark on all of life’s adventures.  Gives Tools for Stress Management.Practicing yoga provides kids an immediate outlet to reduce stress in a safe and nurturing environment. The physical exercise produces happy endorphins. While breathing exercises slow down the heart rate, relaxation techniques are powerful sources for calming the mind and the body. Yoga teaches non-judgment and non-competition toward oneself and one another. These are all tools that a child can carry in to any difficult life situation. Teaches us how to breathe better. When we breathe deeply and fully (which we learn with pranayama) and become more aware, we can bring peacefulness or energy to our bodies. Teaches us how to use our energy more effectively. When we practice yoga, we learn how to use the life force energy in our bodies (called prana) to feel more relaxed, focused, or motivated.  Teaches us how to quiet the mind. When we practice yoga, we learn how to be still. This helps us to listen with attention and make good decisions. Teaches us about balance. When we practice yoga, we learn to be more aware about the need for balance in our lives. This could mean equal stretching on the left and right sides of our bodies or making sure we balance our very busy time with equal quiet time and relaxation. Teaches us self discipline. Yoga is a great way to feel healthy and to learn self discipline. Other Benefits: ·         Increased flexibility ·         Increased muscle strength and tone ·         Improved respiration, energy and vitality ·         The maintenance of a balanced metabolism ·         Cardio and circulatory health ·         Improved athletic performance ·         Protection from injury  ·         Reduces stress  ·         Increase mental clarity Read this article on Huffington Post titled How Yoga Changes Your Body, Starting The Day You Begin (INFOGRAPHIC)