Yoga With Toddlers

Before nap, we stretch like cats.



We curl up and make our bodies small and still like pebbles on the beach.


We feel peaceful and we go to sleep.

Well not every day....and not every child. My son, pictured here, refuses to nap on a regular basis, yoga or no yoga. But he likes the yoga.
We are finding that most of the children really enjoy it and are quickly learning the positions. Do any of you use yoga with toddlers?
PEACE
~MM

YoKids!

Hi Everyone,
My friend Lily and her wonderful organization YoKids Inc. deserve a "look~see". Stop by their web page and see the wonderful ways they are making this world a more beautiful and peaceful place.
My personal testimonial: My husband and I have always encouraged Middle Man to center himself when he begins to get upset; for example we've said the proverbial "count to ten" and "take deep breaths" but his intensity has often won out. Being a spirited child he has (many times) needed to temper his strong reactions in social situations. Learning how to do so has been his life's work. When Middle Man was five years old he had the good fortune of having a Yoga instructor as his Kindergarten teacher. He also had the good fortune of being a student of a Montessori school where the Head Teacher and Director supported Yoga in the classroom! Middle Man fell in love with Yoga! He is now able to find a calmness inside himself because he has learned the tools in which to do so. Public school has been a challenge for Middle Man; most days he doesn't want to go to school (for a variety of reasons). Recently Lily visited Middle Man's public elementary school and taught Yoga with his class. When it was a "Yoga Day" he would dress promptly, eat his breakfast and pack up his bag to go to school! I couldn't believe the transformation in him. Because of his joy of Yoga we have begun practicing Yoga as a family every evening for 1/2 hour before bed.
If you live in the area I highly recommend checking out YoKids! Sign your kids up for a class and request in writing that YoKids be introduced at your child's school.
In PEACE
Montessori Mama