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The 14 YogaKids Elements
Poses as Pathways launches this whole-mind, brain-body, education system. The body moves into the poses, and the brain creates new neural pathways and increases its learning potential. A pose may help to teach math, ecology, anatomy, music, and more. The poses are stepping stones to all of the other elements, which create even more avenues to learning.
Body Benefits describes how each pose benefits the physical body. Every pose has numerous physical benefits.
Bridge of Diamonds combines the intrapersonal (communion with ourselves) and the interpersonal (the sense of community with others). This element creates a “bridge” that connects your child to the world-to nature, to you, and to their own body, mind, and spirit, too.
Brain Balance stimulates the communication of the body’s systems: respiratory, nervous and endocrine. With a combination of yoga movements and breathing techniques, the glands, hormones, and hemispheres of the brain are balanced.
Ecological Echoes highlights our connection to the earth. We use yoga’s animal and nature poses to share facts and environmental tips and reinforce the concept of interdependence.
Math Medley uses mathematical concepts to highlight patterns, sequences, numerical awareness, counting, and rhythm while practicing poses.
Musical Musings develops an awareness and appreciation for sound and rhythm. Songs and simple percussive instruments, added to the movement, sharpen hearing, musical, and listening skills.
We all Win uses games and activities to promote cooperation and “win-win” thinking. Each child is recognized as an equal part of the whole.
Awesome Anatomy teaches bones, muscles and basic anatomical concepts to develop health and body awareness. During these poses we incorporate our body parts. Smaller children use common names for parts of the body, while older children can learn the scientific names.
Reading Comes Alive (with Yoga) uses yoga to enhance reading skills. We do yoga poses that follow along with a story, and help the children retain story sequence and characters.
Laughing Language encourages children to play with words and have fun with language. When presented in the context of play, they’re more likely to become creative and free in their expressions.
Visual Vignettes explores thematic ways to use clay, paint, crayons, and craft ideas to develop visual skills and reinforce poses and other elements.
Affirmations use positive messages that encourage and reinforce peacefulness, confidence, joy, honesty, and compassion in our children.
Quiet Quests highlights and expands on the introspective aspects of yoga: meditation, concentration, focus, breathing, and relaxation. Kids learn to use yoga to calm and rest themselves.
All of the elements integrate exercise and physical learning with intellectual growth, music the arts, and other creative and life-enhancing skills. Sharing yoga with children helps them:
· Feel loving and loved.
· Get in touch with themselves and learn to trust their instincts.
· Learn about their bodies.
· Acknowledge and nurture their special gifts and strengths
· Experience fun, playfulness, and collaboration with others in the learning process.
· Open up to change, ask questions, and find their own answers.
· Uncover their innate sense of joy.
· Know that the quiet, still place within is there for them, through changes, challenges, and confusion of growing up.
· Fill up with vibrant, vital, energy. (In yoga, we call it prana.)
· Demystify yoga by having it served up in child-sized portions.
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