Yoga Kids Week 2

Classes started last week and have been great. There are 10 kids ranging in age from 4 to 11 years old. They are already enjoying the many benefits of yoga practice such as a greater sense of well-being, calmness, heightened self-esteem, awareness, and strength. One practitioner experienced a well of emotion that allowed her to release tension and anxiety in just the second day of class. Yoga is amazing.

Pose of the Week

Polar Bear

These animals have an incredible sense of smell and can sniff food from as far away as 20 miles. Covering their noses keeps their body temperature warm and their olfactory keen.

Pose Instructions

Sit on your heels. Open your knees wide apart, toes touching behind you. Bend forward at the hips and slide your chest along the floor. Place your chin on the floor and gently cup your hands (paws) over your nose to keep warm. Breathe in an out for at least one minute.

Activity Ideas for Home or Classroom

Visual Vignettes

An adult polar bear paw can measure 12 inches across, with claws about 2 inches long. Use a

compass and a ruler to draw a life-size bear paw. Color or paint it, or use other materials to

decorate the paw.

Body Benefits

Why do Polar Bears cover their noses with their paws? So they can stay warm and conserve

their heat energy which is necessary in the in the sub-freezing climates where they live.

Bridge of Diamonds/Ecological Echoes

Polar bears are known to frequently share food with other families of bears. During the cold seasons, polar bears eat mostly the fat from seals, and the bodies of dead animals that they hunt or find. Sometimes they will find whale carcasses to feed on. When they do, lots of other

polar bears may come along too, sometimes as many as twenty polar bears.

Nutrition Tip

What are the best foods for us to eat when it is cold and blustery

outside?

1. Whole grains are great cold weather comfort foods and provide our bodies with lots of energy to help us stay warm and healthy during the winter. Try oatmeal for breakfast; Tabouli for lunch-- brown rice for dinner. Popcorn for snacks. So many possibilities of grains with fun names like amaranth, bulgur, corn, millet, rye, spelt, quinoa.
2. Since we do not get to hibernate in winter, we need to eat foods that are high in protein and fat (just like the polar bear!). Some great sources for winter warmth include soups, meats, nuts, beans, whole grains and root vegetables. Eat well. Stay warm and healthy.

Copyright 2006 Marsha Wenig/YogaKids International.
Photographs by Susan Andrews
info@yogakids.com - 1-800-968-0694 - fax 219-873-7612