Yoga Kids Weekly Pose

Yoga Kids classes have been extended into July, and we're having a blast. Today we sampled foods that make our bodies happy and chose to put away foods that make our bodies sad. Wes and Tilden loved the seaweed while Jamie decided it tasted too much like fish. The Nelsons brought freshly picked carrots from their garden and I brought blackberries and beans from mine. These were everyone's favorites. Some had mixed feelings about the melons, whole wheat bread, yogurt, asian pear, and dreaded sea vegetable- seaweed. The kids were already well informed about good nutrition and what to look for when reading food labels! These little yogis taught me a thing or two. Kids are never too young to begin incorporating healthy eating habits as well as healthy living habits. But we all agreed that some of the foods like chocolate cake, cookies, and fruit juice are sometimes okay. Sofia summed it up perfectly when she said, "Just a little bit sometimes is good." I couldn't agree more.

Pose of the Week

Wheel

Open your heart and get a boost of energy in this pose round.

Pose Instructions

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, heels in close to your backside.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your arms over your head.
4. Place your palms flat on the floor beside your ears with the fingertips pointing toward your shoulders.
5. Pull your elbows toward each other.
6. Press down into your hands and feet, as you straighten your arms and legs, and lift your chest and thighs toward the sky.
7. Release down.

Finish up by curling into a ball and letting your body rock and roll back and forth.

Note to Parents and Teachers

This is a challenging pose. Please supervise and assist your child to come into this position

easily and without force. Most young children will be unable to arch their spines like a wheel. Their pose will look more like a table..their chest level and their 4 limbs supporting their torso like the legs of a table.

Activity Ideas for Home or Classroom

Affirmations

Make up some positive statements that will help you in this pose as well as make you feel good. Some examples of YogaKids affirmations are:

• I am flexible
• My heart is open
• My spine is strong
• My brain is alert

Body Benefits

This pose brings strength and flexibility to the spine, back, legs and arms. The more you practice, the more this pose will begin to look “wheel-like.”

Brain Balance

Whenever the head is lower than the heart, blood flow to the brain is increased. When done properly, wheel can oxygenate and wake up the brain.

Visual Vignettes/Laughing Language

Talk to your children about all the different ways that wheels make a difference in our lives. Imagine if we didn’t have cars, skateboards, skates, scooters, bicycles? Can you think of new ways to get around? Write and draw your innovative inventions.

Nutrition Tips

Most children love wagon wheels. Use whole wheat, rice or semolina pasta as a healthier alternative to refined white flour. Top it with a hearty tomato sauce filled with vegetables.

Do the wheel pose regularly to boost energy, awaken the brain and make yourself feel alert! What foods make you feel good? Which ones don’t you like very much? How do certain foods make you feel? Try this fun Food Mood activity.

Take three paper plates and have your children draw different faces:

• Make a happy face.
• Make a sad face.
• Make an angry face.

Attached their decorated plates onto the wall or the refrigerator. When your child likes a food, have him draw or write it on the happy plate. If what you are serving isn’t a favorite choice, she will choose the “sad” plate. Foods that contain a lot of sugar, artificial ingredients or too much salt can have an adverse effect on your child’s moods and feelings. Have him “post” these on the angry face plate.

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