One of my greatest joys is to do Yoga with Kids. I work with kids of various ages and abilities/disabilities. It goes without question that Yoga calms the mind, and heals the body, so to introduce kids to yoga is an amazing opportunity. In turn, kids have an amazing ability to remind you of the joys of life, and the hidden joys of a yoga practice. Kids have a brilliant way of approaching asana (yoga poses). When teaching adults Yoga asana (poses) is focused on alignment, while with kids, they find joy in wobbling in and out of alignment. This joy is just the enlightenment, and liberation from our own tendencies to judge ourselves, and our world around us, that many of us need in our lives.
The hands down game of choice for kids is "Toga". On Fridays I have the wonderful chance to work with a group of kids with Down Syndrome. Being apart of their yoga experience is life changing for me. These kids improve their speech with my songs, gain confidence with the poses and learn to calm their minds with meditation. Along with the benefits of yoga they continue to amaze me every week. One week, I introduced Toga to them, which is Yoga with your toes. This involves picking up pom poms using only your toes. Kids Love Toga! It improves flexibility in the arch and ankle, improves concentration and like I said before it is FUN! The part that amazed me, was when one of the kids picked up four pom poms with one foot! After refereeing dozens of Toga games, it was amazing to see this brilliant little girl pick up FOUR pom poms with her tiny toes. She is the record holding champ of Toga thus far.
