The Gingerbread Man; Story and Yoga

The Gingerbread Man is a fun story to share with kids during the holiday season. Its many messages offer opportunities for various concepts to consider and this timeless tale speaks to kids of today. 

After you bake up some sweet gingerbread cookies and sip a mug of warm cocoa, you just might find it's the perfect time to read a story a then get a yummy stretch in with a few yoga poses!

There are quite a few poses you can practice with all the characters and action in the story; Warrior I and Warrior II, triangle pose, downward facing dog, seated forward fold and others. Let's begin by becoming the Gingerbread Man with Mountain pose, the foundational pose from which all other standing poses arise. 

Mountain pose centers us bringing us into the present moment. We become aware of the body and breath. The true purpose of yoga is to bring us into present moment awareness, with a calm, clear mind so that we can deal with challenging situations in a responsible way. 

Gingerbread Man Pose

Stand tall in Mountain pose, which is an active pose. It may not look like much, but keeping your body aligned is work. Becoming aware of the body helps improve posture, balance, and calm focus. It increases awareness and develops stability. 

Stand with feet slightly apart, arms by your sides, press your feet into the ground and gently pull in the belly. Your shoulders, head, neck and spine are in a straight line reaching high towards the sky. The gaze is soft. Breathe, slow and deep, in and out. Notice how your feel. Perhaps warm and sweet like a Gingerbread Man!

You can practice Mountain Pose many times throughout your normal day. Once you get the hang of the correct alignment, you may find yourself standing and sitting straighter with a calm, clear mind! 

Stay centered my friends, and may you have a peace filled holiday, 
Kathe

FREE resources for using story and yoga in your home or school classrooms. 

Stretching bodies and minds through timeless tales told with a yogic twist. www.ayogastorytellingadventure.com

Recent Indie Reviews

I definitely have a lot going on with a new book in the works, the holidays upon us and an upcoming move to another state, gratefully my yoga practice keeps me grounded in the here and now. 

So here I am now helping other indie authors, 😉 #authorshelpingauthors. As my new author friend Julie Cassetta would say," kindness is contagious!" And couldn't we all use a little more kindness in our lives?

Included are a couple of yoga poses for each review; cuz that's what I do, connect mind and body through story and yoga. Story and yoga promote literacy, health, and well-being. The power of story and the wisdom of yoga enhance kids' natural curiosity about the world while encouraging their innate creativity, and engaging them in mindful movement. 

Hope you enjoy a mini yoga storytelling adventure!

Pippin Moves to the City by Julia Seaborn

A playful puppy! Pippin is reluctant to leave behind his familiar home for the unknown. Yet, his playful nature takes him on adventures where he makes lots of new friends. Bright, cheerful illustrations make this a perfect story for littles!

Yoga; Downward facing dog for Pippin of course, and Shoulder stand for Blossom the possum because he's always upside down

How to Hug a Cloud by Jacqueline Vollet

Try, try again! Resourceful Lily wants to hug a cloud. This is a sweet rhyming story that encourages creative thought and action. Kids will learn; if at first you don’t succeed…try, try again!

Yoga; Savasana for Lily as she stretches out and looks up at the sky, and Tree pose cuz she climbs a tree to get up in the air

Have You Seen My Friend? by Monica Kang

Friends to cherish! Monica introduces kids to the friends that live inside us; curiosity, courage, and creativity. Sometimes they play hide and seek but when we find them, they give us more LIFE to each day!

Yoga; Victory pose for the friends that live inside us, and Triangle pose for the adventures where we touch the earth while reaching for the sky

Emma’s Magic Postcards by Barbara Caison

Imaginative! In this magical story kids learn about other cultures as they take imaginative trips around the world. With super cute illustrations and sweet graphics that surround the rhyming text, you never know what might be coming up next!

Yoga; Breath of Joy for joyous Emma, and Warrior II because she reaches out far and wide while travelling the world in her imagination 

Magical Mia by Julie Cassetta

The Magic of Kindness! This story encourages children to share their magic. Kids learn that being kind and helping others gives them a sparkly, magical feeling. Kindness is contagious. We all have the power to make the world beautiful and bright!

Yoga; partner poses like Seated wide legged forward bend and Warrior III because helping others gives us a sparkly, magical feeling

Feeling sparkly, 

Kathe

We love hearing from our friends!

Visit us at www.ayogastorytellingadventure.com 

Recent Indie Reviews

A couple of months ago I joined several support groups in an effort to learn more about this intriguing adventure called self-publishing and self-marketing. There is much to absorb and my head feels like it’s gonna explode most of the time!

Hence, a need for brain breaks. Which led me to begin participating in book launches and reviews and it’s been wonderfully refreshing. As a former children’s librarian, I’ve read a ton of traditionally published children’s books. As a self-published children’s author, it’s fascinating to see what others are offering in the field. As a yogi, I couldn't help myself and chose a couple of yoga poses to go along with each of the books I reviewed. My book series, A Yoga Storytelling Adventure, introduces kids to yoga through story. You can read about the many benefits of combing story and yoga in a previous blog post!

Anywho…without further ado.

With the magic of story and the wisdom of yoga, let the adventure begin!

Autumn Fairies by Melissa Spencer  

www.merryelfmas.com

A Colorful Tale

Sprinkled with fairy dust, it dazzles the senses. Told in delightful rhyme, it depicts fairies as nature’s guardians playing and helping others as the season changes. A bonus is the glittery glossary which adds sparkle to growing vocabularies. A fabulous celebration of the magic of the season!

Yoga:    Autumn Fairy = Dancer Pose

            Autumn Tree = Tree Pose

Rory by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis

www.oceantaleschildrensbooks.com.au

www.majesticwhaleencounters.com.au

 An adorable story

Littles will be fascinated by Rory, who sets off on a journey to find what no one else believes in. This story reminds us that friendship and teamwork make following our dreams much more fun!

Yoga:        Rory the Orca = Fish Pose

                Dozer the Polar Bear = Downward Facing Dog Pose

 

Gilly the Ghost loves scaring the Most by Heather E. Robyn

https://heathererobyn.com/

More than a Halloween story

Filled with marvelous Monster illustrations! Gilly’s friends are fed up with his constant scaring. With kindness and cooperation, they come together and confront him. Gilly learns that there is a time and a place for his scaring fun.

Yoga:    Gilly the Ghost = Warrior III pose w/arms out wide

            Zombie Zane = Half Moon Pose

 

My Way to Keep Anger Away by Elizabeth Cole

www.ecole-author.com

Playful learning

Playful illustrations full of vibrant colors will keep little ones engaged, as five simple exercises are presented to help them learn that they can choose a way to make their anger go away.

Yoga:    Angry Melissa = Fierce Goddess Pose

            Calm Melissa = Easy Pose

Check out these up an coming authors. 

If you'd like to learn more about using story and yoga in your home or school classroom visit us @ www.ayogastorytellingadventure.com for FREE RESOURCES. 

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Kathe

Why combine story and yoga?

Story and yoga build literacy skills that’s why - language, physical literacy and emotional literacy!

Story and yoga both come from a place of stillness. Story settles the body down so the mind can listen, and yoga settles the mind down so we can become aware of our bodies. We find repose from the frenetic pace of life. When children learn to focus their energies, they gain control of their lives.

Here are 12 benefits of combining story and yoga.

#1

Story and yoga promote literacy, health and well-being. The power of story andthe wisdom of yoga enhance kids’ natural curiosity about the world while encouraging their innate creativity, and engaging them in mindful movement.

#2

Story and yoga engage kids. Kids love stories and yoga brings the story to life. Story and yoga improve literacy skills by encouraging kids to retell the story with yoga poses. Using their own words, they are able to recall the beginning, middle and end. Comprehension complete!

#3

Story and yoga capture the imagination. Yoga stories are a super way to encourage kids to use their imaginations. Imagination enhances critical thinking skills. When practicing the poses, they imagine the characters and setting. Kids learn that their imaginations are limitless and can take them on adventures, anywhere and anytime!

#4

Story and yoga improve visualization. Along with exercising the body and the imagination, story and yoga allow kids to visualize. They learn that stories come alive within their minds. Even without a book, kids can listen to a story and see it in their minds eye through visualization!

#5

Story and yoga teach sequential thinking and planning. Listening to story and following instructions on how to do a yoga pose reinforces an order of events. Sequential thinking is important in planning. Structure and syntax matter to the meaning and understanding of sentences, and you cannot balance in Tree Pose if you do not set it up correctly!

#6

Story and yoga build connections. Children must be able to build a connection to the characters and setting in a story. Yoga creates a connection between the mind and the body. Kids build compassion and empathy for themselves and others by connecting emotionally to the story!

#7

Story and yoga teach self-regulation. Yoga teaches us to control our bodymovements and to be mindful of our breath. Whether children are reading a story out loud or silently to their self, they need to regulate their voice, pace and cadence. They also use their breath to pause at periods and commas!

#8

Story and yoga teach mindfulness. Story and yoga both come from a place of stillness. Story settles the body down so the mind can listen, and yoga settles the mind down allowing us to become aware of our bodies. Kids become focused, purposeful in their yoga practice, and gain control of their own life!

#9

Story and yoga improve speaking and encourage self-expression. Vocal ability improves as the voice is used in tandem with postures. Kids build confidence when encouraged to express themselves through acting out the story with yoga postures!

#10

Story and yoga support multiple learning styles. Visual learners see the story through the yoga postures. Auditory learners hear the narrative and instructions to the poses, and kinesthetic learners notice and feel the body while practicing the yoga.

#11

Story and yoga encourage cooperation. Kids focus on the adventure, not the perfect posture. They learn the value of teamwork when they practice yoga with others. Whether listening or reading to a sibling gives them an opportunity to share and care for each other.

#12

Story and yoga encourage joy and a positive outlook. Kids love listening to stories. They enjoy retelling the story with yoga becoming a dog, an elephant and other aspects of the story. Combining stories and yoga is just plain fun!

Through the magic of story and the wisdom of yoga let the adventure begin!

Namaste, Kathe