Springtime and Recent Indie Reviews

 

Spring is here! According to Ayurveda, the latter half of winter and spring are considered Kapha season. Ayurveda is a sister science of yoga, a natural system of medicine that originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ayur, which means life, and veda means knowledge.

Therefore, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life and is based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance in a person’s environment. Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle adjustments and natural treatments to regain balance in the body and mind.  

The qualities of the atmosphere define the Kapha season, not the calendar year. The qualities of Kapha season include dampness and moisture of melting snow, ice or rain, cold and cool temperatures, stagnation, and heaviness in the air. The factors of damp, cold, stillness and heaviness increase the same qualities in our minds and bodies causing colds, allergies, and a decrease in energy as well as depression. 

Spring has always been a time for cleansing and renewal, and we can bring balance to the body and mind by beginning a spring cleanse! This is important for kids and well as adults. In order to balance Kapha we can bring more light, warm, and invigorating energies into our daily routines.

Try to wake up just before sunrise, it’s a wonder-filled time. If your kids go to traditional school. Spend a few minutes with them watching the dawning of the day and listening to the birds. Just a couple of yoga postures with the kiddos will get stagnant energy circulating and will wake up the mind and the body, bringing vibrancy to everyone’s day.  Try chair pose – it warms the body and is invigorating, triangle pose – it aids digestion and opens the lungs, and tree pose – a balancing pose brings lightness to body and mind.

And last but certainly not least we mustn’t forget food, gotta eat right! We still want warm foods, just not so heavy. Lighten things us by adding leafy spring greens to vegetable soups, eat fresh berries and warm your dishes up with spices like cinnamon and chili. Yum!

Wishing you happiness and health as you spring forward!

And without further ado…enjoy this month’s Recent Indie Reviews, along with a few yoga poses too! Yep, cuz that's what I do!!

Animals over the Bridge by Janine Maxwell

A simple story to help prepare littles for sleep. Children imagine animals from the African plain walking on their backs as they experience a soothing massage before bedtime. An innovative body/mind concept!

Yoga; This story is full of opportunities to stretch before settling into bed for the night. Try; Cobra pose for the slithering snakes and Locust pose for crocodile

 

Tree Full of Wonder by Anna Smithers

Anna educates children on the important relationship between trees and people, as she entertains them with whimsical rhyme and enchanting illustrations. “Spot the Trees” is an engaging finish to this wonder filled story and “How to protect trees” offers us conversations starters. A Tree Full of Wonder encourages kids to enjoy and experience the wonder of trees!

Yoga; Tree pose of course, in its many variations!! Try hands at the heart, arms overhead palms touching, and arms open wide

Young Change Makers; Inspiring Others by Stacy C. Bauer

This inspiring collection of young change makers is incredible, an absolutely lovely book! It has so much to offer, each child’s story is highlighted with adorable illustrations and personal photographs, fun facts about the kids themselves, their advice to you and ways you can become a change maker. This is part of a series and you won’t be disappointed if you get each and every one. Well done, Stacy!!

Yoga; Warrior Poses because these children are strong and courageous! Try Warrior I, Warrior II and Warrior III

WeeBees and the Bee Attitudes by Marcia Elizabeth Papa

Adorably cute wee bees with a simply sweet message for littles! Young listeners will learn what it means to bee kind, bee helpful, and bee friendly as it shows examples of each bee attitude. Give littles a head start on social emotional learning with this one! Perfect for 2–5-year-olds.

Yoga; Bee Pose - Sit in easy pose, open the arms out to the side, put your hands on your shoulders, elbows point out to the side. Twist side to side 4x. Pause. Come back to center and circle the elbows 4x. Pause. Lift the elbows up and down 4x. Pause. Release the hands and shake the pollen off as you buzz like a bee!

Thomas the Tiger’s Terrible Twos by Sarah Tucker

The cover is unquestionably precious, it drew me right in.  Knowingly, I went for a spin. The story reminds us, we all have tough days. They come to us in unpredictable ways. So how do we handle, unruly emotion? Some say with love and unconditional devotion. Perhaps you are wondering, but what should I do? Just remember, you once were a terrible two.

Yoga; Tiger pose for Thomas

Me and my Kazoo at the Zoo by Jonathan Marshall

In this story a young boy fancies what the animals will do when he plays his kazoo. It will spark kid’s imaginations as they learn about different musical instruments, plus it teaches them how to play a kazoo too! Kids love music and dancing and along with funny, bright colorful illustrations it’s sure to keep them involved. Educational and entertaining, it makes you want to take a Kazoo to the Zoo just to see what the animals will do! 

Yoga; lots of options here with all the animals you find in the zoo. Try Orangutan pose - wide legged forward fold as you sway side to side, and Lion pose 

Until next time!

FREE kids yoga story resources for you home or school classroom @

www.ayogastorytellingadventure.com

Active Listening = Good Communication

 

A benefit of combining Story and Yoga

 

Have you ever told a child to do something and they said OKAY, but then find that it hasn’t been done?

It’s not unusual for kids to sometimes tune you out, however if you are constantly having to repeat things there may be something else going on. Is the child not actively listening? Do they not comprehend what you are saying?

We often confuse listening with hearing. Listening is more than just hearing what is being said. Listening is the ability to understand the meaning of words and then relate to them in some way. When children hear a story, good listening skills and comprehension enables them to understand it, remember it, and even retell it in their own words. That’s what A Yoga Storytelling Adventure books to are all about!

Good listeners grow up to be good communicators. Communication is the foundation for creating healthy and positive relationships. When we communicate effectively, we are able to tell others how we feel in a positive and productive manner. Effective communication is built on respect, respect for oneself as well as for the other person. Indeed being respectful while communicating can lead to being more caring and compassionate toward others as well as ourselves. Through active listening and good communication, we have the ability to create positive relationships.

Combining story and yoga engages kids in active listening and communication. A Yoga Storytelling Adventure kids yoga stories makes reading an interactive activity; both listener and reader participate through eye contact and facial expressions, being interested and paying attention, and acting out the story with yoga poses. This helps children remember the beginning, the middle and the end of the story and this increased engagement promotes deep learning. They can now relate as they are now a part of the story, and are able to recall it. Comprehension complete!!

Another fun interactive activity is to encourage kids to retell the story in their own words using a story circle, which is a simple method of passing a story around. In a classroom setting this gives each child a chance to practice storytelling, but even a parent and one child can do this.

Active listening and good communication are keys to social and emotional learning, and combining story and yoga build listening and communication skills!  

Check out our BOOKS as well as the FREE stuff for our Kids Yoga Stories 

Creative Curriculum suggestions, Concepts to Consider and Conversation Starters can be found @ www.ayogastorytellingadventure.com

 

Please share this post with anyone you think might benefit from it!

 

Namaste,

Kathe