Try these five heart-opening yoga valentine poses with children this Valentine holiday. These heart-opening exercises are especially beneficial for kids and adults who spend the majority of their day slouched in desks at school and work or with their heads bent over screens and books.
These exercises take only minutes and will help improve posture and release back and neck tension as well as create openness in your body and mind.
Cat to Cow Pose: Begin on your hands and knees. Next round your back and tuck your chin into your chest as if you are a cat. Then look up, arch your back and open your chest into Cow Pose. This is a great way to strengthen your spine and begin to feel your heart-opening.
Updog Pose: Lie on your tummy. Place the palms of your hands next to your shoulders and lookup. Slowly straighten your arms and open your chest. It is okay to keep arms bent as well.
Bridge or Wheel Pose: Kids love trying to get into Wheel Pose, but this huge heart opener is not easily accessible for all. For an easier but still effective heart opener, try Bridge Pose. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arms alongside your body, tuck your chin into your chest, and lift your back to create a bridge.
Camel Pose: Take this pose slowly and feel your heart open. Get on your knees, lean back slowly, and place your hands on your lower back or ankles. Tilt your head back, open your chest, and breathe.
Bow Pose: Lie on your tummy, bend your knees, and lift your chest. Reach your arms back toward your toes and hold onto your feet. Let your heart shine!
Bow Pose becomes easier to try after practicing with The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose
Happy New Year! It has been a wonderful year for Go Go Yoga for Kids. We have loved bringing the joy and fun of yoga to thousands of others through our Kids Yoga Lesson Plan Books, Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards, App, and most importantly our online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training. We have now certified over 3500 people from all over the world and are sharing the love and joy of kids yoga with others.
I have always loved reflecting on the year and thinking about how we can help even more others in the next year. I am also such a fan of “Year-End Reviews” and “Best of” Lists. So without much further ado…
Here are your Top Kids Yoga Favorite Posts from this year:
The Winter Olympics are here! Over the next few weeks, millions of people will tune in from all over the world to watch elite athletes try their best and go for the gold. Have some family fun with these Winter Olympics yoga poses.
First, warm up your body from the inside with an Olympic breathing exercise. Athletes need to have a strong breath to compete at this level. Since it is the Winter Olympics, you need to breathe in deeply and raise your arms above your head in the shape of an O (for Olympics). Then, lower your arms and exhale strongly as if you are trying to see your breath in this winter weather. Repeat several times.
Now that your bodies are good and warm, it is time for snowboarding. Move into Warrior 2 Posewith your feet wide apart.
Bend your front knee and extend your arms so they are parallel to the ground. For an extra challenge try to complete a 180-degree turn. Jump midair in this position as you switch lead legs. Try to have some “hang time!
Next, it is time to go skiing. Move into Chair Pose as you bend your knees and bring your arms up overhead. Breathe deeply as you move your arms up and down as if you are skiing down a hill. Try to lift up on the balls of your feet and lower them as your arms move as well.
Hop into your bobsled with Boat Pose. Begin seated with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine straight as you raise your legs and bring your body into a “V” shape. Sway a little right and left as if you were on a sled.
Our last event is Ice Skating in Airplane Pose. Place your weight onto your right leg. Next, extend your left leg straight and strong behind you. Work toward lifting your arms in front of you. Breathe deeply as if you are gliding on the ice. Switch legs and continue practicing.
Bring the Summer Olympics to you! Get children fit, focused and Olympic ready with this free Go Go Yoga for Kids Summer Olympic Guide. Swim, row, and vault your way to a Gold Medal… kids yoga style!
These resources gives teachers, parents and yoga instructors EVERYTHING they need to teach yoga to kids. Included are lesson plans, creative games, breathing and calming strategies, mindfulness exercises, yoga poses and much more. These ideas can be used right away to bring yoga into kids’ lives.
Fa la la la la! The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! It’s time for Black Friday!
I hope that you are starting to feel some of the anticipation and excitement of the approaching holidays as well. I am so excited for our Black Friday Blitz! An extra bonus is that you do not have to leave your home or stand in line to get in on this deal!
For a limited time you will receive 30% off our online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Trainings. Use code GOGOTEACHERTRAINING at checkout.
That means you get your Kids Yoga & Mindfulness training and certification, lesson plans, lifetime access to the training and personalized support for a steal! This is an amazing deal and our comprehensive and complete kids yoga training
If you have ever even thought for a moment about teaching yoga to children… then this is your voice saying “yes…this is the time!”
Yes, it is true! Now I know you are thinking…what an incredible deal and I really do want to begin making a difference with kids, but this is a busy time for me right now.
I totally get that! The best news is that you can begin this training anytime you want right from the comfort of your couch or bed (my preference!). I guarantee that within a week of just starting our Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training, you will be making a positive difference in the lives of the children you love and care about!
This training is right for you if you are a:
New Kids Yoga Teacher looking to get started on this amazing journey and need guidance and expertise on how kids yoga really works
Established Kids Yoga Teacher looking to deepen your expertise on what truly works for teaching yoga to children
School Teacher, Counselor, Teacher Assistant looking for ways to easily include yoga and mindfulness in your classroom that takes only moments to implement and truly makes a difference in your classroom climate
Preschool, Day Care Instructor, or Early Childhood Educator looking to add yoga and mindfulness to your transition and circle time.
Counselor, Case Worker, or Health Care Professional wanting tools to help children self-regulate and provide social-emotional learning
Parent, Grandparent, or Family Member looking for fun, educational yoga ideas for social and emotional learning for the kids you love and care about
Self-starter who works with children and wants to give them the skills they will have for life through yoga and mindfulness.
When you enroll you also receive access to our all new Live Kids Yoga Class Examples from beginning to end!This alone is worth the price.
I remember when I first started teaching yoga to children. All I wanted to see was actual teaching and kids yoga in action! Now you can view an early childhood class, a school-age class, and an engaging tween & teen yoga class.
After thousands of kids yoga classes, I have completely cracked the code on exactly what works for teaching yoga and mindfulness to children. I am so excited to share these secrets with you that have worked for me time and time again.
Don’t just take my word for it! Listen to just a few our recent Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training Graduates:
“I am so thankful I found Go Go Yoga for Kids while searching for ideas to help deal with my difficult group of 4th grade students. I was so excited to take the Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training. I learned how kids yoga looks different than adult yoga and how to best teach to that. I also learned that props are great when working with kids. I have shared this new passion for yoga with my students and colleagues.” Nicole C.
“This teacher training was exactly what I needed! I wanted to increase my knowledge and confidence to best assist children in our ever-changing and increasingly difficult world. The training was very beneficial and kept my attention throughout. It is easy to follow and put into action! Lynnea J.
“I now have more confidence and tools to teach kids with actual lesson plans and ideas. I have been away from the classroom for a number of years, so this was a great refresher on classroom management and planning. I now have the training in teaching and yoga and this training helped me to have the confidence to just get out there and DO IT! ” Alicia B.
Our Teacher Training has already trained over 5,200 others from around the world and is incorporated into over 100 gyms and health clubs across the U.S.
Not only will you learn the exact teaching secrets, but you will have complete step-by-step instructions showing exactly what you need to know about teaching yoga to children.
The goal of the Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training is to take you on a journey where you’ll discover:
The secrets to teaching yoga to children
How to successfully teach yoga to children online
The exact components every kids yoga class needs
Proven class management strategies so your class flows easily and effortlessly
Exact breathing exercises for actually calming and relaxing children
The best yoga poses for growing kids
Engaging lesson plans for all ages
Yoga games galore that they will want to play again and again
Truly creating mindfulness in children
How to teach yoga to children professionally
All this and more. You also get me! I love answering questions and sharing ideas in our private Facebook Teacher Training group.
Select which Go Go Yoga for Kids book you would choose.
Winners will be announced through email on August 18th, 2020!
Which Go Go Yoga for Kids book is right for you?
Our three Go Go Yoga for Kids books all build upon one another and each serve a different purpose based on the varying needs of how to introduce and teach yoga to children at home, school, camps, clubs and online classes.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids is perfect for those that want to teach yoga to children in a school, studio, camp or club setting. It offers a breakdown of how to prepare for your classes and what to do and say throughout the class.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids breaks down the step by step parts of an engaging kids yoga class. It also includes detailed lesson plans, yoga games, breathing exercises, partner yoga poses and yoga challenges for children ages 3-16. This book also details how to teach yoga in schools, teaching yoga to children professionally as well as how to teach yoga to teens and tweens.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Lessons for Children is perfect for those wanting to teach yoga to children ages 3-11. It includes 35 ready-to-use, step-by-step lesson plans that will engage children right from the start and get them excited about yoga.
More favorite components of this book include the best (free or inexpensive) yoga props and read-aloud books with ways on how to incorporate yoga and movement. Popular with readers are the additional Quick and Easy No-Time-To-Plan Kids Yoga Lesson Plans as well as the downloadable games including the Go Go Yoga for Kids Bingo Cards and Poses.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children
Each game is broken down into the recommended ages, group size, and leader notes. These games include categories such as large group yoga pose games, mindfulness games, balance games, breathing exercises, and more. This book is a perfect resource for those who work with kids in any capacity. Bonus items of this book include the Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Pose Memory Game and game templates.
kids yoga style!
