Setting up Yoga sessions is a great way to do something a little bit different in class. A good way to keep children's attention in class is to change things up. While we learn best from repetition, it's also nice to practice in new ways from time to time. Creating Yoga stations is a great way to practice a range of different activities in a small amount of time. It also means children can move around more freely and explore. As a teacher, it is a good way to check in with different students individually too, having these stations set up means that you are able to move from person to person or group to group easier. 

So, what is a Yoga station?

A yoga station is a mat that has a different activity on it. I am going to be sharing with you 11 fun ideas that you can use to create your different stations. You place the mats around the room with space between and then let the children spend time at each station practicing that activity. 

We enter the space together; I think this is important so, if possible, wait outside your classroom so you can all go in together. The children are going to want to start exploring straight away but you need to ask them to hold off for a moment so you can explain each station to them. The younger groups usually move around on their own and at their own pace but for my older classes I divide the time up so that they will get a chance to go to ever station - for example if I have 60 minutes and 9 stations, I give them 5 minutes at each station (and then there is time for a group relaxation at the end). At the end of the 5 minutes, I ring the singing bowl and they change station. The older group go through the stations with a partner (or as a three if odd numbers). When they are on their last station, I'll usually start tidying up what I can and setting up a circle so that they can all join together to close the class with a nice relaxation or meditation practice. 
With the younger group, you really need to go with the class and encourage them to try all the different activities by practicing with them. 
​We usually end up all together at our book station to close class. 

There are so many ways you can use this. You can use this to showcase what you do for events (with maybe 3 or 4 stations or a helper), you can use it in your regular classes for something fun and different, you can use it as a nice way to end a term, you can use it for family yoga classes - focusing on being together, you can use it for birthday yoga parties and so much more!

Maybe you even try creating something like this at home with the kids in your life! 

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Here are 11 idea that you may like to play with. Remember, you don't need to do all of these ideas and you can create multiple stations with the same theme but different props. In my classes I have multiple pose stations with different cards for example. You may also like to work with a theme - The Winter Olympics / Summer Olympics, Christmas, Beach, Nature etc

This could be picture books, touch and feel books, Yoga books, Books that fit your theme!

I like to put one sheet of large paper here with some crayons and have everyone add what they want to it but you could also use colouring in sheets, separate pages etc. What I like about keeping it as one sheet is the children don't feel the need to 'finish'. It is a group effort, and everyone is adding something of their own to it. 

There are so many ways you can use this station so feel free to create multiple ones. They can practice the poses on the mat, they can create their own sequence using the cards, they can play mirror my body (where partners face each other, and one leads, and one copies). You can put props on the mat for them to use and explore poses. Keep it simple. 

Just like the pose station but this time put some ideas down for partner poses (either Yoga cards or stick figure drawings).

For the 'create your own pose' station, I usually just put two blocks and give no other instruction. It is always great to see what the children come up with!

This could be anything that you have game wise. As you can see in this picture, I have pom poms and a tub for Toega and some Story Cubes (story cubes are great for creating your own story together, maybe they can add in some poses for each part of the story!). 

You could have Yoga Jenga here, a memory game - anything!

On this station I put lots of fun props we can use for practicing our breathwork. This is another one that could be multiple stations easily. What I have shown here are some breathing cards where you trace the picture and breathe, some pom poms to blow across the mat maybe even using a paper straw to do so (pom pom race anyone?), a breathing ball, feathers, and a scarf. 

There are so many fun ways to practice balance, you could even use the wall as a prop here or a chair. You could use a Yoga strap and play walk the line or make a mini obstacle course. What I have done on this station is set up a ring toss game, except instead of throwing the rings, we stand on one leg and use our feet to put the hoops on the cones. 

Set up a place to get cosey. This could be putting bolsters and blankets down or setting up for a certain restorative Yoga pose. 

Facepainting is fun and it doesn't need to be perfect! Let the kids get creative by facepainting each other's faces. You may want to check in with the adults that this is okay to do beforehand and remember not all kids will want to (and that's okay too!). This station works best at events or family yoga. 

There you have it! 11 ideas for your yoga station class! Remember you do not have to set them all up! You could work with as little or as many as you would like to, changing the ideas to work for you. Think about what props you already have. How could you utilise them? What themes or activities are you already practicing in your classes? How could you use them?

Here are a few bonus ideas

• Hula hoop station
• Drink station
• Mindful eating - chocolate (would have to supervise and get permissions/ check allergies etc)
• Sun salutation Station (practice x times)
• Teddy bear station
• Unicorn station
• Candle gazing station (fake candle)
• Upside down station (inversions)
• Chair Yoga station 

As you can see the possibilities are endless! Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Let me know in the comments if you found this helpful and if you'll be trying any of these ideas!
Maybe you just thought of a fun station, let us know below!

Criss Cross Apple Sauce, or otherwise known as easy seat or Sukhasana is one that is often used by children in schools and at home. Traditionally this posture is one used quite often for meditation. Even though it is referred to as easy seat, it is not always easy. The hips need to be open and the back strong and alert. While some can find comfort in this pose, it is important to explore use of props to support this pose, especially if we expect to be there a while (for example during a meditation). 

There are many ways that we can help children find support in this pose. We could offer a block, or a folder blanket to sit on. We could practice against a wall. We could put blocks underneath the knees and blankets under the ankles. This could even be done sitting up on a chair. 

Try this pose (your variation) while seated back-to-back with your child. Can you match each other's breathing? Keep breathing in and out, focusing your awareness on your breath and the connection between you both. 
Time 1 or 2 minutes.

Crocodile pose is a nice one to practice, it can fit into so many themes or can be practiced on its own. This is a great pose to teach diaphragmatic breathing. Benefits include calming the nervous system, reducing stress and tension and it can stimulate digestion. 

To practice this pose, your child comes down to lay on their belly and they rest their head on their folded arms. It can help to wiggle from side to side before finding stillness. 
Laying on the belly in this way helps bring the feeling of the breath into the back and sides of the body. Guide your child to take a long slow breath, feeling their belly expand like a balloon. As they breathe in, ask them to notice if they can feel their breath in the back of their body. Let them take a few breaths here and then see if they can take their breath to the sides of their body. Invite them just to notice where their breath is going as they breathe in and out. 

Want more support in this pose? Try adding a firm pillow lengthways to support the torso while keeping the head and shoulders on the floor.


Comment with SNAP if you're going to be giving this a go with your little ones this week! 

Want more inspiration? Check out this pose from last week >> Supported Fish 

Did you know this pose can help calm the nervous system, support the immune system and expand and open lungs, which helps with breathing?
It was the perfect choice for today when energy was low and little man wanted to join me in some Yoga practice

To get into the pose:

1.) Take a bolster or rolled up blanket (sausage shape) and lay it lengthways on your mat.
Sit down with the bolster (or blanket) in the small of your back.

2.) Lay your torso and head on the bolster so that they are supported. We also used a small blanket here under the head for added comfort.

3.) Bring your pointing finger and thumb together and gently tap around the heart area. This is said to help immunity. Alternatively, just let the arms relax down by the sides.

4.) Ask your child "how does that feel?"

This pose is a great one after being at school, reading, drawing or hunching over playing video games or practice before bed.

Comment below with your favourite smiley face emoji if you're going to give this pose a go!

Come back next week for the next pose in this series!

Remembering names for multiple classes can be challenging. It sucks because you really care about these children and want to create strong class bonds, you don't mean to forget their name! The good news is this is about to change! With these fun games you'll be able to remember names so much better but also help the class remember each other's names - one of the first steps in a lasting friendship.

Friendship is always a big part of my children's Yoga classes and if that is important to you too, check out these fun games. I have few tips at the end of this blog post so don't miss them!

This is probably my classes favourite, but I only really do this one for ages 7+.
Everyone stands in a circle except for one person who stands in the middle (this could be you to start). The person in the middle has to say another person's name three times. The people in the circle must stay alert and focused because if their name is called, they must quickly interrupt by saying the person in the middles name only once. If the person in the middle is successful, they can switch places, if they were interrupted before they could finish then they remain in the middle and try again. This game involves quick thinking and also helps to build that memory of the names of those in your group through the repetition. 

This is a simple go to game where we pass a ball or prop around and share our name and then one thing that relates to the theme of today's class - favourite animal, something they are grateful for, favourite pose, one thing they hope to learn this term etc. This is a good one to practice as a re-cap, or when you have one new person joining and want to introduce everyone again, but it can also work at the beginning of a new term. It is a really good one for the younger classes too. You can make this more fun by passing the ball with your feet or having to blow a pom pom to the next person, not being able to choose the person next to you or including movement such as poses etc.

This is a great partner activity. Everyone goes into pairs, and they are going to share 3 things each with each other plus their name. After learning these 3 things we meet back in our circle and then we go round the circle introducing our partner. This is fun on its own but if you want to add a little to it with the older students then ask them to exaggerate everything! So, if their partner says they have a dog, they will tell the group "They love dogs so much that they have 5 of them!". If they tell their partner, they like chocolate then they could tell the group "They love chocolate so much, they can't go a day without it!". The more dramatic and exaggerated the funnier. This version works best with teen classes. 

In your circle, one by one everyone introduces themselves and shows one yoga pose or movement. For example - Hello my name is Natasha *stands in tree pose*. Everyone says Hello Natasha and then they stand in tree pose. You can say hello again on the other side to balance out any poses that may need both sides practiced. 
This carries on with everyone getting a turn. It may be helpful to put out some Yoga cards for inspiration. 

This game is much like the previous game. We stand in our circle and introduce ourselves with a pose. The difference is that instead of just saying hello back to that one person we create a chain. For example

Hello my name is Natasha *tree pose*
Hello Natasha *All Stand in tree pose* 

Hello my name is Sam *Warrior pose* 
Hello Sam *All stand in Warrior pose*, Hello Natasha *all stand in tree pose*

Hello my name is Hattie *Happy baby pose*
Hello Hattie *all come down into happy baby pose*, Hello Sam *warrior pose*, Hello Natasha *tree pose*

This carries on for everyone in the group so it's a real test of memory, not just remembering names but the poses they selected too. Luckily you all have each other to help each other to remember. This only works if the group is not too big, or it could take a very long time! If you do want to play it in a large group I would suggest, starting again after 8 to 10 people. 
To balance out the poses that can be practiced on two sides, you could go through it all again on the other side or pause and do both each time. 

This one is much like Name and Share where everyone takes turns to introduce themselves and something about the chosen topic, but they do it while laughing. The laugh can be completely fake but by the end it usually ends up very real. This one is good for any age group; the older ones can meet it with some resistance at first which makes it all the funnier when the laughing becomes real.

Will you be adding any of these games into your classes? Comment below!
And if you have any other games or tips you would like to share, I'd love to hear them! 

Here are a few other tips to end with that may help with remembering students' names:

1. Repeat the name back to them on meeting them. Making sure that you are pronouncing it correctly.
2. Have a sign in sheet for each class with your students' names so that you can glance at it before class starts each time. 
3. Don't just play the name games at the start of term but throughout.
4. Join in the games yourself, it's important not to just observe but to get in there and play too!

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Looking for more lesson inspiration? Check out my lesson plans here: Etsy

A Sample of one of my lesson plans for ages 4 to 7.

Breathe – Bird breath. A nice way to start any class is with a few slow breaths together. Bring your arms out to the sides like they are your wings, breathe in and lift them up, and exhale breathe out. Repeat three times.

Warm Up – Helicopter. Place your hands on your shoulders and gently twist side to side. Get slightly faster. This is a great movement for the spine. Land your helicopter by coming back to center and then bring your elbows towards each other and then open them up and around, nice and slow. Moving your shoulders around and back like this can be a great release for the shoulders as well as helping those feel-good hormones to fill our body.

Magic carpet: Sit at the top of your mat in a cross-legged position and hold on to the edge of your may. Take a slow breath and sit up tall, as you exhale roll back and then forward again. Repeat a few times. Could chat with the group about where they would go if they could fly anywhere in the world.

Pose Practice:
Dragon pose – Low lunge. Can you breathe fire in this pose? Take a deep breath in through the nose, filling up that belly and then breathe out that fire from your belly. Repeat two or three times.
Pegasus (Flying Unicorn) – High Lunge with eagle arms OR with hands together at the forehead.
Baby Pegasus – Cow legs with eagle arms OR hands together at the forehead.
Ask the group about other poses that might fly and ask them what that might look like. Have fun exploring different shapes and movements. Do these poses make noise? How do they fly? 

Game: Don't wake the dragon. 
One person lays in the middle of the room with a bell beside them, this is the dragon. The dragon is guarding a bell but is very tired. (this could be an actual bell or something that makes noise when moved such as keys or a rattle). Everyone else gathers in a circle at the edges of the room. As the ‘dragon’ sleeps, the children must sneak up to get the bell. If the dragon hears any noise, they can wake up and scare everyone back to the start. If someone is successful in getting the bell without waking the dragon, the game can end here or for something extra they have to get it to a certain spot before the dragon wakes and chases them. It’s fun to switch turns so that everyone can have a turn being the dragon. 


Peak Pose Practice / Pose of the week: This pose we will spend a little longer looking at, talking about it’s benefits and looking a bit more at the alignment of the pose. This week we are looking at warrior 3 or just playing around with balance standing on one leg. 

Cool Down – Windshield wiper the legs, Supine twist, hug knees to chest, supine pigeon/ Figure four, ending with supine butterfly. Stay in this pose or stretch out for the final relaxation pose. 

Savasana
Short Story – The fireflies 
While the children relax in the position of their choice, here is a short story that you may like to share with them.

​One day the wind got very angry and decided to dim all the lights in the world and make it completely dark. She blew hard and brought clouds to hide the sun, the moon, and the stars, she tore all the electricity wires, she brought heavy rain and blew out all of the fires. The world sank into darkness, and the wind alone was happy. Suddenly, the wind saw little lights moving down below. She tried to blow them out but couldn’t. She asked angrily, “Who are you? Why are you not in darkness?” And the lights replied: “We are little fireflies. Our light cannot be put out because it comes from within us”.

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Anxiety can be challenging but parenting a teen with anxiety, that is something else. You just want to wrap them up in cotton wool and keep them safe from the world but that's exactly possible or even that helpful. The first step is realizing if your teen actually does have anxiety, what are the signs?

Anxiety is completely normal. It is a response that helps to keep us safe. It can actually be a really helpful thing. It is an adaptive survival response that helps us in dangerous situations. Anxiety is an emotional state of worry, fear or feeling nervous that is felt in the body -  symptoms of anxiety include heart beating faster, sweaty hands, lightheadedness, nausea, feeling easily fatigued, stomach cramps or buttery feelings, inability to fall asleep, body shaking, loss of appetite and more. 

While anxiety is normal and can actually help us, it becomes a problem for our teen when it starts to interfere with daily life. There are many different types of anxiety including social anxiety, death anxiety, anxiety related to school, separation anxiety and more. Teenagers may need help if they are experiencing any of the following on a regular basis;

• Difficulty sleeping
• Missing school due to anxiety
• Avoiding social situations
• Wanting to stay with a parent at all times due to anxiety
• Experiencing tummy aches, headaches, lump in the throat, shortness of breath, difficulty making eye contact (as a symptom of anxiety and not anything else)

They don't need to be experiencing all of these symptoms (or any of them), anxiety can look very different for each individual. 
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Have you noticed your teenager doesn't always listen to you? You could give them some golden advice but it doesn't mean they are always going to take it on board. Just avoid telling them 'not to worry'. It is very hard to just switch it off. I would suggest you don't try and do this alone. There are many things that you can do which I will come back to in a moment but just remembering you're not alone, can be really helpful. 

Mental health is important and taking care of it is essential. While I run classes that help children and teens manage their anxiety through Yoga, calming practices and creative mindfulness, it is important to note that there are other ways. They can blend together beautifully and some practices will resonate more than others for each individual. 
I would highly recommend therapy for a teen who is really struggling. Therapists have had years of training and so much experience in this area. I would highly recommend Somers Psychotherapy. Not only do they have appointments in person but also online. 

I will be running a workshop for anxiety and sleep over at Somers Psychotherapy for teenagers. More details about that can be found here >> Evening Rituals.
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Keeping a journal is a great place to start. It is good to be able to explore the feeling, what is triggering it and then be able to talk through it with a trusted person. It doesn't have to be just writing either, drawing and other creative outlets are also a great way to release. There are many different ways to journal, your teen may like to keep a gratitude journal, a dream journal, a bullet journal or invest in a journal with prompts designed to help with anxiety. 
There are other calming practices too such as walking, exercising, Yoga, meditation, mindful colouring and breathe work. 

Anxiety is a part of life, as I said earlier, it is completely normal. You don't need to wait until it becomes a problem to learn helpful tools, techniques and practices to manage it, in fact it really helps to learn them before. This is why I love teaching children's Yoga, it is setting a foundation. Yoga and mindfulness is a practice and it helps to practice regularly, even for just five to ten minutes at a time. When children learn these practices they have them in their toolkit for when they need them the most. 

Here are a few great practices to try together to help manage anxiety and stress at home!

1. Mindful listening

​This is a great practice for connecting with each other. It lets your teen know that you are listening and that you care. So often we are half listening or don't know if our teen is hearing us! This activity works on both sides, we can both feel seen and heard and it can bridge any gaps. The idea here is that one person talks for 2 to 5 minutes (set a timer if you'd like) and the other person listens. The listener doesn't interrupt or add anything at all, they can just nod and show that they are listening, eye contact is also good here. When that person is finished, you simply thank them for sharing with you. You don't try to fix it or offer advice, you just let them know that you heard them. Then you switch roles. You don't have to talk about the same thing or respond, the talker just talks about any thing they need to in that moment. It may be tough at first, but don't end the time early just let the talker keep talking about anything that comes to mind - it doesn't have to be serious or a problem or about anything in particular. 

2. Practice Yoga - together!
There are so many videos available on Youtube or through programs etc. Find a style that your teen enjoys and practice together. I would highly recommend a book called 'Yoga for teens' by Shawna Schenk. 

3. Meditate together! 
Meditation has a range of benefits for your teen and for yourself. Try out this meditation I have recorded for you - Free >> Meditation for Anxiety

​4. Schedule regular walks together. 
Take time just the two of you to get out for a walk, this could be each day or each week. I know it is not always easy to get one on one time especially when you have other children to care for but if it is an option, it can be such a nice way to de-stress and spend time together. 

What would you add as a parent of a teenager? I am not a parent of teenagers yet so it's always good to know what you would like to add. My jam is Yoga and mindfulness, I could talk it all day, and while I have studied anxiety and experienced my fair share as a teenager (and now) it is not the same as living it! I think that is the most important take-away. Trust your parenting intuition, read books about anxiety, and look after your own wellbeing - that will all help. 

Check out last weeks Blog post:  Why meditation is not going to help your teen with anxiety.

Meditation has a range of scientifically proven benefits but it is not going to help your teen on it's own and here is why....

In my classes, I will often share with my pre-teens and teens about the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. I have 10 years old's who I am sure could teach a little about it at this point. They love to learn about it because it makes sense to them why we do the things we do and how it helps. Let's look at these in a bit more detail to better understand why meditation alone is not going to help.

You may have heard of the fight or flight response. This is a response that is triggered by a stressful event (or even the thought of a stressful event). The response is activated by the sympathetic nervous system. It gives us the energy and focus required to escape danger. So while this state is often labeled as 'bad' or that we want to be in our 'rest and digest' state, it has a vital role to play. Just like with our emotions, it all has it's place - it is all valid.

When triggered: 

• Pupils dilate - allows more light in, enabling us to see our surroundings clearly
• Rate of breathing increases causing our body to flood with oxygen to help us face the danger
• Heart rate increases to provide us with more energy
• Blood glucose levels increase to help with energy
• Increased levels of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (non-adrenaline) which are chemicals that further increase energy and strength
• Tensed muscles to prepare the body for action

This system triggers the 'rest and digest' response 

The purpose of meditation according to mayoclinic.org is to give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that both benefit your emotional well-being and your overall health. Meditation is a practice that originated in India several thousand years ago. When most people think of Yoga, they just think of the movement (asana) practice but actually there are 8 limbs of yoga. 
You can read more about the 8 limbs of Yoga in more detail in this great artical from Chopa. I bring this up because I want to talk about Dhyana. This is one of the limbs of Yoga - it is when we are completely absorbed in the focus of our meditation. 
Yoga Asana was a tool to help prepare the body for this state. Getting the wiggles out if you will but that is not the only reason why yoga is such a great practice before meditating. 

If we are in our fight or flight response and we sit down to meditate, we may feel irritated, restless and even unsafe. If you feel unsafe, you're not going to easily activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Let's look at this a different way. If an antelope is running from a lion and they escape unharmed, they are not going to sit down and rest straight away. They are going to be cautious, scanning the area, making sure that they are safe. Animals also literally shake the trauma off. This is the same for us, no we aren't getting chased by a lion (probably), but the danger still feels very real -  even if that danger is a math test! 
If our sympathetic nervous system is activated we need to find a way, like Taylor Swift, to shake it off. 

Yoga is my favourite way to prepare for mediation even if it is with a few gentle poses, but on days when I feel especially agitated or anxiety is high, I like to practice Hatha yoga, Vinyasa or just dance it out to my favourite song. The main thing is that I move my body before trying to sit with my breath. 

If we don't take the time to relax on a regular basis, we can stay in this 'fight or flight' response. This can lead to a range of problems including fatigue, low energy, decreased immunity, depression, anxiety disorders, sleep problems, irritability, difficulty relaxing, social withdrawal, low self-esteem, muscle pain and even chronic headaches. 

Meditation comes in so many forms, including moving meditations! So it really is about checking in with yourself (same goes for your teens) and noticing how you feel. How are your energy levels? Is your mind racing? Do you want to be still or move? Do you feel safe? Do you feel agitated? Is your brain on high alert?
What kind of mediation are you going to practice? How would it feel to move your body first? 

Mediation alone may not be enough to help when anxiety is high but if you or your teen was to include something that helps to prepare the body and mind such as Yoga, Dance or Shaking it off, meditation could be a great help.

Does your teen have a practice that helps them to activate that parasympathetic nervous system and help them to manage anxiety and stress? Is this an area they struggle with?
Is it effecting their sleep or making them irritable during the day? You may like to check out my new course - Evening Rituals. 


What is your biggest take-away from this post, I would love to hear if you got anything from it. Comment below or feel free to send me a message.

You may also like to check out these previous posts:
Stream of thoughts - meditation for teens
22 mindful practices for stressed out mums
Thought hunter - teens practice

In our Children's Yoga and Mindfulness classes we have soo much to share, but often the students will list the games as their favourite part! Here is a list of 9 games that you may like to add into your Lesson plans that your classes will want to play over and over! Haven't got time to lesson plan? Why not check out my done for you lesson plans here.

Otherwise known as noughts and crosses. Make a large grid using yoga straps (or similar). There should be 9 spaces available. So two lines down, and 2 lines across, creating a box in the middle. This game needs at least eight students and yourself. That's two teams of four (and then you can join in if any of the teams need you at the end). One team is the O's and one is the X's. The idea is much like the classic but instead of drawing the X's and O's, students will use their body to play. So X's can lay down in an X shape, and O's can come into child's pose. Each team takes turns to take a space on the grid. The team to get three in a row first wins. We don't like to include competition in our yoga classes, so we don't really focus on the win, instead focus on the teamwork and playfulness. Play a few times so that everyone can get a turn, and each team has a go at being first. I would recommend this game for ages 8 up to teens.

Holding hands in a circle, pass squeezes by gently closing your hand around the person next to you. An 'electric current' you receive in one hand must come out the other. If you feel a squeeze, pass it on through to the other side. These can be passes in multiples and from both sides. If you get one from both sides at the same time it electrocutes you - so the more dramatic here, the better. Try selecting different students to start this game each time. 

Everyone walks around in a circle together. If one person stops, everyone stops. If one person starts walking, everyone starts walking. There is no leader so anyone can start and stop at any time. This means children must really focus and connect without words. 

This can be played as a group or by having everyone partner up. Decide who the leader is (in the group, or in the partnership). The leader creates a sequence or flows freely and everyone else copies. You can give them time to create a sequence or just let them improvise on the spot. Yoga cards can be given to help, music can be played and props may be used. Give them a minute or two and then change leader. If working in partners simply switch, if in a group, be sure that everyone gets a turn at being the leader. 

We love playing follow the leader, but what happen's when you don't know who the leader is? This game is played in our circle. One person leaves the room while we assign the role of the leader. The leader will be guiding the group through a sequence (made up or one you've been working on with a few improv moments). Everyone must copy the leader, without making it obvious who they are copying. Once the leader has been assigned, the person can come back into the room (we sometimes call them the Yoga detective). The leader starts and everyone copies. The Yoga detective tries to work out who is leading. If they guess wrong, the accused person comes to lay down on their mat.

This one can be very funny. For this game you will need one colorful scarf (the sensory/juggling type). Everyone sits in a circle as you (or a volunteer) stands in the middle with the scarf. You throw it up into the air, when it is in the air - everyone must laugh. This will start of as fake laughing but then very often becomes real. As soon as the scarf hits the floor, everyone must be silent. Can it be done? We are looking to improve our focus and reaction time here while reaping the benefits of laughing. Take it in turns as to who is in the middle. 

This can be a fun game to play when I have a new class and I am learning peoples names. I also use this game for groups I know very well, we do this by adding in an extra challenge which I will explain in a moment. Everyone starts by standing in a circle except for one person who goes in the middle. The person in the middle has to say the name of someone else three times. If they manage this, then they get to swap places with that person. If that person, however, says the person in the middle's name - just once - then they do not move and have to try again. This is a little too easy when everyone is very well acquainted, so we add in a little extra challenge by changing our names. It can be ANYTHING! We will often go with a theme such as food, weather, planets etc.

This is currently a favourite in one of my groups, they would honestly be happy to play it every week! Everyone chooses someone to be their sun, and someone to be their shield - without letting anyone know who they have chosen! You must stay as far away from your sun as possible and have your shield blocking the sun by trying to have them come between you and the sun. Sounds easy except for the fact that THEY do not know if they are a sun or a shield and they are focused on their own sun and shield (plus maybe you are their sun or shield too!). Once everyone has the hang of this, pause and ask them to pick a new sun and/or shield. Keep changing it up. This is a very high energy game so best followed up by a calmer one before ending your session with relaxation or quiet time.

One person lays in the middle of the room with a bell beside them, this is the Dragon. The Dragon is guarding the bell but is very tired. Everyone else gathers in a circle at the edges of the room. As the Dragon 'sleeps', the children must sneak up to get the bell. If the dragon hears any noise, they can wake up and scare everyone back (or they all freeze in a dragon pose/ low lunge). The games ends when some body gets the bell. They can then be the next dragon. To be sure everyone gets a turn, if they have already had a turn they may choose someone else to be the dragon.

There it is, 9 fun games you can play in your classes! I would love to know which of these you can't wait to try or perhaps you already play a similar version and have some alternate ways that you would like to share! Comment below!

Feel free to share this with other Children's Yoga teachers. If you haven't already signed up for my email, you may be interested to know that anyone who currently signs up will receive a FREE 8 week lesson plan! Check it out here. I also have many class plans and done for you courses over on my Etsy shop - here.

​Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

When you're a parent sometimes you don't get to choose when or how you wake up. You may start the day at full impact, a kid jumping on you and putting their bum in your face or a cry from the next room that makes you leap out of bed to check they are okay. This instant adrenaline rush or feeling of frustration or just plain feeling exhausted is a real rough way to start the day. It doesn't have to be like this though, there are ways you can start the day calmer, even with kids! 

There is one way that I see recommended to start your day constantly - CONSTANTLY!
It is one that i don't like and I will not be doing, even though it makes perfect sense. It is to wake up half hour before the children..... It's a pass from me. Okay, so it make sense. You get to have some time for yourself and ground before the children wake up, you get to enjoy the peace and quiet and ease in to your day, you can workout, practice yoga, meditate, sit out in the garden, read a book, cook a wonderful breakfast, have a peaceful shower - anything you choose. The problem I have with this, is my little dude has an inbuilt sensor. He knows when I am not in bed and he comes looking for me, even if its 2 or 3 hours before he is due to be awake, he knows! This means not only does my time alone get gate crashed but it means I'm going to have a stroppy child by noon. Maybe this works for some, and maybe it will work for me again one day but for now it's a hard pass SO how can we start the day more grounded apart from this way, because every minute of sleep is valuable.

My little dude is always in my bed by morning even if he slept well in his own bed for the most part. So when we wake up we usually start the day with a "good morning.", smiling at each other and give each other a big hug. Then we take a few breaths together. Sometimes we will do this hugging or we will practice tracing hand breath (where you trace your left hand with your right pointing finger, breathing in to come up and breathing out to come down). My daughter is still sleeping soundly at this point so if you have two children that are sleeping soundly this can be done alone, with a partner or with the dog! The important part of this is to just take a moment to breathe, to smile and to say "good morning." 

When sitting up, place your feet on the ground and just pause here. Take a moment just to feel the ground beneath you and come back to the breath. Take three breaths here before carrying on with your morning.

So I'm not talking hygiene here, I'm sure you have that covered but just splashing cold water on your face can help you to feel grounded, and signal to your body that it is time to wake up. This may also be a great time to set an intention for your day. 

Whether you take a good morning stretch, a 15 minute yoga practice, a work out, or put your favourite song on and move for two minutes, it can really help wake up the body. This can be very gentle, or more energetic. It can be 2 minutes or 20 minutes, alone or as a family - It is whatever works for you and that particular morning. This helps you to just be in the moment. At that time, there is no to do lists, it is just you, moving in a way that feels good. The key is to bring an awareness to your body and pay attention to any sensations in the body as you move.

I love to start my day off with a cup of coffee but this could be any drink that you like to start your day off with. I have mine in a red cup to symbolise the root chakra, the chakra that is related  to grounding and stability. Bring an awareness to this simple act of having a drink. How does it feel holding the cup in your hands? Is it hot or cold? Breathe it in, does it smell of anything? Take a few slow, intentional breaths here. You may also like to visualize a red ball of energy at the base of your spine. With each sip, see it getting brighter and more vibrant. See how it illuminates downward as it grounds you. Sit with this for a few minutes. 

My journaling practice is in the evenings so when I journal in the morning, I usually keep it quite short. It feels so nice to put pen to paper and just write for five minutes. Here are some of the things I will journal about in the morning.

1. Any dreams I had last night. If I remember anything, it can be nice to write about it. It also trains our brains to remember. 

2. I pull an Oracle Card and write about that. I write about what it means to me or anything that comes up.

3. Gratitude. Usually this is in my evening practice but it can be a really lovely way to start your day. If I have practiced a guided mediation around gratitude that morning, that does inspire me to write out gratitude earlier than the norm. 

4. My daily intention - I make this when washing my face as previously mentioned but here I write it down too.

5. Affirmations. I will often choose an affirmation for the day or for the week such as 
'Today, I choose patience' or 'I am calm and grounded.' 

6. My to do lists. If i feel like I'm going to forget something so everything is buzzing around me head it can be very helpful to write it all down and decide what's important, what would be nice to get done and what can wait. It also helps to see if I am being realistic with my expectations of myself.

So there are just a few of the ways that help me to feel grounded in the morning. Those mornings you jump right out into a chaotic rush around, where the kids start arguing and the cereal falls on the floor are exhausting!! You can choose not to do that any more! Take this time to ground. You can do this, and the more the children see you practicing this, the more they'll join in with the practices or feel inspired to create their own calming rituals. 

What is your biggest take away from this blog post? I would love to hear! How do you ground yourself OR how will you be grounding yourself from now on?

Some other posts you may like are:

22 Mindful Practices for Stressed out Mums

How to Practice Quiet Time Activities with Children

Three games you can play with your children while laying down

Healing Affirmations for your Root Chakra