Posts Tagged ‘music’


Can I Package My Heart? Kids Yoga Teacher Training

It’s midnight. Lying in bed. Lights are out. I can’t sleep. My brain is revving, can’t stop thinking — how could I start teaching yoga to kids? I’m a kindergarten teacher. I’m a yogi. I can teach yoga to kids. I want my 3-year-old to learn about yoga while she’s small… etc., etc., etc. Suddenly, I think – SONGS! I start humming a tune. I turn on the lamp, hoping not to wake my husband, sit up — more like jump up! Grab my note book and start writing… until dawn.

These became the first versions of the first songs that would eventually become a series of songs in which the lyrics instruct children how to get into the yoga poses, now known as award-winning, international Sing Song Yoga® for kids.

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Fast forward 8 years. I’m sitting at my computer staring at a blank page pondering what would be the most important information to teach at a Sing Song Yoga teacher training?  What do I have in my brain that I now use intuitively to teach this program? How do I package it for teacher trainees in a way that would allow others to provide a similar experience for kids throughout the world? What are the key components of Sing Song Yoga that can be replicated across the globe to provide families with the magical environment that makes this program a powerful experience for kids and families?

My teaching is a culmination of years of experience teaching young children andsing song yoga parent child class
providing a welcoming environment for families. I’ve studied child development, education, brain research, yoga, parenting styles, and family structures. I have a unique natural connection with children, being able to see through their eyes, to feel their little hearts, to intuitively know what allows them to open up and what makes them retract. How in the world can I pull all of this together to assist another teacher to most fully understand children through my eyes and through my heart. Can I really do that? Can I teach another person my perspective that makes Sing Song Yoga what it is?

The songs, the poses, and the activities are lovely, fun and unique in and of themselves and some can even be found in our DVD and app, but they are only a part of what makes the live Sing Song Yoga class what it is. It’s the learning environment created by the teacher within which those pieces perfectly fit.

For the most part, our society tends to teach children in a controlling structure. In a “well-behaved vs. naughty” paradigm, in which adults see it as their responsibility to control children (and their parents) to behave in THE way that is most fitting and most proper to succeed in our society. The overarching premise that you need to learn to “behave this way” and know “these things” and you will do well. Sameness. Conformity.

To the contrary, Sing Song Yoga seeks to provide experiences to empowerIMG_2852 children and families to reach for who they are and shine in their own unique ways. To explore and feel a freedom in our environment. One in which parents are freed from the underlying feeling of needing to demonstrate that they are good parents by the way their child “behaves,” or by the skill-level their child achieves. An environment in which children feel a sense of freedom and excitement of new challenge and calm, without feeling the pressure to measure up to some prescribed expectation of behavior and result.

How, in the world can I teach someone to understand my perceptions of a truly child-centered, explorative, open environment? To feel this at their 2016-06-11 13.29.01core. To shift paradigms. To then take this shift and re-create it within their own learning environment, laced with the essence of Sing Song Yoga — Empowerment; “I am strong, smart, creative and worthy. I have a unique voice and I have the power to make the world a better place!”

For the last year and a half, I have dedicated 90% of my work time to pulling together, adapting and tweaking my information to best vividly draw a picture for teacher trainees to experience my world, my vision, my weekly environment I provide for children. For these trainees I attempt with all that I am to open my heart to give a glimpse of my deep understanding and passion for what helps empower children within our Sing Song Yoga environment for the brief amount of time we have them in our class. I’m not seeking to change the whole world. But it is my desire, within the context of my teacher training, to allow trainees who are well suited for this program, to fully absorb my heart which holds the space for this open learning environment.

I was asked if I have policies in place for parents during the live classes because of the infamous “helicopter parents.”  I so appreciate this question because it led me to explain my feelings on parents’ freedom with an open door policy. From the very first Sing Song Yoga class, as an extension of who I am, I removed the physical foldable wall dividers to be sure that parents felt welcome in our class – either as an observer or as a participant.  Making policies that would limit the experiences of all families, because of a few parents, would go against the open environment I seek to provide. Most every parent has their child’s best interest at heart. Truly. And some might actually stretch their thinking from the interactions they observe and/or experience in our class – maybe not all, but some. For most families, parents being present in a class enriches the experience, if only providing a platform for later parent/child discussions. In addition, if parents have the opportunity to observe a child-led environment, they might be more likely not only to listen to their child a little more closely that day, but also, just maybe, hold a newer standard for the environment within the other programs for which they sign their kids up.

The much anticipated weekend arrives.  I’m sitting in the beautiful Yoga Studio in Grand Rapids, 2016-06-10 17.45.15-2Michigan gazing appreciatively at the yoga props each immaculately organized in its proper place, and the materials I have just hung up on the walls. The very first trainees will arrive in a few moments to begin the process of learning to be a Sing Song Yoga teacher.

They arrive. We explore, dig deep, share, create, explore, dig deep, share, create…

The final minutes of our very first Sing Song Yoga 2016-06-10 20.34.10Teacher Training are upon us. It’s the end of the last of 3 days of intense study, laughter, creation and idea sharing. The creative, smart, empowering women who took the plunge with me were giving me the feedback that provided me with a big fat “yes!” to my questions. Yes, I can invite others into my world of children and families. Yes, others will begin to see my vision, my standard of truly child-centered learning environments.  Not just the fancy buzz 2016-06-12 12.23.52words — but the real thing — felt fully by the teacher, exuded through their hearts and into the hearts of the families who join their class. And finally, yes, other teacher trainees will find value in the full program – not just learning the songs and the poses, but the true essence of Sing Song Yoga.

My heart overflows with appreciation for these two women, each with their own unique powerful strengths, giving me the necessary feedback, for my ability to share my heart and vision, and for feeling a big “Yes” for moving forward with the highest of expectations for future teachers in this program across the nation and around the globe.

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If you happen to share this vision of a child-centered, explorative, open learning environment, and have an interest in taking the Sing Song 2016-06-12 12.46.32Yoga Teacher Training this November in Grand Rapids, Michigan, check out our Teacher Training page.  It’s not an easy training. Work is involved — but meaningful work that will give you the tools to provide a rich, child-centered environment, in which yoga, songs and laughter naturally fit.


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Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 20th, 2016.
Posted in Sing Song Yoga Teacher Training.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Kids Yoga App Series #5: Time Management for Home & Classroom

* This post is the 5th within a kids yoga app series #SSYappSeries… (here are #1#2#3 and #4.

Parents and teachers have one BIG thing in common – the need for super efficient time-management tools and skills to get the most out of every second spent with our kids. For this reason when designing our kids yoga app we focused heavily on features that assist with efficiently managing time spent on yoga, so it can easily fit into our daily schedules.

4 Time Management Features:

  1. Length of pose displayed
  2. Length of SSY Sequences (preprogrammed sequences – series of poses each with an end in mind, i.e. Test Prep Sequence, Calming Sequence, Athlete’s Sequence, etc.)
  3. Total Sequence Time Display **My personal favorite!!
  4. Transition Speed Slider

1. Length of Pose

For specific times down to the second, the app displays the actual time duration for each individual pose right on its corresponding picture within the Tabs section. See arrows in below pic…

SSY app pic arrow pose length

2. Length of SSY Sequence (preprogrammed)

…and as shown below, on each Sequence picture the length of the sequence is displayed — under the SSY SEQUENCES tab.

SSY app pic arrow sequence time

3. Total Sequence Time

And one of the features that I personally LOVE is the “Total Sequence Time” display on the Sequence Canvas. This display changes as you add and throw out poses from your sequence that you’re building on the Sequence Canvas…

SSY app pic arrow Total sequence length

So let’s say you have five minutes to spare in between recess and writing. But the “I Can Focus Sequence” is too long at 11:01 minutes.  You can open the sequence (drag it to the Sequence Canvas) and then proceed to throw out some of the poses by pressing, holding and moving the pose back up to the tabs area (as shown above with Sailboat) until you’re under 5 minutes. And viola!! Now you have time for yoga! I so love this!!

4. Transition Speed Slider

Before each pose is a transition slide that displays:

  • Pose name (kid name & Sanskrit name)
  • Photo of pose

photo 1

The default length of time for these slides is 4 seconds (as in the DVD version). But the Transition Speed Slider (shown below) allows the user to shorten that slide to as quick as 1 second to squeeze in more poses. Or lengthen the time to as long as 30 seconds. This can be useful for children with physical limitations who may need more time to move from one pose to the next, or for use during a game where kids are moving from one area of the classroom to another between poses. The possibilities are endless.

4 speed slider

 

We’d love to hear about additional ideas that you have found to help efficiently manage time with yoga in the classroom and at home!

And please let us know ANY questions or comments you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries or #SSYkidQuestions. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free A super quick video to demonstrate some features within the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2015.
Posted in Education, Kid's Yoga Sequences, Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
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Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free

* This post is the 2nd within a series #SSYappSeries… (here’s #1)

When we were designing the Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga app, I held a strong focus on these questions:

  • What would I want in an App? And specifically within a Kids’ Yoga app?
  • What would the parents I know want?
  • What would the teachers I know want?

And one main idea I kept coming back to was…  “I want to try it before I buy it!” Here’s a brief video that, in sped-up fashion, shows how the app works, and the app can be found in the app store to try for free.

This video is pretty quick but we just want to give you an idea of some of its features. See Kids Yoga App Debuts in App Store for a slower-paced explanation in written form with pictures and arrows. So give the app a shot with your kids or students and see if it’s a good fit!

Please let us know any questions you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 27th, 2015.
Posted in Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,


Kids Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence

Last week we answered a great #ssykidquestion about Tips for Balancing in kids yoga poses. So, here is our follow up on how to build and save a balancing sequence within the Sing Song Yoga Kids Yoga App. The pics below make it easy cheesy for kids and their parents/teachers to create their own sequence!

balancing sequence Sing Song Yoga App

Go through the SSY App and find the balancing poses that you’d like to include in your sequence.  These can be found under the tabs entitled Standing Poses Sitting Poses, and Floor Poses.  When you find each pose, press, hold and drag it to the Sequence Canvas.  Notice the Total Sequence Time accumulating on the main screen to be sure it stays within your needed period of time.

 

save balancing sequence in Sing Song Yoga kids yoga app

Save your Balancing Sequence by pressing the SAVE button below the Sequence Canvas (on the bottom of the home screen).

 

saved balancing sequence within the Sing Song Yoga kids yoga app

Find your saved sequences behind the main screen by pressing the SAVED icon in the upper left corner of the screen.

 

mrszpic

Have fun balancing with your kids!

And here are those guidelines again to keep in mind when creating a kids yoga sequence.  Each pose is color coded within the app. The color at the top of each pose picture indicates the influence each pose has on the nervous system:

  • yellow = neutral
  • red = energizing    
  • blue = calming

It is most often recommended to order the poses in this way

  • neutral or energizing poses (beginning)
  • energizing poses (middle)
  • calming poses (ending… Savasana is most often the last pose).

 

Please send your kids’ yoga questions to Sing Song Yoga’s

Twitter or Facebook using #ssykidsquestions

 

Thank heaps!! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Deb

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 1st, 2014.
Posted in Kid's Yoga Sequences, Sing Song Yoga.
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Top 6 Kids Yoga Poses for Bedtime: a calming sequence

Ahhhh!  Summer is here.  After long lovely days at the beach, at the ballpark, on the playground and running around the neighborhood, kids tend to remain wired when heading to bed.  Unless of course a calming activity is deliberately infused into the routine leading up to bedtime.

One such activity can be a short series of kids yoga poses.  Here are top 6 yoga poses for helping your child begin to calm their bodies and minds — in as little as 8 minutes. These poses also happen to be the included poses in the free Sing Song Yoga App.  So enjoy – and let us know what you think!

Sailboat T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sailboat begins the series during which your child will twist around the straight spine, which has a neutral effect on the nervous system.

 

Half Butterfly T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next comes Half Butterfly.  Forward folds have a calming effect on the nervous system and the one bent leg opening up the hip adds to the calming effect.

 

Fish T Still Image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish pose is a lovely night time yoga pose to add to our sequence.  We tend to hold stress in our hips, so allowing our legs to relax out to the sides enhances the relaxation effect.  Open up the chest and allow your head to relax back and look behind you (slightly different than the picture). This multifaceted pose works beautifully to continue the calming effect.

 

Bridge T

Bridge pose is an inversion well known for its calming effect on the nervous system.  This kids’ yoga pose can also be used anytime you have an extra minute during your day to give your child an extra sense of calm. Great, of course, for moms and dads too!

 

Dead Bug T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deadbug pose adds a final dose of a calming response before the big finale! Your child can even add the hum of the bug to enhance the relaxation. Hearing the humming sound within one’s own head can also double the calm for some children.

 

Savasana 1 T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Savasana is the final yoga pose in this series and the granddaddy of the relaxation poses.  Encourage your child to lie flat on his or her back, close the eyes and imagine themselves floating on a cloud allowing their bodies to completely relax.  For preparing for bedtime, it can also be helpful for your child to do savasana right in their bed and then allow themselves to drift softly into dreamland!  Ahh! Now mom and dad can slip off for their own quiet time.

 

 

If you would like to learn the songs and more in-depth directions to these Sing Song Yoga kids yoga poses, check out the award-winning Sing Song Yoga App in the iTunes Store. The above poses are the free ones at launch. Or see our website to order the DVD.

To see a fun White Board Animation about our program click here!

Sing Song Yoga Kids Yoga App video animation

 

 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 21st, 2014.
Posted in Benefits of Yoga, Kid's Yoga Sequences, Parenting, Sing Song Yoga.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


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