As many of us know, February 14th can be a day filled with conversation hearts, red punch and chocolate, creating a challenging atmosphere for teaching mindfulness and self-care. Alternatively, we can refocus this day on love and friendship inviting our students to reconnect with each other, the community and themselves.
Most of the following poses and activities can be found in Lisa Flynn’s “Yoga for Children” book.
OPENING
Sing the Welcome Song, a ChildLight Yoga original which can be found on iTunes, Spotify or for purchase on our website.
Consider asking questions instead of always providing the answers. What is love? What is kindness? Can you love yourself? Discuss Valentine’s Day. St Valentine lived many years ago and was said to have written a sonnet for his loved one using ink he squeezed from the petals of violets. *Sonnet: a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line
CENTERING
Read The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
BREATHWORK
Imagine someone you love in your mind. Inhale and feel the love you have for them fill you up. Exhale and send love back out. Know that you love and you are loved.
WARMUP
Rain storm Start seated or standing in a circle. The leader begins by rubbing hands together, then the person to the right joins, then the next until the sound makes its way around the circle, at which time the leader adds on as the sound continues around the circle. (a) Rub your hands together. (b) Lightly tap fingers on the legs for a light rain. (c) Increase the volume and tempo of the tapping for stronger rain. (d) Taking your time begin to reverse the order as the rain slows down ending with silence.
SONGS
Listen to Your Heart, a ChildLight Yoga original which can be found on iTunes, Spotify or for purchase on our website.
YOGA POSES
Ask the students to retell The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond and incorporate postures. Open the book when they need reminders. Possible postures could be: Crescent Moon, card pose (sitting in butterfly with feet together open them like a card), table top, chair pose, she looked at the hearts from the front plank, side plank, and back reverse plank, thread the needle (table top twist), roll like a cotton ball, she used a pencil (mountain pose) to draw and cut out circles (flying bird breath or in/out breath), she put them in the mailbox (child’s pose), down dog, turtle, rabbit, tree
GROUP/PARTNER POSES/CREATIVE MOVEMENT
There are so many variations to create-a-heart! Use only your hands, use only your arms, use your whole body, create-a-heart with a friend, work together as an entire group to create a heart!
TRANSITION
Imagine you are a heart-shaped raindrop floating down from the sky. What do you see? Be mindful not to bump into any of the other raindrops as you make your way to your mat.
RELAXATION
Picture a soft fluffy cloud floating down beside you. This cloud can be any shape, size or color that you choose. You feel safe and warm with your cloud. If you climb onto your cloud it will gently lift you up and take you anywhere you want to go. Where will it take you? What can you see on the way? Rest for a bit and enjoy the peaceful journey.
CLOSING
May love rain down on us, May love surround us, May love grow through us
May peace rain down on us, May peace surround us, May peace grow through us
May chocolate rain down on us, May chocolate surround us, May chocolate grow through us
(I change the last line every class and we all erupt in giggles!)
TAKE AWAY
Spritz students and caregivers with lavender scented magic mist after they are dressed and ready at the door. Valentine themed mandalas, heart shaped stickers, or two positive affirmations (one to keep and one to share with a friend) are also welcome take aways.
I hope you enjoy sharing this sequence with the children in your life. If our youngest generation regularly practices nurturing the loving relationships in their lives, over time we will see a more loving planet! And as I always say, #loveisallthatmatters.
Sally Delisle, E-RYT 500, YACEP, RCYT, serves as Director of ChildLight Yoga Teacher Trainings, is a ChildLight Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher Trainer, and a Yoga 4 Classrooms Trainer. Sally is the creator/co-author of the ChildLight Yoga and Mindfulness Advanced Teaching Concepts and contributor to the Tweens and Teens and ChildLight Yoga in Schools Teacher Training curricula … read more here.
ChildLight Yoga offers a wide variety of teacher trainings each year across the country focused on empowering adult to share the gifts of yoga and mindfulness with children, babies, toddlers, tween, teens, children and teens with special needs, athletes, in schools and much more. To learn more and view the schedule, click here.
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