I Love Yoga (Yoga for Kids)

I loveYOGAflexpaper.studylead.comLONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,MELBOURNE, AND DELHIEditor Elizabeth HesterAssistant Managing Art Director Michelle BaxterDesign Assistant Jessica LasherPublishing Director Beth SutinisArt Director Dirk KaufmanCreative Director Tina VaughanProduction Ivor ParkerDTP Milos OrlovicPhotographer Angela CoppolaFirst published in Great Britain in 2006 by Dorling Kindersley Limited, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Copyright © 2006 Dorling Kindersley LimitedAll images © Dorling Kindersley LimitedAll photographs in this book were taken by Angela Coppola except Dog Steve Shott © Dorling Kindersley Limited and Cat © Dorling Kindersley Limited, both on page 11.For more ination see www.dkimages.comAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retri system, or transmitted in any or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. .ISBN-13 978-1-40531-435-0 ISBN-10 1-4053-1435-4Reproduced by Colourscan, SingaporePrinted and bound in China by L.RexDiscover more atwww.dk.comflexpaper.studylead.comWritten by Mary Kaye ChryssicasPhotography by Angela CoppolaI loveYOGAflexpaper.studylead.comContentsIntroduction 6–7Arriving at Class 8–9What is Yoga 10–11Warming Up 12–13Waking Up the Body 14–15Lift Up Your Heart 16–17Hip Openers 18–19Frog Jump 20–21All About Balance 22–23Power Poses 24–25Beginner Back Bends 26–27Advanced Back Bends 28–29Upside Down 30–31Energy Moves Me 32–33Twist and Split 34–35Partner Yoga 36–37Fun and Games 38–39Restful Poses 40–41Savasana 42–43Namaste 44–45Glossary and Index 46–47Acknowledgements 48flexpaper.studylead.comflexpaper.studylead.comflexpaper.studylead.comIntroductionYoga teaches us how to pay attention toour bodies and use our own breath to putour minds at peace. Practising yoga can helpyou face stressful situations and keep yourbody strong. It’s fun to learn how manywonderful ways your body can moveflexpaper.studylead.comArriving at ClassLong hair should be pulled awayfrom the face so it won’t bedistracting during class.8Getting readyTara helps Grant get ready for class. Grant wearscomfortable shorts and a vest so he can movearound easily. Tara wears soft cotton yoga pantsand a fitted top. They take off jackets, jewelleryand shoes before class begins.The students are arriving at the yoga studio. Eachchild brings a yoga mat and wears comfortable clothesthat make it easy to move and stretch. Some of thestudents, like Caroline and Anna, have been taking yogafor a few years. Grant is just beginning to learn yoga,but Tara and the otherstudents help him feelcomfortable. The classalways welcomes newstudents. That’s part ofwhat yoga is all aboutCaroline and Anna have becomegood friends through yoga class.What to bringEverything each student needs forclass fits into this mat bag. Themat is the most important pieceof yoga equipment. Its surface is alittle sticky, so it helps keep handsand feet in place during poses. It’s also wise to bring a bottle of water to drink during class.flexpaper.studylead.comYoga propsThe teacher provides yoga props tomake difficult poses easier, or to helpstudents get used to new positions.Blocks can help with balance. Strapscan be useful for stretching poses.A blanket can pad your knees or your seat to make you feel morecomfortable. And eye pillows are a relaxing reward at the end of class.I made some of my bestfriends at yoga.Caroline”“Eye pillowsStrap9Blocks and blanketsflexpaper.studylead.comWhat is YogaYoga was first practised thousands of years agoas a way to rcise and to calm the mind, ormeditate. Yoga is built around a series of poses.In the beginning, yoga focused mainly on seatedposes for meditation. Then people who practisedyoga, called yogis yoh-gees, added more activeposes. Today, people all over the word do yogato help keep their bodies and minds healthy.Sun SalutationsSun Salutations are a way forpeople to start their day orbegin a class with energy. MaryKaye demonstrates this rcise,which is a sequence of poseslinked together. Over time, theclass will learn to use the breath tomove fluidly between poses in SunSalutations and other sequences.Mary Kaye is an experienced yogi whohas studied the best ways to teachposes. She shows how to do each poseduring class, and then checks to makesure each student is on the right track.10flexpaper.studylead.comYoga namesThe names of yoga poses describe the animal orobject they imitate. There are poses called Gorilla,Cobra, Mountain and Tree. Some poses look a lot like their names. Some take a little more imagination.Each pose also has a name in Sanskrit, an ancientlanguage from India, where yoga was born.If you have a dog, you’veprobably seen him do yogaThis pose is called DownwardDog. In Sanskrit it’s calledAdho Mukha Svanasana ahd-oh moo-ka svan-ah-sah-nah.Have you ever seen a cat arch hisback Mary Kaye shows how Catpose imitates this stretch. The bodybegins on all fours, and the back is rounded like a cat.Yoga is a way of lifeThe patience and calm you learnduring yoga helps you acceptchallenges in life. Mary Kayeencourages the class to rememberyoga during stressful times, likebefore a big football game orspelling test, to help them relax.11Cat poseDownward Dog poseflexpaper.studylead.comWarming Up12First, everyone finds a space on the floor tounroll their yoga mats. When everyone is readyto begin, Mary Kaye invites the class to sit withher on the floor. She explains that the mostimportant part of yoga is the breath. Payingattention to the breath can help yogis stay strongin poses and keep the mind at peace. Class beginswith some simple breathing rcises.The breathMary Kaye asks the students to inhale, or breathe in, filling their bellies with air. Then they exhale, or breathe out, as if fogging up a window. The students then try this breathing rcise with their mouths closed. This is calledUjjayi oo-jiy breathing.Miles tries a Lion’s Breath.He breathes in and out with an open mouth and says “ha”flexpaper.studylead.comThis is the counterpose for FootStretch. Counterpose meansopposite pose. A pose and itscounterpose are often doneone after the other tokeep the body balanced.Easy pose is asimpler versionof Lotus.Caroline settles into Lotuspose by folding each footagainst the opposite hip.The hands rest on the knees.A gentle stretch in Lotus helps Carolinewarm up for class. She rests one hand onthe floor while the other reaches overhead.Mary Kaye calls this stretch ‘waterskiing’.Sit on your heels with your knees in front.Keep the feet flat. Raise your arms to takehold of the ski rope. Try to touch the waterSit on your mat with legs extended. Slowly walkthe fingers down the legs and towards the toes. Tryholding a toe in Yoga Toe Lock for a deeper stretch.Miles uses a strapto help him dothis stretch.Caroline does LotusLift by pressing herpalms to the floor andlifting her body up.Lotus poseSeated forward bendThis pose stretches the legmuscles and loosens the body.Don’t worry if you can’t reachyour feet – just try to keepyour legs and back straight.Lotus LiftLotus StretchFoot Stretch13Yoga Toe LockGrant presses hispalms together inPrayer position.flexpaper.studylead.comWaking Up the BodyMiles stands with thequiet strength of amountain in Mountainpose. The palms rest inPrayer position in front of the heart, and the legsand back are straight.From Mountain pose, Milesjumps up high, spreading hisarms and legs wide. He exhalesa loud Lion’s Breath HaaaThe volcano eruptsIt’s time to wake up the body with some basicposes. The children learn to use their breath as they move in and out of poses. Mary Kayereminds everyone that basic poses likethese will come up again and again inclass, so it’s important for each studentto pay close attention to the breath and the movement of the body.Downward DogThis is a basic pose that can lead to lots of otherposes. In Downward Dog, the arms and legs are straight, and the chest presses down toward the mat. Try to push your feet and hands flat against the mat.In Downward Dog, feet are flat and slightly pigeon-toed.Spread your fingers like a starfish.From Downward Dog, Caroline drops herelbows to the mat into Dolphin pose.14Dolphinflexpaper.studylead.comUpward DogUpward Dog is the counterpose ofDownward Dog. InUpward Dog, the head isheld high and straight andthe arms are strong. Annacan lift her thighs off theground in this pose. It’salso OK to keep themon the mat whileyou’re learning.“Plank pose makes my wholebody feel aliveAnna“Plank pose makes your body strong andlengthens the spine. Look at a spot betweenyour hands as you try to keep your body in astraight line. But don’t worry about doing thepose ‘perfectly’ – there is no perfect pose.Lightning Bolt is an active posethat energizes the body. Thefingertips reach to the sky likelightning. Tara keeps her kneesand feet together and tries tofeel energy reaching out.After all these energetic poses,Tara clasps her hands together and folds over to stretch hershoulders and rest. Mary Kaye saysthe head should feel heavy like awatermelon hanging from a vine.Caroline lifts her right foot to the sky. Thepalms and heel press into the mat. MaryKaye helps keep her hips parallel to the mat.PlankLightning BoltForward Fold15Peacock Featherflexpaper.studylead.comLift Up Your HeartThese poses are designed to help lift the heart andopen the chest. Caroline likes the way this feels –like the mind is opening to new ideas as the bodylearns to stretch into a more open position. Thesercises promote flexibility and coordination andhelp you feel good about yourself.Stick out yourtongue like a cobraFish poseAnna tilts her head back in Fish pose.She rests on her elbows and arches herchest. Mary Kaye says that in this poseyour chest should feel like it’s smiling16Cobra poseGrant presses up into Cobrapose. Cobra keeps the spine as flexible as a snake. Granttries to lift his ears awayfrom his shoulders andhold his chest up.flexpaper.studylead.comAnna reaches one arm to the sky in another version of Camel. In yoga, one posecan have lots of s. Yourteacher can help you find theone that feels best for you.Camel poseThis pose looks like the hump of a camel’s back. The girlsbegin this pose in a kneeling position. Then they press thehips forwards as they arch their backs. The hands reachdown to take hold of the heels. Mary Kaye reminds themto drop their heads back, close their eyes and breathe.Child’s Pose is a restful pose that feels good afterCamel – or any time you feel tired in class. 17One-arm CamelChild’s poseWhen I drop back in Camel, I can feel my heart beat.Christine”“flexpaper.studylead.comHip-opening poses like Dancer’s Poseencourage stability, balance and the ability to focus. They open the hips and leave youfeeling energized. Hold each hip-opening posefor several breaths and try to concentrate so you can hold the pose longer.Pigeon posesThese poses look easy, but they are deep stretchesfor your hips. With Double Pigeon, you can evenstretch both hips at once. Remember to keep using the breath to help you hold these poses.Hip Openers1 One heel stacks on top ofyour knee and the opposite kneeis placed on top of your heel.2 If you are comfortable, fold forwardsand walk your fingers down the mat.4 If you want to, try bendingforwards to press your palms against the mat and rest.1 From Downward Dogpose, lift one leg high likeCaroline is doing here.2 Bend the knee as you bringdown the leg, then reach itthrough towards the arms.3 Rest the bent leg in a seated position.Palms press the mat. Lift the chest uphigh and lengthen the spine.18Double pigeonHip stretches feel great Annalikes to sit with her feet pressedtogether in Butterfly pose.flexpaper.studylead.comDancer’s PoseCaroline and Christine balance in Dancer’s Pose.Beginning with the feet together in Mountainpose, the girls raise their left arms. The right arm reaches back to take hold of the right ankle,gently lifting the back leg towards the sky.Dancer’s Pose is a greathip opener but a toughbalancing act It’s OKto fall whenyou’re tryingposes.Frog poseCaroline spreads her legs wide andsquats in Frog pose. It’s a great wayto steady and calm the body. It’s alsofun to jump around in Frog pose ”I like Dancer’s Pose. It makesme feel like I am dancing.GrantMary Kaye remindsthe class to repeateach pose on theother side to keepthe body in balance.19“flexpaper.studylead.com20Jumping Frogsflexpaper.studylead.com21flexpaper.studylead.comAll About BalanceThe studio is quiet again for balance poses.The yogis have to concentrate on a gazingpoint and their breathing to hold theseposes. Each pose shifts the body weight to balance on one spot – the left foot, rightfoot or bottom. You have to feel centred to stay straight and steady, so sometimesMary Kaye asks the class to stand with their backs against the wall before theybegin. This reminds the body what it feels like to stand up straight.Christine, Anna and Tara balance in Treepose. One leg is bent with the foot placedinside the opposite leg. Holding the handsin prayer helps the girls stay centred.If you feel wobbly in Tree pose,place your foot farther downon the standing leg. This willgive you better balance.Boat poseCaroline, Anna and Christine concentrateon holding Boat pose. Starting flat on theirbacks, the girls blow out their breath, orexhale, as they lift their arms and legs at thesame time to a human V. In Boat pose,you can feel your belly getting stronger.22flexpaper.studylead.comCaroline wraps her rightleg over her left leg.Then she wraps her leftarm under her right arm.The hands press togetheras Caroline squats lowand steady. She gently triesto lift the elbows higher.Tara lifts her bodyinto Aeroplane pose.Keeping positivethoughts in mind can help make eventhe most challengingposes possible.Yoga feet should beactive. Spread the toesSoar like an eagleMary Kaye tells the classto imagine standing onthe edge of a mountainin Eagle pose. You areready to flyDrishtiThe teacher will help you findyour drishti, or gazing point, foreach pose. You can look in frontof you or find a spot on the floor,but do not watch your friend. If he wobbles, so will youAeroplane23flexpaper.studylead.comPower PosesPower poses are a challenge for thebody – but also a test of our mind’sability to stay calm and focused whenthings are hard. Caroline has practised fora long time to master these poses, but theyhave got easier for her as her belly and armshave become stronger, and she has learned toconcentrate and use her breath.2 Caroline places her handson the mat and leans forwards.One knee comes up to resthigh on the back of the arm.Power poses require strength and calm. Each one is a differentchallenge, but don’t give up – youcan do it if you practise1 Caroline prepares for Cro