Yoga Flavored Life » Kids

Yoga DVDs for Kids

Sean Rogders — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:39:26 +0000

Yoga Ma Baby Ga, Down Dog Productions, 2004 DVD

Itsy Bitsy Yoga’s Sleep n’ Grow, Helen Garabedian, 2007 DVD

Have you ever found yourself waking up in the morning determined to poke as much fun at yourself as possible? It happens to me all the time – and it’s always a blast too. Perhaps I had better explain…

The last two decades of my life (and yours too, believe it or not) has been a slow but steady work in progress, moving ourselves and humanity as a whole to a deeper and more open view of our universe and our true nature. In that time, I have been fortunate to learn from many great masters that to be human is to have failures (which aren’t really failures anyways), and one of the best ways to combat them is to poke fun at them and yourself to understand how ridiculous we as humans can be at times. I am, of course, just a little crazy too… but then again, aren’t we all?

Postnatal DVD’s? I am a guy, right?

Take today’s article, for instance. I picked up these two DVD’s nearly a week ago from the library and have been using one on a daily basis after reviewing the other (you’ll see why). That was one of those mornings I was talking about…what guy in his right mind would pick up a couple of postnatal DVD’s to review? I was actually a little disappointed in some ways, as both DVD’s changed my perceptions about a few things and proved to be very rewarding experiences.

Okay, enough chitchat and down to our multi-DVD review! We are going to start with the DVD that I have been faithfully using for the last week now; Yoga Ma, Baby Ga, Mama and Me Postnatal Yoga, Down Dog Productions, 2004. Featuring Jo Ann Colker Arison, Yoga Ma, Baby Ga includes three fifty-five minute videos – one for mom and baby, one for mom only, and one for baby only.

Yoga Ma Baby Ga – (for mom and baby) is designed to entertain and occupy your baby’s attention with images and music while mom follows the routine in the lower left quadrant of the screen. As the one-hour workouts in both Yoga Ma, Baby Ga and Yoga Ma are the same, find the time to do Yoga Ma first. There are no verbal instructions on the Yoga Ma, Baby Ga workout.

Yoga Ma – (Just for mom) is a step by step Yoga Recovery routine with numerous pose variations included.

Baby Ga – (Just for baby) is a pure baby-only experience with captivating music and delightful pictures to engage your little one’s attention.

The routine

Yoga Ma Baby Ga is a postnatal regimen for women who have very recently given birth and wish to restore their stamina, energy and muscle memory to pre-pregnancy or better performance, as well as heal the body from the trauma placed on it through the birthing process. Jo Ann reminds women prior to the routine that as a new mom, it is difficult to find time for you. To add to that, everything has changed, and women need to realize that forgiveness, patience, and giving your body it’s time to recover is very important. Jo Ann also cautions women that energy levels along with you and your baby’s moods will change day by day, sometimes more often. Love yourself, love your baby, and stop the DVD at any time to look after yourself or your baby should the need arise. Prepare for nearly fifty-five minutes of a great workout!

The Exercises

Yoga Ma Baby Ga starts with audible Ujaii breathing, baby in hand. According to Jo Ann, the audible exhale mimics those sounds of breathing while the baby was in the womb, and is therefore very relaxing and calming. Here again, Jo Ann mentions the importance of accepting the present moment, and honoring yourself and your baby by stopping when necessary with no self-recriminations or feelings of guilt.

The workout itself is strenuous, despite being composed of almost entirely floor asanas with only a few exceptions. Yoga Ma Baby Ga concentrates on abdominals and lower back work and proceeds as follows…

Seated meditation and Ujaii breathing, neck releases, brief warm up, brief attention to hams and quads, strong core workout, down dog/ cobra sequences, back and forward bending asanas, attention to knees and hips, additional abdominals including intercostals, a short cool down, and of course – resting in Savasana.

A good DVD

My honest opinion? I certainly have not given birth lately (at least I’m pretty sure) and still found the workout to be a respectable challenge. As a matter of fact, the excellent Hatha yoga asanas for stretching and releasing the hip girdle have been officially incorporated into my own daily routine. As I said, I haven’t recently given birth, but this DVD may be a stretch for new mothers, especially those with little prior Yoga experience. That being said, the asanas are always first performed with the easiest variation, then Jo Ann works the student upward in difficulty to help compensate for this. I give Yoga Ma Baby Ga a great review score of four out of five .

Itsy Bitsy Yoga’s Sleep n’ Grow, Helen Garabedian, DVD 2007. I should have read the cover of this DVD a little closer, as it turned out to be a Yoga DVD for the newborn and young toddlers up to ten months. I did watch the whole thing however – who could not? There were some cute babies and there is no more natural smile than that of a very young child.

Baby Yoga

Itsy Bitsy Yoga is divided into three main areas – stretch n’ play, divine digestion, and sweet sleep for zero to ten weeks old. Each exercise within these three categories encourages the development of a closer relationship between you and your new baby, lots of touching and caressing while speaking words of love, and beginning a strong foundation for your child. Bonus routines for children ten weeks to ten months are also included, and feature an entirely different set of exercises as your young child will have developed the requisite strength and stability of limbs and neck by that age.

As a man, you may think it would be difficult to comment on watching a small group of three mothers or Helen with her own baby performing the exercises and talking to her/their babies in a relaxed, soothing, sing-song voice. It is difficult, but not because as a man I cannot truly relate. The DVD and the heartfelt and warm interactions tugged at my heartstrings, and made me realize that anything that may strengthen what is surely the most powerful bond on the planet (that of a mother and her offspring) is a blessing indeed – especially if it has anything to do with Yoga!

Final words

Itsy Bitsy Yoga turned out to be quite a rewarding experience after all, but do not count to benefit from performing asanas with this DVD, the benefit is in the interaction with your new baby and/or very young child. As it turned out, both of these DVD’s purchased together would be excellent additions to a new mother’s home practice, and her baby’s.

Farewell until the end of the week. My upmost respect and amazement at the power of the bond between mother and child that no man can claim to truly understand. As for childbirth, I will not even pretend I would survive such an ordeal, but am heartily thankful my own mother did, lest you be reading a blank page!

Namaste

Energizing and Creative Ideas for Kids’ Yoga

Charlotte Bradley — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:46:08 +0000

Yesterday Matthew wrote a post about the benefits of Ashtanga yoga for kids. I can definitely understand how the energy and physical requirements of an Ashtanga practice would appeal to children. I know for my little guys, who are 6 now, there has to be a fair bit of action to keep their attention. They’ll often throw their own “kung-fu” or “natural disaster” spin on a pose. It’s not just Mountain, it’s Exploding Volcano!

I came across this video on YouTube and thought it gave some good examples in another style, of what yoga for kids might look like. This is based in the Kundalini style of yoga and involves lots of movement, vinyasa, repetition and fun – which I think are all key elements for a successful kids’ yoga practice.

Have a look at the video with instructor Sarah Kline of Yoga Today for some great ideas to try with your own little guys. (Check out the action from Downward to Upward Facing Dog – not sure that I could keep up!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ashtanga Yoga Improves Kids’ Physical and Mental Health

Charlotte Bradley — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:13:49 +0000

photo credit: creativedc

Thanks to Matthew Papaconstantinou from Weight Loss Triumph for his guest post on the physical and mental benefits of Ashtanga yoga for children.

Obese children face a well known list of physical risks. Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are just a few ailments that can strike far too soon. Their bodies aren’t all that is affected. In addition to being at risk for lifelong physical ailments, overweight children may also experience psychological distress. The emotional effects can be even worse for girls who are frequently exposed to unrealistic beauty ideals.

A vigorous type of yoga, such as Ashtanga or power, can help overweight kids improve their physical and mental health. Ashtanga sessions focus on challenging practitioners’ strength and flexibility while moving at a lightly aerobic pace. A recent study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, suggests that Ashtanga yoga could help overweight children lose weight while reducing depression and improving self-image.

Ashtanga Classes for Kids at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

In this study, two University of Texas researchers, Benavides and Caballero, investigated how yoga affected children’s weight loss. Through community outreach, the researchers invited overweight children to participate in free Ashtanga classes as part of the study. The kids were asked to go to three one-hour-and-fifteen-minute yoga sessions each week for three months. They weren’t told to change their diets or their activity levels.

Study Overview

Kids who were overweight, had an immediate family member with type 2 diabetes or were of Hispanic or African American descent were invited to take part in a 12-week Ashtanga yoga program.
The 14 participants, most of whom were Hispanic, ranged in age from 8-15.
After enrolling in the program, the kids had their weight, height and body mass index (BMI) recorded.
They also underwent lab tests to check their levels of glucose, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides.
Everyone completed a survey to measure anxiety, depression and self-concept at the beginning of the program.
After finishing the program, the participants weighed in and took psychological surveys again. Those with unusual lab results had their tests repeated.

Weight Loss and Psychological Improvements

By the end of the program, the kids had lost weight—an average of 2 kilograms, or 4.4 pounds, each. One 13-year-old girl lost 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) the largest decrease of all the participants. Of the two kids who had abnormal lab test results, their retests at the end of the program showed an improvement.

Most of the kids who indicated emotional distress in their initial surveys also showed improvement.

Five of the kids had low or very low self-esteem scores; four of them showed improvement in their self-esteem by the end of the program.
Three kids initially showed signs of depression that, by the end of the study, had improved.
Two kids who had a high level of anxiety were less anxious by the end of the study.
One parent commented on the increased confidence that her daughter showed after the Ashtanga program.

What Does This Mean for Kids?

Adults who do yoga frequently already know that regular practice has a soothing effect on the mind. Grown-ups are not alone in the ability to feel calmed by performing the asanas. Yoga has been associated with lowered anxiety and increased feelings of relaxation in a study of kids with ADHD. The children )mostly boys) practiced Hatha yoga, a slower and more relaxed style than Ashtanga.

Overweight kids, who are likely to be self-conscious and stressed out about their bodies could benefit even more from the more vigorous Ashtanga style of yoga. Children who develop a regular Ashtanga practice will strengthen their bodies and, quite possibly, begin to feel better about themselves. They could get a boost in self-esteem boost from taking action to get into better shape and as they begin to feel and see the difference in their bodies, develop healthier self-images.

Author’s Bio:

Dr Matthew Papaconstantinou is a research fellow at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Funding from the American Heart Association allows him to research cardiovascular disease and obesity, his longtime passion. In his spare time, Matthew is developing his website that offers a coupon code for Nutrisystem diet program. In addition to publishing the latest weight-loss news from the scientific community and credible weight-loss articles, he posts Medifast coupon code discounts and reviews of diet plans for weight loss.

Reaping the Benefits of Yoga for Children with Autism

Charlotte Bradley — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:36:24 +0000

I came across a really interesting video today on the Autisable blog. The video is about a school that is teaching yoga to kids with autism. Sometimes physical activity can be a challenge for these kids but yoga is an activity that they really seem to enjoy. The instructor uses lots of visual cues and even cards with pictures on them to guide the class.

Other ways in which the kids have benefited include: better focus throughout the day, increased physical fitness and using yoga breathing techniques as a way to calm and center themselves.

Seems like a great idea to me – all kids are natural yogis!

Click here to view the embedded video.