Yoga for Children: 200+ Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises, and Meditations for Healthier, Happier, More Resilient Children by Lisa Flynn
Product Description: Yoga for Children will encourage your child to learn about yoga with an attentive, at-home (or in-class or in-therapy) instructor–you! Even if you are new to the practice, author, mom, and children’s yoga expert Lisa Flynn will guide you and your child through more than 200 yoga poses, meditations, and activities that are suitable for children between the ages of two and twelve. Complete with full-color photographs, instructional scripts, and pose modifications. With this complete resource, you can teach children to be more resilient, confident, and calm—one yoga practice at a time.
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Adams Media (May 18, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1440554633
- ISBN-13: 978-1440554636
- Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.9 x 8.8 inches
I was blessed to have the opportunity to review a pre-publication draft of this book (a 307 page PDF of just text……. no formatting or pictures). Being the detail oriented person that I am, I actually read the entire 307 page PDF before submitting a review. I’m a very visual learner so it was a little difficult imagining what the final book would look like. I knew the content was fabulous but couldn’t wait to see the real book. It was like a kid waiting for Christmas! Imagine my delight when my copy arrived and I saw this on page 2:
What an honor that my review was selected to be included in this fabulous book! Even though I had read the pre-publication draft, I couldn’t wait to read the real book…… to discover new insight into kids yoga & gain some new ideas to try in my classes. Well I wasn’t disappointed! This book is a fabulous “must have” for anyone wanting to do yoga with kids.
- provides a wealth of well-balanced, research-based information in an easy-to-understand format
- includes tips on working with kids at particular developmental levels (2-4 yrs., 4-6 yrs., 7-10 yrs., 10-12 yrs.)
- includes tips on setting up a good yoga space & materials (love the idea for making a “yoga wand”!)
- includes info about teaching 9 “yoga principles”. In the settings I work in, these are referred to as “character education”. In more traditional yoga terms, they are called “yamas” & “niyamas”. Essentially they are positive ways to treat yourself & others. My favorite part about this section is that Lisa made it very kid-friendly by giving simple examples of what the principle looks like & includes book suggestions for each one.
- includes “mindfulness” activities with benefits, “what to do” & “what to say” for each. Many also include great color photos.
- includes breathing activities with benefits, “what to do” & “what to say” for each. Most also include great color photos. I love that this section is divided into “energizing” & “calming” breathing activities.
- over 100 pages of the book are devoted to poses & partner poses. I love that they are listed alphabetically and included in the index in the back (so easy to find what you are looking for!). Includes benefits, “what to do” & “what to say” & a fabulous color photo for every pose. Many include suggested modifications or variations for the pose. Some information about contraindications for particular poses is included.
- includes 24 yoga games with benefits, “what to do” & “what to say” for each. Four include a color photo . So many fun new ideas to try!
- includes 16 song & chant activities. Many go along with the I Grow With Yoga Music CD.
- includes tips and 7 transitioning into relaxation activities, 7 relaxation activities & 9 guided visualizations (love, Love, LOVE the simple rhymes & scripts included! It helps to have these scripts as inspiration to then personalize these experiences to meet your own kids needs. I can’t wait to try out “yoga wand” “sea scarf” “gratitude rock” & more!)
- includes tips for putting it all together into yoga flow sequences (love that the pics are included on these pages rather than just referencing where the poses were found earlier in the book. This makes this book so easy to just pull & use! I also love that Lisa includes info about “setting an intention” for a class & using themes)
- while this is not a book specifically about yoga for kids with special needs, the details Lisa included about the “benefits” of each activity will make it easy for any parent, teacher or therapist to find those that will best suit a particular child’s special needs. As she shares in the introduction of the book, Lisa has a son with Sensory Processing Disorder & Attention Deficit Disorder. She has gone to great effort to include evidence-based information in this book and has even more research available on her Yoga 4 Classrooms website.
See more of a preview online at Google Books.
Purchase: Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Childlight Yoga, Adams Media (publisher)
About the Author: Lisa Flynn, E-RYT, RCYT, Founder of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms, has an award-winning kids’ yoga studio in Dover, New Hampshire. Certified in several schools of yoga for children and adults, Lisa shares her knowledge with hundreds of parents, educators, and yoga teachers every year through her trainings and workshops. She is also the author of the fabulous Yoga
4 Classrooms Activity Card Deck. You can visit her websites at http://www.childlightyoga.com/ & http://www.yoga4classrooms.com/.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/childlightyoga & https://www.facebook.com/yoga4classrooms
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChildLightYoga/videos
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChildLightYoga & https://twitter.com/yoga4classrooms
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/childlightyoga/
Blog: http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com/ & http://www.yoga4classrooms.com/_blog/Yoga_4_Classrooms_Blog/
Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own.Starting in 2013, a new component of reviews & giveaways hosted on OMazing Kids is that a review will be added on Amazon.com (for products sold on that site). See my Amazon profile at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1JKVLELLSX7FD?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_aya_bb_pdp.
How to enter the A Way to Give – Giveaway:
- Required Entry Method: Enter via the “Giveaways” tab on the OMazing Kids – Contests & Giveaways Facebook page (http://a.pgtb.me/plpbTf) & mention why this book would be helpful to you. Also nominate a friend, relative, teacher, therapist, school, clinic, library, etc… it can be any individual (other than yourself) or setting & tell us why they would benefit from having it (details will count in selecting the winner). Only entries that include a nomination will be valid…. so take the time to think of someone besides yourself who would benefit from having this. (comments must be in English; must include full first & last name; must use respectful people-first language, 1 entry per person).
- Bonus Entry Options:
- Invite some friends to “like” the OMazing Kids Facebook page (comment here on this blog post to let me know you did)
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- Helpful Info & Tips: I use the “Giveaways” tab because it saves me the step having to obtain your mailing address – the info you complete on the tab comes directly to me via an e-mail. FYI…. I use a free app from Shortstack for that tab and have no control over technical difficulties either on their end or on Facebook. The Facebook tab may not work on a cell phone. If you experience that, try again on a computer. Make sure you are logged in as yourself (not a page) when using the tab. In the event that you experience difficulties with the FB entry tab, please e-mail me specific details so I can attempt to fix it. E-mail to: amoorad1@juno.com . The entry deadline may be extended at the sole discretion of OMazing Kids in the event of prolonged entry tab problems
- Each “giveaway” is handled separately on OMazing Kids. So there are no rules prohibiting previous winners from entering this or future giveaways. I really do read every entry in every giveaway carefully to insure that the products end up in the best hands to impact kids lives.
- Examples of “people-first” language are “children with autism” vs. “autistic children”and “children with disabilities” vs. “disabled children” (see more examples at: http://www.inclusionproject.org/nip_userfiles/file/People%20First%20Chart.pdf)
Entry Deadline: 11:59pm CST on July 24, 2013.
Rules of Participation:
- Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address.
- USA entries only for this particular giveaway.
- Employees or family members of OMazing Kids, LLC or the product’s company are not eligible.
- No purchase required.
- Comments submitted via the Enter Giveaways Here…. tab on Facebook may be copied & pasted into the blog post.
- Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
- The winner will be chosen from valid entries on July 25, 2013.
The winner & the person/place they nominate will each receive 1 copy of this book.
(This is the “A Way To Give” portion of giveaways on OMazing Kids. I was inspired to make giveaways more meaningful after this experience. Think of it as a way to plant some seeds.)
- The winner will be notified via e-mail, will be posted on the blog post & will be posted on the OMazing Kids Facebook page. The company offering the prize may also post the winner’s name on their website, blog, Facebook page and/or other social media sites at their discretion.
- The winner’s address will be forwarded to the company and they will be mailing the prizes directly to the winners. Any questions about the prize should be directed to the company.
- Prize Value: $17.95
Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just a kids yoga book but just to be safe here is all the legal stuff…
This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing your information to OMazing Kids, LLC and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for our internal purposes in relation to the administration of the giveaway. Your information will NOT be sold to any outside parties.
Indemnification/Hold Harmless: By participating, entrants agree: (a) to the decisions of OMazing Kids, LLC, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids, LLC and its respective representatives and agents from all liability, injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize, or from participation in and/or entry into the Contest or any Contest-related activity and for acceptance, delivery, or use of any prize; (c) that the foregoing parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guaranty, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to any prize.
Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
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OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far….
OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 
Hey Angela! From a recommendation, i bought this book and LOVE it and her website! Incidentally, I just took Aruna Kathy Humpries and Janet Williams, Young Yoga Masters 95 hour teacher training which was the best childrens teacher training I have ever taken!!!!! They were spectacular teachers with so much wisdom, wit and lessons to share and give to us!!!! We all felt as though we were on the Ellen show with everything they gave us!!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend it to any and everyone. Hopefully, all is getting back to normal in Oklahoma. xo Libby Hoefer
On Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 9:59 AM, OMazing Kids
Great to hear that you love Lisa’s book too! Kathy generously donated some of her products for me to give away as door prizes at a presentation I did at the Oklahoma Autism Conference a couple of years ago… cool stuff from a cool lady! I haven’t had the opportunity to meet her in person but feel as though I have virtually via following her blog and Facebook page 🙂
Thanks for continuing to keep the families in Oklahoma in your thoughts & prayers! It’s been 2 months since the devastating tornadoes in Moore and surrounding areas. Many lost loved ones, home and possessions. Debris removal & rebuilding had begun but will be a long process.
This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winners! This was a particularly difficult choice in selecting the winners this time. So many heartfelt entries for deserving individuals & places. I read over each entry several times. Prayed about it at length. Kept on being drawn to the A Way To Give nominee in one particular entry. I typically am drawn towards the ones that will impact a large number of kids (where the prize would affect lots of lives) but in this case it was the story of one little boy. One 7-year-old boy named Sam (Shmuel Asher ben haRav Michael Aharon v’haRav Pesah Esther to be exact) who is facing the fight of lifetime in his battle with acute myeloid leukemia. See his story here: http://supermansamuel.blogspot.com. Who knows what greatness God has in store for Sam’s life….. but I’m hoping that winning this book will bring him some sparkle in the midst of his battle. One of the things that brings him joy is his new found love of yoga: http://supermansamuel.blogspot.com/2013/07/warrior-and-rock.html. Here is Jessica Millen’s winning entry (she & Sam will both receive 1 copy of the book):
This book looks like it has some innovative ideas to keep my classes interesting and
fresh! (http://groundedyogachicago.com/). I nominate my friend’s son to receive this book. He is battling leukemia at 7 years old and just discovered yoga!!!
http://supermansamuel.blogspot.com
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The rest of the amazing entries (I truly wish I could send books to each one of you!):
* I teach kids classes at two different studios and purchase all of my own supplies. While I’d like to take one of her trainings it isn’t something that fits into the budget.
This book would be tremendous help to add more activities and games to my busy kids classes. 🙂 thanks for the opportunity to enter!!!
* This book would be helpful for me because I just became certified as a children’s yoga teacher and I am always looking for new ideas for my class! I also work with children with special needs in the school system, so I would love to nominate my school to also receive a copy! Yoga is such a great way for children to develop mindfulness, lessen their anxiety, and increase their ability to attend. I would love to share this resource with teachers and counselors in my school and apply it to my own practice with children!
* After years of asking and proposing a yoga/mindfulness club for our school district, we finally got the “okay!”!! We are thrilled! But, we have to “volunteer” our time before and after school to make this work for a year – then, they’ll keep it as long as the group works out. We already have 100+kids and teens wanting to join – we’re SO excited. However, since we’re volunteering, we’re also scouting around for resources and aides – this would be PERFECT!!! thank you for the opportunity!
* I am an elementary school counselor working in a building that teaches 500 students K-5. My mission is to have regular contact with the entire school population. This year I implemented the Mind Up curriculum in serval grade levels to help my students learn about mindfulness, to help improve classroom performance and decrease stress levels. I also work with small groups of students who have executive functioning needs, or various disabilities; ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorder, Down syndrome….I would use this resource and the evidence based information would help me document how and why counseling services are a benefit to all students.
* I’ve done the Childlight Training and would love to get more of Lisa’s ideas for my
preschool classes as well as with my own 2 five year old children.
* This looks like an awesome reference book for kids yoga. I have been teaching kids yoga for 5 years now and I love it! It would love to look through this book for great new ideas.
* I gave birth to my first child in April and would love to read and utilize this book to
share the benefits of yoga and meditation with him as soon as he is old enough. I believe that adopting these methods of mental and physical wellness early on, would be one of the best things I can do for him.
* I teach adult & children’s yoga currently & as a volunteer in a local Head Start
preschool classroom. I would love to have this resource as a tool to train and loan to
local teachers to share yoga in their classrooms!
* As a kindergarten teacher, I’m always looking for more resources to help my kinder
kiddos with yoga. Resilience and the ability to self-regulate has become a huge focus in our fast paced world, and I think this resource would help my students learn those skills.
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6 additional entries were received but were not valid due to not including the mailing address & e-mail address of the person/place they nominated. I have tried to make the requirements as clear as possible on the FB entry form.
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Thanks to everyone who participated! Be watching for another fun review & giveaway soon on OMazing Kids 🙂
Reblogged this on y is for yoga..
I have continued to keep an eye on this book. It seems like it could be the perfect resource…THEN..I saw your comment about magic fingers And was rapt. I do this with one particular class every time I have them and I also try it out and encourage my students who have autism to use this for themselves. I worked it out from various things that the students did when using the 4B’s from Body Logique. Some of the students weren’t comfortable hugging they’re body so I got them to squeeze and tap. Anyway to cut a long story short, I think this book could be excellent….oh..dear..I just read the fine print (never been good at that) and the giveaway is for America only…Que sara, sara…but still love it. Now will have to buy it, but will be worth it..Cheers from Australia
Karen P
It’s a fabulous book! Hope you are able to order it 🙂 The publisher set the “USA only” restriction on this giveaway.
Great news Karen! I just got the following message from Lisa Flynn, author of the book. I e-mailed her inquiring about international shipping: “Absolutely! She can purchase from amazon or get a signed copy shipped directly from us through http://www.childlightyoga.com :)”
HOLY SMOKES – thank you, Angela. As always, you enthusiasm for yoga for children is an inspiration and your review means the world. Sharing. 🙂
Love, Lisa
Thanks Lisa! Several folks have already entered 🙂 Thanks for sharing on your social media sites to spread the word.