Toddler Yoga and the "No Plan Plan""

Wow, it's May 1st! Toddler yoga camps are right around the corner and I'm reflecting on some of the kind and encouraging feedback I've gotten about camps in the past and how to make camp even better this year. This blog is one of the things I've been wanting to do, to share what we're doing and a little about how my classes are 'structured' - always need air quotes for that word with the little ones.

A friend of mine uses a great expression - she's on the "no plan plan". I wrote a whole stuffy blog post about Montessori, and my background and goals in toddler class, and then realized I could save everyone a lot of reading simply by quoting her. The 'no plan plan' is not the lack of a plan, rather it's starting with a plan and constantly adjusting it to meet the needs of the students as we move through our class or morning of camp. That's how we roll in toddler yoga :)

Yes, I did work in a Montessori-style preschool for a year and a half, under a great mentor (Carrie Schonaerts-Ferrucci of La Petite Ecole, Austin). I also went back to school and completed one year at U.T.Austin in kinesiology and education (dropped it when I realized the public schools are not where I belong). I speak French and Spanish fluently and also teach those to kids and adults. I've been teaching in various capacities for eons. But that's probably all anyone needs to know about my training - I'll keep the yawn-inducing details to myself.

What I really want to share on this blog is information about toddler yoga - why it's important, why they love it, and what folks at home can do to incorporate some of our class' vibe in their home life, should they want to. In the spirit of Montessori, the yoga room has lots of open space, and several activity-specific areas that we use throughout our classes and camps. I'm lucky to have a wonderfully simple, big, open space to work in - no furniture, no places in the room where the kids are out of view, etc. There's a toy trunk to explore for the first 10-15 minutes of class. This is helpful in leaving the tots some time to socialize (or not) and get to know the room. We also have a big rectangle of yoga mats, so we can do our yoga postures, and for camp we also have a story corner and we make a pretend snack 'table' every day so we can eat together as if we were sitting at a big table.

We have a few rules/guidelines in the yoga room: to use walking feet, not running feet, to use our inside voices, to give everyone personal space around their body, and to use our words to communicate (vs. hitting or grabbing, etc). And of course we talk things over as they come up. For conflict resolution an adult (me or my assistant) helps the kids involved in a scuffle or argument to resolve the problem themselves, mainly by asking them what happened and giving each child a chance to say what happened and then find a solution (sharing a toy, taking turns in a game, finding ways to do something together, etc).

For now I'll say a bit about why I think toddler yoga is so important, and save other topics for later posts. Yoga for toddlers is important for many reasons.

1. It's a group activity that can still be self-paced. We do things in a group, but timing and skill level are totally individual - for example, all the kids can do downward dog, but each child's version is different and it's great to learn by watching others. Group activities are great for toddlers so they get used to following verbal cues, etc, and for learning about personal space - and self pacing is essential for them. It's incredible to watch them teach each other and observe each other. There's no pressure to perform any particular thing - they sometimes sit out for a pose and get back into the activity again for the next one. Yoga is generally easy and fun for kids, so there's no need to push to get them interested.

2. Yoga gets kids to explore moving in many different ways, at every angle to gravity. When I was little, we climbed trees, built things, went upside down, carried each other, etc all in a day's play. These days more than ever, kids need activities that include varied movements (standing, balancing, handstanding, sitting, lying down, on all fours, etc). It's empowering for tots to figure out how to balance on one leg, or how to aim their feet so they can do a double downward dog with a classmate - and it's important for them to develop these skills as early as possible (in a non-competitive environment).

3. We relate to each other in a unique way in yoga. Yoga emphasizes openness, peacefulness, breathing, and serenity. Sure, we laugh a ton in yoga and there are plenty of times we're all slithering around the floor like snakes pretending to bite, but for the most part, the vibe is very calm. It's a great atmosphere for learning.

4. Yoga includes relaxation. It may be surprising to people, but little kids love savasana! At the end of our active yoga time we enjoy a few minutes of quiet relaxation. Each child is invited to use an eye pillow if they want, and they lie down and relax, while staying awake. Waking relaxation is a wonderful thing - savasana is many kids' favorite time in yoga :)

5. I breathe, the kids breathe. Adult bodies can regulate the pace of breathing in smaller bodies (children). Because my breath is conscious, easy and relaxed, the kids' breathing will tend to become more like that.

6. Children love ceremony. In my experience, kids love being ceremonious. We can see this in their play - imitating solemn characters, etc. We start each yoga time by passing around a Tibetan bell, each child getting a turn to ring the bell. It's moving to see how respectful they are and how serious, as they pass the special bell from one child to the next, listening to the unique quality of each child's ring and often nodding in appreciation of especially nice tones or if a very little child is able to ring it on their own for the first time.

Thanks for reading, and please comment, ask questions, or share stories as you wish!

-Amy