This weekend at Austin Kula Yoga we got together to explore how parents can teach yoga to toddlers - something people ask me about a lot and which I am half way qualified to answer. I do teach a lot of kids and we get along very well and everyone has fun and does a lot of yoga. That said, I don't have my own toddlers, so I always have the edge that non-family members get - that curious respect that kids seem to give everyone but their folks! Now it certainly doesn't last forever and you have to take that opportunity and make sure they find real respect for you while you still have that magic fairy dust glow. And that is what the workshop will focus on - how to take a child's interest and natural curiosity and extend it, stretch it out a bit longer, so they have enough time to learn something they hopefully come to love.
Some notes on this:
"Pre-anything" prepare yourself mentally, physically and emotionally. I don't leave the house for work without doing some physical, mental and emotional check-in/warm-up. I'm in charge, and my energy will determine how clear the class is, so I strongly recommend some personal ritual for you before you guide the little ones. If you're giving me the hairy eyeball right now because you have toddlers and you can't just close the bedroom door and go meditate, then close your eyes for a moment and say your favorite prayer, intention, or affirmation. If I only have 3 minutes to prepare I'll close my eyes and silently say "I will find the right words, in the right way, at the right time". But if you can do something more complete you'll see a difference.
You are the larger energy field and the kids will adapt to you - decide what you want that to feel like and find a way to get there. I always recommend for working with kids - and the smaller they are the more I've found this to be true - the more you can slow down, the better they will be able to follow you and still self-pace. This, by the way, is the goal - to lead/guide children without forcing them to do things your way, at your pace, with your "signature" - you want them to see what you're doing and feel how you are interacting and then to start matching you in their own time and with their own flair. If we are too amped up the kids blow a fuse. Slow down, slow down, and then slow down some more. Leave space in between words and actions if you can. Leave time for them to respond and try things once or twice before moving on.
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1) Make sure they set up their own spot or have a hand in it if they aren't big enough to do it on their own. Make it like a class - it's not a choice whether it happens or not, but rather we can try everything and then decide how much fun it was afterwards. I think this must be challenging for parents - I know when my niece was little and she would say she didn't feel like doing something I had planned I didn't want to force her - so without a plan for how to cope with the inevitable last minute hedging I was lost, along with my plans. Preschool taught me all about how to get past that moment! It's a big Montessori thing (thank you, Maria Montessori!) to leave out the question mark or the "okay?" at the end of what you're saying. Maybe you already know this.
2) As with most transitions, let them know when you're planning to start some yoga, and then give the 5-minute, 3-minute, 1-minute announcements so they have time to wrap up whatever they might be up to in their own time.
3) Have a little opening ceremony or ritual that they enjoy so it's tempting to sit on the mat and change gears for yoga, rather than play or hang out. I use the sound of OM and a Tibetan bell. As I've brought up before on this blog, kids love to learn little rituals - so make one up or use someone else's. I have to say that the bell is great because it is so serious and makes such a beautiful sound.
4) Not the most groundbreaking advice, but Keep It Simple and Repetitive :) At first I thought the kids would be bored if we did the same poses in the same order for at least the first half of class, but they love it and if I leave anything out they remind me and we go back and fill in the gap. We do get creative, but I've found that adding small little bite-sized bits of new information works the best. Today I tried to introduce 2 new poses in tot class and that was too much - they were sad that we ran out of time for all of our usual routine - not a big deal, but it reminded me of what I already had learned.
5) Remember - the kids don't know that you're not an expert - fake it till you make it! If you don't know any yoga then get a yoga card deck and start with a few things and add on as you get more familiar with the poses.
6) Have a plan - even if it's just 5 poses - so that whatever else happens you have something to stick to.
7) Follow a general plan of warm-ups, easy poses, balance poses, and if you have more than one student then eventually incorporate some partner poses - they like this a lot!
8) I'm not going to list the poses we do because those are already on other posts on this blog - if you want to see more about that then check out those posts. By far the most important element is you, so prioritize your own state of mind and preparation - that way you can draw the kids into your field rather than being splintered by theirs.
We had so much fun at the workshop and a lot of interesting questions came up - feel free to write comments or post questions here if you wish!
xo Amy
www.austinkulayoga.com
