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School Readiness 2

8/27/2020

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THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PROTECTION
You might find it informative to read the last blog (School Readiness 1) to remember these ideas are in conjunction with the guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health, wearing masks, hand washing, distancing and more. With that in mind, there are energetic ways to offer support to yourself and your loved ones. Fear is powerful. Cumulative fear is fear multiplied; power multiplied. There is reason for concern. This is not the time to turn a blind eye. However, to try to shift the energy, I would like you to consider striving toward a positive outlook, while using the cautionary protocols.
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​You ensure you and your child wear seat belts in a vehicle, a helmet when riding a bike, life jackets in a boat, knee and elbow pads, and all sorts of safety gear. It simply can’t hurt to place a love bubble, an energy shield, an imaginary force field around your loved ones for added protection. It cannot hurt to try to keep your vibration high through positive thinking even while doing what you know is of utmost importance…hand washing, masks, etc. When you feel helpless or lacking control, do what you can. Teach your children to zip up their invisible shield when brushing their teeth, or place themselves in a bubble of light and love, or any form of energy protection that feels right to you or your child. Children have great imaginations and they can easily see or feel their suit of armor in whatever form it takes. There are ideas in the School Readiness 1 blog. This is just a reminder.
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VISUALIZE (IMAGINE) + INTENT = POSITIVE ENERGETIC PROTECTION!
MESSAGES IN WATER:
This is a really fun way you can help your child feel more positive and hence more in control of potentially lessening stress which can lead to strengthening the immune system.
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THINK POSITIVE! BE KIND! CREATE LOVE!
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, studied water,  discovering how thoughts, words, music and actions affect its molecular make up. It was not difficult to then correlate his findings to the human body (and to the world around us). If we put kindness into the water, that kindness infiltrates through our body and our surroundings. Every morning as you fill your water bottle give the water blessings of your choice. Write positive words (love, peace, joy, happy, good health, kind, etc.) on the water bottle (or on a washable label placed on the bottle). Place positive words on the water cooler. When walking beside a river or lake, add some kind thoughts and watch the water flow. But most of all, remember saying or thinking kind thoughts to yourself, others and to the environment can help keep the  vibrations high within and around you and gives off an air of well-being. Beautiful music (not so much heavy metal) will also increase the good vibes. Keep your energy (vibrations) high by simply thinking, speaking and doing "KIND". 

Dr. Emoto took pristine water and exposed it to negative thoughts, words or unsettling music. He also took murky water and exposed it to kind thoughts, words and soothing music. He then froze the water and studied droplets under a very high powered microscope. These experiments and results can be found online. But in a nutshell he saw that crystal like formations were formed in the "blessed" water while the pristine water became murky and muddy looking when exposed to negative energy. 
https://www.shiftfrequency.com/dr-masaru-emotos-scientific-experiments

Placing messages in water has been one of our hit summer camp activities for years. One session I forgot to have the morning group use “blessed” water for some sprouts we were growing. We used regular tap water. However, the afternoon group used their blessed water. At the end of the week, the sprouts watered with the blessed water, even though started later, showed greater progress than the others. It was an accidental experiment that seemed to prove the water holding love, kindness, happiness and whatever positive thoughts each camper had added was indeed of a higher vibration. A friend had her water tested, both tap water and tap water that had positive words and beautiful music flowing to it. The “blessed” water  showed  better results. THIS IS FUN! TRY IT. 
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There are always people who will dispute such claims, but I think the important thing to remember is that kindness is always a good thing. If it helps us remember to be our best selves, it is a place to begin. It’s a place to practice keeping our vibration steadfast in love, above the energy of fear where our body can begin to go into stress.
WATER + KIND THOUGHTS, WORDS, MUSIC & ACTIONS =                                    POSITIVE VIBRATIONS


MALAS,PEBBLES,BUTTONS            and BLESSINGS!
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TEACHERS:
One year I had each child in my yoga classes choose a bead. I took the beads and made a mala with them. Each day I blessed each bead (in fact each child). Typically a mala has 108 beads so other people, things, places could be included or you could assign more than one bead per child if you were to do this with your class.

If you do not have a mala, you could just choose a small stone or button or anything at all to represent each child. You could then offer an individual blessing to each – “God bless or I bless Tom, I bless Mary, I bless Bella, etc.” or “ May Jane be peaceful. May Carl be brave. May Henry be calm. May Sally be kind.” This is a lovely way to start each day or send blessings to them each night setting the intent for a good day. You could hold the mala or stones or whatever you have chosen and send a group blessing or loving thoughts. It is nice to touch each one individually with your loving and positive energy though.
EAT HEALTHY FOODS!
Until something better comes along, eat healthy foods.  And then when something better comes along, eat healthy food!
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SCHOOL READINESS 1

8/17/2020

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LOVE vs FEAR

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​The following suggestions DO NOT REPLACE the recognized protocols set out by the Ministry of Health. As well as hand washing, masks, distancing and  many other appropriate suggestions, these ideas may be INCORPORATED into your daily routines to further cocoon yourself and loved ones in positive energy.

Without going into details regarding studies, research findings, scientific evidence and such like, found on the internet and elsewhere, I will note that while Yogis have reported 1000s of years of, at the very least, anecdotal evidence, science is now proving the health benefits of mindfulness, meditation, positive thinking, gratitude and many other yogic and spiritual practices. The miracle you are hoping for might be just a few breaths away.

Mindfulness, Meditation and Miracles

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Tara Brach
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Fear is rampant right now, as school approaches, understandably so. However, that energy becomes part of the collective, gathering power as it goes. While I fully understand the anxiety this is causing, it is important to try to raise the vibration around this situation to one greater than the lower vibration of fear. We must not allow the energy of fear to overtake the higher vibration of love, joy, gratitude and kindness.
​THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS! (Mike Dooley)

JUST BREATHE (mindfully)!
The one thing you can control in a world that seems out of control is your breath.
BALLOON BREATHING:  Inhale deeply and slowly, through your nose, expanding your body. Exhale, even more slowly, contracting your body. This is one of the most effective ways to calm anxiety, stress and fear. Do not underestimate the power of the breath. Try to mindfully and consciously breathe as outlined above.
* A health professional has said that sore throats are on the rise. It seems that many people are breathing through their mouth while wearing masks. This is not a good practice. Please be mindful that breathing through your nose is more efficient and healthful. The hairs in your nose filter out allergens and other particles helping to reduce allergies and infections. Nostrils, being smaller than the mouth, control the amount of air intake with each breath.
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BREATHE IN THROUGH THE NOSE BREATHE OUT THROUGH THE NOSE or the mouth
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GO ONE STEP FURTHER WITH HEART B|REATHING
HEART BREATHING:  Place your hands on your heart to help hold your attention there.  Imagine your breath is being directed through your heart. Breathe, as above, slowly and deeply into your heart and breathe out through your heart. (You're still actually breathing with your lungs but your focus is on your heart.) Bring in love on the inhale. Think of someone, something or somewhere that you love. It might be a child, a parent, a friend, a pet, a toy, a place, a scent (Grandma's cookies), a sound (wind in the trees) or anything else. Hold that in your heart and as you breathe out, breathe out the love, expanding your energy field, encompassing all those around you in the energy of love. This mindful love breath helps reduce stress, helps calm and helps increase your vibration.
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Take a few minutes each day to purposely breathe mindfully. Set a timer, or choose a reminder, (recess bell, red light, phone ringing, anything), stop, breathe, proceed. If something is likely to trigger a reaction, instead, stop, breathe and respond more calmly. 

By helping your body, mind and heart stay out of flight, fight or fear as often as possible you are actively increasing the potential of well-being. 
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“If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”
MEDITATE (It's easier than you think! Even kids can do it.)
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f the Dalai Lama believes that by teaching children to meditate, world peace can be achieved within one generation, imagine how meditation could stop the war within each of us, potentially promoting greater health and well-being. While meditators, of any age, are not guaranteed they will never get ill, never experience challenges, never face sadness and loss, the benefits of meditation are widely recognized. Meditation promotes less stress, reduced anxiety, better sleep, more kindness, inner peace and more pathways that lead toward better health. Meditation promises the hope of calm regardless of what life deals out. Children (and adults alike) do not need to spend long, tedious minutes in absolute quiet and stillness. Even a minute of mindfulness (once or several times a day) or a lovely visualization or a walking meditation may all lead to the benefits that boost the immune system or help recover from dis-ease.
 
Two sessions a day (morning and night) of about 20 minutes each, sitting in  stillness, going within, while breathing mindfully, without judgement is a common prescription for adult meditation.  However, several planned or spontaneous mindful moments throughout the day, taking 1-3 slow, deep breaths, paying close attention to a task, whether washing hands or eating lunch, or consciously practicing kindness, gratitude, empathy or visualizing an outcome, offer similar benefits to a long seated meditation. First create a mindfulness/meditation practice yourself and then teach children to find their own calm, still, peace within for their own well-being  and for that of those around them. This does not need to take long. No one has to sit on top of their desk, as cool as this may be. Everyone alive breathes all day long, just be mindful of some of those breaths throughout the day. 
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VISUALIZE
​Athletes do it. Actors do it. Academics do it! Whether to win a medal, get to first base in little league, get the lead in community theatre, win an academy award or ace a test, visualization has proven results. If you can close your eyes and see, hear, smell, sense and/or imagine your office, your bedroom, your kitchen, your classroom, you can visualize. There are many audio, YouTube and written visualizations that you can listen to or read to your children (and do some yourself). Because children have not lost their ability to use their senses, imagine or create pictures in their minds, a visualization is a fabulous form of mindfulness meditation or relaxation technique for them. Google or pick up a book at the library and enter the world of imaginary journeys. Seated or lying down, focusing on muscle groups or doing a body scan can set the stage. With body awareness, mindfully release any tension before beginning. Helping children feel or see their Happy Place gives them a reference to return to when big emotions take over. Reducing anger, stress, fear and other feelings go a long way in creating a happier, more centred and resilient child (adult!). Look some up; make some up. Again they do not need to be long. Get them started with a short beginning. Give them a setting and continue or let them fill in the middle. Compose a gentle ending to bring them back if they're still awake. 
 This might be a nice way to wind down before bed to encourage a restful night's sleep or during the day when it allows time to explore their journey through journal writing or drawing a picture. Visualization has many applications from sleeping better to standing up to someone in a challenging situation.

SONG 
Visualizing getting to first base is one thing, "seeing" your body recover or stay well is another. I heard of a young girl who envisioned healthy cells to help her body get over a bout of flu. She sang all day, "The cells in my body are healthy and happy, the cells in my body are healthy and well. The cells in my body are healthy and happy, the cells in my body are healthy and well. My cells are happy. My cells are well. Every little cell in my body is well. My cells are happy. My cells are well. Every little cell in my body is well. (Tune Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin, Shortnin" - or use a different one, make one up, make up your own lyrics but visualize your body healthy and well!)


TEACHERS who start the day or add little songs throughout, be sure to add this one sometime during each day. Tired of the Happy Birthday song, try this when kids are washing their hands. 
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BUBBLE, SHIELD, FORCE FIELD, INVISIBLE CLOAK
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Love Bubble: Some children are pretty adaptable so wearing a face mask or playing six feet away from a friend might just become old hat to them but there are others who may experience very real, very terrifying anxiety. Help them feel safe by visualizing (imagining) they are in a safety bubble of love and light. Let them choose the colour for their bubble. Encourage them to sense this bubble all around them even if no one else can see it. Explain that they are so powerful that they have created a bubble that only the people or things they like will be allowed to get through. They can see it surround them however they wish; they can imagine it growing all around them so it is really big; they can leave it pretty empty or fill it with rainbows, unicorns, dragons and ice cream cones. This is their bubble and they can do what they wish with it, except that it should be filled with LOVE. If age appropriate you could explain that love is greater than fear. Words, feelings, thoughts, everything is energy. Energy is vibration. Love energy is a higher vibration than fear. Higher vibrations are braver than lower vibrations. Just think about it fear is not very brave.  Be Kind. Be Happy (as often as possible). Be Your Best Self. Keep your vibration high.

Shield: In the same way as children can surround themselves in a bubble of light and love, they could imagine putting on armor or wearing a shield. First thing in the morning as they brush their teeth they could also put on their shield. ("Shields up Scotty!")

Force Field: My friend Sam was doing yoga with me when he decided he needed to put a Force Field around him, It worked wonders for keeping skunk spray, animal attacks and other imaginary dilemmas at bay. I am sure it would have also kept the virus out but that day we had other things to worry about. He used lightning, frozen spears and so many creative ways to enhance his Force Field to be safe from so many dangers. That day he even jumped up and kicked to show me that he was completely safe inside his Force Field. It was a mighty invisible barrier to the outside world.

Invisible cloak: Harry Potter fans may like to envision themselves wrapped in an invisible cloak to keep them safe.


Visualizing a safe haven whatever it resembles is confined only by the imagination. Bubbles of light have been a favourite in spiritual circles, often including angels, unicorns and dragons for decades or longer. But it is important to remember that it is the intent that helps these invisible safety features to work. Believe what you will but believe (and wash your hands!) These are to augment the layer of protection that you can create physically. Energetic bubbles however they are made are added dimensions. 
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Check back occasionally to see if other ideas have been added. There are SO MANY! But for now, TEACHERS, by incorporating mindfulness and meditative moments into your school day, you could expect miracles! You, too, parents!
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SUMMER CAMP at Home!

8/2/2020

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Week 3: The Enchanted Forest
Be Brave! Be Magical! Be Magnificent!
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In the last 2 summer camp blogs I loaded you up with lots of book and craft and activity ideas and finally the poses came at the end. This time I intend to simplify the process slightly. I will start with some key poses and then add other suggestions at the end. I hope some children may be able to see the poses, create their own story and get right down to being magnificent without needing quite as much adult guidance. Of course, there are enough poses here to cover several days. It is best to choose a few and have fun, not work through them all and be overwhelmed.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE BREATHING THROUGHOUT. TO BEGIN WITH THE BREATH IS A GREAT WAY TO SET THE INTENTION FOR YOUR YOGA PLAY. Balloon Breathing can be integrated into many different scenarios. Simply remember to allow your body to expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.
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a) PRETZEL/easy pose/crisscross applesauce OR ½ LOTUS or FULL LOTUS: sit tall and comfortably
Sway gently from side to side like a river floating from bank to bank
Relax with the flow of the river, meandering through the meadow
b) Circle body around and around, from your waist, when you reach a whirlpool
Feel your body warming as you begin to build up speed as the whirlpool moves faster and faster and then slows down as you move out of it back to the gently flowing water until you see a bend in the river
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​SEATED TWIST: Twist from side to side as the river goes around one bend and then another
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WATERFALL: Stand Tall as your river comes to a waterfall – tip back and feel the water rolling down your rocky spine
This is a magical waterfall. Turn around 3 times and jump right into its centre where you find yourself passing right through to the other side into an enchanted forest.
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MOUNTAIN: Immediately in front of you is a magnificent mountain. Breathe your mountain peak up, up, up, palms coming together. Breathe out and feel your shoulders relax down, while your mountain peak remains as high as the clouds. Look up to see if there’s any snow on your mountain peak. Continue to breathe. On an exhale, take your arms down. Repeat 2 more times.
Feel strong, solid, confident
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TREE: stand tall with your roots sinking into the ground, take you branches up to hug the sky as you place one foot on your standing leg. That foot can be by your ankle or above your knee but try not to put it on your knee. Repeat on the other side. You can touch a wall or put your bent knee on a wall if you feel off balance.
Trees provide food, shelter, paper, shade, toilet paper AND OXYGEN! Trees are our breathing buddies. Trees are important and so are you!
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 EAGLE: At the top of the tree, sits an eagle. Eagles have very keen eyesight.
Imagine what it would feel like to soar over the forest or to look out from the top of your tree. What do you see?
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KNIGHT: Stand firm in Warrior 2. Warriors wore heavy armor to protect them. We can put a bubble of light around us to feel safe. I AM BRAVE!
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UNICORN: Move into warrior 1 – then bend your elbows, placing palms together so thumbs touch your 3rd eye (between and above your eyes on your forehead) to make your magic potion filled horn.
Feel the mystical and magical pieces of you fall into place
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FAIRIES: From Warrior 1 move into Dancer’s Pose. Be Magnificent!
Feel as light as a fairy dancing with gossamer wings flitting and flying over the forest.
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​WIND CHIMES: Listen and you might hear some fairy bells tingling or wizardy wind chimes, chiming. Stand tall and fold forward limply – let your body relax and sway slowly from side to side
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OWL: Whooooo. With one wing behind and one in front, slowly twist from one side, then to the other. Softly call out to the night forest as you see if you can see further behind you each time you twist from the waist, Owls are silent flyers. Stand up and fly silently before going to the next pose
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FROG: Ribbit Ribbit – hop like a frog to strengthen your back frog legs!
Are you a frog or are you a prince? A frog prince?
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​ROYAL CAT: you encounter the royal cat roaming the forest - meow. As you breathe out round your back up and look at your tummy. As you exhale, let your belly drop. Look up and MEOW.
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ROYAL DOG: the royal dog is leading you through the paths in the forest until you come to a pond
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SWAN: in the Royal Pond in the middle of the forest, swans swim silently – some swans are more flexible than others; that is OK!
Feel graceful and perfect just as you are.
​MOAT: Near the royal pond, there is a castle! Around the castle there is a moat. In the moat there are:
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​SEA SERPENTS: slither your snake body through the water
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​CROCODILE: from sea serpent transform into crocodile by stretching your legs behind and arms in front. Splash your feet into the water. Relax them down. Open your arms and chomp your hands together. Relax. Try splashing feet and chomping arms together at the same time!
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RIVER RATS: Go into mouse pose and stretch one long leg behind you for your rat tail! Then switch. Or just curl up tight and relax your body down into the murky water.
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 CASTLE: The castle is completely surrounded by the moat. Lie on your back and take your arms and legs straight up to create 4 turrets. Feel strong and sturdy like a castle.
​HOW WILL YOU GET INTO THE CASTLE
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DRAWBRIDGE: Walk across the drawbridge. Run across. Tap your hands on your belly as you cross the bridge over the mote into the castle!
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PRINCE or PRINCESS: Sit in easy pose (or lotus). Allow your spine to lengthen and straighten and your head to float upwards. If you have a breathing ball (Hoberman Sphere) or a book or a toy, place it on your head like a crown and sit regally on your throne. You can also do Royal Child Breath by holding the Hoberman Sphere in your hands, pulling it open to expand with your belly as you breathe in and closing the ball as your belly contracts as you breathe out. If you don't have a breathing ball you can just put your hands on your belly and feel it moving out on the IN breath and in on the OUT breath. 
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​TEA SANDWICHES: Sit with your legs in L and begin to place ingredients on your (legs) bottom slice of bread – pat cheese from your head down to your toes, then cucumbers in the same way – put on whatever you want. Finally place the top piece of bread (your arms) all the way over all of the ingredients. Take a few bites before you inhale and sit tall ready to make another sandwich.
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​FAIRY CAKES: Place an imaginary mixing bowl in front of you and begin to add ingredients to the bowl. Cherries (5), chocolate chips (2 bags), bananas (20 – count by 10s) – put whatever you want in and count as you go. Holding your imaginary stir stick in front – STIR moving from your hips around and around one way and then the other and then BAKE: fold forward for 5 counts or however long you like!
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​FLOWER: find your balancing spot and tip up and bloom putting flowers all over the castle great room.
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​BUTTERFLY: remember to flap your elbow and knee wings and wiggle your finger antennae as you sit on the royal flowers
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​FLYING BUTTERFLY: Stretch out your wings and fly! All around the castle you go. In and out of the windows. Through the open door. Across the mote, over to the pond and back to the royal garden. Relax.
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CANDLE: lie on your back and light the castle with your magic flame as night begins to descend on the forest
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ROYAL DEAD BUG: lying on back with legs and arms stretching upwards, shake all 4 limbs and then flop them down. Repeat a few times to get all your sillies out and then let your arms and legs come down to the floor.
Be so still. Be so quiet. Be so relaxed.
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​ROYAL LADY BUG: With your hands grasp your knees to your chest and rock back and forth to relax the spine
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DRAGON BREATH: Lying on your back place your hands on your belly. As you breathe in feel the love of the kingdom flow into your body. Breathe out all the fire, releasing all negativity from your body. Repeat breathing in love, breathing out fire.  Breathe in and out slowly and deeply until you are filled with love.
Breathe in love, breathe out love.

                                    R E L A X
The usual craft and activity ideas may be added later. With school starting very soon, it seems the need for School Readiness suggestions outweigh summer camp suggestions. 
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    In 2020, it is almost 20 years since, the Children's Garden began bringing yoga to children and their families. Jennifer and Barb (Yoga Barb) Westgate, were the first 2 in Ontario and the 4th and 5th in Canada to be certified children's yoga facilitators, through YogaKids. Since that time they have both studied under many other renown experts in the field of children's yoga, health and well-being. Jennifer, a speech and language pathologist, a certified reflexology and Reiki practitioner and a student of Sonia Sumar (Yoga for the Special Child), brings a well rounded experience to all children, but especially to those with different abilities. Yoga Barb offers Metamorphosis, Reiki and Emotional Support through her private yoga programmes and during group classes upon request. Her background in behavioural sciences, mother, child care provider, certified parent educator, and now "Gran" to 4, have enhanced her natural ability to provide a nurturing environment to all who seek her guidance.

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