The CHILDREN'S GARDEN YOGA and REIKI
  • YOGA
    • Yoga Classes Offered
    • School/Community Visits
    • Children's Garden Yoga Training
    • FALL SCHEDULE 2016
    • Winter 2016 Schedule
    • Fall Schedule 2015
    • Winter 2015 Schedule
  • Reiki
  • Metamorphosis
    • More about Metamoprhosis
  • Yoga Camps
    • SUMMER CAMP 2020
    • Summer Camp 2019
    • Summer Camp 2018
    • SUMMER 2018
    • Summer Camp 2017
    • Summer Camp 2016
    • March Break Camp
  • Mentoring and Classes
  • Specialty Programmes
    • Yoga for the Special Child
    • Reflexology
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Registration Form - Child
  • Registration Form - Adult
  • Contact Information
  • Blog

Polar Bear Pose 

1/17/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

Child's Pose or POLAR BEAR:
Imagine you are a Polar Bear. Imagine you are surrounded by a vast amount of snow. You blend into the scenery. Your large white bear body lumbers on the frozen white north until your intuition (your inner knowing) tells you to lie down in the snow, breathing deeply, slowly and silently. Slow your breath and bring a quiet, relaxed stillness to your body.
BENEFITS: Child's Pose, Polar Bear, Egg, Seed, Curled Leaf, Rock brings a sense of peace and relaxation to the whole body. This pose helps you feel grounded, secure and safe. It massages the frontal organs and soothes the central nervous system as it gently lengthens and stretches the muscles along the spine and the hips. It is natural for children to go into this pose to relax, calm and to bring stillness to both the body and the mind.

Affirmation: I AM LIKE A POLAR BEAR, QUIET, STILL and RELAXED.

THE POSE:
Sit on your heels with spine long and tall, head floating upward. Make a "V" with your knees. Take a deep breath in and imagine you are a big, strong, white polar bear. As you breathe out, cover your black eye and nose and round your spine, folding forward so that your forehead touches the (snow). Your body will fold in between your legs when your knees are "V-ed" or will lie across your knees and thighs if your are legs are together. Continue to breathe very slowly and very deeply. You look like a large snowbank. Your breath is so deep and so slow, you don't appear to be moving at all. You are quiet, still and safe. The Inuit and other indigenous people have hunted polar bears for survival. There is a mutual respect between the bears and these people. But other people are not as well informed and some still hunt polar bears for sport which could bring the polar bear to possible extinction. Remember when you are doing this pose to be as still and quiet as possible. Feel brave, safe and relaxed.
Picture
Child's Pose (also seed, rock, curled leaf or by bringing hands over nose and making a v with your legs - POLAR BEAR)

BREATH PLAY: Breathe in deeply through your nose. Take your breath way down to your belly. Feel your belly expand slowly on the in breath. As you slowly breathe out, feel your belly begin to relax and become smaller. Imagine you are a polar bear in the snow. You feel warm with a big blanket of snow all around you. Breathe so slowly and deeply that you know anyone passing by will think you are just a great white snowbank. You feel quiet and still. You feel safe. This can be done either in Polar Bear Pose or just resting comfortably on your back.

RELAXATION VISUALIZATION: In your mind's eye, see a garden gate. It can look however you wish it to as it is your garden gate. Pass through the gate and once on the other side, see that you are in a winter wonderland of crisp blue sky and solid white land. You see a sliver of silvery blue in the white and realize it is the ocean. As you get nearer, you see there is a large ship on the water. You climb aboard the ship and set sail. You maneuver the boat between icebergs and ice flows. You see whales coming up out of the ocean for a big breath. They swim gracefully beside your ship. The spray from their blow holes makes a waterfall of mystery. There are seals and walruses easing their blubbery bodies up onto ice flows to sun themselves. You know you are in for a fine adventure. As you watch the scene unfolding all around you, you see a polar bear climbing out of the water onto the icy white land. You imagine you are that polar bear. You pick up your enormous paws and make huge foot prints in the snow. Then the cold arctic winds fill the prints in as fast as you can make them. You are in a blizzard in the Great White North, but your fur and your enormous body keep you so warm, so warm that you have an urge to lie down and rest. You cover your black eyes and nose with your big white paws and you put your head down into the snow while curling your knees up close to your chest underneath you. You feel your over sized body beginning to sink into the snow. You breathe deeply and slowly and feel your body relaxing and settling into the winter world of white. You stay ever so quiet, so still. You feel so relaxed. You feel safe. Everything is right in the world. You stay in your warm, soft, cozy winter bed for as long as you wish. Only begin to stretch and wiggle your bear toes and nose when you know you are ready to get back on your ship and sail back home.

ACTIVITY: draw a curved rainbow shape on a white piece of paper. Cut it out rounding the front and back bottom corners and making a little dip in the middle at the bottom of the paper. you could draw some paws on if you wish and even put a little cotton ball (stretched out) tail on if you want. Draw a polar bear head, separately on the white paper. Make black eyes and nose. With a brass fastener (a brad) with prongs that spread apart, attach the head to the body at about the middle of the front edge. Now the polar bear can look up or do polar bear pose, if you gently rotate his head under his paws.

BOOKS:
Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    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.

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2016

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.