Chew on this! Get-up-and-go with bite-sized energy nosh

Courtesy Balance Bar

Sometimes all you need is a pop of munchable nourishment to make it through your last school period or after a Yoga Flow class.

Balance bites, a new addition to the popular Balance Bar brand, aims to satisfy this craving.

Available in chocolate and peanut butter, the tasty, healthful snack packs contain 190 calories per pouch, with 13 grams of protein, and are gluten-free and non-GMO.

Alone or as a yogurt topping, the fresh, wholesome nibbles will be available late spring at Krogers and Stop & Shop for $1.79 a bag.

Time to retreat! Yoga a fit for more summer camps

Courtesy Usdan

School’s almost out – what’s your summer plan?

Wish you could dive deeper in to yoga over the seasonal break? Well, you probably can. Yoga is stretching beyond the studio limits as an option at more summer camps.

“Whether you’re a teen or younger, mindfulness is the name of the game. More kids are following...

Inspiration in a bottle? Lift your mood with yogi-inspired scented oils

Courtesy 21 Drops

Pulled an all-nighter? Too much drama in your social circles?

Relax. You’ll find strength, calm and focus in this colorful 21-scent line of organic, essential oils.

The company has pre-selected healing aromas just for yoga enthusiasts, that promote clarity, soothe nerves, mend the heart and lift the spirit.

So roll on, inhale and enjoy Jojoba-oil-based blends of Cedarwood/Rose/Rosemary and Lavendar/Geranium/Juniper/Cardamom, among others.

Packed in leak-free, roller-top glass bottles, toss them in to your backpack, as you would your smartphone and apply as needed to ease your daily grind.

($29.00/8 ml bottle, 21drops.com)

 

 

OM Girl! Teenage yoga teacher turns heads




c/o Mark Allen Abbey Arts & Photography

Yogi see, yogi do.

More teens are not only practicing yoga, but teaching it, too!

Take Avery Jones. The fourteen-year-old yoga instructor from Marble Falls,Texas recently talked to us about yoga as both passion and profession!

KidsYogaDaily: How did you get in to yoga?

AJ: I started at age four. I'm the third oldest of seven siblings and we're homeschooled. My family did videos from the library together, and a teacher within our area homeschool group also taught yoga at nearby Sana Vida studio.

c/o Mark Abbey

KidsYogaDaily: What hooked you on the practice?
 

AJ: It helped me to stay healthy. I was never in to sports, and it became my sport. You also use the coolest toys to stretch out with.

KidsYogaDaily: When did you know you wanted to teach it?

AJ: At age ten. I was watching a news report on yoga and thought, 'I can do this.' I created Wiggle Worm Yoga and started teaching my family and homeschool group, at the library and at churches. Later on, I completed my 200-hour teaching training at Sana Vida, so I could teach there.

KidsYogaDaily: Were the mostly-adult students accepting of you?

AJ: Everyone was...

Barter up! Swap office skills for free yoga classes

Courtesy Google Images

Cashless in Yogaland? 

It’s a catch-22.
You love practicing yoga, but Sun Salutations don’t come cheap at many studios. 

For example, sessions run $20 a pop for adults and $15 for students at Be Evolution Yoga of Montclair, New Jersey. In business for nine years, the studio has long offered Yoga/Work Exchange opportunities to those in need and started a formal program about five years back.
 

“Volunteers can either work at our front desk, answering the phone and checking in classes, or clean the studio after closing,” says Jagadisha, its owner. In return, Karmi yogis, as they’re often referred to, receive an unlimited yoga class pass.

Be Evolution Yoga typically accepts 20-25 people in to the program at any given time, which for a few, has proven to be a path toward employment.

“We’ve had volunteers become yoga teachers through our teacher training program, and one recently became our assistant manager,” says Jagadisha.

If you’d like your area studio do offer a similar arrangement, “I’d suggest pointing out, that a traditional way of practicing yoga and supporting a community of practitioners, is through seva, or selfless service,” says Jagadisha.

Jot it out! Journaling exercises help to work out stress

c/o Google Images

Even after a really bad day, some students at Achievement First Middle School, in Bushwick, Brooklyn return home anger-free, thanks to an after-school program, led by Saskia Layden.

The 27-year-old yoga teacher founded The Human Plant Project, to deliver yoga and mindfulness programming to under-served communities in New York City.

“What greater reward is there than to teach young people, as their petals unfold,” says Layden.

In her journaling and meditation classes, “I have them write 'hot letters,' to someone they’re really mad at. Their thoughts stay in their journal, and they’re able to release anger in a healthy way,” she says.

Since many of her students don’t feel safe in their home surroundings and bodies much of the time, Layden uses a method called sensory counting to help them achieve a state of calm.

“I ask them to lie down in Savasana, and imagine a place that makes them feel really peaceful – outside at a beach or at grandma’s house. Next, they write down five things that they can see, hear, touch, feel, and smell in that location. I try to show them a way that they can find peace in their own minds,” she says.

Peace out and about. Adorn yourself in mantra swag



Courtesy Charm & Magic

Wear your values around your neck, with beaded Mini Malas.

The garlands are commonly used by Buddhists to keep count while reciting aloud or mentally repeating a word or phrase of spiritual value.

Charms like wishbones, moons and hearts add symbolic touches to the line. Measuring 12 inches long, a portion of all proceeds benefits The Human Plant Project, a yoga and mindfulness program taught to kids from under-served New York City communities.

(Charm & Magic Crystal Clear Mini Mala, $88)

Designer tips for free-flowing tween and teen bedrooms

Photo c/o Anita Rosenberg

As you mature, your crash pad should support good homework, health and social habits, according to Feng Shui expert to the stars, Anita Rosenberg.

Your bedroom space should allow you to transition from tweenhood to teenager seamlessly, she says. So say goodbye to baby photos and stuffed animals. 

In addition, “A dedicated study area allows for better concentration and higher grades,” says Rosenberg, however, “No computers in bedrooms. This creates anxiety over homework.”

 

If you must position a TV or computer here, "Cover at night to calm harmful electromagnetic fields (EMFs)," she says.

Ensure extra seating for social interactions with friends, says Rosenberg. And, “Bulletin boards honor party invites, friends’ photos and school papers.”

When it’s time to hit the sack, “Teen bedrooms in the basement are a bad circulation of Qi,” or life force, says the designer. “Nothing belongs under the bed,” which ideally should be, “placed up against a solid, interior wall.”

Excerpts from Rosenberg’s book Feng Shui Luck are available through the Good Karma Shop, at www.AnitaRosenberg.com

Chaos or sanctum? Expert tips for calming your bedroom vibe

Cluttered quarters photo c/o Anita Rosenberg

Do you still have fuchsia pink paint, an outdated stuffed animal collection and a medley of tween heartthrobs covering the walls of your rest space? How can a young yogi meditate, let alone catch quality ZZZs in such over-stimulating quarters?

“In Feng Shui, the purpose of bedrooms is restful sleep and recharging your battery,” says Anita Rosenberg, an international Feng Shui expert whose high profile clients include Paula Abdul and supermodel, Miranda Kerr.

To create a peaceful setting, Rosenberg advises that for younger children’s rooms, “Safety is the key,” she says. “No pointy furniture edges or sharp metal corners.”

To organize chaos, use trunks, baskets, shelves and closets, says the expert, and décor shouldn’t be arousing.

“Keep the color red and flying super heroes to a minimum, as they will keep kids’ imaginations active all night,” says Rosenberg.

Did you know bunkbeds create limited thinking?
“The best bed position is up against a solid interior wall for support,” she says.

Ensure your child has his “support team” displayed in the form of family photos and friends at eye-level, says Rosenberg.

In tomorrow's post, Rosenberg offers style advice for free-flowing tween and teen bedrooms.

As easy as ABC! New app puts yoga in the palm of your hand.

Courtesy Dannette Stephan

Pop a squat with your little one inside or out, and follow kid-friendly yoga poses with the touch of your smart device (iOS, 8.0 or later).

California yoga teacher and author, Danette Stephan has just released, “Letter Sound Yoga,” an educational health app designed for kids ages 3-12, parents and teachers.  

The mobile fitness program provides a series of playful and calming postures, each of which correspond with a letter of the alphabet.

($2.99, Appstore)

 

 

Spring-fresh style for young yogis on-the-go

Courtesy zazzle.com

Yoga is in fashion – right down to this fun, everyday accessory.

Made for kids ages 8 years and up, the color-popping key coin clutch tucks easily in to a purse or yoga bag for the safe-keeping of change, cards and cash.

Created out of silk-satin fabric, this 'get-noticed' carrier also features a secure wrist strap and attached key ring.

Yoga; Neon Green Stripes Key Coin Clutch ($18, zazzle.com/bagettes).

Like this! Record your joys in scrap-book style

Courtesy Jacqueline Suskin

Do you spend more time “liking” others’ Facebook postings than enjoying your own day? 

“There’s a lot of blind clicking, with no substance about it," says Jacqueline Suskin, professional poet and author of, “Go Ahead & Like It,” (Ten Speed Press, $16.99). "What we really need is to know our own likes, and dig deeper to know what fulfills us."

WIN HER BOOK!

The creative wordsmith kept journals before she was of writing age, calling it her “saving grace,” and encourages kids to do the same, as a means to heal, express and explore themselves on their own terms.

Suskin inspires readers to jot down lists of things that they like – from naps to thunderstorms, and lake swims to tapioca pudding, as a path to self-discovery and gratitude.

“We need reminding of just how full our lives are. When I have writer’s block, am bored or need uplifting, it’s helpful to train your mind to look towards the positive,” says Suskin, who typically drafts “like lists” three times a day.

If you’re having a really bad day,“The lists aren’t going to heal you from severe trauma, but they can help change your entire attitude, and you can do it whenever you want,” she says.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fit to fit in? Yoga workshops help kids face social tests

Courtesy Robbin Schneider

Fear the bully whose locker nears yours? Or the nasty chick clique that excludes you at lunchtime? One woman is empowering tweens and teens to confront peer pressures using yoga’s time-proven tools.

As a yoga practitioner and instructor for nearly fifteen years, Robbin Schneider, founder and owner of Joiful Life, of Indianapolis, Indiana, leads hour-long workshops at middle and high schools to help combat teen suicide and the stressors of measuring up in our success-at-all-costs culture.

Schneider's theme-based sessions include, “The Meaning of Mean,” and “Real Me or Social Me?” and incorporate mindfulness, journaling, crafting, breathing exercises and yoga postures.

“Questions lead to other questions and discussions about who inspires them and why and the things that they would like to change about themselves. Kids leave a bit calmer and less stressed,” she says.

During a recent one-on-one session Schneider dubbed, “Grounded in Growth,” I talked with a student who lacked self-confidence about the richness of soil, everyone’s unique time to blossom and her nurturing family. We practiced tree pose, warrior poses, half-moon, the cocoon of child’s pose and savasana,” she says. The takeaway? “Springtime is a perfect time to feel at ease in your strength and if you’re ready, to let yourself expand,” she says.  
 

Explore the ties that bind on mother-daughter yoga getaway

Courtesy of Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck, NY. eOmega.org

Skip soccer practice. Put away the tech.

Growing up happens too fast. Take a break from busy home routines and focus on this this one-of-a-kind relationship for a weekend.

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies' Mother-Daughter Yoga Retreat is a great way to loosen up, reconnect and enjoy just-the-two-of-us time.

Ideal for daughters ages 10 and up, the three-day excursion is led by an experienced yoga instructor at the sprawling 250-acre Rhinebeck, New York campus. Days are spent in solo and partner yoga poses, meditation and unwinding together.

Mother-Daughter Yoga Retreat (full schedule online)

June 12, 2015 – June 14, 2015

Tuition: $270. Member Tuition: $245  

For more information call: 877.944.2002

 

 

Oral health website aims to bring out your natural smile

Courtesy Revive Personal Products

If it tastes too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

Sure, today’s children’s toothpastes come in all colors and flavors, but do you really know what the sticky stuff is made of? Not all oral health care products are created equal.

Revive Personal Products Company, LLC of Madison, New Jersey, has launched a new website, at http://thenaturaldentistkids.com, to better inform consumers of their choices and help them to foster good dental grooming habits in their kids early on.

The company claims its Natural Dentist line of botanically-based goods is made without harsh substances including alcohol, artificial dyes, flavors or sweeteners and free of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (detergent).

Two flavors in particular, Cavity Zapper Fluoride Toothpaste in Berry Blast and Groovy Grape ($7/each), were developed expressly for a child's taste buds by the head of R&D for the company, who is also a mother of three.

A full listing of where to buy Natural Dentist products is accessible on the website and include Target and Amazon.

Making yoga a family affair





Photo credit: thechildrensschoolofyoga.com

Looking for a mess-free bonding activity with the kiddos? Toss the yoga mats in to the trunk and head to a family yoga class.

Doreen Foxwell began teaching such sessions eleven years ago through The Children's School of Yoga.  Her self-designed classes and workshops are currently offered at over 150 locations throughout the North East, and she says, they’re gaining in popularity for the under-ten age set.

“There are so many drop-off activities today. Family-style yoga is something to do together,” says Foxwell. Plus, younger children gain confidence with mom or dad on hand to assist them, she says.

Limited to fifteen participants, Foxwell changes up the...

Yoga a go! In-school practice poses no threat to religious freedom, court says

Courtesy Google Images

A San Diego County school system got the greenlight to continue its district-wide yoga programming. The decision supports a lower court ruling, which justifies the ancient practice as an alternative to gym classes here.

As yoga has close ties to Hinduism, parents of two kids in the Encinitas district had sued on their behalf, claiming it encroached on their religious rights.

While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes taught here are, "devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings," the court wrote in a 3-0 opinion.

The district said the practice is taught in a secular way to promote strength, flexibility and balance.Yoga is now taught at schools across the U.S., but the district is reported to be the first with full-time yoga teachers at all schools.

 

 

 

This stylish sling has yoga soul and sole!

Courtesy Sanuk.com

Spring off to yoga class or a beach party in this stylish slide, with footbeds made from real yoga mat.

Choose from fuchsia zebra, black fuchsia cheetah, fuchsia purple stripes, black/white stripes, aqua purple/floral, pink/blue floral, or lavender grey stripes prints in light, stretch knit fabric. Comes in youth girls sizes 1-2, 3-4, 5-6.

(Sanuk Yoga Sling Girls, $28.00 at sanuk.com)

Becoming Yoga Girl. Teacher-turned-Instagram-star opens up in new book

Cover photo c/o Touchstone Publicity

Yes, she calls blissful Aruba home. Yup, she’s got a cute surfer hubbie to boot.
Her day job is yoga – teaching it to vacationers here in Boho style, on retreats and at workshops worldwide, or through her Instagram reflections, which attract over one million fans.

WIN HER BOOK!

Too good to be true? Perhaps, but Rachel Brathen, aka, “Yoga Girl,” didn’t hatch this dream life overnight.

Brathen owns up on pain and surviving trauma in this, her debut book. A child of divorce, her step-father tragically...

Turn test tension on its head

Courtesy Google Images

Kids and teens have a natural curiosity for handstand, says Kate Graham, M.Ed, E-RTY and founder of Soulful Yoga Therapy of Boston, Massachusetts.

“This inversion also allows them to experience increased focus, feelings of equanimity and a connection to the present moment; dissipating anxiety and worries about upcoming exams," she says.

“Chair pose is a power pose,” says Graham. “When held for a few minutes, you’ll burn off excess nervous energy and melt away tension, allowing you to find a sense of calm. The strong use of legs cultivates a feeling of groundedness to anchor your anxious energy. Extending your arms over head builds self-esteem and confidence to help you prepare for upcoming exams.”

Get in the (yoga) zone before finals

Courtesy Google Images

To cool down exam stress, try  Bee Buzzing Breath to clear your mind and better manage pre-exam stress, says Christy Brock Miele, founder of YogaMinded.com.

“You can’t do this breath seriously and not feel calmer,” she says. "The sound of the bee buzzing breath literally takes your attention and draws it away from your brain, down to your voice box, and heart area, giving you a mental break.”

Miele suggests these yoga poses for calming your nervous system.

Eagle Pose can be done standing or from a seated position, doing just Eagle arms. Steady your gaze on one spot and engage your arms and legs in a “locking position.” Eagle pose takes the energy of the brain and redistributes it to the body, easing mental pressure and reinvigorating cardiovascular flow. You’ll feel steady and clear, like an Eagle surveying the land (or classroom)!

Cat/Cow spinal movements get the spine moving and freeing up the build-up of tension in the brain, leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed.

Take a break from hunching over your books in Chair Forward Bend. Sit to the back of a chair with feet wide and bending forward, letting your head and arms hang. This gets blood flow to the brain. The circulation is refreshing!

 

Yoga therapy -- RX for study season stress



Courtesy Google Images

Prepare your emotional IQ, along with book smarts. Steady practice of these yoga poses can help clear your head and boost your focus before upcoming exams.

"Savasana, coupled with a guided meditation, such as a body scan is great for meditation and stress-release," says Debra Perlson-Mishalove, co-founder of Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC.

"Sun salutations are fun and invigorating, with whole body movement," she says. "Twists help ring out tension that can build in the body fast. Standing twists or longer holds give deeper releases."