The Holistic Parent | Page 24

FEATURE | KIDS YOGA THE THREE TIERS OF ‘YOGA-TASTIC’ TIER 1: PRIMARY The first tier sets the foundation for children to become calm, alert and centered. There are four simple steps within this tier to help create selfawareness: Stop, Listen, Breathe and Relax. STOP: Children are encouraged to stop physically and remain still. Children are invited to explore the process of stopping while they are standing, sitting or lying down. Music can be used to cue, or they may have a designated yoga area to go to. LISTEN: Once children have stopped moving, they are asked to experiment with listening to their bodies, minds and inner selves by practicing present moment awareness. The goal of this stage is to create self-awareness. At this stage, children may be prompted to: LISTEN TO THE BODY: What is going on inside of your body? Any aches, pain, discomfort or dislikes? Are you able to sit still? LISTEN TO THE MIND: What is going on inside your mind/head? Is it really busy inside your m