Jobs can be fun and rewarding. How do we know? Because we teach kids yoga! On this week's episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY, Kelly & Kristi discuss the business of kids yoga and their personal journeys offering yoga and mindfulness to children in a variety of settings. Tune in as they dive deeper: The different places they've successfully shared kids yoga Steps to becoming a kids yoga teacher What it looks like to teach kids yoga 'full time' Investments if transitioning into teaching yoga to kids Is it possible to find a job you're passionate about? Kristi sums it up perfectly: "Bottom line, this is the greatest job ever." Be sure to follow Kelly & Kristi on social media to see all the ways they share kids yoga and mindfulness in their communities and worldwide. For further reading & learning opportunities: Starter’s Guide to Teaching Kids’ Yoga: Business Edition: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-business-teach/ Get certified! https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-teacher-training-courses-certification/ Virtual Workshop: How to Make Money Teaching Kids Yoga: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/how-to-make-money-teaching-kids-yoga KAY Yoga Card Deck: https://store.kiddingaroundyoga.com/products/kay-yoga-deck Play Games With Your Yoga Card Deck: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/cards-games-yoga-kids-deck/ Episode 53: Fun-Ways-to-Use-Yoga-Cards: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/pod/show/kidding-around-yoga/episodes/Fun-Ways-to-Use-Yoga-Cards-e23nhcu BeYogi Insurance: https://beyogi.com/yoga-teacher-insurance
Happiness looks and feels different for everyone, but how we get there is often quite similar: through a deep connection with ourselves. Maria Castelluci Moore, entrepreneur, writer, and mother of 4, joins Kristi and Kelly on this week's episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY. Their engaging interview dives deeper into the unique experience of happiness and how slowing down and paying attention to our surroundings can lead to a new, fresh perspective — at any age. Listen in as they discuss: Maria's personal journey into a mindfulness practice Maria's inspiration to write Vivienne in Paris How Maria instills mindfulness in her home with her family through simple "rituals" Supporting children with focusing on their senses and tuning into the present moment More about Maria: Entrepreneur, first-generation American, writer, and mother to four children, Moore strives to bring passion and enthusiasm to all her endeavors. A lover of all things European, Moore has found great passion through her travels to Paris, Italy, Spain, and South America. Her affection for winemaking, foreign languages, the arts, ballroom dancing, and traveling has given Moore a unique and grateful perspective on life. Her love for her family and helping others through charitable giving has enabled Moore to thoughtfully curate purposeful life adventures. Moore resides in Napa, California, with her husband and four young children. Purchase Vivienne in Paris directly from her website: https://mariacastelluccimooreauthor.com/. Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and wherever books are sold. Connect with Maria Moore on Facebook or Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/mariamooreauthor/ https://www.instagram.com/mariamooreauthor/ For further reading & learning opportunities: Bringing Mindfulness To Our Everyday Tasks: Find Joy in being present: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/bringing-mindfulness-to-our-everyday-tasks-find-joy-in-being-present/ The 5 Senses: An Autumn Experience: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-autumn-senses-fall/ Mindfulness Exercises: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/mindfulness-exercises-classroom/ Mindful Parenting: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/mindful-parenting
To practice, we will focus very closely on a single object and let all of our other senses turn off and rest. Find a partner and sit facing each other. Look into each other's eyes very deeply. Blink when you need to but keep staring. Notice the colors that you see, the shapes and movements. We're going to keep looking into our partner's eyes for a few moments. Be still and quiet. Let the whole world disappear as you keep looking into your partner's eyes. After a few minutes, you can start to blink. Sit quietly right where you are and ask them to notice how they feel. How do you feel? Take a nice, big, deep breath in, and let your body completely relax. See if you notice anything interesting during your eye to eye meditation. Enjoy this mindful moment and tune in again next week for more.
Let’s face it, mistakes don’t feel good, but they are a natural and important part of life. We often view mistakes negatively, however, they provide the opportunity to learn and grow, to try something new, or view something from a different perspective. Learning to handle a mistake gracefully and using it to your advantage is a valuable life skill. So, what can we do to help our children and students embrace their mistakes and reframe failures as opportunities for growth? How can we help them discover there are benefits to making mistakes? Join Kelly and Kristi in this week's episode of Mindful Conversation with KAY as they discuss how making mistakes can be a tool for growth. They dive deeper into the best ways to talk to our kids about making mistakes including: Acknowledging that we don't expect perfection Reminding them our love is unconditional Pointing out growth in specific areas Not 'rescuing' and allowing kids to 'screw up' Acknowledging our own mistakes and sharing them with or kids. And as Kelly points out, we are all a work in progress! For further reading & learning opportunities: Kids’ Yoga Grows Leaders: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/learn-mistakes-grow-leader-yogiyogini/ The Lotus Flower Lesson https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/lotus-flower-lesson/ The Right Way to Do Yoga https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/the-right-way-to-do-yoga/ Art and Mindfulness: a conversation with Dr. Pravesh Bhoodram: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/dashboard/episode/e1h04eq Effects of Ability and Effort Praise on Children’s Failure Attribution, Self-Handicapping, and Performance: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01883/full Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg: https://www.instagram.com/barneysaltzberg/
In today's mindful moment, we will be doing a yoga pose called Cat and Cow. These poses are great for relieving tension and stretching your upper body. They can be done either seated or on hands and knees on the floor. Let's try it! If you are seated in a chair, start by sitting tall, bring your hands together, and interlace your fingers. Turn your palms out and extend your arms straight to the sky. Inhale as you arch your back and tip your chin up. You're like a cow with a big belly! Now, exhale as you slowly pull your belly in and round your shoulders, pushing your spine toward the back of your chair. Bring your arms back down, stretched out in front of you, and tip your chin toward your chest. You're like a scary cat! Continue to flow back and forth between both positions several times. Feel free to make cat and cow sounds as you move through the poses or you can make a hissing sound on the exhale to release more tension. On all fours, you'll do the same thing. If you're on your hands and knees, let your belly fall to the floor as you lift your chest and tail and you look up toward the sky in Cow pose. As you exhale, press the floor away with both hands, draw your belly in and arch your back up toward the ceiling like a Halloween cat. Continue through this motion several times.
Imagine this: You planned to pick up a pizza for dinner, but when you pull up to the restaurant, you realize it's closed on Mondays. As an adult, you can think through a couple of solutions, but now imagine you're 5 years old and you had your heart set on pizza... Bouncing back from disappointment. Going with the flow when plans change. Getting comfortable with change and managing uncertainty. Flexible thinking, an essential life skill for both adults and children, helps us adapt to new or unexpected situations. In this episode, Mindful Conversation with KAY podcast, Kelly and Kristi share their thoughts on flexible thinking including: The importance of flexible thinking in self-regulation and handling big emotions Ways parents can model this type of thinking How affirming "I can be flexible" can be a helpful tool Other playful ways to build flexible thinking skills in children Episode mention: http://www.justforkidsyoga.com/ For further reading & learning: Why Children Should Practice Yoga: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-children-benefits/ The Importance of Learning Through Play: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/the-importance-of-learning-through-play/ Social Emotional Learning – Yoga and Emotional Intelligence https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-social-emotional-learning-sel/ Practicing Self-Regulation with Children's Yoga: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/practicing-self-regulation-with-childrens-yoga/
In this Mindful Moment, we will practice Full Body Breath. This grounding breath activates our relaxation response and stretches our back. Let's try it! This practice requires four full breaths. Begin in Mountain pose. On the first breath, look up at the ceiling, lift your heart and stretch arm up like a "Y". On the second breath, allow your body to melt forward toward your shoes as if you are a ragdoll. Dangle there for a full inhale and exhale. On the third breath, feel your whole body as you reach for the ceiling again. Feel your feet on the floor, ribs stretch and fingers reach. Do one more full breath standing tall with energy and power. Now your ready for your day! You can also practice Full Body Breath from a seated position - which way feels better for you?
In this Mindful Moment, we will practice Chair pose. This pose is great for exercising your legs, energizing your body, and stimulating your heart and abdominal organs. Let's try it! Stand with your legs together, bend your knees, and reach your bottom back and your back straight like you are sitting on an invisible chair. Reach arms long overhead, keeping your heart lifted. Can your chair get low to the ground like a seat for a kindergartner? Or maybe rise tall and become a high chair? Can you chair balance on tiptoes? What would happen if one of the legs broke? Lift one leg and balance, then the other.
Do you find yourself anxiously awaiting those final moments of yoga class when you get to rest in a sublime state of relaxation? Enter yoga nidra. Yoga Nidra, also known as “yogic sleep”, is a form of meditation usually practiced lying down with a teacher guiding the session. Yoga Nidra is perfect for anyone, including children of all ages. In this episode of Mindful Conversation with KAY podcast, Kelly and Kristi define and dissect Yoga Nidra, a powerful practice to incorporate into your and your child's routine. Listen in as they discuss: What yoga nidra is The many benefits of yoga nidra including calming the body and mind, releasing tension, soothing the nervous system and naturally producing melatonin What yoga nidra looks like for children and why it's important for children to practice Tips for practicing yoga nidra with children For further reading: Books by Dan Siegel: https://drdansiegel.com/books/ Yoga and Sleep: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-sleep-family-meditation/ Creating A Peaceful Garden: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/savasana-peaceful-garden-children-yoga-rest/
Most of us lead busy lives with endless lists of things to do. It's easy to go into autopilot, especially for the more mundane tasks like doing the dishes and vacuuming. In this week's episode of Mindful Conversation with KAY, Kelly and Kristi offer ways to find more enjoyment in our day-to-day responsibilities through mindfulness and presence. Listen in as they discuss: The importance of slowing down and tuning in to the moment Ways to shift our mindset around chores Successfully involving kids in household chores How we can actually lessen chores by living more mindfully For further reading: The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh: https://plumvillage.org/books/the-miracle-of-mindfulness/ Being Present with Your Children: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/present-children-parenting-yoga/ Teaching Mindfulness: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/teaching-mindfulness/ What’s So Great About A Mindfulness Practice? https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/whats-so-great-about-a-mindfulness-practice/ Learning opportunities: Mindful Parenting: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/mindful-parenting Yoga For Families: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/yoga-for-families Root to Rise - Daily Practices: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/root-to-rise
In this mindful moment episode we will introduce Bunny Breath. Benefits: energizes, aids in breath retention, stretches upper body, refocuses attention Try it! Sit up tall. Inhale 3 short sips of air through your nose and then one long exhale through your mouth. Repeat 3-5 times.
What fills your heart episode
How are you? No really, how are you? Actually taking a mindful moment to examine and name our feelings is rare in our busy lives. But acknowledging feelings, whether negative or positive, is key to mental health and full presence in our lives. We want our kiddos to be Feeling Detectives! Listen in to Kelly and Kristi's discussion in this episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY to learn about: *Why kids might be hesitant to explore their feelings *Riding the wave of feelings *Talking to kids about emotions *The power of saying, "Tell me more about that..." *Name it to tame it *Mindfulness tools to explore emotions *The importance of emotion modeling for parents Learn more! Poses to Ease Children's Emotional Pain: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-emotion-mental-health/ Yoga as a Social Emotional Tool: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-social-emotional-play-based-movement/ Creating Space for Children to Regulate their Emotions: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/creating-space-for-children-to-regulate-their-energy-and-emotions/ Dr. Dan Segal's Name it to Tame It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcDLzppD4Jc Dr. Sarah Allen: https://www.brainbehaviorbridge.com
In this mindful moment episode we will practice a line drawing meditation. This practice can bring our awareness to our breath, help us to focus, and feel more calm. All you need is a piece of paper and a wrting utensil. Practice along with us and see how your breath can guide your drawing.
There's SO much for kids to learn in such a short amount of time. It's best to just keep going, powering through lessons and homework, right? NO! Science shows that planned brain breaks are critical to effective instruction. Kelly and Kristi dissect brain breaks in the classroom and in the living room in this episode Mindful Conversation with KAY podcast. Listen in as they discuss: Why brain breaks are important to successful learning The science behind the power of brain rest Examples of types of brain breaks Timing breaks for the greatest impact. For further reading: Edutopia article: https://www.edutopia.org/article/brain-breaks-restore-student-focus-judy-willis Homework Help: Brain Breaks and the Calm Kit: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-homework-adhd-stress-school/ Brain Breaks for the Classroom: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/brain-breaks-for-the-classroom-kids-yoga-stretch/ Brain Breaks: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/brain-breaks-classroom-school-yoga/ Gimme a Break, a Yoga Break: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/school-yoga-kids-break-classroom/ Yoga Stretches for the Classroom: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-school-classroom-office/ Learning Opportunities: Classroom Kids Yoga Online Workshop: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/kay-c Educator Resources: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/educator-courses/
Contrary to popular belief, restorative yoga is NOT just for the elderly or injured. A Restorative Yoga practice is crucial for everyone's mental and physical health, even our youngest yogis. Kelly and Kristi explain how to expand Kids Yoga to include family-friendly restorative practices and postures. *What is Restorative Yoga? *Benefits of Restorative Yoga *Why Restorative Yoga works *Making restorative postures and practices engaging for children *Finding comfort and safety in stillness
This is a Mindful Moment episode. In this mini episode you will learn a breathing practice to share with your children. This practice a great way to help chidlren and adults to learn how to breath slow and with intention.
It's the most wonderful time of the year... or at least it can be, with a sprinkle of mindfulness and a dash of self-care. Listen in as Kelly and Kristi share stories and tips for getting the most of this magical season in this episode of the Mindful Conversations with KAY podcast! *How holiday traditions are special opportunities to practice mindfulness *Letting go of how circumstances "should" be, and celebrate the moments as they are *Cooking as a full-sensory mindfulness experience *The magic of presence (more than presents) *Self-care is vital for a peaceful holiday season *Comparison is enemy of mindfulness Blog posts: Have a Very Mindful Holiday Season: kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-mindfulness-holiday/ Bring MIndfulness to Holiday Dinners: kiddingaroundyoga.com/mindufulness-eating-holidays-yoga-family/ Finding Balance During the Holidays: kiddingaroundyoga.com/stress-holiday-self-care/
Laura Petix, a pediatric occupational therapist, known on social media as "The OT Butterfly" is the special guest on this episode of the Mindful Conversations with KAY podcast. Kelly and Kristi's interview with Laura is filled with practical techniques and deep knowledge about children's behavior as it relates to regulation. Listen as they discuss: *working with a child's brain (rather than trying to "fix" it) *why it is important for children to be in touch with their physical body, building their brain-body connection *how to decode behaviors (hint: behavior is communication) *Laura's favorite body-based self-regulation tools *tips for classroom teachers to incorporate pro-active regulating activities Blog: Yoga and Occupational Therapy: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-and-occupational-therapy-2/ Links: Laura Petix's website: https://theotbutterfly.com @Theotbutterfly on social media The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Podcast: https://theotbutterfly.com/the-sensory-w-i-s-e-solutions-podcast-for-parents/ Mindful Conversations with KAY podcast: https://anchor.fm/kidding-around-yoga/episodes/Yoga-In-Schools-Part-3-How-Yoga-Can-Be-a-Powerful-Tool-in-Special-Education-e1jt21i Sensory is Behavior mini-course: theotbutterfly.com/behavior
Kelly and Kristi are wrapping up their 5 part series exploring the CASEL framework with this weeks discussion about relationship skills. The ability to build and maintain healthy relationships is the ultimate goal in attainting a fulfilling, meaningful life. And believe it or not, kid-friendly mindfulness and yoga practices can build and strengthen these skills. Listen to the episode for: *How mindfulness improves communication skills, active listening, cooperation and collaboration, and problem solving *The importance of strong leadership skills while also learning to work with other leaders' styles *Teaching children to tune into their body's signals and trust these messages BLOGS The Intimacy of Family Relationships: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-intimacy-family-relationships/ Building Relationships Through Yoga Stories: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-stories-relationships-creativity/ Building Friendships through Yoga: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-friends-community-health-kids/