Upside Down

With Jack Johnson in the background singing "Upside Down", the Alluem Kids practiced their inversions this weekend! Shoulder stands, headstands, handstands, and forearm stands really get the blood flowing throughout the whole body. When upside down, the brain is refreshed with new oxygenated blood to bring clarity to the mind, while the body develops strength and balance. Inversions are said to have positive effects on 4 major systems including the cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine, and nervous system. For kids, it's just fun! Kicking up into headstands and walking up the wall to practice handstands...kids love being upside down!

Next Session Registration

Registration for the next Alluem Kids session is now open!

The new session starts Sunday, February 7th.

Sundays, 10-11am - Alluem Kids 4-7yrs

Sundays, 11:15am-12:15pm - Alluem Kids 8-12yrs - CLOSED

Sundays, 12:30-1:30pm - Alluem Kids 8-12yrs

Register today!! Class closes at 15 kids max.

Visit http://www.alluemyoga.com/ or call the studio!

(Make-up class for the previous session will be held 1/31.)

Now that's Family Yoga!

Sunbathing on a Rock, Standing on a Chair, Bicycle Built for 2, Walking through the Clouds, and Triple Downdog...it's what every Family Yoga Class should be!

Just as Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt that one day all people young and old would live together in peace and harmony, it was my hopes today that the families in class would come together as a unit to strengthen their bonds through yoga. Yoga with your family is a very rewarding practice designed to get you moving while spending quality time with your kids. It gives you a chance to guide your child with compassion and it gives your child a chance to remind you how to play! We had a great time today!

Martin Luther King Day

Off from school on Monday, January 18th with nothing to do? Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Alluem. Dr. King had a dream that one day we would all live together in peace and harmony. Experience that peace by the river with your children.

Join us for Family Yoga

1:30-2:30pm

$20 per family

recommended for ages 5 +

Watermelon Pose!

Yoga isn't just about exercise, it's about treating the whole body right in this moment - physically, mentally, spiritually. Whatever your past held is over...and there is no point in worrying over the future. Staying focused on NOW is what's most important. So when we bring yoga to children, it's important to teach them about more then just Downward Dog and Frog Jumps. It's important to to teach them about the self as a whole NOW in their still growing bodies and minds. And what makes them grow into strong and healthy individuals? Nutrition, rest, exercise, mental stimulation, love...it's a combination of these things that unite the body, mind, and spirit in a child. It is through Yoga (union) that we can reach the child in all aspects of life.
The New Year always brings a focus on eating right. Wherever you look - commercials, the Internet, bookstores, drug stores, etc. Some of the messages that the media puts out can tend to be misleading at times, especially for children and tweens - focusing on how you should look rather then how you feel. I strongly disagree with those messages, but that's a whole other blogpost! I believe giving your body the proper care and nutrients it needs for the strongest and healthiest YOU is something that should be done year round. But whatever it takes to get people there, so be it.
I came across a great article by Lisa Flynn on The Kid's Yoga Resource site: Food, Mood, Behavior, and Learning - What are You Feeding Your Kids this Year? It was full of great information on nutrition for kids. I started to think how I could incorporate this in my class...I asked Lisa for some suggestions and wah-lah! Her next posting: The Picnic Game: Nutrition Education for Kids contained some awesome nutrition focused activities for kids! And I had a wonderful class lined up for my 4-7 yr olds! We started with a focus on what the kids had for breakfast, that it was the most important meal of the day and gave us energy so we could move and have fun in yoga class! We read "Little Pea" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - the story of the little pea who would get no spinach for dessert if he didn't finish his candy! We then played the Picnic Game recommended by Lisa. The kids checked out their play-food choices and did some yoga poses to mimic the food, which was very entertaining! Ask a your little yogi what they think Watermelon Pose looks like and see what you get! We then did a coloring activity break down of the Food Pyramid recommended by Team Nutrition at the USDA. The kids enjoyed themselves because it was a fun and interactive way of learning how to take care of ourselves! Not to mention, they are able to walk away with some information that they can value the rest of their lives. You can never start too young!

Hope is a Game Changer

"Hope is the most important thing that people need to move forward. The slightest ray of hope can ignite the human spirit's ability to overcome: The Power of the Invisible Sun." - Bobby Sager

Chronicle Books and photographer/philanthropist Bobby Sager has released an amazingly moving photographic journey into the lives of children living in the most war-torn areas of the world. The pictures include refugees, orphans, child soldiers, and just plain children living among things that no child should have to deal with. The great part about this book is that all proceeds will go towards the Hope is a Game Changer-Project, making it a tangible way to begin delivering hope. At the end of the book, Bobby asks, "Now what?" He asks with hope that you will do something...and that something is "not to feel sorry for them, but to take strength from their strength, feel more thankful in your own life, and find ways to give others hope, by giving something of yourself."

So, I asked myself - what can I do? My answer...I'll start in my own community. Reading about how Bobby has brought a bit of hope and peace into the lives of children around the world through the Hope is a Game Changer-Project, has inspired me to bring a bit of focus on PEACE into the Yoga Classroom this weekend. Why not start with the children right under your nose? The children of today are the ones who will become the leaders of tomorrow. Instill peace in them now and it will make a world of difference.

For my 8-12 year old students, I've decided that now is the perfect time to introduce the Yamas. The first one, Ahimsa - non-violence, peacefulness towards others and yourself. Dakiniyogini at Shanti Generation, recently noticed that many of her students having been doting the peace sign on their clothes, bags, key chains...it's become one of the latest trends. She asked her students if they wore the peace sign as a trendy fashion statement or if they really believed in peace as a way of being. It's the perfect question to bring up to a tween to get them thinking about what peace really means and what they can do to make a difference. It all starts with baby steps.

"Giving someone hope is the ultimate concrete baby step." - Bobby Sager

Yoga Toes

Just for fun...Little Miss Matched!

"Nothing matches, but anything goes!"

Yoga is more fun with Yoga Toe Socks!

Favors for our birthday parties at Alluem Kids are always changing. Our most recent favors were Toe Socks by Little Miss Matched. The girls loved them! They're fun to look at and they break the rules - they don't match! Makes folding laundry a lot easier, too. I've just discovered tons of cool activities for kids on their website that are worth checking out and that I just may use in some of my classes...Eye-Catching Eye Pillows (great for Savasana)...Dream Catchers...or even design your own socks, pjs, or bedding to keep the creativity flowing in your kid! Oh, and you must check out the KnitWits...they would make great Breathing Buddies (stuffed animal or toy to place on your child's stomach during reclined deep breathing exercises - watch your buddy get a ride as you inhale and exhale)! I heart Little Miss Matched!