How many times recently have you had to stop and remind yourself to simply “just breathe? It’s an overwhelming time right now to be sure. Our friends at Bliss Kids Yoga are offering support in some easy ways to connect for families to bond and de-stress.

Excerpts below are from the Bliss Kids Yoga website where you can find helpful resources. Be sure to keep up with their helpful tips and videos on blisskidyoga.org and on their Facebook and Instagram.

Breathe, Play & Move

With COVID-19 and the closure of schools and businesses many of us are at home trying to figure out this new normal while balancing work, kids, health, finances and our sanity. Below you’ll find a few ways to engage with your family in a meaningful and fun way written by Katherine Banker, Founder and Executive Director of Bliss Kids Yoga. For more in this Mindful Series click here.

photo credit: Carmen Buck Photography

Breathe

Idea: By bringing awareness to our breath we increase focus, reduce stress and learn self-regulation techniques.

Cookie: Breathing in we smell the cookies and breathing out we go “mmmmmmm” while resting one hand on belly and one on chest. Do you notice your belly getting big as you smell the cookies?

Tarzan: Breathing in and breathing out while thumping chest like tarzan. Do you notice a vibration in your throat and chest?

Doctor: Breathing in and breathing out with tongue out letting out an “ahhhhhhhh” . When you let out an “ahhhhhhhhh” how do you feel?

Ocean: Breathing in as arms lift and as they release down letting out a “shhhhhhhhh” as you breathe out. When you let out a “shhhhhhhhh” how do you feel after?

Bumble Bee: Breathing in and letting it out with a “buzzzzzzzzzz” perhaps noticing vibration in our chest.

Snake: Breathing in and breathing out with a “hissssss”. Does it tickle your tongue? Let’s try again!

Lion: Breathing in and breathing out with tongue out as you “roooooaaaaaarrrr”. Does breathing like a lion give you energy or make you tired? Or perhaps neither?

Play

Idea: Promote focus and cooperative learning while playing fun and engaging games with items you already have at home!

Tip: When you notice your child needs a quick break invite them to rest in child’s pose. Take turns feeling one another’s breath by putting your hand on their back or by laying head to belly (see picture) and feeling the rise and fall of one another’s belly in zipper pose.

— Balance Beam: Try moving creatively on a line. Move forwards and backwards, hop, skip, maybe even try to walk while balancing a book on your head! Increase challenge as appropriate. Next, turn it into a jumping game. Jump over a line or maybe from tile to tile. Be creative and use resources you already have!

— Balloon Game: Everyone sits in a circle. One person starts with the balloon between their feet. the balloon must be passed from person to person without using hands or touching the floor.

— Copy Cat Game: Siting in a circle one person starts making a movement. This movement copied by the next person sitting clockwise before this child gets to make up their own movement. Continue the process creating a waterfall effect. Movements should be silent and seated. Children love thinking up silly movements and seeing friends and especially parents copy them!

— Hoola Hoop Game: Children stand in a circle, one person with the hoola hoop on through their arm. Children hold hands and pass the hoola hoop around the circle from person to person without breaking the circle of hands. This makes for some creative movements and strategies to get it all the way around.

Photo credit: Carmen Buck Photography

Move

Idea: Moving together in a mindful way promotes bonding, coordination/motor development, language skills and more!

Breath: Use a feather or object around the house to introduce the concept of breath. Breathing on a mirror or object such as a feather is helpful. You can also place hands on your belly and take some deep belly breaths. Concentrate on the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe in and out.

— Extension: Invite your child to take turns feeling each other’s breath. If you like find child’s pose and invite your child to place their hand on your back and feel it rise and fall.

Move and Play: Create your own yoga names! Everyone thinks of their favorite color and animal. When combined they create your yoga name. Example: Turquoise Dog. Then work together to create your own unique yoga pose. Everyone gets a turn!

— Extension: Try to use your yoga names all day!

— Down time: Try ending with some quiet time using an object to gaze at such as a candle. Challenge yourself to gaze at the candle for 15 seconds. Then try 30 seconds.

— Extension: Increase the gaze time during your next family yoga time. Keep track and celebrate!

— Ending: End with your child’s song of choice.

Remember to have fun and be silly! And, don’t forget the whole world is your yoga mat!

Keep up with Bliss Kids Yoga online, and if you are moved to support their offerings, you can text BKY to 41444.