Stretch of the week- Surfer Dude

After a wonderful weekend at the mind body soul show At the Inishowen Gateway in Buncrana, I was inspired to use surfer dude as our stretch of the week. Not only can I remember the beautiful beach, but I can spend the week imagining that I can stay up on my surf board, & sing some Beach boy songs at the same time. Surfer Dude is a stretch that uses both the upper & lower body, can strengthen & stretch the legs & help concentration. It can also stimulate the imagination as we imagine ourselves riding high on the waves. Have Fun Surfing!

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How to

From a standing position, step right foot back at a 30-45 degree angle.

Press weight deeply into back foot.

Bend left knee being careful that the knee does not come infront of ankle

Raise arms up to shoulder level out straight as in picture

Sit down into stretch back straight & shoulders relaxed.

Ride them waves.

Benefits

Surfer Dude Can help;

Strengthen arms, legs

Stretch groin, calfs,hamstrings

Encourage deep breathing

Encourage balance & concentration

Increase Stamina

Stretch of the week - airplane

We are now all back at school & work, the summer a distant memory. we need to concentrate on what we are doing now in, the present & allow ourselves the time to practise, to become the highfliers we want to be.
Balancing stretch are great for improving concentration, stability & determination.
Airplane can be modified to suit you & how you feel in the present moment.


How To:
Take a deep breath in, stretching arms out to the side.
Take your left foot behind toe to the floor leaning forward but keeping your chest open with big breaths.
You can stay here or lean forward slowly lifting the left foot off the floor.
Balancing on one leg.
Stay here for 6 breaths & repeat opposite side.




Use your imagination & think of all the exciting & new places you can fly to.


Benefits Can inc:
Stretching the spine
Strengthening ankle, leg & knee
Improving balance
Improving concentration
Stimulating the imagination

Mindfulness for Kids

What is mindfulness & why do we want to teach it to children?????
One of todays buzz words in the areas of health & wellbeing is mindfulness. If you research this it can do many things for all types of illness, stress, pain, exam or work pressure. So what exactly is it & how do we teach it to our children.?

Mindfulness in its simplest form can be described as awareness. Awarenes of what is going on around us, awareness of our physical bodies & awareness of our emotions. Also an awareness of our reactions. Being aware of what is happening now not living in the past or the future.
Being in The present moment is a little difficult for a child to understand howerver they will understand & be able to tell you about Right NOW.

Mindfulness in children can help to improve, attention, academic performance, reduce hyper activity, improve immunity, reduce behavioral problems & improve sleep patterns. It can also help children with autism, & ADHD.

Here are a few ways to introduce mindfulness in children

1 Go for a walk & notice all the noises, smells, sights etc and how they change.
(autumn is a lovely time to do this)
2. Talk about their day & how they feel
3 Let them lie down & talk them through a relaxation or simply put on some nice music they can close their eyes and relax.
4. Practice a breathing technique
5. Use a glitter bottle, shake it up and sit nice and quietly watching the glitter settle
6 Start a newtons cradle & watch it until it stops moving
7 sit quietly & watch the flame the fire or canndle

Finally remember we cannot teach mindfulness to our children if we do not practice ourselves
Children learn by example!

Cat pose

Pose of the week is Cat pose.

I love this pose as we have soo many different variations of it. I also love having fun making cat noises in class when we do this stretch.

Begin on all fours as in table top with knees directly under the hips & wrists under the shoulders.

Breath in & curve spine lifting head & neck, pushing belly towards the floor. (miaow -happy cat)

Breath out & Drop head between shoulders arching back pushing spine towards ceiling (hiss- like a scaredy cat)

Benefits can inc

Mobilising the spine & shoulders

Strengthening the wrists & arms

Improving digestion

Improving circulation to abdominal organs

Exercising the lungs

TRAINING in Kids Yoga Northern Ireland

I am so excited we have 2 training courses for calm confident kids in Northern Ireland in 2014.
And we are booked to train in Glasgow in 2015.  Currently all our relaxations & stretch cards are being translated into Irish for Irish Medium Schools. our calm confident teens course will also run in
2014. This is a great opportunity for anyone who has an interest in health, wellbeing & exercise to become self employed and work as little or as much suits their family life. work is available in schools, afterschools clubs & community & sports groups.

Training is available for :
Parent & baby yoga
Parent & toddler Yoga
Baby massage
Calm Confident Kids
Calm Confident Teens


Last weeks training was awesome & we have 4 new cck instructors.
Train before the end of the year & start 2015 with  a great new family friendly career
Next training weekend 20 th & 21st Nov. Book now

Snake pose

Snake is a gentle back bend. Have some fun with snake pose,, watching TV or slither around the floor remembering to take deep breaths in & make a hissing sound as you exhale.
Benefits of Snake  can inc:
Stretching chest, shoulders & back muscles
Stimulating the organs in the Belly
Improve digestion
Reduce Fatigue
Calms the mind
Lifts the spirit


Remember only stretch as far as you are comfortable. Do not over stretch the back
Have Fun! Smile!

Boat pose - Yoga for parents & children

Boat pose is a wonderful, fun, strengthening pose. It can be performed as a partner pose or as a moving pose ( while singing row row row your boat). Foe a gentler version keep knees bent & heels to the floor or only slightly lifted. Remember to lengthen through the spine, relax the shoulders & open the chest.
Benefits Inc.
Strengthening core muscles
Encouraging balance physically & emotionally
Lengthening the spine
Relaxing shoulders
Stretches hamstrings
Strengthens deep hip flexors