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

Calming techniques in Kids Yoga

During Calm Confident Kids Classes we have several very effective ways of getting the children to stay quiet for a few minutes.  By getting them to concentrate visual we can help them to calm & settle both the mind & their breathing. One of my favorites & a throw back from my childhood is "Newtons Cradle". Ask one of the children to start the cradle moving & encourage them to watch it quietly until it completely stops. In a small class ( 6 or less) each child can have a turn at starting the cradle moving.  This will give you approx 6 mins of calmness & concentration. Perfect!
Another method is by using a glitter bottle which is very easy to make with an empty bottle, glitter glue or paint & some water. Try this at home to get your children calm & relaxed.

Glitter bottle

Newtons Cradle

Training In Kids & Baby yoga & reflexology In Northern Ireland & Scotland

September has arrived & school has started. Why not educate yourself in one of Calm Confident Kids  amazing training courses, to enhance your business or become self employed for the first time. Calm Confident Kids is a great way to improve the health, wellbeing & happiness of your Kids.

Benefits of Calm Confident Kids can be as follows

v     Develops body awareness

v     Improves flexibility

v     Develops & improves balance

v     Develops & improves co-ordination

v     Improves breathing & lung capacity

v     Teaches muscle relaxation

v     Increases strength

v     Develops muscles in all areas of the body

v     Improves circulation

v     Increases lymph flow & improves immunity

v     Improves digestion

v     Improves & develops concentration

v     Teaches mindfulness

v     Improves stress management

v     Control of emotions

v     Improves positive thinking

v     Improves Self confidence

v     Teaches calming & coping techniques

v     Teaches kindness & thoughtfulness

v     Sparks creativity

v     Encourages social interaction.

What a wonderful way to start the new school year!

Benefits of relaxations & meditations for children

 Relaxations & meditations can be made into fun games for children with a bit of creativity & childlike sense of fun. The possible benefits of these can be:

Benefits of relaxations & mediations

Calms the nervous system

Clears the mind

Improves body awareness

Relaxes the body

Increases feel good hormones

Improves immune system

Improves positive thinking

Allows body & mind to rest

Increases feeling of contentment

Improves concentration

Encourages creative thinking

Improves literacy

For some fun over the summer I will be posting relaxations for different age groups of children for you to try at home. Your feedback will be gratefully accepted
Elaine

Relaxations for Kids- floating on a lake

Absolutely loving the sunshine, remember to keep yourself & your family well protected in the sun.
So to celebrate the summer I will share with you one of our summer relaxations to enjoy with your family
Elaine x
Calm confident Kids Relaxations           

                                                                                          

Floating on a lake

Lie down close your eyes & imagine that you a lying on a giant Lilly pad on a beautiful lake. The sun is shining & it is warm & peaceful. The large lily pad is warm & soft. It will support the whole weight of your body, you can allow your whole body to relax & sink down into the lily pad. Feel the body relax in the warm sunshine as you float across the beautiful serene lake.

Imagine stretching out your and letting your hand dip into the nice cool water. Feel the cool water on your hand & the warm sunshine on your face. Listen to the gentle sounds of the birds, flying high in the sky and the bees buzzing around the water edge. Smile & enjoy the sunshine. Allow your body to relax in the warmth.

A gentle breeze pushes the lily pad across the lake back to the edge. Lie there for a few moments enjoying the peace & tranquillity. Listening to the sounds, feeling the heat from the sun, the gentle breeze and the cool water against your hand.

Repeat to yourself:

I am calm & relaxed

I am calm & relaxed

I am calm & relaxed

Then give yourself a gentle stretch, A gentle shake & return to a sitting.

Smile knowing that you can return to your peaceful lily pad whenever you need to feel calm & relaxed.

Benefits of Tree Pose

Tree pose is one of the most easily recognisable yoga poses. It is a great pose to use at all ages & stages in life and has many benefits.
How to....
Standing in mountain pose take the weight onto one foot
Place the sole of the other foot onto the inside of the standing leg.
(Above or below the knee but not on the knee)
Lifted knee pointed out to the side.
Stand up nice & tall.
Raise arms up into a nice wide V or prayer position above your head.
Stretch up & imagine you are a nice tall tree.
Wave your arms like branches swaying in the wind

Modifications...
Stand against a wall for balance or keep toe of lifted leg to ground gently resting foot on opposite ankle.
Keep hands in prayer position at chest centre.


Benefits...
Strengthens the ligaments of the foot and ankle
Tones & strengthens the whole leg
Improve stability & balance
Tones core muscles
Stretches the groin & inner thigh.
Teaches us strength & flexibility (inside & out)
Focuses & improves concentration.
Calms the mind

Alive Awake Alert Song

A FUN SONG TO GET US UP & GET THE ENERGY FLOWING. THIS CAN BE PERFORMED SITTING DOWN WITH BABIES OR STANDING UP & DANCING WITH OLDER CHILDREN.
PERFECT FOR REAWAKENING THE MIND & BODY AFTER SITTING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.www.calmconfidentkids.co.uk

Parent & Baby Yoga ,

So excited our Calm Confident Kids Classes have now finished for the summer, but further training is taking place and from September there will be classes available in Armagh. Derry, Mid -Ulster, & Glasgow.
There will also be a new range of videos, Yoga pose cards, & Relaxation booklets for all ages.

Welcome to Calm Confident kids Blog

Welcome to Calm Confident Kids Blog, my name is Elaine I am the creator of Calm Confident Kids. I ll be sharing thought ideas and information, on fun ways to improve the health & wellbeing of the whole family.