My name is Ashley. I have been practicing yoga for several years and know the benefits first hand yoga has on the mind and body and I wanted to share that with kids. That is why I created Hang Loose Kids Yoga. Hang Loose Kids Yoga is a no worry zone, everyone can be themselves and no judgment. The Shaka sign (hang loose sign) is a symbol of friendship, understanding, compassion, as well as a friendly gesture and that sums up the Hang Loose Kids Yoga experience. I graduated college with a B.F.A. and am a professional photographer. I am a registered yoga teacher, with the yoga alliance and got my certification in kids yoga, as well as mindfulness and breathwork. My goal is to make yoga fun as well as introduce kids to a healthy lifestyle and help with their mind, bodies and even socialization. I work with kids of all abilities and ages. I can adapt my session to special needs of certain children or a theme being taught in school or the like. I also work with authors from across the globe bringing their stories to a new dimension. The age ranges you see in the classes are suggestions, of course all ages are welcome to participate and we can always customize a class as well. I have included below just some of the great benefits yoga has.
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I look forward to meeting you soon!
Ashley
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Physical benefits of kids yoga
• Helps develop the right balance of muscle tone and strength throughout the body to support the joints.
• Builds core strength for good posture and overall physical fitness.
• Helps to maintain flexibility and mobility in all joints and muscles.
• Encourages the retention of calcium to help build strong bones through weight-bearing postures.
• Supports and strengthens the immune system by reducing stress and stimulating the lymph system (the body’s highway of white blood cells which fight viruses and infections).
• Improves balance, alignment and coordination with practice of postures.
• Helps children develop a positive image of their body and an awareness of how to look after it.
• Helps balance energy levels and calms the nervous system with twists that stimulate the spinal cord and regular practice of relaxation
• Develops sensory awareness – kids learn to notice what’s going on in their body and mind while they’re in postures.
• Yoga can accommodate all body shapes and sizes and is not competitive, so it’s a good form of exercise for non-sporty kids too.
• Keeps the heart and respiratory system fit and strong, encouraging better circulation by getting the heart pumping and using more of the space in the lungs with deeper breathing.
• Improves the digestive system with yoga postures that get things moving in the gut and by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system during relaxation, triggering important acids in the stomach to be released for breaking down food.
• A reduced risk of injury in sports and games with better overall fitness and coordination gained through yoga practice and better flexibility in the joints.
Mental, emotional and social benefits of kids yoga
• Increases attention span and improves concentration through the story structure, and the inclusion of multiple learning styles:‘visual’ through seeing the story and yoga performed, ‘auditory’ through hearing the instructions and the narrative, and ‘kinesthetic’ through feeling the body in all postures and connecting emotionally to the story.
• Kids build compassion and empathy for themselves and others through exploring the stories’ meanings in a non-competitive environment in class.
• More oxygen circulates around the body and brain during yoga practice and breathing exercises, so improving memory retention and learning ability.
• Kids build self-confidence because they can do the yoga, and by relating to inspirational stories and role models.
• The stories encourage self-expression with the use of imagination and creativity, physical postures and vocal sound effects.
• Kids get better at dealing with anxiety and stress because they learn to incorporate relaxation and breathing techniques into daily life.
• The stories support curriculum learning – especially Personal, Social, Health, etc.
• Improves relationships and social awareness through group and partner work and role-playing in stories.
• Encourages healthy sleep patterns with the practice of relaxing the body and lengthening the breath.