A course taught at the Neohumanist College of Asheville
By MahaJyoti Glassman
Once every year or two I teach this zoom class based on my observations, research, and work with young children for around 30 years. When teaching this zoom class, I get the golden opportunity to hear what students all over the globe are doing to make Astaunga Yoga accessible, relevant and attractive for young kids in a universal and inclusive manner. This class is designed for adults who are either currently working with kids or who dream to share Astaunga Yoga with children in the future.
Wow! What an opportunity to meet dynamic Neohumanist yoga enthusiasts from Ukraine, Finland, Denmark, Vietnam, Philippines, Africa, India, Russia, Indonesia, and more. In the class I just completed, there were yogic monks and nuns, neohumanist educators and yoga practitioners.
We explored the differences between adult asanas and kids’ asanas. How do we take an ‘adult’ asana and make it ‘kid appropriate’? In breakout rooms we shared asanas, breath techniques, deep relaxations, meditation strategies, and meditation preparation methods such as singing, chanting, and dancing. Together we discussed the Astaunga Yoga techniques and the therapeutic values of each technique.
Yoga Asana – Through the I Love Yoga book we experimented with various kid friendly asanas and how to make asanas come alive for children with sound and movement.
Yama & Niyama – Children’s understandings of the importance of Yama & Niyama can be impacted thru Story Yoga, non-competitive Relationship Building Games, and partner yoga.
Singing/Chanting – Let us sing and dance with our musical instruments and clapping our hands today.
We will sing ‘Love is everywhere… everywhere… everywhere. Love is everywhere.’
Kids can sing and dance: sitting down, standing up and moving from side to side in one place, in a circle, in a parade, inside, or going out the door.
Breathing – Using imagination and creativity with deep breathing experiences such as:
- Hold your hand on one side as if it is a flower, curling the fingers upwards and with the other hand, imagine that the index finger is standing alone as if it is a candle. Now smell the flower and then blow out the candle. Smell the flower…and blow the candle. Smell the flower and blow the candle. OR
- Sitting in a circle, let’s breath in. I am feeling happy. Then breathe out. I am feeling happy. Breathe in and feel happy. Breathe out and feel happy. Imagine that all of Mother Earth’s children are breathing with us. The Squirrel and the Eagle, the Rabbit and the Bear, the Whale and the Ant, the Flowering Tree and the Bees. Children everywhere are feeling happy, feeling loved.
- Let’s touch our Inner Light that lives in our heart.
Let’s smile to our Inner Friend.
Let’s feel that Inner Warmth.
Do you know that it is always there shining for you …. even in the night?
- Let’s touch our Inner Light that lives in our heart.
- Give every child 2 pebbles to hold in each hand, rubbing that stone with their fingers. Remembering with each touch, something about Nature, something about Mother Earth that they love very much. How can they help that being? Be next to and with that being. Helping it. Breathing in. Breathing out. Tell us what you saw.
Deep Relaxation – And, of course, examining how to develop a deep relaxation or guided meditation experience for young kids that is meaningful and therapeutic.
If you would like more information about the course, or about Astaunga Yoga for young children, you can contact MahaJyoti at .
September and October NHE courses open to all at NHCA. Learn more at nhca.gurukul.edu or get details of when registration is open at 