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Dear stephen,
Welcome to this issue of the Epona Yoga newsletter. We have lots of
exciting news and information to share with you in this issue.
In This Issue
In this issue of our Newsletter we have published a couple of great
articles,
• Chanting and how to work with children to get the most out of chanting,
• Music and the Learning Process excerted from Gari Stein's The More We Get
Together: Nurturing Relationships Through Music, Play, Books and Art
• Debra shares a great fun way for
children to exercise their eyes with an Asana "Eyes Around the Clock"
• Healthy recipe for
kids to make
Resellers and Classes
Epona Yoga sees the expansion of its product being displayed and sold
around the world. Recently Forte Music in Canning Vale Perth joined
our team of resellers, visit in and see the product being used by
children of all ages. We welcome David to our team. You can find David
at
Suite 16
Level 1
2 Batman Road
Canning Vale 6155 WA
Freecall 1300 367 830
canningvale@fortemusic.com |
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Epona Yoga in Your School, Day Care Centre or Mothers Group
If
you have not experienced Epona Yoga why not have Debra come and visit
your school for a free 30 min presentation, Sydney NSW only at this
stage.
(Register here if outside of Sydney so Debra can make a time
when she is next in your area)
Fundraising packages are
available for schools and kindergartens, which can assist your school
in investing in the program for the benefit of your pupils. Click here to register your interest.
Character Update
Did you know our characters have their own blogs, you can check them
out and ask us questions –
Tula - http://www.eponayoga.com/_blog/tula
Mali - http://www.eponayoga.com/_blog/mali
Rafferty - http://www.eponayoga.com/_blog/rafferty
Sunni - http://www.eponayoga.com/_blog/sunni
Your Say
We at
Epona Yoga would love to hear what you have to say about our products,
our services, questions you may have in relation to kids yoga,
experiences you have etc. We may feature these in our upcoming
newsletters.
We would also like to provide a dedicated area in our newsletters
recognizing children throughout the world for their contributions
whether entrepreneurially or any other gift of inspiration.
Did we miss something? If you would like us to do an article on a
particular subject then please CONTACT US and we will endeavor
to put it in our next newsletter.
You can order Epona Yoga products online at www.eponayoga.com there are
also some fun things for kids at the site, including free colouring in
sheets of Sunni, Tula, Mali and Rafferty. Visit the site today and
explore a world which sparkes the imaginations of children.
Check out future issues of this newsletters for more yoga activities
and fun recipes for kids and informative articles. You can share this
newsletters with friends too.
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Chanting – What is It
Chanting has been around for over 5,000 years and is defined as the
continuous recitation of mantras. Mantra is a Sanskrit word meaning,
“vehicle of the mind”.
The sacred utterances or chanting of Sanskrit Mantras provide us with
the power to attain our goals and lift ourselves from the ordinary to
the higher level of consciousness. They give us the power to cure diseases; ward
off evils; gain wealth; worship a deity for exalted communion and for
attaining blissful state and attain liberation.
Different sounds have different effects on human psyche. If a soft
sound of wind rustling through leaves soothes our nerves, the musical
note of running stream enchants our heart; thunders may cause awe and fear.
Probably one of the most common mantras known to us in the West is that of “Om.”
Chanting has many of the benefits:
• It uses rhythm and rhyme in an enjoyable way
• It provides patterns that can make learning easier
• It builds children's confidence in oral language
• It can promote a sense of community, which is
conducive to learning
• It provides a change of pace and mood to improve student motivation
• It offers opportunities for repeated readings, which build fluency
• It can serve as a writing prompt, offering students the chance to write new verses
Kids love it!
Teachers use chants as a way of learning, we sing our ABC’s, there are
many ways we learn to count, often using words repetitively to learn.
In our Epona Yoga Classes we often use chants as a way to bring the
focus to the here and now. Using chants is a great way to create fun,
co-ordination and present moment awareness.
The chants we use in our classes have no connection to any particular
faith or religion. For example –
Om – vibration of the universe
Peace – love to all
Hari OM – overcoming obstacles
The child's name – provides empowerment
Positive affirmation – e.g. I am strong
When using a chant we incorporate hand movements,
clapping to a particular rhythm, clapping high, clapping low. We may
also have the child create their
own mantra, children are great in finding ways to connect and have fun.
If you are not comfortable with using a chanting then let your
facilitator know and the class can be structured without it. Our aim
is to have both you and your child enjoy the wonderful experience of
yoga.
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Music and the Learning Process
Excerted from Gari Stein's The More We Get Together: Nurturing
Relationships Through Music, Play, Books and Art
Everything about good music is positive, with the power to affect our
lives forever. In our hurry-up dot-com world, musical experiences
provide a sense of community and belonging. A simple song, readily
available, can help slow things down.
Children are born musicians, dancers, artists and storytellers, and the
opportunities for healthy development are endless. We just have to
provide the canvas, the paper, the paints, the materials and the
welcoming environment, setting the stage for creativity, learning and
fun. Can’t we try to deemphasize the ABCs and reemphasize what comes
nturally to young children? Not only will the children’s environment
brighten, but adults will find the stress decreases and productivity
and efficiency increase. It really is so simple.
Studies suggest that music and movement
• Nourish the brain while affecting all areas of development
• Strengthen listening, motor skills, language, problem solving,
spatial-temporal rformance and literacy
• Help develop critical listening skills
• Create space for emotional well-being
• Provide opportunities to practice social skills
• Support phonemic awareness
• Instill acts of kindness and cooperation
• Calm and focus the mind
• Encourage interaction in non-threatening ways
Play has always been the work of young children. But now play is
in danger of becoming extinct. Play time is being replaced with
structured activities, TV and computers. The push to standardize
children has pushed recess off the playground. Children are literally
being robbed of their childhood. (End of exert)
In our Epona Yoga Classes we use chants, music and songs to create an
environment that connects the child to the vibration of unbounded pure
innocence.
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Founder and Epona Yoga Teacher
Debra Mc Cormick
Facilitator Training
Debra has spent the past 6 weeks writing the facilitators manual for
Epona Yoga. If you are interested in finding out more then please
click here.
The course is currently undergoing the complex process of international
yoga accreditation with Yoga Alliance.
Epona Yoga is taking the USA and Canada by storm
Debra
has been asked to both the USA and Canada to teach and spread the joy
of Epona Yoga. Debra will be in California USA from the 28th April
until 18th May. With a brief visit for a book signing in Edmonton from
10th – 13th May.
If you would like Debra to call on you or provide a display in your
school please contact us.
Yoga for the Special Child
Debra Mc Cormick is a Yoga for the Special Child Practitioner.
She
studied with Sonia Sunar in Melbourne Victoria when she
visited this
year. Yoga for the Special Child is a fantastic program.
Yoga for the Special Child, LLC is a comprehensive program of Yoga
techniques designed to enhance the natural development of children with
special needs. The style of Yoga used in the program is gentle and
therapeutic -- safe
for babies and chidren with Down Syndrome,
Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Autism and other developmental
disabilities.
These methods also provide an effective treatment for
children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, ADHD and Learning
Disabilities.
Yoga for the Special Child therapeutic program includes:
An integrated series of balanced Yoga poses to increase body
awareness, strength and flexibility Specialized breathing exercises and
relaxation techniques to improve concentration and reduce
hyperactivity.
An early intervention program to assure the healthy formative
development of infants and toddlers Email us to find out more
Twitter?
Twitter is a social networking site where you can follow persons of
interest and keep up to date on what is happening with them
through the
exchange of quick, frequent messages.
Epona Yoga uses Twitter to update followers on the latest deals - I
have also used it to inform clients if a session has become available
due to a client post-poning a session so you can get in quickly at the
last minute.
Follow us by clicking here: http://twitter.com/eponayoga
Facebook
Facebook is a free-access social networking website. Users can join
networks organized by
city, workplace, school, and region to connect
and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send
them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends
about themselves.
Join us on Facebook
Banana Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup reduced fat milk
200 g reduced fat vanilla yoghurt
2 tablespoons skim milk powder, (optional)
2 tablespoons wheat germ, (optional)
1 large banana, or peach or mango (peeled) or 1/2 cup strawberries
Method:
Put all ingredients in blender, blend until frothy and drink
immediately.This smoothie is a great way to get kids to enjoy making healthy food it tastes great and is full of essential vitamins and minerals! Great for
fueling up little bodies for more health activities!
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Yoga for Kids – Asana or Activity
Eyes around the clock
This issues move is "Eyes around the Clock". It helps create eye
movement for the child. It is also a great exercise
for adults.
Benefits
• Stretches the eye muscles
• Helps kids to tell the time and learn numbers and location
• Internally they are activating all parts of the brain
How to do it
• Take an analog wall clock and place it eye level for the
child (if not have them imagine one or create your own)
• Have your child look up and down from 12 to 6, remember to
keep the head still just move the eyes
• Begin to then move the eyes left to right 9 to 3
• Begin then to move the eyes from 1 to 7, 2 to 8 and so on
• Then move the eyes clockwise 12, 1, 2, 3 etc
• Then anti clockwise 12, 11, 10 etc
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Mats are available in pink, yellow, red, teal and
sand. Each mat comes with a DVD, instruction booklet and is packed in
a handy carrybag.
Prices start from only $34.95!
Click here to visit our online store to purchase Epona Yoga products!
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