Dear
{tag_recipientfirstname},
Media Coverage
Epona Yoga has continued to be in the media. Being seen in
Sunday Telegraphs Body and Soul Magazine rated as the best yoga mat to
purchase. This was compared to others on the market including leading
brands like Rebel.
If you have not seen our recent coverage click here.
Also on this page you will be able to hear Debra being interviewed about
Yoga for Children with Disabilities.
So what’s new with children and yoga this week?
Debra is coming to Perth
Epona Yoga Facilitator Training November 2009
Limited Spaces Available
Awareness is growing and has grown over the past few months about
the benefits of yoga with children I receive more and more calls
requesting Epona Yoga in schools, kindergartens and general
communities. I am unable to service them all therefore by opting to
becoming an Epona Yoga Facilitator you too can help share the joy of
bringing yoga to children.
The course runs over a 6 day period.
Included in the Epona
Yoga Facilitator course is a comprehensive 200+ page manual
including in depth exploration of your own personal journey, anatomy and
physiology, chakra, pranayama (breathing techniques), asanas, class
formats, introducing yoga into schools for all ages, music, chanting,
right brain development of children, and more.
Also note
Debra is to release a new book on Kids Yoga to be sold on Amazon.com –
yours free when you sign up.
For more information – please click
here
Debra will also be offering other course, please click
here and complete the form tor receive further details. Courses
include Reiki, Understanding Crystals and Crystal Healing, "Who are you
making responsible for your happiness?", Primordial Sound Meditation
plus more.
This month’s article
Do children need to meditate and can they even
do it?
Meditation
has been around for 1000 of years and comes in
many forms, from staring
at a candle flame, being mesmerized by something
in nature, chanting
words etc.
It has only been over the
last 40 odd years that meditation practice has
move further into
western culture originating in the east.
Meditation is not restricted by age, income or
social status. So yes children can meditate and do!
Meditation has been recommended by doctors,
child psychologists, hospitals, schools and so on.
From a scientific perspective it has been shown
that meditation creates
more balanced orderly brain functioning. If a
child learns meditation
they are also learning life skills, for example
they learn ways to
remain calm in situations of stress and develops
a sense of inner
happiness, which all know leads to more positive
behavior.
One of the benefits of teaching children
meditation is they develop a
sense of self worth, greater independence and
confidence in their
everyday life. This in itself helps children
to accept others and
feel little if any pressure from others to
conform to the status quo.
Meditation taught in schools has been producing
great results all
around Australia. Just 5mins of stillness a day
has transformed noisy
unproductive children into calmer more creative
children. The
stillness provides a way for those who meditate
to connect in with
themselves. It turns off the outside world for a
few moments so we can
just be.
And what do children have to say about
meditation….
One child whom I taught meditation to a few
months ago says she feels
that she does not want to yell at her little
brother as much, happier
and can do more things as she is less tired.
She also says she loves
writing her meditations for all the family to do
together.
If you would like to know more about meditating
with your children or
have a comment or question please contact us
here Contact Us
Music
Music and Skill Development
In the last newsletter we discussed
whether music makes your child
smarter, today we will mention a few
areas that music can aid in your
child’s skill development.
Inclusion of music into a child’s
life can improve creativity.
Although not a comprehensive list
please read below how on some of the
skills that listening to music and
taking music lessons help develop in
children:
Concentration
When
children learn
a musical instrument, even as simple
as a triangle it helps the child
learn concentration – as they focus
their attention on one task. Often
it incorporates all methods of
learning – that is watching, listening
and doing.
Coordination
Whether the child is using a wooden
spoon and a pot or drum kit
practicing musical instruments
improves hand-eye coordination.
Relaxation
Researchers acknowledge that certain
types of
music can aid relaxation by lowering
heart rates and blood pressure.
Children can pick out their own
songs for bedtime. Try this out – ask
the child which song they would like
to get ready for bed with. Each
night when it is bed time you can
play that song, decreasing the
arguments around bed time – as the
child has already chosen this song
to represent bed time.
Self-Confidence
Learning to play and enjoy music,
whether it be playing an instrument,
banging on a pot or singing, each
will bring joy to your child. The
encouragement you give them as well
as their own awareness of
achievement increases their sense of
self worth. They also know that
using creativity can bring much joy
as they learn new skills while
having fun.
|
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 endeavour 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 sparks the imaginations of children.
Check out future issues of this newsletter for
more yoga activities and fun recipes for kids and informative articles.
You can share this newsletter with friends too.
|
Founder and Epona Yoga Teacher
Debra Mc Cormick
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!
Epona
Yoga Classes
Epona
Yoga Classes are running in schools and also outside of schools all
around Australia. Please click here for a
class near you
If
you cannot find a class please contact an Epona
Yoga Teacher in your area to see when they are running classes.
Yoga
in Schools
There
has been much research done on the benefits of yoga in schools. We
here at Epona Yoga offer Yoga to children via the use of games, asanas
(poses), music, breath and meditation. Yoga has been adopted by many
societies both in the eastern and western world. Yoga means to join or
to yoke; yoga is the union of mind body and spirit. Yoga is not a
religion it is a method used by many to help them feel calmer; allow
their bodies flexibility and strength. Yoga is non denominational and
also a person’s own journey or experience. Everyone is able to practice
yoga as there is no competition; we celebrate everyone’s unique
talents.
“I love yoga because when I leave I
am always taller” Sam 12 years old
“I like yoga because I can be me”
Jessica 9 years old
“Yoga is good because we get to
make up stories” Lucas 6 years old
If
you would like yoga introduced in your school please contact the founder
Debra Mc Cormick on 0401 698 588
or Click
here to register your interest.
|
Yoga for Kids – Asana or Activity
Cloud Meditation
Allow
yourself to lie down,
tuck your chin into the chest, relax your arms,
and allow your feet to
just fall to the side. Your eyes are closed,
your face is relaxed,
and your mouth is quiet.
Imagine that you are
looking up into the sky, you see lots and lots of
clouds, some are fluffy
white, some are small, some are big, and some
even have funny shapes.
Find a cloud that you
like the best, imagine that cloud is now floating
down to the ground,
imagine yourself climbing up on the cloud where you
feel nice and cozy, just
like when you put your head on a big pillow.
As the cloud takes you
up look at all the colours around you, look at
all the other clouds,
how funny their shapes are. It is so nice to
feel so light and
everything around you being so peaceful.
Slowly your cloud moves
through the sky bringing you back down to the
ground. Once your cloud
lands softly imagine yourself hoping off the
cloud, you notice how
you feel so relaxed.
Take in 3 big balloon
breaths and blow your cloud back up into the sky.
Wriggle your fingers and
toes. Stretch all through your body, roll over
and sit yourself up.
|
|
Recipe
Fruit Rocket Ships
Summer is here and it is
a good time to be eating fruit. Why not try
making a Rocket Ship.
The fruit listed here is optional – feel free to
explore other fruits.
Ingredients
1.5cm-thick slice of
seedless watermelon, peeled
2 strawberries, washed,
hulled
1 small banana, peeled
1.5cm-thick slice of
pineapple, peeled cored
Method
Cut watermelon into 4
small triangles. Trim one corner from each
triangle. Thread
watermelon triangles, long-side down, onto small
wooden skewers.
Cut strawberries in half
lengthways. Thread, hulled-side down, onto the
skewers.
Cut banana in half
crossways, then cut each piece in half lengthways.
Thread onto the skewers.
Cut pineapple into 4
small triangles. Thread onto the skewers to make
the top of each rocket
ship.
|
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 minute
presentation, Sydney NSW only at this
stage.
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.
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
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Epona-Yoga/123612275486
|
|
