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For thousands of years, wisdom traditions have taught us that paying attention to the present moment has powerful positive effects on our health. For children, the time-tested practices of yoga are a wonderful gateway into this world of mindful awareness. When we focus inward and take time to cultivate our inner vision—what Dr Daniel Siegel calls “mindsight”— we develop specific circuits in our brains that support our abilities to balance our emotions, focus our attention, pause before acting on impulses, and increase our compassion for others and ourselves.
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The breath is one of the most powerful tools for self-regulation. Breathe activities, based in traditional practices, help children learn to reduce anxiety, stabilize energy, and create a sense of safety and peace in the body.
As you and your child practice breathing activities, you are both likely to become more aware of your breath in ordinary circumstances. This is a wonderful gift, as breath awareness will give you a tremendous amount of insight into your energetic and emotional state. |
Movement activities are based on asana practices that help children maintain a state of alert engagement, whereby hyperactive behavior is minimized but the child still feels strong and energetic.
The goal of these Movement (asana) activities is to validate your child's inclination to be active, while giving them the tools to make choices about it. The objective is not to send the message to your child that they just "need to calm down" but rather that they can be mindful of their actions and find an enjoyable balance of energy and stillness. |
Connection activities help children tune in and make sense of their experiences. They are practices that are used to develop mindful awareness of both the external world and the internal emotional state.
The guiding principles of the yamas and niyamas have been considered in our Connection activities, and many of them also incorporate the practice of pratyahara (drawing inward of the senses), Reiki and Sound Healing. |
One of the most important elements of our program, relaxation gives children (and parents) tools to instigate restfulness, relaxation, and restoration. Exhaustion is common in children, and we know that being tired makes everything else, including paying attention, much harder. The relaxation activities in this course teach ways to rejuvenate even when you aren’t sleeping, to rest and restore, reduce insomnia, and help with the transition to sleep. This element is based on restorative yoga practices that provide profound relaxation for both the body and the mind.
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Each class focuses on a theme related to connection, breath, movement, focus and relaxation. These themes are sometimes pulled from stories, myths, or fables which are then woven throughout the practice to cultivate a joyful imagination.
Furthermore, as a result of the carefully selected stories, the children will learn to name their feelings, process their emotions, empathize with others, and contemplate choices and their consequences. |
On occasion, the children will be introduced to engaging, tactile, age-appropriate objects as a means by which to explore their senses and themselves.
Through active engagement with various resources, children are encouraged to listen to their bodies, become present and aware, and express themselves confidently. Furthermore, sensory elements are naturally fun and stimulate children's curiosity while encouraging physical movement and stillness. Parents, too, will find that sensory play elucidates their inner world, inviting a more playful inner child to emerge. |
Classes are guided by the following principles:
* Your thoughts are not who you are as a person * Through mindfulness, you effectively navigate all challenges, great or small * You have already experienced moments of mindfulness and awakened consciousness -- you are intuitive, wise and capable * You are supported, connected and seen |
These 50-minute yoga classes are specially designed to flow with the Woodentots Montessori Nursery theme of the week. Therefore, these classes are only for Woodentots Montessori pupils currently enrolled at any location.
Infused with elements from the Children's Yoga & Mindfulness Course, this class incorporates: Connection, Breath, Movement, Mindfulness, Focus, Relaxation, and Sensory-Based Play and aims to help the children release stress and relax before going home for the day. Classes are drop-off optional and are limited to 10 students per class. £12 PER STUDENT |
These (pre-booked) 50-minute yoga classes are separate from the Children's Yoga & Mindfulness Course but are welcome to all and are suitable for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
Infused with elements from the Children's Yoga & Mindfulness Course, this class incorporates: Connection, Breath, Movement, Mindfulness, Focus, Relaxation, and Sensory-Based Play and aims to help the children release stress and relax before going home for the day. Drop-Offs are encouraged and space is limited to 10 students. £15 PER STUDENT |
These 1 hour yoga classes are for babies from six weeks to crawling. As a mum, you’ll use movement, balancing strengthening and restorative poses to help you recover and build strength following pregnancy and birth. It’s also a great time to connect with your baby in a nurturing & loving way, using play, touch, eye contact & sometimes singing.
Lots of people really value the community side of these classes. Whatever experiences, stresses or concerns you bring to class, you will be support and seen. And, of course, you can breastfeed, change nappies, allow your baby to simply sleep – whatever works for you and your baby at that time. £15 PER CLASS |
These single (pre-booked) yoga classes are separate from the Children's Yoga & Mindfulness Course but are welcome to all and are suitable for any age between 2 years and 11 years.
Infused with elements from the Children's Yoga & Mindfulness Course, this class incorporates: Connection, Breath, Movement, Mindfulness, Focus, Relaxation and Sensory-Based Play. This is a great taster class if you're interested in signing up for a full term of the Children's Yoga & Mindfulness Course. |
❤ WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT ASHLEY CRUZ YOGA ❤
"From Aldea Yanapay (great school of love to children), to the incredible homely hostel la boheme, to the food at mercado san blas and at greenpoint... My 6 weeks in Cusco/Qosqo/centre/gravitational centre were all truly well balanced out by Ashley ● I have been doing yoga for five years in London, Lisbon and NYC and I was wonderfully surprised by the teacher Ashley in Cusco, Peru. From her words, to the sense of opportunity, helping, the pace, the getting everyone's names and brief "why am I here", taste for music and simply those oils... vinyasa gained a new look for me. ● You made me feel so balanced out, just when I needed that push. May your excellent work continue and your knowledge be taken further." ~ Yours, Ana Maria (portugal)
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❤ Ashley Cruz YOGA IS SOCIAL ❤ |