Inspired Yoga Teachers with Krista Blakelock

Krista Blakelock

Inspired Yoga Teacher | Birthing Expert | Kitchener Doula, Avid Traveler

After participating in my first yoga class in 2008, I was immediately hooked. I loved the focus required, the quiet space that I could go to within myself and also the challenge. I admit I was not the "zen hippie" that people perceived when I spoke about my new found love of yoga. When I was in a class I truly felt that I should push further, hold the pose longer, fold deeper and do the most extreme variation of the options demonstrated; but within, my mind was never sincerely connecting to my body. My practice has changed a lot over the years and so too has the connection I feel between mind and body.

In 2012, working as a doula enabled me to practice yoga in a very different way. Mom's who were active prior to their pregnancy were asking me for options so that they could keep their body moving without too much intensity. Other women simply wanted a way to relax and lengthen out their backs and chests, and stretch their hips. Showing clients various poses took me for a loop. When I taught, I was incredibly attentive to alignment, depth and length of breath, their changes from week to week and how steady they could be in a pose.  Moms were so happy to do shallow lunges and feel blood and oxygen pulsing through them and to baby. I was in awe of how content and proud they could feel even though in my personal practice, they technically were not in Virabhadrasana, Warrior 1 pose.

I continued with my own intense practice, but would teach clients slow, flowing sequences. My observations of how great they felt when they did supported hip rotations, neck and shoulder rolls, and a modified Surya Namaskar was reinforced week after week and slowly I began giving myself the same allowances to slow down. The real difficulty for me was to be still in a pose and convince my mind that it was totally okay. Allowing my body and mind to come into alignment and really soak up the benefits of a pose has had incredible benefits and I have to believe enables me to teach more honestly.

I regularly return to the quote by Richard Bach, "You teach what you most need to learn," to remind myself how important it is to marvel at my breath, what my body does for me each day and how it feels to really connect with the sensations and changes within. Today, I am thankful for each mama who has brought life into the world, because through my interactions with them I have been able to come to life within my own mind and body in a very new and vibrant way.

Visit Krista's website:

http://stardancingdoula.wix.com/

Yoga For Children Bibliography

Yoga For Children - List of Resources:

• Asencia, Teressa. Playful Family Yoga. Priceton Book Co., 2002

• Atkins, Terri, Cowan, Palomares, Schuster. Feelings Are Facts: Helping Children Understand, Manage & Learn from Their Feelings. Innerchoice Pub; ISBN: 1564990109; Teacher edition (February 1993)

• Ban Breathnach, Sarah. Simple Abundance: A Day Book of Comfort and Joy. New York: Warner Books, 1996.

• Berkus, Rusty. Life is a Gift. Red Rose Press, 1982

• Berger, Kathleen and Ross Thompson. The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 4th Edition. Worth Publishers, 1980.l

• Bersma, Danielle. Yoga Games for Children. Hunter House, 2003

• Blakeslee, Thomas R. The Right Brain: A New Understanding of the Unconscious Mind and its Creative Powers. Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1980.

• Briggs, Dorothy Corkille. Celebrate Yourself, Making life Work for You. DoubleDay, 1970.

• Briggs, Dorothy Corkille. Your Child’s Self-Esteem. Doubleday, 1975.

• Brooks, David, et al. The Case for Character Education : The Role of the School in Teaching Values and Virtue. Studio 4 Productions; ISBN: 1882349016; (January 1997)

• Budilovsky, Joan and Adamson, Eve. Idiot’s Guide to Yoga, Second Edition. Alpha Books, 2001

• Chanchani, Rajiv and Swati. Yoga for Children. UBS Publishers’ Distributors, 1995.

• Cohen, Ken et al. Imagine That: A Child’s Guide to Yoga. Integral Yoga Distribution; ISBN: 0932040403

• Colletto, Jerry and Sloan, Ed.U, Jack. Yoga Conditioning and Football. Celestial Arts, 1975

• Dawson, Paul. Human Body Explorer. DK Books, 2000.

• Day, Jennifer. Creative Visualization With Children. Element Books Ltd., 1994.

• De Brunhoff, Laurent. Babar’s Yoga for Elephants. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 2002

• Dennison, Paul. Brain Gym (Teachers Edition). Edu Kinesthetics; ISBN: 0942143027; Tchrs/Rev edition (June 1994)

• Drury, Nevill. Creative Visualization, To Attain Your Goals and Improve your Well- being. Barnes and Noble Books, 2001.

• Erikson, Joan M. Wisdom and the Senses. W.W. Norton, 1988. Fezler, William. Creative Imagery. Simon & Schuster, 1989.

• Franklin, Eric. Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery. Human Kinetics (T); ISBN: 0873224752; (February 1997)

• Fried, Suellen and Paula. Bullies and Victims. M. Evans, Inc., 2000

• Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1983.

• Garth, Maureen. Starbright: Meditations for Children. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1991.

• Garth, Maureen. Moonbeam: A Book of Meditations for Children. Harper Collins Juvenile Books; ISBN: 1863711422; (March 1993)

• Gold, Taro. Open Your Mind, Open Your Life. Beacon Press, 1999

• Gooch, Sandy. If You Love Me, Don’t Feed Me Junk. Reston Publishing Co., 1983.

• Goode and Watson. The Mind Fitness Program for Self-Esteem and Excellence. Zephyr Press, 1992.

• Gordhamer, Soren. Just Say Om. Adams Media; ISBN: 1-58062-549-5; (2002)

• Gordon, F. Noah. Magical Classroom, Creating Effective, Brain-Friendly Environments for the Classroom. Zephyr Press, 1995.

• Gregson, Bob. The Incredible Indoor Games Book. David S. Lake Publishers, 1982.

• Groves, Dawn. Yoga for Busy People. Barnes and Noble Publishing, 2002

• Hannaford, Carla Awakening the Child Heart: Handbook for the Global Parenting. Jamilla Nur; ISBN: 0971664706; (May 2002)

• Hannaford, Carla. Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head.

• Great Ocean Pub; ISBN: 0915556278; (October 1995)

• Hendricks, Gay and Wills, Russel. The Centering Book. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice- Hall, 1975.

• Hendricks, Gay and Roberts, Thomas B. The Second Centering Book. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1977.

• Hendricks, Gay. The Centered Teacher. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1981. Iyengar, B.K.S. Light On Yoga. Schocken Books, NY, 1966.

• Jenkins, Peggy, Ph.D. The Joyful Child. Aslan Publishing, 1996.

• Jenson, Eric. Learning with Mind and Body.

• Kalish, Leah. Yoga Fitness for Kids (ages 3-6 and 7-12) Videos. Gaiam, Int. 2001

• Kalish, Leah and Spahn, Diane. Yoga Kit for Kids. Imaginazium, LLC, 1999.

• Kessler, Rachael. The Soul of Education, Helping Students find Connection, Compassion and Character at School. Association for Supervision and Curriculum, 2000

• Kilpatrick, William K. Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong. Touchstone Books; ISBN: 0671870734; Reprint edition (September 1993)

• Kilpatrick, William, et al. Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories. Touchstone Books; ISBN: 0671884239; (November 1994)

• Koch, Isabelle. Like a Fish in Water, Yoga for Children. Inner Traditions Int., 1999

• Kohn, Alfie. No Contest: The Case Against Competition. Houghton Mifflin, 1986

• Komitor, Jodi, Adamson. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids. Alpha Books; ISBN: 0028639359; 1 edition (July 20, 2000)

• Lark, Liz. Flow Motion, Yoga for Children. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2003

• Lark, Liz. Yoga For Kids. Firefly Books Ltd., 2003

• Lickona, Thomas. Raising Good Children. Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub; ISBN: 055337429X; (October 1994)

• Luby, Thia. Children’s Book of Yoga: Games & Exercises Mimic Plants & Animals & Objects. Clear Light Pub; ISBN: 1574160036; (July 1998)

• Luby, Thia. Yoga for Teens. Clear Light Publishing, 1999

• Madison, Dr. Lynda. The Feelings Book, the Care and Keeping of Your Emotions. Pleasant Company Publication – American Girl Library, 2002

• Majoy, Peter. Riding the Crocodile, Flying the Peach Pit, A Sensory Approach to Education. Zephyr Press, 1996.

• Mehta, Mira. How to Use Yoga. Smithmark Publishres, 1994.

• Merritt, Stephanie. Mind, Music and Imagery. Aslan Publishing, 1996.

• Miller, Elise and Blackman, Carol. Life is a Stretch, Easy Yoga Anytime, Anywhere. Llwellyn Publications, 1999.

• Moorman, Chick. Talk Sense To Yourself: The Language of Personal Power. Personal Power Press, 1985.

• Murdock, Maureen. Spinning Inward: Using Guided Imagery With Children for Learning, Creativity & Relaxation. Shambhala Publications; ISBN: 0877734224; Rev&Updtd edition (February 1988)

• Oaklander, Violet. Windows To Our Children. Gestalt Journal Press, 1988.

• Pearce, Dr. Joseph C. Evolution’s End: Claiming the Potential of Our Intelligence. San Francisco: Harper, 1992.

• Pearce, Dr. Joseph C. Magical Child. Plume Books, Penguin, 1977.

• Petrash, Jack. Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out. Gryphon House; ISBN: 0876592469; (September 2002)

• Phillips, Kathy and Stewart, Mary. Yoga for Children. Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1992.

• Promislow, Sharon. Making the Brain Body Connection: A Playful Guide to Releasing Mental, Physical & Emotional Blocks to Success. Enhanced Learning & Integration; ISBN: 0968106633; (February 1, 2000)

• Rogers, Carl & H. Jerome Freidberg. Freedom to Learn.

• Saraswati, Swami Satyananda. Yoga Education For Children. Bihar School of Yoga, India, 1990

• Semigran, Stu and Sindy Wilkinson. Making the Best of Me, A Handbook for Student Exxcellence and Self-Esteem. ACE Program, 1989

• Sivananda Yoga Center and Staff. Yoga Mind and Body. DK Pub. Inc., 1998

• Spolin, Viola. Theater Game File. St. Louis: Cemrel, Inc., 1975.

• Sumar, Sonia. Yoga for the Special Child, A Therapeutic Approach for Infants and Children with Down Syndrome, Cerabral Palsy, and Learning Disabilities. Special Yoga Publications, 1998

• Trivell, Lisa. I Can’t Believe It’s Yoga for Kids. Hatherliegh Press, 2000

• Walker, Richard. Guide to the Human Body, A Photographic Journey Through the Human Body. DK Books, 2001.

• Weinstein, Matt, and Goodman, Joel. Playfair: Everybody’s Guide to Non-competitive Play. Impact Publishers, 1980

• Weiss, Brian. Meditation. Hay House Inc., 2002 Weller, Stella. Yoga for Children. Thorsons, 1996. Whitelaw, Ginny. Body Learning. Perigree Trade, 1998

• Periodicals:

• Yoga Journal. 2054 University Ave. #600, Berkeley, CA 94704 / www.yogajournal.com. Subscriptions: 800-600-yoga

• Yoga International. Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A. Subscriptions: www.yimag.org

Yoga For Children

Experience has demonstrated to us that yoga is an excellent system for promoting healthy development and can be an incredibly effective means of facilitating wellness in children.
It is noninvasive and its “side effects,” including improved self-esteem, emotional equilibrium, more energy and the ability to self-calm, are completely benign if not totally
beneficial.

Children who practice yoga may not only be better able to regulate their emotions, manage stress and calm themselves, studies now show that they may also choose better foods to eat and engage in more physical activity than children who do not. Whether over- or underweight, body image issues and poor eating habits plague our children today. Studies suggest yoga may help.

One such study examined the benefits of yoga for adolescents with eating disorders. These teens attended yoga classes as part of their psychiatric day treatment program. Typically suffering from a lack of self-esteem, nearly 75% reported an increase in well-being. They used the words “relaxed,” “calm,” “energized” and “more awake” to describe how they felt after class. (M.J Fury, MA, RYT, and L.C. Kaley-Isley, PhD, RYT)

A case study on anorexic adolescents found that “focused breathing (pranayama), movement sequences (asana), meditation (dhyana), and alert relaxation (yoga nidra)
…reduced starvation-induced stress, safely reintroduced physical activity for a weakened
body, minimized fatigue and… corrected distorted self-perceptions.” (Susana A. Galle,
PhD, ND, CCN, CCH, and Tomas E. Silber, MD)

Other studies on children and adolescents on anxiety, depression, trauma, mood regulation, sense of well-being, self-esteem and “increased wellness” draw conclusions
about the positive effects of yoga on all of these conditions.

Subjective outcomes included “improved focus, strength, flexibility, and balance;
improved sense of self-awareness and pride; and improved ability to calm themselves.”
It was further reported that “the girls overwhelmingly noted that they felt happier, more
relaxed, less stressed, and more at ease in their bodies on the days they practiced yoga
than on the days they did not.” (A. Bortz, PsyD, RYT and K. Cradock, LCSW, RYT)

Perhaps one of the more interesting studies, submitted by Molly Kenny, MS-CCC of
The Samarya Center in Seattle, Washington, suggested that the physical act of balancing
might improve self-esteem in teens. The positive effects of “balance training” on the
subjects’ concentration and attention were “immediately observable,” and she proposed
that the effects on self-esteem might become more apparent over time.

The scientific community recognizes measurement tools used in these studies. Research
in the field of yoga therapy, however, is largely exploratory at this time and warrants
further investigation. It seems simple. Children are suffering from a lack of connection
to their own bodies, their environment and the food they eat. Yoga facilitates connection.

It’s easy, low cost, accessible and anyone can do it. And now it’s being proven effective.
More and more teachers and other interested adults are sharing yoga with children. Kids
have a natural tendency to share what they are learning when they get home, so this is an
easy way to get the whole family involved. Parents may be practicing yoga themselves,
and kids are always interested in what their parents are up to.

Another way is for children’s yoga teachers to invite parents in for a first and/or last class
of a yoga session. A child’s aunt sitting in on a kids class said to me, “They are doing
real yoga poses! That is great.” I’m not sure what she thought, but now she knows what
she can practice at home with her niece. Family classes are another great way to help
everyone feel an increased sense of well-being while learning a practice they can enjoy
at home. With wide age ranges and levels of ability, family classes can be challenging to
teach but also especially rewarding.

Adenia Linker, Hyde Park mother of nine-year-old twins and longtime children’s yoga
teacher, involves the parents of her yoga students by sending home a newsletter every
few weeks. It’s a simple one-page letter with a picture and description of a pose learned
that week and an inspiring quote along with a new children’s yoga book, a Web site or
some other resource that may interest parents.

The more parents, teachers, doctors and other professionals working with children
understand the practice of yoga and its benefits, the more likely it is to be seriously
considered as a therapy.

In an era of children acquiring conditions and diseases previously unknown in childhood,
proper breathing, exercise and deep relaxation may be the powerful healing force needed.
Yoga resonates with children. ”They love the practice, and they love how they feel afterwards. With all of the research and “proof” now available, it may well be just what
the doctor orders.

These notes come from:

http://www.yogachicago.com/