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Thursday, December 20, 2018

Yoga for Kids, by Susannah Hoffman. DK, 2018. $21.99 ages 7 and up


"When a cat stretches, it rounds
its back upward and when a cow
moos it arches its back down.

Cat-Cow pose combines these
two movements to help you
stretch your back.

You can even make animal
noises as you do it!"

With a foreword from Patricia Arquette and an introduction by the author herself, interested kids and parents will learn about yoga and the mindful ways it can impact daily life and learning. Patricia Arquette is aware that the world today can be a real challenge for children. She extols the practice of yoga, and speaks clearly about the author's experience and passion for teaching:

"She instructs with an awareness of how best to help children deal with stress in their daily lives. A blessing for both kids and parents, she makes practicing yoga at home seem effortless."

And the author shares some of the many reasons it makes sense to try it:

"The poses have many benefits, such as lengthening and stretching your body. Some bring courage and strength, while others are calming and good for improving concentration. The breathing techniques allow us to become still in our mind - to observe and let go of our fears and insecurities."

As she begins the text of the book, Ms. Hoffman reminds her readers about warming up, breathing, equipment needed, and how to use the book to learn a new practice. In specific information for adults on each page, she offers ways for helping as well as the benefits of each pose.

It is a step by careful step process that leads kids from one pose to the next, and then she combines those poses to help use their previous learning to make their practice enjoyable and constructive. Each new set of poses eventually creates a sequence for warming up, for energy, for confidence, and finally, for calming and restful relaxation.

As I have said in previous posts, DK does a marvelous job of design, numbered methods, and useful and detailed photographs. Learning the poses really is child's play when you see how well laid each one is. Well done!
                                                                   

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