Introducing Yoga Through Storytelling Before beginning the story, do some stretches and several deep breathes with

h your child. Read or tell the story before doing the Yoga (feel free to use props if you are telling the story). When you are through, you may want to remind your child of the things he or she saw or heard about in the story before beginning the Yoga, especially for preschool-age children. Introduce the Yoga sequence at the conclusion of the story. If you read Walking Through the Jungle for example, you might say when you are done, Let s stand up. Now we re going to go on a walk through the jungle! . Help your child visualize being the thing that they are representing with the pose. If they are an elephant, talk about how long their trunk is and how heavy and slow they feel as they stomp around the jungle. If they are a lion, they should feel strong and proud. Always end with some calming poses and deep, full breathes. The Yoga sequences can move along quickly (these were designed for a 10-15 minute time period). That s okay, especially in the beginning. Just like your child wants to hear their favorite story over and over, he or she may want to try the Yoga sequence again and again. That s a good thing. If your child seems to like it, try repeating it for your next 2-3 Yoga sessions before you introduce the next sequence. They will become more comfortable and condent in their abilities the more practice they get.

Suggested Books Jungle Walk: Walking Through the Jungle by Stella Blackstone The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry Journey to Outer Space Harry and Horsie by Katie Van Camp The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeers Sun Salutations The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven When the Sun Rose by Barbara Helen Berger If you would like to try developing your own Yoga sequence, try a farm-themed one to go along with these books: The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar The Grumpy Morning by Pamela Duncan Edwards Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle Include poses to represent things such as horse, cat, dog, cow, donkey, buttery, tree, plow, and rolling the hay. Have fun!