I shared last week that one of the struggles we have in our house full of little boys, is relaxation. As we have worked on tweaking our rest-time routines over the past several months, one thing has risen to the top of the boy's lists as a must-have in order to be ready for relaxing. That thing? Yoga. That's right. We do 1 song with yoga before nap and bed - right now it is the same song every time, because it is simple and slow. The boys like the "dance" moves and it makes their transition to the bed much simpler.
CLICK HERE FOR A GIVEAWAY OF THIS CD |
This is Manasseh during "Mama Nature" about a week ago. Although he does not look thrilled, both boys love the stretching routine as they slow their muscles down for a while.
Personal story: the very first time I tried this with the boys at nap time, Cassius climbed into his bed without any argument and was asleep within 10 minutes, he lay silent and still listening to the other songs on the CD as he drifted to sleep. Usually, Cassius tosses and turns, singing and playing for 1-2 HOURS before falling asleep. You had better believe that I took note of this!
"Lay down like a stick, straight and tall, put your hands to your sides and stretch out your legs long"... I try to convince them. Manasseh, however grows branches every time. Cassius is starting to get branches too.
They love that they can be creative with their bodies during these quiet, focused moments.
We fell in love with Kira Willey's music when Manasseh was an infant. The first time he heard a clip of the "Dance for the Sun" CD, he was crying (like a baby). Immediately he stopped crying and looked at the computer monitor. When it finished, he went back to crying. He did this multiple times. We decided that this must be his first favorite music - we bought the CD that day.
Now we listen to both "Dance for the Sun" and "Kings and Queens of the Forest". The boys love the variety of sounds in her music almost as much as they love dancing to it. They enjoy trying the many yoga moves that Kira has published in the booklet that comes with the CD. I enjoy watching them try new things. Randy and I frequently find ourselves singing the catchy tunes even when we are away from the music for a little while.
Have you heard of Fireflies Musical Yoga for Kids or Kira Willey? Make sure that you check them out. Consider these CDs, complete with instruction, as a way to help create calm in your home or preschool class. You can get one of each (that's 2 CDs) for just $22 right now on the website! Click HERE to listen to some samples of her songs and consider a purchase. It was worth it for us 4 years ago, and is worth it for us today!
***Disclosure: I have received a product or products in exchange for this review and giveaway. All opinions are my own.***
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This looks wonderful! I need to do more yoga with my children. When we have done it, it has been such an enjoyable experience!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I have been looking for something like this aimed at kids. We try meditation, but I think my kiddos would like this better!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great product. My son is 19 months old so I'm excited to start some yoga with him soon!
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