"Clench your teeth.
Lock your tongue behind this wall of teeth.
Deeply inhale through your mouth.
Close your mouth and slowly exhale through your nose.
How do you feel?"
"It feels like an air conditioner has been turned on inside my body" chirps the youngest in the group who is only seven.
The rest of the children laugh and readily agree.
I make a mental note to mention the 'air conditioner' the next time I teach Sitali Pranayama - the cooling breath.
***
"Boojangasana?" asks a boy when I ask for the original Sanskrit name of the Cobra Pose.
"Not Boo, it's Bhu" remind the others.
"Oh, ok, Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose, got it" nods the boy.
"Well, you can say the snake goes "BOO" if you forget the Sanskrit name" suggests an older girl.
I learn how to introduce Bhujangasana to other classes.
***
Pavana - wind
Mukta - free/release
Asana - posture
The children copy from the blackboard into their notebooks:
Pavanamuktasana - The wind-releasing pose
They double up by pressing their knees into their bellies.
A loud sound. Someone indiscreetly breaks wind.
They all double up, laughing heartily.
Then they try to guess who made the sound.
I try to maintain a straight face and explain how breaking wind is quite normal. To distract them, I bring up Roald Dahl's BFG in the discussion and we all laugh at how everybody in the world goes "whizzpopping".
***
During Savasana, the youngest giggles.
That sets all into fits of giggles.
They are supposed to be lying still and paying attention to their breathing.
I wait silently till the giggling fizzes out.
A restless child opens his eyes and looks around to see if he has company in his disobedience.
The others are in a calm state of mind with eyes closed.
The restless one quietly goes back to a more restful state.
I take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
The children's Yoga Club this month was an amusing exercise in learning how to teach.
Lock your tongue behind this wall of teeth.
Deeply inhale through your mouth.
Close your mouth and slowly exhale through your nose.
How do you feel?"
"It feels like an air conditioner has been turned on inside my body" chirps the youngest in the group who is only seven.
The rest of the children laugh and readily agree.
I make a mental note to mention the 'air conditioner' the next time I teach Sitali Pranayama - the cooling breath.
***
"Boojangasana?" asks a boy when I ask for the original Sanskrit name of the Cobra Pose.
"Not Boo, it's Bhu" remind the others.
"Oh, ok, Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose, got it" nods the boy.
"Well, you can say the snake goes "BOO" if you forget the Sanskrit name" suggests an older girl.
I learn how to introduce Bhujangasana to other classes.
***
Pavana - wind
Mukta - free/release
Asana - posture
The children copy from the blackboard into their notebooks:
Pavanamuktasana - The wind-releasing pose
They double up by pressing their knees into their bellies.
A loud sound. Someone indiscreetly breaks wind.
They all double up, laughing heartily.
Then they try to guess who made the sound.
I try to maintain a straight face and explain how breaking wind is quite normal. To distract them, I bring up Roald Dahl's BFG in the discussion and we all laugh at how everybody in the world goes "whizzpopping".
***
During Savasana, the youngest giggles.
That sets all into fits of giggles.
They are supposed to be lying still and paying attention to their breathing.
I wait silently till the giggling fizzes out.
A restless child opens his eyes and looks around to see if he has company in his disobedience.
The others are in a calm state of mind with eyes closed.
The restless one quietly goes back to a more restful state.
I take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
The children's Yoga Club this month was an amusing exercise in learning how to teach.
