Little Flower Yoga for Kids: A Yoga and Mindfulness Program to Help Your Child Improve Attention and Emotional Balance

by Jennifer Cohen Harper MA, E-RCYT, Daniel J. Siegel MD (Foreword by)

Overview

Wouldn’t it be great if your child could exercise, have fun, and build concentration skills all at the same time?

In 2006, the Little Flower Yoga program was developed by teacher and certified yoga instructor Jennifer Cohen Harper, when her successful use of yoga in her kindergarten classroom led to requests by other students, teachers, and administrators for yoga programs of their own. Harper slowly began to teach more and more yoga classes, and eventually recruited other yoga teachers with education backgrounds to continue growing what had become a flourishing program.

Little Flower Yoga for Kidsoffers this fun and unique program combining yoga and mindfulness in an easy-to-read format. Written specifically for parents and kids, the book aims at teaching children to pay attention, increase focus, and balance their emotions—all while building physical strength and flexibility. Based on a growing body of evidence that yoga and mindfulness practices can help children develop focus and concentration, the simple yoga exercises in this book can easily be integrated into their child’s daily routine, ultimately improving health, behavior, and even school achievement.

The book details the five main components of the program: connect, breath, move, focus, and relax. Drawing on these components, Harper shares practical activities that parents can use with their children both on a daily basis and as applied to particularly challenging issues. And while this book is targeted to parents, teachers may also find it extremely useful in helping students achieve better attention and focus.

For more information about this innovative program, visit www.littlefloweryoga.com.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608827923
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	11/01/2013
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jennifer Cohen Harper, MA, E-RCYT, is a leading voice in the children’s yoga community. She is the founder and director of New York-based Little Flower Yoga and The School Yoga Project, cofounder and board vice president of the Yoga Service Council, and an active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Harper leads the well-respected Little Flower Yoga Teacher Training for Children program, provides therapeutic yoga classes to children and families, and frequently collaborates with other organizations to bring yoga for children to places as diverse as tent cities in Port au Prince, Haiti, and FAO Schwarz retail stores in New York City.
 
Foreword writer Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is an internationally acclaimed author, award-winning educator, and child psychiatrist. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine where he also serves as a co-investigator at the Center for Culture, Brain, and Development and co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center. He is also the executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities. His books include Mindsight, The Developing Mind, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out, and The Whole-Brain Child. He lives in Los Angeles, CA, with his wife and two children.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Foreword ix

Introduction 1

1 Understand 7

2 Explore 17

3 Get Started 29

4 Connect 39

Layers of Sound 43

Walking Meditation 45

Mindful Eating 47

Checking In 50

Emotion Jar 55

Caring Feelings 57

I Am in Charge Mantra 59

5 Breathe 63

Balloon Breath 68

Heart and Belly Breath 71

Langhana and Brahmana Breath 73

Alternate-Nostril Breathing 76

Back-to-Back Breathing 79

6 Move 83

Warming Up: Cat, Cow, and Twist Poses 86

A Place to Rest: Child's Pose 89

Grounding: Mountain Pose 90

Grounding: Malasana 92

Grounding: Seated Forward Bends 94

Strength: Warrior Poses 98

Strength: Moving Lunges 104

Strength: Boat Pose 108

Balance: Tree Pose 110

Balance: Side Plank Pose 112

Balance: Flower Pose 114

Balance: Half Moon Pose 116

Final Relaxation: Savasana 118

7 Focus 121

Exploring Your Drishti 124

Expanding-Energy Meditation 126

Single-Pointed Focus 128

Thought River Meditation 130

8 Relax 133

Legs up the Wall Pose 136

Supported Reclined Bound-Ankle Pose 138

Guided Visualization 140

Tense and Let Go: Yoga Nidra 142

9 Putting It All Together 145

From Sitting to Standing: No-Hands Stand 150

From Standing to Sitting: Tiptoe Pose to Squatting 151

From Sitting to Reclining: smallest You to Biggest You 152

Bringing Energy Up (Gently): Waking Up Your Body 154

Bringing Energy Down: Rag Doll Pose 155

Coming Back to Neutral: Simple Twist 156

10 Support for Parents 159

Appendix: Talking with Teachers 169

Recommended Reading 173

References 177

Interviews

Jennifer C. Harper lives in the greater New York City area.

Editorial Reviews

09/16/2013
Harper, founder and director of the New York–based national organization Little Flower Yoga, explains the general tenets of yoga, as well as the elements of her program in this parent- and child-friendly guide. The interrelated traditions of yoga and mindfulness, Harper asserts, can help children learn awareness and self-regulation, relieve stress, and increase focus. The core of the book is devoted to the five Little Flower components: connect, breathe, move, focus, and relax. The sections provide yoga poses (asana), breathing techniques, and meditations, and are clearly illustrated so parents can readily follow and teach. Harper also walks readers through the eight limbs of yoga, and clearly explains how yoga strengthens “the thoughtful brain” (the prefrontal cortex) so children feel “calm, safe, secure and unconditionally accepted.” Advice on how to bring yoga off the mat and into other parts of a child’s life (school, friendships) is also offered. Written with clarity and compassion, Harper’s guide will inspire parents and educators to use the tools of yoga to help children overcome daily stress and live with greater emotional balance; the text is also likely to prompt adult readers to step up their own yoga practice. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Harper [Cohen], founder and director of the New York-based national organization Little Flower Yoga, explains the general tenets of yoga, as well as the elements of her program in this parent- and child-friendly guide. The interrelated traditions of yoga and mindfulness, Harper asserts, can help children learn awareness and self-regulation, relieve stress, and increase focus. The core of the book is devoted to the five Little Flower components: connect, breathe, move, focus, and relax. The sections provide yoga poses (asana), breathing techniques, and meditations, and are clearly illustrated so parents can readily follow and teach. Harper also walks readers through the eight limbs of yoga, and clearly explains how yoga strengthens 'the thoughtful brain' (the prefrontal cortex) so children feel 'calm, safe, secure and unconditionally accepted.' Advice on how to bring yoga off the mat and into other parts of a child’s life (school, friendships) is also offered. Written with clarity and compassion, Harper’s guide will inspire parents and educators to use the tools of yoga to help children overcome daily stress and live with greater emotional balance; the text is also likely to prompt adult readers to step up their own yoga practice."
—Publishers Weekly


“Bridging the science of yoga for children with practical application, Cohen Harper demonstrates her extensive experience as an educator and kids' yoga teacher with this indispensable resource for parents, educators, therapists, and other adults who care deeply for the children in their lives. Whether you are new to the practice or an experienced Yogi, Little Flower's five essential elements of yoga for children will provide you with an accessible framework for sharing yoga with kids. This thoughtfully written book includes information such as how to set up a yoga space and which props to use; dozens of child-friendly meditation activities, breathing exercises, and poses; and the science behind it all, providing the reader with a comprehensive approach to promoting mindfulness, focus, and resilience.”
—Lisa Flynn, founder of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms and author of the Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck and Yoga for Children


“The curriculum’s fluid and organic incorporation of ‘connect, breathe, move, focus, and relax’ ensure that students will have a full and joyful experience each time they are on the mat and practicing yoga. My favorite parts are the laughter, the connection, and the ‘a-ha’ moments that are a part of her classes every day!”
—Susan Verde, parent




“Little Flower Yoga for Kids is an excellent guidebook for parents and educators seeking a program that will help children with focus and balance. Cohen Harper does a masterful job of simplifying the practices of yoga while maintaining the integrity of the tradition. She divides activities into handy categories like connecting, breathing, moving, focusing, and relaxing—all of which offer a comprehensive set of tools for parents to support the growth of the whole family. The perfect manual for making kids and parents more aware of the magic of mindfulness.” 
—Beryl Bender Birch, director and founder of the Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute and the Give Back Yoga Foundation
 



“Little Flower Yoga for Kids is a wonderful introduction to present-moment awareness and mindfulness through a grounded and playful yoga practice. It is an inspiring resource for children and their parents.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness and Lovingkindness


“I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning practical ways to integrate health and wellness into the lives of children. Even someone with no prior experience in yoga or mindfulness can utilize this content immediately to bring more balance to daily home life. Cohen Harper masterfully weaves theory and practice in a format that dispels any mystery around these ancient practices, making them accessible for folks wanting to find a little more focus and peace.”
—Abby Wills, MA, cofounder of Shanti Generation


“This book is infused with joy! Every page offers wisdom and essential skills with a delightful, gentle playfulness. Jennifer Cohen Harper shares the historical foundations of yoga and mindfulness and the complex neuroscience regarding their benefits in simple, accessible writing. The joyful process of sharing these sweet practices with your child will have profound benefits for both your child and you.”
—Amy Saltzman, MD


“This resource will empower school staff and students, and makes a solid contribution to the school yoga-mindfulness movement.”
—Karma Carpenter Shea, founder of the International Association for School Yoga and Mindfulness at k-12yoga.org

From the Publisher