86 Back to School Yoga Tips for Kids: Expert Insights with Alice Blunden

Today host Rachel speaks with returning guest Alice Blunden – a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, schoolteacher, and creator of The Yoga Project UK – about accessible ways we can translate yoga tools and techniques for children as they navigate the potentially challenging transition back to school. In this episode, Alice shares a handful of her favorite techniques that you can teach to children of any age, the essence of which yoga students and teachers will likely find familiar. Listen in to learn creative yet practical activities that introduce kids to yoga concepts that help increase their capacity for focus, concentration, memory, mindfulness and self-regulation. Show Notes: “Back to school” can be a big adjustment for children and families [2:38] Creative activities to introduce yoga concepts and practices to children: Focus and memory: What’s on the tray [4:19] Concentration and listening skills: Supermarket list [9:34] Open sensory awareness: Safari walk [12:56] Patience and mindfulness: the Mindful Malteser [20:44] Emotional awareness and vocabulary: Paper cup faces [27:37] Elongated exhalation for nervous system regulation: Pinwheel breath [33:48] Diaphragmatic breathing for nervous system regulation: Teddy bear breath [37:58] Breath-focused meditation: High-five breath [40:50] Shift in internal state, vagal tone: Hummingbee breath [44:49] Summing up and general advice for teaching children [47:49] Connecting with Alice, more resources for teaching yoga to children [52:08] Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes: Episode 45: Conscious Parenting with Dana Diament Episode 50: Stronger After Surgery with Alice Blunden Teaching Yoga to Children Online Course Simple Hand Tracing Meditation Online Class Connect with Alice Blunden:           Instagram | Alice Louise Yoga | Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-86. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.