This summer, the toddlers had a special guest come in from Busy Minds for two sessions of yoga in the gym, one in July and another visit in August. Before we started, the instructor introduced herself to the group. She told us her name is Vishwa Shah, has a background in physiotherapy, and is very passionate about introducing children to yoga in a way that's fun, safe, and supportive. First, the toddlers explored and held an expandable breathing ball, watching it get bigger and smaller with the help of Vishwa, taking big breaths in when it expanded, and big breaths out when it collapsed. Then, Vishwa brought out scarfs for everyone to hold onto. We used our scarfs to sway round and round like a helicopter and move them up and down like butterfly wings. Following this, Vishwa said it was time to do some animal stretches. Following the instructor’s actions, the toddlers went on their hands and knees, stretched their necks up to the ceiling, and roared like lions. Next, they laid with their bellies on the ground, lifted their heads up, and hissed like snakes. Just like that, our toddlers started learning how to stretch and move their bodies, increasing awareness of their bodies and the understanding of how it works. Before ending the sessions, the tod squad enjoyed playing with a parachute by grasping onto the handles, bringing it up high as they reached their arms up in the air, and letting go to run under and find their peers! What a wonderful experience we had with our yoga sessions. It gave our children a sense of belonging and confidence with each other as they learned something new together and tested their abilities through their bodies. Learning Benefits of the yoga sessions for our toddlers: Gross motor- increased body awareness, improved balance and coordination skills. Language development- learned new words and concepts. Social and emotional skills- practiced cooperation, engaged in social interaction and further developed emotional regulation through calming their bodies.
