I recently did a write-up on Namaste Kid yoga for Mamahive (awesome mom blog that I’m a weekly contributor for), and I had to share it with you guys too! I love it when I discover new ways for Little C and I to be active together, and had been hunting around for a yoga DVD that would be both engaging for her and still fun for me. After reading reviews and viewing previews, I settled on Namaste Kid’s “Yoga Motion“ series.
My biggest concern in my search for the perfect yoga instructional was that Little C (who is two and generally has the attention span of a gnat) would lose interest too quickly-so an engaging and exciting dvd was a must. Namaste Kid definitely delivers on both: the teacher is energetic, and the concepts discussed are totally on Little C’s level (shine like the sun, stretch like a kitty, etc.). I have been pleasantly surprised by how much the babe loves the dvd and how well she pays attention! She seriously ADORES doing yoga, or “yogurt” as she calls it, so much so that now she asks to do it every day!
I love that Namaste Kid breaks their yoga series into ten different chapters (each about 3-4 minutes long) because it allows you to choose whether you want to play all ten chapters straight through or just do a couple. Want to get in a good session? Play the DVD from start to finish. Looking for something to give your babe a quick workout? The Sun Salutations chapter is where it’s at. Or maybe your little ball of energy is like mine and needs some calming vibes, in which case the Restorative and Savasana chapters are fantastic, focusing on relaxation and breathing. I have actually been thinking about making them a part of our nightly bedtime routine because they work so well to calm Little C down.
Along with fun yoga poses and stretching aimed at increasing balance and core strength, the Yoga Motion series encourages kids to chant mantras such as “I am strong!” and “I am capable!” while practicing their yoga, which is great for building confidence and reinforcing independence; they are taught to do Warrior pose when they want to feel strong. Little C has taken to marching about the house announcing “I am cappapapable” over and over, which is downright adorable. The bonus in all of this is that you get to enjoy doing yoga right along with your babes, and while the DVD may not be the most advanced yoga you have ever done, there is something really fun and special about doing it together (and how cute is the little doing downward dog?!). What are some other activities that you like to do with your kids? I love hearing what you guys are up to!!
