Not only is movement good for physical health, but it’s good for mental health–focus and executive function. We’ve enjoyed working with the Iowa Department of Public Health as they rolled out Brain Breaks.
Chalk Art
Watch your kids’ faces light up as they reveal their first horizon line–priceless! Chalk Mountains is a unique way to create a design and experiment with color. It helps with focus and flow. #aSTEaMactivity
Bright Spots
What requires no preparation, gets kids moving and giggling, and inspires a discussion of the power of listening and focus? Why, STOP WALK WIGGLE SIT of course!
Teacher Perspectives|Settle Down
Taylor Johnson noticed a challenging time for her fourth grade students was after lunch and recess. Students were coming in from the playground still in conversations, and she struggled to help them focus on learning again. “Breathing exercises get them back on track,” she says. She decided to try teaching her students controlled breathing techniques and now uses a breathing … Read
Teacher Perspectives|Take a Break
Mychele adores her job and especially the joy on her students’ faces when they learn something new. She is an experienced kindergarten and reading lab teacher. She’s seen it all. And even with years of experience behind her it’s still hard, “I have 25 kiddos. I just feel like, as a teacher, I have to help all of them – … Read
Glitter Jar
Glitter is not my favorite. I try to keep it out of our home, but it’s getting more difficult. Not only do my kids bring it home on art projects, but I didn’t realize how glittery it would be to have a daughter! Glitter on shoes, shirts, pants, backpacks, notebooks, and toys. Glitter that finds its way into every corner … Read
New Year Priority
Time and again I’ve started a New Year’s Resolution and by the end of January my enthusiasm to keep the resolution has all but fizzled out. Maybe some of you have experienced this tiresome cycle. This year I’m trying to combat the cycle by hitching my resolution to my yoga practice. Since I do yoga as often as I can, … Read
There’s Always More
So many reasons to be excited about yoga. I teach it. I practice it. I study it. There truly is always more! Excited–check out this article about some preliminary research on how yoga may help with recovery from stroke and lessening the impact of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. I teach at Shakti Yoga Shop and we have some … Read
Retreat to Akumal
Akumal is a sleepy little resort just about an hour south of Cancun, Mexico. It’s the perfect place to relax, do some yoga, go snorkeling and explore the underground–the cenotes. I fell in love with Akumal last February. It’s kind of an old hippie village, friendly to those of us who have un piquito Espanol. Or none at all. The … Read
Become an Embodied Being
“Your body is a temple of the holy spirit,” I think that’s one of the few catechism teachings that made a real impact on my life. It’s made me hesitate to get tattoos, though I do have some “nasty piercings” as my daughter calls them. Since I started practicing yoga about four years ago, that catechism passage has become more … Read
