eBookletExplorationOfBeing

Parent and Child Yoga
Exploration of Being




Dear Parents,
There should be a mutual understanding between parent and child on this exploration of body part discovery. The context is elaborated for parent(s) to guide your child into the process of self- discovery. Videos are made available as reference to guide you for better understanding that can be viewed in the members’ portal. Also, join our community on the Facebook group page where parents come together to share their involvement, ideas and activities. There could be terms used throughout the exploration which may not be familiar to either one of you, however, you are free to make your own choice of words to describe the actions to improve the communication between parent and child. Enjoy the process of inclusivity, love and self-inquiry.
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Exploration 1
Body parts as our eye.
It brings awareness throughout the periphery of our body. Sense alignment. Develops harmony between the sensitivity of body awareness and intelligence of brain and heart.
MY NAME IS _________________________________
I began this exploration on (date) ___________________
Please follow the order from Day 1 onwards. Give a ‘tick’ on the list below of those that you have completed:
o DAY 1 Discover feet, heel, ankle, toes, shin, calf, knee and thigh
o DAY 2 Discover pelvis, hip joint, tail bone and sit bone
o DAY 3 Discover abdomen, lower back, mid back and upper back
o DAY 4 Discover chest, heart, rib cage, shoulder, arm and shoulder blade o DAY 5 Discover head, neck, forehead, chin and crown of skull
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Day 1 – lower region of your body
Discover your legs and beyond
Our legs and feet support the upper region of our body. They carry the weight of our internal organs and spine and also support our head and the weight of our upper body’s muscles and bones. It is important that we take good care of our legs as they are the foundation of our body, like the function of a tree. Good strong roots support the weight of the entire tree. Our legs are just like the roots of the tree. We should take good care of our feet and keep our legs strong and joints happy. We want our body to be in good alignment by being sensitive to the interface between the skin and flesh.
Let us try to follow the actions recommended for each part of your lower body so you can gain a better understanding. Go through the parts below with your child. Get familiar together as you go.
knee shin
foot
toe heel
thigh calf ankle
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Feet and heels
Ball of foot
Arch of foot
1. Wriggle your toes and feel them spreading out like a fan as they touch the floor. Feel the sensation of your toes on the floor, the ball of your feet and your heels pressing against the floor. Take a few steps and observe the sensation on your feet as you walk around.
2. Sit down with your legs stretched straight forward, with heels on the floor and toes facing up towards the sky. Pretend that you are pressing on a pedal of a car. This foot- moving action is called ‘dorsi flexion’.
3. Now, try standing up and lifting your heels up away from the floor, tip-toeing as you walk about. You can also do the same when you are sitting down with the legs stretched forward, and then point your toes forward like you are on tippy toes. This is called ‘plantar flexion’.
4. Go on, have fun by walking with your feet
switching between plantar flexion (heels up) and dorsi flexion (heels down) as you go. Are you able to hold in plantar flexion for a minute?
5. Find out where the outer corners of your feet are.
6. Find out where the arches of your feet are. Can you spot the difference between yours and
your friend’s or your parent’s?
7. Press the balls of your feet and your heels firmly to the floor as you spread your toes. Can you
feel that you are standing evenly on both sides?
Parent, help your child to write down how they feel as they explore parts of their feet:
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Outer corner of foot


Ankles
1. Notice the little hard bumps at the outer sides of your feet? They are your ankle joints. We have them on the outer sides of both our feet.
2. Now, sit down comfortably with your legs stretched forward. Relax your whole body.
3. Bring your awareness to your ankle joints. Now, maintain your awareness on your ankle joints as you move and rotate your feet clockwise. Try to move both feet simultaneously for a few rounds.
4. Repeat the rotation again but this time, counter- clockwise.
5. This time, move with your breath. Inhale, rotating from your starting position and exhale as you return back to the starting position.
Write down how you feel as you rotate your ankles in the space below:
Toes
1. We all have ten cute little toes that we can work with. The big toe connects deeply to the core of our being and it helps us to feel rooted to the ground and centered in our body when we press it firmly to the ground. Try this a couple of times and note down how you feel.
2. Next, try clenching your toes and hold there for 5 seconds before you let go. Do this a few times.
Write down the sensation in your feet in the space below:
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Shins and Calves
1. Notice how you feel in your shins and calves when you are skipping.
2. Now, lie down on the mat as you face the wall. Bring your feet close to
the wall with your heels and balls of your feet on the wall. Press your heels firmly on the wall and allow your toes to curl inwards towards you. Can you feel a tight sensation in your calves?
3. Remain in the same position but this time, point your toes to the wall. Notice how you feel in your calf muscles. Are they relaxed?
How do you feel?
Knees
1. Sit on your mat and bring your knees together as shown in
the picture. Now, contract your knee caps by extending your legs. Press your heels away from your bottom, then strongly dorsi flex your feet and notice how your knee caps move inwards and upwards towards your thighs. Release by relaxing your legs and repeat a few times.
2. Now, stand up with legs together, resting your knees together. Place your palms on your knees and start to rotate your knees together in a clockwise direction. Repeat a few times.
3. Then, repeat counter-clockwise for a few times. Write down how you feel in the space below:
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Thighs
1. Be in a standing position with legs together but keep your feet apart, as wide as your hips. Now, forward bend from your hips and bring your palms to your shins. Bring your awareness to the skin of your thighs. Notice how your front thigh muscles contract and the back of your thigh muscles expand?
2. Now, squat down and notice the different sensations in your thighs.
3. Next, from a standing position, bend your knees and jump up high.
Catch the sensation as you go.
Write down how you feel in the space below:
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Day 2 – mid region of your body
Discover your pelvis and
its surroundings
The pelvis connects your legs with the upper part of your body. It is the house of the digestive system and elimination system. We process most of our food here and it is also where the process of nutrient absorption takes place. We want to promote circulation of blood, heat and air in the space of our pelvis so it can help all the other processes taking place in the upper body region and all the others go more smoothly.
hip
knee shin
pelvis
sit bone tail bone
thigh calf
foot ankle toe heel
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Pelvis and hip joint in relation to tail bone and
sit bones
The difference between the hip and pelvis is that the hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint between the pelvis and femur, and the pelvis is a large bone structure located in the lower part of the body. The hip joint connects the pelvis and
femur and the pelvis connects the spinal column and legs. The tail bone is the last bone of the spine at the bottom.
1. Alternate moving your pelvis in an: Anterior Pelvis tilt - The tail bone of the spine and your bottom sitting bones are lifting upwards
Hip joint Femur
Sit bone
towards the lower back.
Tail bone of the spine
Anterior pelvis tilt
Posterior Pelvis tilt - The tail bone of the spine and your bottom sitting bones are moving downwards towards the front of the pelvis, which is curving upwards towards your navel.
Posterior pelvis tilt
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2. Draw circles with your legs while standing. Feel the sensation in your hip joints as you do so. There are 6 movements at the hip joints in which you can explore. Parent(s), be creative with your choice of words to help the child understand the movements.
Flexion
Face forward while standing, lift your right leg up and pretend that you are about to kick a ball. This is a right hip flexion.
Extension
Face forward while standing, swing your leg back and pretend that you want to kick a wall behind you. This is a right hip extension.
Abduction
Face forward while standing and move your right leg outwards towards the outer right side.
Adduction
Face forward while standing and move your right leg inwards towards your other leg.
External rotation
Turn your foot facing outwards to the side by spinning or rotating your thigh outwards to the side.
Internal rotation
Turn your foot facing inwards towards the other leg by spinning or rotating your thigh inwards to the inside.
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Day 3 – upper region of your body
Discover your abdomen and your back
Your abdomen is the space where you have parts of your stomach, liver, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, and segments of the intestines connecting to the other parts of the body. With a strong abdominal muscle, it will help to support your lower back. If we have a heavy belly, pressure may occur on our lower back as it has to support the weight at the front of our body.
abdomen
hip
knee shin
foot toe
pelvis
upper back mid back
lower back
sit bone
calf ankle heel
tail bone
thigh
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Abdomen
1. Place your palm on your abdomen. Can you feel the movement of your palm moving upwards and downwards as you breathe in and breathe out?
2. Now, from a standing position, do a squat and then stand up again. Repeat as many times as you can. Once you have done enough, can you feel something is happening to your abdomen as your heart is beating faster and faster?
As you are calming down, jot down your experience:
Arch your lower back
1. Stand by the wall. Measure one leg length apart from the wall. Face away, with your back towards the wall.
2. From the standing position, stretch your arms up in the sky. Extend your arms super straight as though you are about to catch the stars in the sky.
3. Next, lean back and stretch your arms back and see if you can reach for the wall behind you. Bend your knees if you need to. Try not to turn your head and look back but look up towards your fingers and reach behind.
Did you experience yourself expanding like a sun in your chest as you ground your legs on the floor?
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Squeeze your mid back and upper back
1. Find yourself seated comfortably, then round your arms back and interlace your fingers. Bring your fingers as close as possible, even perhaps pressing the heel of your wrists together and straightening your elbows. Straighten your arms as much as you can go. Did you experience the muscles of your mid back and upper back drawn towards the midline of your back as you straightened your arms with fingers interlaced? Ensure that your upper shoulders are relaxed.
2. Now, repeat again but imagine a ball that you are trying to hold against your back with your arms. Can you keep the ball still?
What do you feel that is happening in your mid back and upper back?
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Day 4 – upper region of your body
Discover your willpower
house and shoulders
The space of your chest is the place where the ribcage and your internal organs such as your lungs and heart are, and where a whole lot of other processes are happening. The air that you breathe goes in and out through your nose and circulation, which occurs in that space, takes places in 5 different ways. Sometimes the air goes upwards, or it goes downwards; sometimes it goes outwards from your heart and sometimes it goes in a spiral movement. Air can also circulate inwards.
heart
rib cage
chest arm abdomen
hip
knee shin
foot toe
pelvis
shoulder
upper back
mid back
lower back
sit bone tail bone thigh calf ankle heel
shoulder blade
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Chest
1. Lie down in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
2. Rest your right palm on your chest and the other palm on your abdomen. Try to feel and listen
to the pulse of your heartbeat.
3. Now, breathe in through your nose, mentally counting from one to three.
4. Breathe out through your nose, mentally counting from one to four.
5. Repeat a few times and notice the movements in your chest and abdomen.
Do you feel the movement of your chest going up and going down as you breathe in and breathe out? When you breathe in, does your abdomen goes up first before your chest goes up? And when you breathe out, which comes first? Is it your chest or your abdomen?
Heart and rib cage
Did you know that the better you breathe, the better you are in terms of circulating blood, heat and air in your body? The smoother your in-breath and out-breath and the fuller your lungs, you are actually providing fuel to the space of your heart that sits under your rib cage. This would charge up your willpower house that fluorishes at the space of your heart.
Let’s take notice of your breathing patterns.
1. Now, place your fingers on the sides of your body, close to your stomach. You should be able
to feel your rib cage bones. They fan out like wings as you breathe in.
2. So, take a good in-breath as you breathe in slowly. Notice how your rib cage expands.
3. When you breathe out, notice how much your rib cage goes down as it contracts.
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Shoulders, arms and shoulder blades
shoulder joint
Do you know where your shoulders are?
Shoulder joints connect your arms with your main body.
shoulder blade
1. Find yourself seated or standing in a comfortable position, then bring the palms together towards your heart center.
2. Now, notice the sensation in your mid back and upper back.
3. Parents, help your child to find where their shoulder blades are. Have them notice what
happens to their shoulder blades when their arms close and palms meet.
4. Next, bring your palms apart from each other as you spread your arms out to the side.
5. Again, parents, help your child to find where their shoulder blades are and then notice what
happens to their shoulder blades when they spread their arms apart and out to the sides. Tell us how you feel or what you see.
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Day 5 – upper region of your body
Discover your head and
neck
There are a few areas around the head that we would like to focus on which we will be using quite often during the physical practice of asana or posture practices. We always want our neck to be happy and away from any form of injury. We must take care of our head and neck all the time.
heart rib cage
pelvis
Crown of skull forehead
head
shoulder
upper back
mid back
lower back
sit bone tail bone thigh calf ankle heel
chin neck chest
arm
abdomen
hip
knee shin
shoulder blade
foot
toe
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Head and neck
The neck supports the weight of the head. It’s important to keep our neck happy and not to hurt
the nerves and muscles that connect between the neck and the head.
1. There are a few movements of the head we should try just to feel the mobility of our neck. Find yourself in a comfortable seated position. Gaze forward and turn your head to the far right as you gaze to the right. Pause for a moment. Then, turn your head back to front center.
2. Next, turn to the far left. Pause for a moment. Then, turn your head back to front center.
3. Now, tilt your head diagonally to the right with the help of your right palm, gently pressing the
top left corner of your head down as it tilts diagonally right. Pause for a moment before you
return to front center.
4. Then, try the other side as well; that is, tilting diagonally left. Pause for a moment before you
return to front center.
Is there a relieved sensation in your neck as you do so?
Chin, forehead and crown of your skull
1. Find a partner or ask your parents to join you to find your chin, forehead and crown of your skull.
2. Now, lie down and have your partner sit behind you where they can see your face.
3. Have your partner gently press your chin with their thumb. After 5 seconds, let go.
4. Then, move on to your forehead to find the middle spot and place a light pressure on the
middle of your forehead with both thumbs. After 5 seconds, release and take notice of the
sensation.
5. Lastly, have your partner locate the middle of the crown of your skull. Have them gently press
on the middle with their thumbs.
6. Repeat for a few rounds and relax after.
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Exploration 2
Expand and Extend from Core
From head to toe we would want to find our center and expand longitudinally and latitudinally. Extension is given from the intelligence of the brain, which drives attention and expansion is given from the intelligence of the heart, which drives awareness.
MY NAME IS _________________________________
I began this exploration on (date) ___________________
Give a ‘tick’ on the list below of those that you have completed: o DAY 1 Body and mind expands and extends upwards.
o DAY 2 Body and mind expand and extends downwards.
o DAY 3 Body and mind expands and extends sideways.
o DAY 4 Body and mind expands and extends, upside down.
o DAY 5 Body and mind expands and extends from the center.
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My body at a glance
Here is an overview of the parts of our body in which we will be focusing on as we go through a few series of postures in this activity book. Bookmark this sheet as your reference guide along the way as you discover new postures through the days of discovery.
heart rib cage
pelvis
Crown of skull forehead
head
shoulder
upper back
mid back
lower back
sit bone tail bone thigh calf ankle heel
chin
neck
chest arm abdomen
hip
knee shin
shoulder blade
foot
toe
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Day 1 – Body expands and extends upwards
Upwards we go to the sky
There are various postures that one could explore but here are a few to begin with. Parent(s), be creative by incorporating some arts and crafts to make it more fun and interactive. Videos are available for reference.
Shine like a Golden Star. Hang stars all above you.
1. Stand tall and feel strong, feet together with big toes touching each other. Feel your toes, heels and arches of your feet.
2. Spread your toes and grip them down as you ground your heels into the floor.
3. Lengthen upwards from your feet as you are standing tall like a star spreading its edges out.
4. Imagine a string is attached to your chest and a partner is pulling that imaginary string upwards; with that thought, of your chest is lifting upwards and you begind to stand taller.
5. Next, jump and spread your arms like wings and space your legs out wide to the sides. Spread out the pointy edges of your imaginary star, shining bright like never before.
6. Smile as your spread your arms as wide and open as far as you can go.
7. Imagine your skin and muscles are extending upwards from your center.
Fly like a plane. Do you have a plane by your side?
1. If you haven’t gone through the ‘Be a Star’ posture, go ahead and follow the steps above to form a star.
2. Next, turn your pretend wings to face your right. Bend your right knee and lower your hips to a high lunge position as shown in the
picture.
3. Keep the back leg super straight and ground the foot of your back leg strongly on the mat. Feel your heels and toes gripping your mat. The outer edge of your foot is rooting you down towards the earth.
4. Lift your chest upwards to the sky as your breathe in. Spread your arms wide to the sides. Each time you breathe out, fan out your fingers to the sides. Imagine that you are flying high like a plane and are on your journey around the world. Fly to your favorite place now. Switch sides with your left leg in front as your high lunge.
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Balance as you flourish in a dancer pose.
1. Imagine you are standing on clouds and you are about to balance on one leg.
2. Hold your parent’s hand and try to balance on one leg. Imagine you are standing afloat on a soft cloud. You can also hold on to something else, like a wall or a chair.
3. Catch the other foot with your hand as you bend the knee. Lift the thigh up high while you find your balance.
4. Let go of your parent’s hand or any other support that you are holding on to. Keep lifting upwards as you balance.
5. Explore balancing on the other leg too. Which is easier?
Catch the stars above you.
1. Sit in a comfortable position. You can choose to bend and fold your knees so you can sit on your heels or just use a simple cross-legged seated posture.
2. Now, stretch your arms up in the sky.
3. Reach up as high as you can and pretend that you are
about to catch the stars above your head.
4. Feel that you are stretching the sides of your body as you
lengthen your arms upwards. Fingers are spread out and up to the sky. Keep your arms super straight arms with your heart lifting upwards.
Balance on a boat and kick your legs up high to the sky
1. Sit in a comfortable position. Stretch your legs forward like you are about to paddle with your legs.
2. Balance yourself on your bottom and support yourself with your hands behind your back.
3. Now, lean back and kick your legs up high to the sky as you balance on your bottom, like a
boat afloat, threading the waves below. Keep on trying to maintain your legs up in the sky for a
count of five.
4. Feel the muscles of your lower abdomen and upper thighs engage as you maintain your legs
up high towards the sky.
Stand tall like a tree. Let the birds roam freely around you.
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1. Be close to your parent or a wall in case you need a support as you are trying to balance on one leg.
2. Catch your hips with your hands.
3. Choose which leg you want to balance on.
4. On your chosen standing leg, clench your foot and grip your toes firmly to help you strengthen
your standing leg and foot.
5. Place the other foot on your thigh or on your calf muscle as you bend the knee.
6. Once you are able to hold your balance, bring your palms together towards your heart center.
Look up to the sky or look out for birds around you. Try to hold firm just like a strong tree. Sense that you are standing tall like a tree with a strong grounded lower body supporting the upper body that is flourishing.
7. Go on and try the other leg. Which is easier for you?
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Day 2 – Body expands and extends downwards Downwards we go to the
ground
There are various postures that one could explore but here are a few to begin with. Parent(s), be creative by incorporating some arts and crafts to make it more fun and interactive. Videos are available for reference.
A seed planted in the ground ready to be nurtured.
1. Child’s pose is one of the classical yoga poses that projects a sense of closure and comfort to an individual. It promotes calmness and security.
2. Come down on your knees and spread them hip distance apart.
3. Your big toes are together, touching.
4. Lean forward as you sit on your heels, coming to a rest with your forehead against the ground.
5. Relax your arms and shoulders and allow them to rest by the sides of your body.
6. Breathe in and breathe out freely. Close your eyes and relax.
Spread your back like a seed breaking out of its skin.
1. Stand with your feet apart as wide as your hips with big toes together.
2. Take a good breath in, and as you breathe out, slowly melt forward from your hip joints rather than bending from your waistline.
3. How you can feel that you are bending from your hip joints is when your tail bone points back, and you spread the back of your thighs out with your heels slightly turned out and toes rotated inwards towards your midline. Keep your upper body soft and relaxed.
4. Place your palms on your shins if you notice the muscles in the backs of your thighs are tight, and keep your knees slightly bent.
5. Once you are completely still, take notice of the sensations around the back of your body. From your heels to your calves, the backs of your knees, the backs of your thighs, the muscles around your bottom, and the muscles along your back, lower back, mid back, upper back and your shoulders.
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Cat and Cow stretch. Purr and Moo as you go around.
1. Come down on your hands and knees. Widen them hip distance apart and shoulder distance apart.
2. Round and puff up your upper back and mid back towards the sky and look towards your belly button as you tuck your abdomen inwards towards your spine like cat. Purrrrrrrr.
3. Now, do the opposite by letting your belly relax and drop down, arching your back. Look up and begin to moo like a cow.
4. Repeat a few times as you breathe in to a cat-like pose, breathe out to a cow-like pose.
5. Feel the flexibility of your spine and arches and relax.
Downward facing dog. Search the underground we go.
1. Come down on your hands and knees. Widen them hip distance apart and shoulder distance apart.
2. Lift up your pelvis, keeping the knees bent at first if you like.
3. Now, straighten your legs and look under your belly.
4. Experience what it is like being upside down.
5. Keep your tailbone pointed up towards the sky. Spread
the skin felt on your chest and shoulders. Feel the stretch on your upper back, mid back and lower back with your pelvis tilting towards an anterior tilt with the tail bone lifting upwards. Refer to ‘Exploration 1: Body Parts as Our Eye’ to recap an anterior pelvis tilt.
Wide leg forward bend. Feel the presence of earth and look out for snails.
1. Spread your legs wide just like is shown in the picture
on the right.
2. Bend forward from your hip joints.
3. How you can feel that you are bending from your hip
joints is when your tail bone points back and you
spread the back of your thighs out with your heels
slightly turned out and toes rotated inwards towards your midline. Keep your upper body soft and relaxed.
4. Anchor and root your feet on the ground like the roots of a tree gripping the earth firmly. Catch your feet, ankles or your toes with your hands to support.
5. Look under and around for snails as the stretch is occurring at the back of your legs. What is it like to see the sun from underneath?
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Spread and Strengthen your legs like the horse.
1. Spread your legs wide just like is shown in the picture below.
2. Bend your knees well enough so you feel that you are engaging the muscles of your legs as
you open up your inner thighs. Keep the knees apart, widening away from each other.
3. Lift your arms up to the sides, pretending to be like a horse body stretching out to the sides. 4. Hold it there for five to eight counts. You don’t want to end up sitting on a thorny cactus.
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Day 3 – Body expands and extends sideways
Sideways we go like a pouring teapot
There are various poses that one could explore, but here are a few to begin with. Parent(s), be creative by incorporating some arts and crafts to make it more fun and interactive. Videos are available for reference.
Triangle we go.
1. Imagine the shape of a triangle. This is a three point lateral stretch.
2. Let’s begin by spreading your legs wide to the sides. Toes should point forward and align your heels in one straight line.
3. Turn your heels slightly outwards and toes inwards.
4. Next, begin with your right foot. Open your right foot out by
turning your toes out to your right but maintain your right heel in
line with the arch of your left foot.
5. Breathe in, lift and stretch your arms up to the sides.
6. Now, imagine you are a tea pot and about to pour tea out of a
spout, from your right arm to your right foot.
7. Look up to your left arm that is straightened towards the sky like the handle of a teacup.
8. Maintain firm and strong legs, especially your back leg.
9. Experience the lateral stretch on the left-hand side of your body.
10. Now, do the other side too. Feel the difference between both sides.
Extended side angle pose; the further we lean, the more we expand.
1. Begin from the triangle pose above. Do each step from step 1 to step 9.
2. This time, bend the knee further so you can rest your palm on the floor.
3. Engage your back leg by pressing your back heel and the edges of the foot firmly to the floor. Maintain your back leg super straight. This will help you to further extend the sides of your body. Can you feel that you are stretching the sides longer inch by inch here?
4. Repeat the same on the other side.
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Balance like a pretend half moon.
1. Begin from the extended side angle pose. Do each step from step 1 to step 3.
2. If you begin from the right, lean further forward to your right side with your abdomen resting against your thigh, and bring your hands further forward to the ground. Rest on your finger tips.
3. Once you have found your balance, lift your back leg as high up as you can go.
4. If you like to experience what is it like to balance on your
sides, lift your other arm up to the sky. Extend and expand from your heart.
5. If you can find your balance here, look up to your extended arm. Otherwise, remain looking down.
6. Be strong on your standing leg and soften the knee. Engage your lifted leg’s thigh as you lift the leg higher. Broaden your chest while maintaining your tail bone tucked in as you extend your other arm up.
7. Try the other side and notice the difference.
Seated side angle pose. A teapot with a flatter and thicker base.
1. Be seated on the floor with both your legs stretched forward.
2. Bend your left knee and bring your left heel close to the middle
part of your pelvis.
3. Extend your right leg outwards to your far right. Keep your toes
pointing upwards by dorsi flexing your foot. Your right knee is
looking up to the sky with external rotation of your right hip.
4. Imagine a triangle shape. Breathe in and stretch both your arms upwards to the sky as if you are about to touch the tip of the
triangle with super straight arms.
5. Ready to pour the teapot? Breathe out, leaning over to your right leg. Catch your right knee,
right ankle or right foot.
6. Keep your left arm up and over your head without dropping your chest forward or your chest
looking down.
7. Pretend that your are leaning against an invisible wall behind you. Maintain your mid back and
upper back by leaning against that invisible wall behind you, chest lifting. Your ribs should roll
up towards the sky.
8. Receive the lateral stretch on the left side of your body as you anchor the left hip and left leg
firmly.
9. Repeat the same on the other side and notice the difference between both sides.
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Lean like a bar that is used to lock a gate.
1. Come to a kneeling position.
2. Lift up your hips and extend your right leg out to the sides. Point
your right foot, toes outwards just like in the picture.
3. Keep your right leg straight. Breathing in, extend your arms
upwards towards the sky as though you are reaching the tip of a
triangle.
4. Imagine your arms as the bar or a beam. Breathe out as you lean
over to your far right into a deep side bend, like a bar used to shut
a gate.
5. Keep your left arm up and over your head without dropping your
chest forward or your chest looking down.
6. Pretend that your are leaning against an invisible wall behind you. Maintain your mid back and
upper back by leaning against that invisible wall behind you, chest lifting. Your ribs should roll
up towards the sky.
7. Receive the lateral stretch on the left side of your body as you anchor the left hip and left leg
firmly.
8. Repeat the same on the other side and notice the difference between both sides.
Half spinal twist. Have you seen a teapot spin?
1. Sit with spine erect and your legs stretched out.
2. Now, bend your left leg such that the heel of the left foot lies next
to the right hip.
3. Then, place the right foot next to the left knee by taking it over the
knee. Refer to the picture.
4. Twist your body by twisting your spine, as in turning your chest to
your right. Bring your left upper arm across your right thigh with your right arm behind your back to support the weight of your body while you twist.
5. Leverage the support of your legs and hip so you can go into a deeper spinal twist, which you should feel happening in your lower back, mid back and upper back. Look back.
6. Repeat the same on the other side. Switch your leg and arm positions.
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Day 4 – Body expands and extends, upside down Gravity pull. Topsy Turvy
we go like a sloth
There are various poses that one could explore, but here are a few to begin with. Parent(s), be creative by incorporating some arts and crafts to make it more fun and interactive. Videos are available for reference.
Watch how your legs can go over your head.
1. Halasana, or the plough pose, calms the brain.
2. Begin by lying down with straight legs and arms by the sides
of your body.
3. As you breathe in, lift up your legs and support your pelvis
with your hands by having your palms on the back of your
hips.
4. If you are feeling comfortable, continue to gently roll your
legs over your head, toes to the floor.
5. You may keep the legs midway, hovering, rather than on the floor if you feel a pain in your
back, neck or shoulders.
6. Your arms can rest on the floor if you can find a balance in your shoulders, otherwise have your
arms continue supporting your back.
7. Once you find yourself in stillness, relax the entire body like a calm sloth and notice how you
feel.
8. To release from the pose, breathe out gently, allowing your body to unroll to a flat position.
Let’s balance on your shoulders!
1. Have your parent by your side to spot you or do this against the wall. 2. Begin by lying down with straight legs and arms by the sides of your
body.
3. As you breathe in, lift up your legs and support your pelvis with your
hands by having your palms on the back of your hips.
4. Strongly extend your legs up to the sky, lifting from your tailbone. Imagine a sloth holding on the branch strongly with his feet while
hanging upside down. Have your parent hold your legs if you needed
support.
5. Keep your arms strong by anchoring your upper arms and elbows to the
floor. The shoulder blades are moving inwards towards the midline of your body.
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Handstand by the wall. The sloth has strong arms and legs to hang.
1. When you attempt this pose, ensure that your parent is by your side to help you with it. Have pillows around you for support too.
2. Be close to a wall, as you face the wall.
3. Hands down with palms on the ground, grip the floor with your fingers
firmly.
4. Parent, please hold the pelvis of your child from behind as though you are
the wall.
5. Your arms must be firm and strong to support your body weight when
you kick up.
6. Now, kick up your legs and stretch up high by pointing your toes up
to the sky. Find your balance as you kick your legs up in the sky while being supported by your
parent.
7. Repeat the kick up a few times until you find your balance. Enjoy the view upside down!
Balance on your arms, like a crane wading in the water.
1. Begin from a squatting position. Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean your body forward, between your inner thighs. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows and place your hands on the floor and the backs of
2. your upper arms against your shins.
Lift up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward even more, taking the
weight of your body onto the backs of your upper arms.
3. Keep your head looking forward and feel your weight moving forward on your arms.
4. Slowly find your balance as you hover your foot up one at a time. You may even be on your tippy toes.
5. This pose helps concentration. The busier your mind, the harder it gets. Try to stay calm and enjoy it.
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Sloths have strong arms to hold themselves. The same goes with fireflies.
1. Begin from a squatting position. Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean your body forward, between your inner thighs. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows and place your hands on the floor and wiggle the backs of your upper arms in between your thighs.
2. Walk your feet forward as you wiggle your arms under your thigh.
3. Keep squeezing your inner thighs inwards while maintaining a rounded
upper back. Imagine you are holding a ball on your belly without your
hands.
4. Maintain step number 3. Try lifting your bottom up as you lean forward
on your arms. Keep your feet on the floor until you find balance.
5. Now, imagine you have wings to support you like a firefly. Think light and lift your feet up as
well.
6. Keep practicing until you feel confident enough to balance on your arms on your own.
Otherwise, have your parents by your side to support you.
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Day 5 – Body expands and extends from center Back bendy like a cat
There are various poses that one could explore, but here are a few to begin with. Parent(s), be creative by incorporating some arts and crafts to make it more fun and interactive. Videos are available for reference.
Purr or Hiss? Stretch your back like the cat or a pretend cobra.
1. Lie flat on your belly.
2. Keep your arms to the front.
3. Breathe in and lift your chest, head and shins up. Keep
bending your knees.
4. If you want to go a little further, walk your hands closer
to your body and keep them straight.
5. This time, see if you can tap your toes on the back of
your head.
6. Walk your hands a little closer to your pelvis as you try
to reach your toes to your head.
7. Be mindful of your back. Ensure that you feel super
comfortable when you do so.
Sometimes, cats bend like a bow.
1. Lie flat on your belly.
2. Bend your knees and rotate your arms back to catch your ankles if
you at the
can, or hold on to your feet.
3. Roll your shoulders back and down. Lift your chest up and broaden
space of your heart, which will give you more space for your arms
to catch your feet.
4. Maintain the grip on your ankles and lift your legs up. Send your
shins back to the wall so you feel that your upper body begin to
lift further up and back towards the wall behind you.
5. Point your toes to the wall behind you.
6. Now, imagine you are a well-expanded bow and see how far you
can stretch on your back.
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Arch like a camel hump.
1. Be on your knees. Keep your knees apart as wide as your hips. You may keep your ankles stretched back or tuck your toes in.
2. Tuck your tailbone down and breathe in as you lift your arms up to the sky.
3. Breathe out, then rotate your arms around one at a time and catch your calves, ankles or heels.
4. Drop your head back as you continue looking up to the sky.
anterior
5. Imagine the shape of a camel hump. Round your
body by lifting your chest up as you move your hips forward.
6. Keep your tail bone down and engage your bottom muscles as well as the strength of your legs, especially the front of your thighs.
Upward bow.
1. Lie down. Bend your knees. Open your legs as wide as your hips. Keep your feet close to your bottom.
2. Lift your arms up facing to the sky. Bend your elbows and place your palms right behind your shoulders, which will be by the side of your ears.
3. All your fingers should be looking towards your shoulders, especially your second finger, which is your index finger. The palms should be flat on the ground to prevent a wrist injury. Re-adjust your shoulder blades, arm position and your palms so you feel strong and comfortable to press up.
4. Arch your lower back to give your pelvis an anterior tilt with a wide-open chest. Shoulders are firm and in good position for a press up.
5. Now, breathe in and push up with your legs and arms. Straighten your legs and arms as far as you can go like a bow stretching out. Parent(s), help your child by holding on to their hip as they attempt to press up. Some may not have the strength to press up.
6. Keep trying until your child gets the idea. The extension and expanding comes from your heart space.
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Exploration 3
Staying Calm
Slowing down is the first step in the relaxation response. It is a signal to our Central Nervous System that we are going to calm down, regulating our emotions and to get back to feeling settled, and present. Slowing down is also the first step in all emotional regulation and mindfulness. It benefits the body for the nervous system to intentionally practice slowing down.
MY NAME IS _________________________________
I began this exploration on (date) ___________________
Give a ‘tick’ on the list below of those that you have completed: o DAY 1 Slow like a sloth
o DAY 2 Take time and breath
o DAY 3 Fire your five senses
o DAY 4 Think happy thoughts. Shake a calming jar o DAY 5 Poses that help me stay calm
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Day 1
Be as Slow like a Sloth
Click here
to watch a full sloth scene
in the movie called
“Zootopia”
Alternatively, parent may search for ‘sloth scene in movie Zootopia’ on the Internet.
Action
Tell us your experience
I walk slowly in the hallway
I breathe in and smile as I sit
I take a deep breath while waiting my turn
I ask first and then give a hug if someone wants it
I practise relaxing my body for a minute at rest time
I pay attention to how my food tastes and eat slowly
I take deep breathe while I gently place my feet on the floor. Imagining the sensation of my feet in the water.
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Day 2
Take time and breathe
Go ahead and grab a small stuffed animal or your favorite soft toy, and find a comfortable spot on the floor. Parents, do guide your child in all possible ways so that they could understand the process.
1. You can lie down or be seated in a cross-legged position.
2. Have your favorite soft toy right by your side, so you can cuddle it whenever you feel like or
simply place them on your chest.
3. Now, breathe in through your nostrils (that is right at the tip of your nose with the two holes).
4. Breathe out through your nostrils, slowly, calmly and steadily.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, a few times.
6. Breathe in the thoughts of the day, then try to let go them as your breath out. Listen to the
silence. The quietness.
Explore with your eyes closed:
1. Now, explore with your eyes closed, breathe in through your nostrils. 2. Breathe out through your nostrils, slowly, calmly and steadily.
3. Repeat the breathing process a few times.
Explore with your eyes closed, count to three:
1. Have your eyes closed, let’s explore breathing with breath counts, that is, the rhythm of your breath.
2. Breathe in through your nostril, mentally count one, two and three. You should be at the peak of your inhalation when you reach the count of three. Parent could do the counting.
3. Breathe out through your nostril, mentally count one, two and three. You should be at the end of your exhalation when you reach the count of three.
Explore with your eyes closed, count to five:
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1. The purpose of increasing the breath count is to slow down the activity of the body with your breath.
2. Breathe in through your nostril, mentally count one, two and continue counting up to five. You should be at the peak of your inhalation when you reach the count of five.
3. Breathe out through your nostril, mentally count one, two and continue counting up to five. You should be at the end of your exhalation when you reach the count of five.
Did you know?
Whenever you feel frustrated at someone or at something, the best way to keep yourself calm is through your breathing practices. By taking deep breaths, it makes you feel better. Also, by practicing this breathing awareness we learn to understand the beauty of silence.
Which posture do you feel most comfortable in while doing this breathing practice? Do share with us on our Facebook community group page.
How do you feel after the breathing practice?
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Day 3 –
Fire your senses
Heighten awareness of your five senses when you do your poses.
When you are doing your poses, notice how you feel on our skin. Do you feel a sense of stretch on your skin? Can you sense that you are pulling a muscle somewhere? If you do, which part is it can you feel, through the sense of touch?
During the moment of silence and calmness, your five senses can be at its best. Alert and sharp. But, how you can train your alertness at times when your mind is busy?
Did you know?
B.K.S. Iyengar is a world renown yogi who shared the idea of Holistic Meditative Vision. You are able to sense your surroundings, through the corner of your eyes, vibe felt based on intuition, without seeing it with your very own eyes. For example, imagine you are walking into a hall of a holy place and by just standing in the space, you can sense the serenity of the hall, whispers of the hyme or music from an instrument played, the smell of woody, rustic old building and sensing peace.
Through a holistic meditative vision, you can sense how your posterior body felt, even though you can’t see it. The sense of touch gives alertness that you are able to adjust body parts to maintain alignment of your posture. It also increases your level of concentration.
Let’s discover how alert you are with your five senses. Impart the practice of calmness like the sloth as you go. Choose one of your favourite yoga posture.
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Which yoga posture are you doing? Refer to ‘Exploration 2: Expand and Extend from Core’ for ideas.
Through the sense of touch, can you tell where do you feel stretch most?
Is there any pain occured? Did you adjust your pose so it doesn’t hurt anymore? Did you release any muscular tension by letting go?
How do you feel? Joy? Confident? Fun?
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Were your eyes relax? Did you relax the skin on your forehead? Where were you looking at? Did you focus your attention to what is happening inside your body? Did you try the posture with your eyes closed?
Was your tongue relax or it’s pressing hard against the top palette of your mouth?
How was your breathing? Was it fast breathing or normal breathing? Did you practise breathing awareness? Did you relax with your exhalation?
Have you notice the level of your attention span and concentration? How long was it?
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Share with us any other experience of yours on how you have activated your five senses.
Did you go to the beach lately? Did you notice how soft the sand was like when you step on it? How was the weather? Windy? Sunny? Tell us what you touch and feel, taste, smell and hear? Don’t forget to share your stories in our Facebook community group page.
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Day 4 –
Think happy thoughts.
Shake a calming jar.
Let’s make a calming jar.
1. 2.
Grab a jar or other clear container that has a removable lid.
Fill it almost entirely with water, leaving room for other items you would
like to insert. You can have marbles, crystal stones, or color papers as
other choices.
Explore with a few different colors of glitter – both dry and glitter glue.
Add in a little baby oil to the mix.
Shake it up and there you have your very own calming jar.
3. 4. 5.
Think happy thoughts. Have you had your calming jar and your favorite toy by your side?
1. Have a partner or your parent by your side to do this activity with you. However, if you prefer 2. to do this alone, go ahead.
If you are having a particularly rough day or perhaps feeling sad on this day as your emotions
are not in your control, hold the jar and close your eyes.
In your mind, think of that one thing that is troubling you and shake up the jar.
Next, open up your eyes and be still. While the glitter is settling you can think about ways that
you can solve your troubles that can make you feel better. You can choose to discuss it with
your mummy and daddy.
Alternatively, lie down and cuddle your favorite toy or favorite item.
Think of those happy memories you have in your mind. The joy and laughter you had before.
Do the ‘Take Time and Breathe’ practice. It will help bring you to a better place.
3. 4.
5. 6. 7.
Did you know?
Whenever you are practicing a yoga pose that you think is impossible to do, all you need to do is to think happy thoughts, breathe slowly and stay calm.
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Share a photo of your calming jar here!
You can have as many jars as you like but there is always ONE special jar. Feel free to share your photo in our Facebook community page.
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Day 5 –
Poses that
help me
stay calm
Relax bit by bit, teddy Sam. Relaxation
to reduce anxiety.
1. Get your favorite stuffed toy and have it by your side.
2. Find a comfortable place for you to lie down, so you can rest. Have your stuffed toy by your
side and let’s call him Sam.
3. Parent is sitting by your side and parent will be whispering to you as you close your eyes,
coming to a rest.
4. Parent to read the following script, slowly, as you put your child to rest:
a. Now, let’s pretend that you are Sam the teddy, relaxing your whole body.
b. Ifyouhaven’talready,closeyoureyesnow.
c. Feel the right side of your body. Relax your right hand thumb, right index finger, right
middle finger, right ring finger, right little finger, palm, the back of your palm, right forearm, right elbow, right upper arm, right shoulder, right hip, right thigh, right knee, right shin, right heel, right ankle, right foot, right big toe, right second toe, right third toe, right fourth toe, right little toe, all five toes, right sole of your foot. Relax.
d. Rightbigtoe,rightsecondtoe,rightthirdtoe,rightfourthtoe,rightlittletoe,soleof your right foot, right heel, right ankle, right calve, back of your right knee, right thigh, right hip, right shoulder, right upper arm, right elbow, right forearm, right little finger, right ring finger, right middle finger, right index finger, right thumb, palm, the back of your right palm. Relax.
e. Repeat (b) and (c) but mention “left” as you go.
f. Right arm, whole of your right arm, left arm, whole of your left arm, both arms together
relax.
g. Rightleg,wholeofyourrightleg,leftleg,wholeofyourleftleg,bothlegstogether
relax.
h. Arms, legs, whole body together, relax. Whole body together, relax.
i. Let yourself be in a place where you can rest so you can sleep soundly.
Suggestion: Parents can also touch the mentioned body parts as you speak. This is to help your child recognize the area of the body that they may be unsure about. It also helps to relax as your touch soothes your child.
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Roll my legs over my head. Halasana or the plough pose calms the brain. 1. Begin to lie down with straight legs and arms by the sides of
your body.
2. As you breathe in, lift up your legs high and support your
hips with your hands by having your palms on the back of
your hips.
3. If you are feeling comfortable on your neck, continue to
gently roll the legs over the head and reach your toes to the
floor. You can have a pillow on your back to support your body.
4. Maintain the legs mid way, hovering, rather than on the floor, if you feel a pain on your back,
neck or shoulders.
5. Your arms remain on the floor if you can find a balance on your shoulders, else maintain your
arms behind, supporting your back.
6. Once you find remain still, relax the entire body like a calm sloth, and notice how you feel.
7. To release from the pose, breathe out and gently allow your body to unroll to a flat position.
8. Watch the video under Exploration 3, in the members’ portal for reference.
Balance on your shoulders like a candle
1. Have a partner or your parent by your side to spot you.
2. Have your mat ready. Begin to lie down with straight legs and arms by
the sides of your body.
3. As you breathe in, lift your legs up high and support your hips with your
hands by having your palms on the back of your hips. You can also have a pillow behind your back for support as it is more relaxing. Alternatively, you can rest your legs up against a wall.
4. Extend your legs up to the sky, lifting from your tailbone. Imagine a sloth holding on to the branch strongly with his feet while hanging upside down. Have your parent to hold your legs if you needed support.
5. Keep your arms steady, by anchoring your upper arms and elbows to the floor. The shoulder blades are moving inwards towards the midline of your body.
6. Relax your shoulders and your neck and notice how you feel.
7. You can also do this pose against the wall. Allow the legs to relax by the wall. 8. Watch the video under Exploration 3, in the members’ portal for reference.
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