By Nadine Jolly, Certified Storytime™ Yoga Teacher ... Springtime is here, and the earth is in a state of renewal!  What a perfect time to be outdoors.  Here is how to take your family yoga classes outside.

Nadine's daughter SkylarDepending on the ages of the children participating in your outside and alive class, you can make this time as modified as it needs to be, or as big as your physical ability and time will allow.

Start outside and sit in sukasana; begin some basic breathing.  For little ones, bee or balloon breath is great. Bee breath consists of gently holding your thumbs over your ears and humming your exhalation.  Balloon breath consists of imagining a balloon in your tummy, and allowing it to grow and expand on the inhale, and deflate and shrink on the exhale.

When children are older and their nervous system is fully developed you can add in deeper and longer breath work. Using breath techniques allows you to tap into the connection between mind and body and gives one a sense of being centered and steady.

Next come onto your knees for cats breath to warm up the spine.  Make it playful by meowing like a cat and mooing like a cow! From there move into sun salutations, surya namaskar.  Greeting the sun and feeling it on your face as your dive to the sky, bringing it to earth as you dive down gives a new element to your yoga practice that one just can’t get practicing indoors.

Nadine's daughter SkylarFollow this with heart-opening poses and balancing poses using animals and nature names to make it fun; tree, snake, camel, standing frog, butterfly, big butterfly, eagle, rabbit, mouse.

Whatever you decide to do, make it fun! Try taking a yellow ball outside, pretend it’s the sun, by playing pass; you are keeping the sun in the sky.  It’s just another way to enjoy family yoga classes outside!

Think of flowers and insects.  How many different poses can you think of to replicate the nature around you?

Using a small plastic yellow ball and a big plastic cup, you can throw the little ball to the child who is holding the cup who can try and catch the sun.

Teach your child three specific yoga poses and play yoga tag.

Try the tree chant as you walk around a tree in your yard:  “tree, tree, in the sky; tree, tree, branches high; tree, tree, in winter I sleep; tree, tree, your wisdom I seek; tree, tree, all year long; tree, tree, I hear your song.”

An outside yoga practice can be instrumental in creating quality family time outside along with a wonderful connection to Mother Earth and all her wonderful creations.  I hope you enjoyed learning how to take your family yoga classes outside.

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