Kids Yoga & T'ai Chi - Playing Like Animals

How would you like to give your child(ren) the mostextra-curricular activities, as well as the many fearful
precious gift imaginable?encounters children face.
A gift that would keep giving and giving to them theirZac, a 5th grader, says "I enjoy tai chi. It is relaxing and
entire lifetime!fun."
A gift of physical health!Frolicking helps kids become calmer and more aware
A gift of mental health!of what's going on inside them. Kids learn to listen to
A gift of emotional health!the messages their bodies are sending them.
Imagine what your child might accomplish with theseA third grader says, "T'ai chi relaxes and stretches
gifts as a foundation for their life.both sides of the body. It makes your body nice and
The great sage, Dennis the Menace, said:calm."
"The best thing you can do is to get very good atPlaying and pretending to be a powerful animal builds
being you!"self confidence and teaches your child(ren) that real
Every child has unique talents.strength comes from an awareness of themselves
Your child has unique talents.and their surroundings.
Imagine what a gift it would be if every child knewChildren are inundated with images of
what their unique talents were and could then developaggression-television, movies, wrestling, news, video
them.games, cartoons and so much more. Instead of
Would you love to give your child this gift too?teaching your children how to fight, animal frolicking
Dennis the Menace might say, "The best thing you canshows them how to be in control of their body and
do for your child is to help them get very good atmind, stay away from harmful situations, and how not
being THEM-WHATEVER that is!"to get hurt by giving way.
And Mark Twain said, "Inherently, each one of us hasChildren learn that they can flow around obstacles like
the substance within to achieve whatever our goalswater in a stream and still be as powerful as a mighty
and dreams define. What is missing from each of us isflood. That they can experience the relaxation of a cat
the training, education, knowledge, and insight to utilizewhile remaining alert and capable of super fast
what we already have."reactions.
You can gift your children with a significant portion ofPretending to be an eagle, deer, tiger, monkey, gorilla,
this training, education, knowledge, and insight verydragon, and bear instills real values of inner peace
easily by showing them how to imitate eagles, bears,versus hurry and worry, assertiveness versus
dragons, gorillas, tigers, deer, and monkeys through t'aiaggression, humility versus arrogance, and playfulness
chi and yogic movements and positions.versus perfection.
Imitating animals was the first form of qigong everThe calmness, concentration, and focus arising from
created--long before t'ai chi or yoga.animal frolicking also makes this unique program a
Imitating animals is a safe, fun, and effective way forwonderful adjunct therapy for treating Attention Deficit
children to maintain excellent physical and mental healthDisorder.
that they will carry into adulthood and help themMedical doctors Edward Hallowell and John Ratey,
master whatever else they love to do, now and in theexperts on the management of ADD wrote, "Exercise
future.is positively one of the best treatments for ADD. It
They will get better at whatever they love-computers,helps work off excess energy and aggression in a
athletics, art, singing, dancing, playing musicalpositive way, it allows for noise-reduction within the
instruments, science, inventing, investigating, and evenmind, it stimulates the hormonal and neurochemical
studying.systems in a most therapeutic way, and it soothes and
A third grader said, "T'ai chi cleanses my body andcalms the body."
helps me with my work."Animal playing like these special t'ai chi and yoga
Studies show that children practicing various t'ai chi andanimals helps your children harness and focus their
yoga programs do better in school and become morevibrant but often scattered energies.
proficient in basic learning skills.Second grader Abbey agrees when she says, "T'ai chi
A third grade teacher in America said, "I feel the deepquietly calms my body down."
breathing, flexibility, balance and coordination theyAnd 9-year-old Rebekah confirmed this too saying she
experienced while doing t'ai chi increased their physicalfelt only "calm and relaxed" after frolicking like animals.
and mental well-being, and enhanced their learning!Albert Einstein also said, "The most beautiful thing we
They came back to class positive, confident andcan experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all
focused."true art and all science."
A 5th grade student, failing math for his inability toIt is my experience that animal frolicking holds many
focus, said, "Well, I do just what you said when I don'tmysterious and incredible gifts for you and your
remember the answer to the math test. I sit very still,children to discover and unwrap for years to come.
focus on the energy ball in my abdomen, take 5In addition to some of the benefits set forth above,
breaths, and then I know the answer."animal frolicking can generate feelings like the
As your children master the various movements andthousands of tiny bubbles that arise when a bottle of
poses of their favorite animal, they are gaining anchampagne or 7 up is popped open are bursting in
unshakeable sense of confidence andevery cell of the body.
accomplishment.Remember what those fizzling bubbles feel like when
These are profound gifts they can carry into the worldthey're sliding down your throat? Now, imagine that
one day as they too become parents, doctors, singers,feeling going on and on, nonstop, in every cell of your
business professionals, adventurers, farmers, police,body simultaneously.
clowns, pilots, astronauts, or whatever else theySometimes, those feelings may get much stronger--like
choose.you're a rocket ship on a launch pad in those moments
While having fun pretending to be their favorite animal,between ignition and lift off.
your children are naturally and easily developing theirMoving like a t'ai chi or yoga animal can also leave
minds and bodies, learning social and behavioral skills,your mind almost completely free of unproductive
connecting their inner world with the outer world, andthoughts too. Free to savor the remarkable feelings
absorbing values and habits that will serve thempulsating in your body. Free to experience yourself as
throughout their life.one with others, nature, and the Source of all Life.
As they mimic animals, your children are embodyingSome of these benefits can be experienced right
the playfulness, courage, strength, love, and internalaway. And, with many years of practice, they become
power of the animals. They are embracing the agility,our normal, everyday, waking experience. But, just like
balance, patience, focus, and freedom with which theirthe most luscious dessert, you can only savor and
furry friends frolic. They are effortlessly taking on therelish the unlimited treasures of frolicking like a
animals' gracefulness, alertness, calmness, and natural,magnificent animal by digging in.
robust health.Frolicking will naturally nurture a child's body, mind, and
Imitating and moving like animals in these special yogicspirit like sunshine, soil, and water magically nurture a
and t'ai chi ways can help your children discover androse bud. They make people glow from the inside,
develop their own unique imagination and creativegenerating a smile that arises from a heart full of
abilities.gratitude and compassion.
Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is everything- moreFrolicking helps people of all ages stay physically
important than knowledge.It is the preview of life'shealthy and mentally happy.
coming attractions."Fear, pain, anger, addictions, anxiety, depression,
Imagination, attention span, power of concentration, andprocrastination, and greed run away from people who
memory will become stronger and stronger as yourdo animal frolicking.
child increases and stabilizes their own internal energyA consistent practice of playing like these special t'ai
or chi.chi and yoga animals can help your children, you, and
Frolicking like animals helps integrate the mind andyour entire family feel better than you ever imagined
body, balance the left and right sides of the brain,possible.
increasing your child's capacity to handle stress.Galileo said, "You cannot teach people anything. You
Kids are the embodiment of change, and change cancan only help them discover it within themselves."
be very stressful.Gifting your child(ren) with the time and skills to play at
The proven stress relieving qualities of frolicking liket'ai chi and yoga like a powerful and graceful animal
animals creates a wonderful sanctuary amidst thecan truly help them discover and attain their full
hectic schedules of play dates, school, andpotential in all areas of life.