Ways to keep your kids active during summer
With the heat set to continue over the coming months, active entertainment options for kids are limited. To keep kids healthy, active and busy, Phoenix Rising — a team of Dubaibased credible and trusted pilates and yoga instructors — offers children’s yoga classes in 10 schools across Dubai.
One of the three founding partners, Kirsty Macpherson-Wright, has championed teaching yoga in a fun, interactive way to children as young as three years. She has taken yoga classes for 309 children and taught 217 students in schools across the academic terms during 2016.
The team is also offering a variety of class styles in hotels, schools, homes and offices across Dubai to deliver private or group sessions for both Pilates and yoga. Kirsty has offered her top five tips to get children involved in yoga: > Keep it fun A child’s yoga session should be giggling, make-believe, role play, games and very different energy levels ranging from quiet relaxing time to high energy jumping and squealing with glee. > Be an animal Children love movements that imitate animals such as the sassing cobra pose, flying high like an eagle, snapping like a crocodile and even moo-ing and meowing in a cat-cow stretch. > Natural in movement, natural in teaching style Children’s bodies are often not restricted by tightness or muscular balance that some often develop later in life, eg. a tight, desk-bound adult may struggle with a movement such as wheel pose (a deep full back bend) while a child could perform this with great ease. In terms of teaching style, the instructor should have a natural approach, allowing children to give their input and ideas. > Create a ‘safe’ place Create a ‘sanctuary’ where children can express themselves, share ideas, be honest. It’s not Just about imitating animals with big free movements, but also helping children to develop the tools and skills to form their character long term. > Home practice Children can participate in home yoga. Often, children will copy what their parents are doing and so it is important to encourage them to get involved at home where they may see yoga as good for their health, happiness and confidence.