I teach 3-5th graders at an afterschool program at Creekside elementary in Boulder, Colorado. There is always a snack so getting right into yoga isn't an option. I use the time to check in with kids about how they are doing, and if they are eating well and practicing yoga at home. One girl replied that she shuts the door and spends peaceful quiet time at home and does the sun salutation. Another girl talked about her dream and others shared as well. ( I always encourage children to pay attention to their dreams.) Another girl talked about how she used breathing to deal with a difficult situation she was worried about. I used a Jewish story about "ifs" to illustrate how the mind puts on worries, and that it is our yoga to see the mind clearly and see the situation just as it is in reality. I often use multicultural and interfaith stories to show that these themes are universal regardless of belief.
I then went into the theme of the mind's thinking covers up our true self. I asked how many kids have negative self-talk such as, "I'm stupid, I can't do it, etc.," and many raised their hands. I went on to tell the story of The Roar of Awakening, a story from India, in which a tiger cub is raised among goats and thinks he is a goat, until one day an old tiger grabs him by the scruff of the neck and shows his reflection in the water. That he is a tiger, not a goat. So roar like a tiger! I used the theme that limiting thoughts are like a goat, but opening up to powerful, positive thoughts is being the lion. I asked them to think about where are they in between their thoughts? Who are they? Can you get a little space in between your thoughts and have your mind rest there? We had a few poses to be the lion and goat, simhasana and vashistasana, but I brought up the theme throughout class to watch the thinking, choose being a lion, choose greatness, love and peace. Afterwards, my assistant, Andria, took the children into shavasana with a magic carpet ride. Everyone was perfectly still, then afterwards shared what they "saw" on their journey. Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge. Truly the imagination, the imago dei, is our guide to the interior world and our true self. By sharing stories and encouraging imagery with children, we set them on a path of inner strength and self-reliance.