I am teaching my first kids yoga class soon and preparing my class structure.
I am thinking to exclude out the chanting and mantra during the kids class as i am worried if they will freak out or not adapting to this.
If i were ask the kids to chant ong namo guru dev namo for tuning in , how can i explain to them the meaning of chanting this in a kids way for better understanding ?
Hello Cass,
How exciting to begin a new chapter in your teaching! How old are the kids in your class? That will dictate my recommendation for you.
All the best,
Nichole
Hi Nicole ,
the kids are 4-12 years old. 
Hi Cass,
I just want to clear up my own confusement here, perhaps you mean “Om namo guru dev namo”? To what or who is the Ong refering?
Anyway, on your question, you know kids are extremely simplistic in their world view and we as adults complicate it sometimes with fancy stuff and categories etc. I would suggest a simple explanation like as they respect their parents, this little song is a way to show that respect to a teacher. That’s most probably all they will need. Those who need a deeper explanation will also ask, either in front of the class or when they catch you alone.
Good luck with the class, children are usually natural yogis in the asanas. That which we as adults find extremely challenging, they laugh about it and do it as if it is nothing.
Cass, thank you for answering my question about the ages. I think Pandara has offered you a fantastic reply already. I would only add have to fun yourself and enjoy your students.
*nichole
Hello Cass,
I have some confusement as well.
Is this an invocation you are doing in your own practice and if so how deeply has its meaning moved into your consciousness?
What I have found - as we use the Gayatri Mantra to start class and Sri Aurbindo’s Gayatri to close - is that I need to have a sense of what these two mantras mean before I can teach them to others.
Initially in my teaching I did not use them. When I reached a point of understanding, then I was able to share it.
I believe the same requisite applies to any ethical teaching (including asana). We, as teachers, need to be doing before we are teaching.
There are certainly times in my level I classes where I will not chat the mantras. I believe Om is more important to convey (for me, in my classes, with my students, in Purna Yoga) than the mantra. Though from an adult student perspective all yoga comes from the Gaytri and I’d be remiss in teaching if I denied it to my students.
Does this help??
gordon
Dear Pandara:
Thanks for sharing. Your explanation helps. You are right , i complicates simple stuff :). i shall keep it simple and easy to understand.
It is my first class with the kids and i hope i will bring joy to their life and make them smile
Thanks again for your support and advise.
Namaste.
Love and peace,
cass
Dear Gordon:
Hi , you are absolutely right. If i can not understand the mantra and the meaning of it , i should not even teach my students.
To be very honest , i have yet to adapt to mantra at this stage. I was thinking to create my own style and sequence for my kids class , but on the other hand , i am thinking if i should add in mantra to the class .( i was trained in kundalini kids yoga that mantra will be nice to add in for tuning in and closing).
I am a new teacher and lack of experience in teaching . Hmmm…now it makes me wonder if i am qualified to teach as i have not mastered all the knowledge that a teacher need to have to share with the students ( be it , kids or adults ).
I will try a class with the kids tomorrow as i have agreed to replace a teacher. I guess i shall not accept any offer at this moment if i am not ready? What do u say?
I appreciate your guidance and advise. You made me better with every single advise
Namaste.
Love and peace,
cass
could you perhaps chant some oms/aums .I know children in my country enjoy this and it is relatively non controversial.I know teachers start it off quietly and get louder and louder and then stop, the silence after is great contrast.
It is of course important to understand what we teach. good luck
err Ive just reread IAs post and he has already offered this advice but the getting louder and quieter could be good fun for the children
If you are teaching from the heart then I’d not be to concerned Cass with being a “master”. None of us are masters and those that put forth that they are, likely are neither masters nor well processed students:-)
Do continue to educate yourself as a teacher and do continue to examine yourself as that instrument through which yoga can pass to others. But please do not allow either to grow into self-doubt.
gordon
[QUOTE=cass;24892]Dear Gordon:
Hi , you are absolutely right. If i can not understand the mantra and the meaning of it , i should not even teach my students.
To be very honest , i have yet to adapt to mantra at this stage. I was thinking to create my own style and sequence for my kids class , but on the other hand , i am thinking if i should add in mantra to the class .( i was trained in kundalini kids yoga that mantra will be nice to add in for tuning in and closing).
I am a new teacher and lack of experience in teaching . Hmmm…now it makes me wonder if i am qualified to teach as i have not mastered all the knowledge that a teacher need to have to share with the students ( be it , kids or adults ).
I will try a class with the kids tomorrow as i have agreed to replace a teacher. I guess i shall not accept any offer at this moment if i am not ready? What do u say?
I appreciate your guidance and advise. You made me better with every single advise
Namaste.
Love and peace,
cass[/QUOTE]
Everyone begins as a beginner. So you should begin teaching if that is what you want to do.
The fact that you are asking questions shows that you are careful and thoughtful. I’m sure you will receive some great responses on this forum since there are some teachers on here.
In my opinion, If you want to teach yoga, have the training to teach, move forward. You can always learn and grow as a teacher. If you never try, you will never know.
Namaste~
[QUOTE=Pandara;24881]Hi Cass,
I just want to clear up my own confusement here, perhaps you mean “Om namo guru dev namo”? To what or who is the Ong refering?
[/QUOTE]
I have no idea what the ‘Ong’ means, but I know that’s how Yogi Bhajan taught it.
namaste,
what style of yoga are you doing and are you part of a lineage ?
i was at Sivananda ashram and we recite very elaborate mantras for each class, the Dhyana slokas and the Tryumbakam Shiva mantra,
the Dhyana slokas take about 3 minutes to recite or so,
there was a woman who teaches for children and she instructed us to use simple chants such as Om or chants for peace, such as shanti, or om namo narayanaya ,
i think if you chanted ong namo gurudev it might convey a certain religious meaning, as it relates to a tangible guru (or does it ? ) rather than om shanti is just sanskrit people saying “peace!”
little kids love to chant om because they can make a ton of noise and not get in trouble for it, it calms their minds. but anyone older than 7 or 8 and they start to think they are “cool” ,
this just my own inner feeling i’ve not taught them personally in this way.
Dear all ,
Thanks for all the support and advise it helps me alot.
My first class went on quite smooth i would say, the kids adapt to me pretty fast and we all had fun. The kids were very good in doing asana. I did not make them chant for the first class , but instead i have asked them to say "i am happy , i am good " for few times and cool down with savasana at the end of the class.
I will be continuing my teaching next week with the kids , hope that i will be able to bring joy and happiness to their life.
Namaste.
During my first class in teaching kids yoga , i have two children age 4 and age 7 in my class whom does not talk and communicate with me. Both of them ( they are brother and sister ) stand at the corner of the class for the whole entire class watching other kids playing.
At first , i tried to approach them to join , but they refused. So , instead i left them alone but i was observing their body language and facial expression. The girl smile when she saw us laughing at the class while we were playing games.
I hand out the colouring sheet to both of them while others are doing it in a group. Both of them had they colouring done nicely.
I also found out from the rest of the children ( separately ) that they were the same during the previous teacher’s class. Is there any other ways that i can approach them and help them to join the group? I felt bad letting them by the corner all alone while others were having fun. I felt they were left out totally.
During my first class in teaching kids yoga , i have two children age 4 and age 7 in my class whom does not talk and communicate with me. Both of them ( they are brother and sister ) stand at the corner of the class for the whole entire class watching other kids playing.
At first , i tried to approach them to join , but they refused. So , instead i left them alone but i was observing their body language and facial expression. The girl smile when she saw us laughing at the class while we were playing games.
I hand out the colouring sheet to both of them while others are doing it in a group. Both of them had they colouring done nicely.
I also found out from the rest of the children ( separately ) that they were the same during the previous teacher’s class. Is there any other ways that i can approach them and help them to join the group? I felt bad letting them by the corner all alone while others were having fun. I felt they were left out totally.
I appreciate if anyone knows how to help these special kids, please advise.
Hi cass,
you can get them playing a game perhaps ? If they are withdrawn it means they feel very different from “normal” people which is understandable.
we make a yoga obstacle course game where everyone does an asana and you send children to run around the asanas and under them and its very fun, every few moments you tell them to switch and everyone chooses another asanana, and every time they switch you send another child through the course.
Hi dream yogi,
During my last week class , both of them open up and they were doing the asana on their own mat.
I figured out it they withdraw last week because i make them off the mat , and they felt uncomfortable.
One of them join the group through out the class , as the other only joined half of the class. She withdraw as we were playing games in group.
Anyway , i am happy for them as they are slowly opening up to others
Cass