Yoga is one way to manage what happens in your body, brain, and heart. As school counselors, we provide a buffet for students to make choices of the particular tools that work best in their own tool boxes . . . knowing options where (1) no one gets hurt and (2) nothing gets broken is an essential life skill, creating students who are healthy, happy (more than not), and ready to learn. Yoga is one of those offered tools, with the right price (no cost) and right accessories (none necessarily needed, unless you prefer a mat or towel). Yoga is you and gravity and the strength to resist. :-)

Baptiste, B., & Fatus, S. (2012). My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids. Cambridge, MA, Barefoot Books. During "circle time," children share their parents' jobs. The child narrating the story connects yoga poses to each classmates' sharing because his daddy is a yoga instructor.

I have used the book with career exploration lessons. It's a natural fit for introducing a variety of fields of work: gardener, vet, architect, airplane pilot, builder, farmer, marine biologist, field scientist, and baker. Each yoga pose is introduced with a two page spread including an illustration and step-by-step directions on how to work the yoga posture safely. Benefits and "lessons the pose teaches" are also shared. An introduction, preparation and practice tips, positive attitude information, and information about yoga provide layers for digging deeper, if so inclined.

Belknap, M., & Fatus, S. (2006). Stress Relief for Kids: Taming Your Dragons, Creative Relaxation Activities for Home and School. Duluth, MN, Whole Person Associates. Chapters on Centering, Stretching, Breathing, Moving, Imagining and Creating, Listening, Touching, Rhymes and Rhythms, The Dragon Thermometer, Sharing Touch, Poems and Songs are included. Martha Belknap was a special education practitioner and former university teacher. This resource is a collaboration of her experiences in education and working with students ages 3 to 93. It is an easy to use resource, and my copy is worn and water stained from putting it to lots of good use.

With each activity or idea, the author includes the purpose. So many, many, many good ideas in this resource. It's a great book to sprinkle throughout the school year, including one idea in every lesson shared. The Five Breath Vacation on page 30 is one of our favs: https://youtu.be/T8H2oUdi5yI

Engel, C. (2016). ABC Yoga. Lake Forest, CA, Walter Forest Jr., an imprint of The Quarto Publishing Group. ABC Yoga is an ABC board book of yoga poses, very colorful, charming illustrations, with sturdy pages. Traditional poses are included as well as new ones like Armadillo (child's pose), Fox (spinal balance), Hippo (seed), Jellyfish (knees to chest), Koala (eagle pose), Nest (bow), Quack (dancer), and Whale (wheel pose). In the back of the book, the poses are reviewed, nine or so poses to the page. You could copy these and create a yoga card deck.

I have used this in centers for exploration of yoga poses during self-regulation and goal setting lessons. I have used as a resource for flexibility in renaming a familiar movement. This book serves as a springboard for students to create their own poses. This was a gift to me from a 2nd grade teacher, and it is durable one and much appreciated.

Goldberg, L. (2017). Classroom Yoga Breaks: Brief Exercises to Create Calm. New York/London, W.W. Norton & Company. This book is a tool for teachers to implement yoga breaks in the classroom experience. She includes explanation of what is yoga, how it can meet the school needs, neuroscience and yoga principles, creative relaxation experiences, breath work, mindfulness, as well as appendices on Self Care for Teachers, Home Practices for Students, Personal Yoga Breaks, Routines for Physical Education, and Core Strengthening Tips.

I have enjoyed using the "Floating on a Cloud" relaxation exercise pp. 185-186. This is such a valuable resource! I would like to share more of the ideas with my faculty and staff. We are doing a self-care book study this year, Take Time for You: Self-Care Action Plan for Educators (Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Positive Psychology) by Tina H. Boogren, and there are connections to make in "brief routines for classroom or home" (appendix 1). There are chapters I also think would be helpful in positive behavior intervention strategies (chapter 6) and conversations about bullying too (chapter 7).

Verde, S., & Reynolds, P. H. (2015). I Am Yoga. New York, Abrams Books for Young Readers. This is also available in a board book format. It describes how yoga can help when the world is BIG and spinning fast and you are not sure how to "fit in" . . . yoga helps to slow a racing breath and makes room in your mind and heart to create and imagine. The illustrations by Peter Reynold are so right on! He illustrates the poses with the poetry of the story and then these are explained in detail in the author's notes at the end of the book.

This story is calming to read. You do feel empowered and strengthened, peaceful and relaxed. There is a sense of hopefulness as you turn the pages. "I can stand up for me. I can stand up for others. I can stand up for peace." It's beautifully crafted and a joy to share. This author and illustrator have also collaborated on I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness, I Am Human: A Book of Empathy, and I Am Love: A Book of Compassion. These are masterful tools to share with yogis of all ages!

Other Great Books about YOGA:

Good Morning Yoga by Mariam Gates

Good Night Yoga by Mariam Gates

Little Yoga by Rebecca Whitford and Martina Selway

Peaceful Piggy Yoga by Kerry Lee MacLean

The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day by Dayna Abraham

Watch Me Do Yoga by Bobby Clennell

Yoga Bunny by Brian Russo

Yoga for Kids On and Beyond the Mat by Kristi L. Kremers

Yoga for Youngsters by Kat Randall

Yoga Friends by Mariam Gates and Rolf Gates

Yoga Storytime by Miriam Raventos

Yoga Therapy for Children with Autism and Special Needs by Louise Goldberg

You are a Lion by Taeeun Yoo

Yummy Yoga: Playful Poses and Tasty Treats by Joy Bauer