Mommy Moments
Mama Yoga and the Story of Namaste
A Great Introduction to Yoga for Kids
By Krista Martinelli
This month I was introduced to a beautiful book, which introduces yoga to kids and explains the meaning of “Namaste.” Mama Yoga and the Story of Namaste by Susanna Stratford is an wonderful introduction to yoga, the first part as an illustrated story and the second part with photos of kids doing yoga poses.
If you’re not familiar with yoga, yoga poses lend themselves well to children and a child’s imagination. You’ve probably heard of “downward dog,” but there are many other animal poses and poses that tickle the imagination like “rock the baby,” tree pose and warrior pose.
As brought to light in Stratford’s book, yoga is all about balance. And “Namaste,” the way all yoga classes end, is about seeing the light inside of each other’s hearts. With fun illustrations by Alex Langenstein, the book brings yoga to children in a way they can understand and treasure.
The second half of the book can serve as a useful guide for teachers and parents. There are a variety of photos, clearly showing different poses. Some of the poses are “chair poses,” which might be helpful for anyone who has trouble with the regular poses or for doing yoga in a classroom setting.
In the yoga photos, they have used a true diversity of children, ranging from 4 to 12 years old. It’s refreshing to see children from all different backgrounds, coming together to do yoga poses. The diversity of children, both in the story and the how-to photos, is refreshing, bringing a cultural awareness that is much-needed in today’s children’s books.
The story part of the book is told from the point of view of Maansi, a school girl who looks forward to her Tuesday sessions with “Mama Yoga.” Maansi is based on a real five-year-old girl, who is curious about the outside world and enjoys being active. Kids can definitely relate to her.
Another thing this book captures is how you can “travel the world” through yoga poses. One page is about becoming an elephant in Africa and swinging your “trunk.”
Author Susanna Stratford is a former school teacher and yogini. She’s the mother of two boys and has been teaching yoga to kids since 2005. This is her first book.
Looking for a local kids’ yoga class? Check out Kidding Around Yoga with Bobbie! See our “AW Spotlight” story about Kidding Around Yoga.
Just as parents enjoy the discipline that comes from karate, they love the calmness and inner peace that comes from their kids participating in yoga. In other words, yoga isn’t just for adults – it’s actually perfect for kids.
To order “Mama Yoga and the Story of Namaste,” visit MamaYogasKids.com. I’m thinking that it will make a few nice holiday gifts this year!
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Krista Martinelli is the editor of AroundWellington.com. For full disclosure, she is happy to say that she was college roommates with Susanna, the author of this wonderful book!