NEWTOWN -- This week, a Newtown yoga studio begins "Buddha Bootcamp for Kids" to combat back-to-school blues and jitters.
"I’m a little nervous because I’m going into a new school," says 10 year old John Kenny. "I don’t really want to go back to school. I like the summer better," adds Nicky Corso, also 10.
So, these kids are preparing to transition back to the classroom in a unique way - through yoga. "It’s just to get kids ready to go back to school, to reconnect with friends, talk about feelings," explains Barbie Burton, owner of Inner Child Yoga, who teaches the children about mindfulness and meditation through fun games that revolve around their breathing. "It really helps them connect with their body," she says. "I think a lot of kids are up in their heads a lot of the time - all the fast paced technology going on."
She shares the following moves that parents can practice with their kids at home - to reduce their back-to-school nerves:
*Have child lie flat on his/her belly. Roll a beach ball over them - from head to toe - which mimics results of the weighted pad.
*Create a mantra with your child that he/she can repeat in his head, such as, "I am calm. I breathe-in happy, I breathe-out sad."
*Make a glitter jar. When kids stare into it - they unwind. "They tune into that and tune out what’s bothering them," says Burton.
Glitter Jar Instructions, courtesy of Preschool Inspirations:
- Mix glitter glue and hot water with whisk in a container.
- Then stir in some extra glitter.
- Pour the mixture into the empty water bottle and let the water come to room temperature before sealing the lid on.
- If you cannot get the glitter to fall down, you will need to water it down.
