5 Tips For How To Do Yoga with Toddlers

These last few weeks, I have been learning a lot about the benefits of yoga as well as how to teach yoga to a toddler.

Havona Madama of Tuesdays at Ten, Ltd. recently launched a new DVD, produced by Loft 49 Films, Inc., entitled TOT YOGA: Yoga for You and Your Toddler from 10 Months to 3 Years Old.

Tot Yoga is an instructional DVD for parents and toddlers to use together. Havona says it is the first and only DVD, which provides yoga instruction at this important developmental stage.

Even if you have never done yoga, you can do Tot Yoga.

The program is designed to benefit every level of experience. In fact, all the parents in the video have little or no yoga experience, and this video was shot live with the participants following the routine for the first time, specifically to ensure that it is easy to follow for beginners.

The more you practice, the more strength and flexibility you can achieve through this low impact relaxing routine, allowing the program to grow with you as you progress without changing the routine.

Following are 5 tips that demonstrate the best way to teach yoga to toddlers:

1. Get down on the floor and crawl. Crawling is one of the most important developmental tools young children have and they do it naturally. Parents can benefit from crawling as well.


2. Keep poses simple and don’t expect your child to follow along. Be willing to follow poses that your child creates, and give the pose a name, or let your child name it.


3. Act out stories incorporating yoga poses, many poses are named after animals, so children can imagine they are a cat that chases a monkey who becomes a frog and lands on a lily pad sticking out its tongue and taking a rest. The options are only limited by your child’s imagination.


4. Don’t forget that making noise is part of yoga, growl like a lion to exercise your throat muscles and relieve stress.


5. Get eye level with your toddler and call them by their name so they can focus. Give them small tasks to follow, which will lead to a more difficult routine over time.

To learn more about Tot Yoga, visit TotYoga.com. To purchase, click here or visit The Mom Entrepreneur Holiday Co-op Shop. The company is offering free standard shipping and free gift wrapping!

We continue our interview with Havona Madama the creator of Tot Yoga

Last week, I talked with Havona Madama of Tuesdays at Ten, Ltd. about her company's new DVD released December 2009 by Loft 49 Films, Inc. entitled TOT YOGA: Yoga for You and Your Toddler from 10 Months to 3 Years Old.

Inspired to fill a void in the marketplace and her own DVD library, Havona engaged Khadi Madama, a registered Yoga teacher and a Yoga therapist, registered with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).

Khadi is a pioneer in the field of applied therapeutic yoga, and the host of a cable TV show, Yours Truly Yoga. She was tasked with specifically designing a program to meet the needs of toddlers and their parents.

The Tot Yoga program does not expect you to follow a specific routine with your child. No two sessions are exactly the same. By allowing your child to direct part of the program there will be plenty of surprises to hold their attention.

Havona heavily stresses parent interaction throughout her Tot Yoga DVD. "The importance of giving parents of toddlers techniques to use rather than a strict program to follow was immediately apparent. It was also clear that the program had to provide fun, interactive exercise to reduce the frustration of being a toddler and the parent of a toddler."

There are many benefits to teaching Yoga to toddlers:

• Promotes Calmness
• Reduces Stress
• Increases Confidence
• Improves Concentration
• Develops a Healthy Body

To learn more about Tot Yoga, visit TotYoga.com. To purchase, click here or visit The Mom Entrepreneur Holiday Co-op Shop. The company is offering free standard shipping and free gift wrapping!

Next week, Havona will share five tips and examples for how to do Yoga with toddlers.

Winner of My Storytime Friends bear

Congratulations to Annette Yen of Quiet-Mom.com.

She is the winner of an adorable My Storytime Friends bear.

Thanks to all who participated in our contest and helped to spread the world.

Happy Holidays!

Free Teleseminar: Balancing the Supermom Act on 12/8 at 1:00pm EST

WHAT:
Balancing the Supermom Act: Tips and techniques for getting more done, spending more time with family and achieving more.

WHO:
Presented by Lucinda Cross of Corporate Mom DropOuts

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 8th from 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST

COST:
FREE Sign up now: Limited to first 100 people

REGISTER HERE...>

Supermoms are often identified as those women who do it all, they run a business; take care of kids, the husband, the house, the laundry, the car, everything and everyone in between.

Balancing the Supermom act starts with taking off some of the weight we carry and directing our energy to get more done without burn out. There’s no perfect balance so we sometimes feel pulled in too many directions and we end up putting out fires and not taking care of ourselves or making the necessary steps inspired by our vision or our passion to succeed. In the end, we spread ourselves so thin, we become disillusioned about what matters most.

After interviewing over 200 moms, Lucinda has come up with some of the most interesting ways Supermoms can fly and create a life that operates the way you want it. Unlike the Marvel characters Superwoman, Cat woman, Batgirl, etc we have a bigger job to play and the roles we play are several.

If you want more for your life & from your business, this teleseminar is for YOU!

During this presentation, Lucinda will show you how to:

• find peace and balance in your life by being true to yourself
• how to create a focus calendar
• apply the “Supermom” principles and techniques to your business
• use energy management vs. time management
• delegate for success

Who will benefit from this teleseminar?

• Moms who do everything themselves
• Moms who won't seek needed assistance
• Moms who refuse to delegate assignments
• Moms who are overwhelmed juggling family and business
• Moms who are experiencing "Burn Out" or “Melt Down”

Three participants will win the Corporate Mom Dropouts Book and Journal at the end of the teleseminar.

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About the presenter:
Lucinda Cross is a speaker, author and mom. Now founder of Corporate Mom Dropouts, blog, radio show and book.

For several years, she has made it her life’s mission to uplift, inspire and change people’s lives. She likes to call herself a catalyst for motivation, passion and high energy and has worked with small business owners supporting them to work ON their business and not in their business. She also works with women who are interested in learning how to work from home, and take charge and create the life they love.

Her life has been filled with wonderful experiences – from being a single mother, to a Mompreneur as well as sharing her gifts as a marketing strategist, mentor and writer. She uses this wisdom and insight to motivate moms to create a better life, a better community and a better business.

For more information, visit www.corporatemomdropouts.com.

TOT YOGA: New DVD teaches parents and toddlers the benefits of yoga

When my children were very little, I was not aware of any programs or videos for kids that offered yoga instruction. I didn't even know such an exercise even existed, so I did not search for any.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Havona Madama of Tuesdays at Ten, Ltd. about her company's new DVD released December 2009 by Loft 49 Films, Inc. entitled TOT YOGA: Yoga for You and Your Toddler from 10 Months to 3 Years Old. I was fascinated to learn about her program and the many benefits yoga offers children, including relaxation and self esteem.

Tot Yoga, which focuses on traditional Hatha Yoga, is an instructional DVD for parents and toddlers to use together. It is the first and only DVD which provides yoga instruction at this important developmental stage. Tot Yoga encourages parents to use traditional yoga movements to increase exercise and reduce stress for themselves and their children.

Many failed attempts to timely attend the local toddler-preschooler yoga class, left Havona searching for a DVD instructional program she could do on her own schedule. To her surprise, all the DVDs were aimed at pre-crawling babies and children over 3 years old. She was inspired to create a program that would benefit a child from 10 months to 3 years old as well as the parent.

Tot Yoga refreshes and revitalizes all participants by creating a cool down for toddlers, promoting a post workout nap, and a warm up for parents, who are encouraged to continue the video for a complete workout and relaxation session while their child naps.

The video features three distinct sections:

1. The first section - Toddlers Teach Yoga - parents learn to mimic their child’s natural movements to create simple stretching and strengthening poses. Parents are encouraged to follow their child’s natural movements. This section focuses on younger children therefore most poses are on the floor instead of standing to avoid frustration.
2. The second section - Parents Teach Yoga - parents learn how to engage a child between the ages of 10 months and 3 years in focused and relaxing playtime exercise. These are primarily animal based poses that the parents can use to make a story and engage their child in playtime exercise.
3. The third section - Parent Yoga - parents follow a simple routine of strengthening and stretching poses intended to reduce stress and increase strength and flexibility. This section is meant for parents to follow when their child is napping or otherwise occupied. The DVD ends with a refreshing rest period.

To learn more about Tot Yoga, visit TotYoga.com. To purchase, click here or visit The Mom Entrepreneur Holiday Co-op Shop.

Join us next week when we will continue our interview with Havona of Tuesdays at Ten, Ltd. about her new DVD Tot Yoga and the many benefits for having toddlers do this type of exercise.

Bring home a very special My Storytime Friends bear this holiday season

With gift giving season quickly approaching, many moms will be looking for something different and unique for their kids. My Storytime Friends will be that gift you are searching for. We are also giving away a My Storytime Friends bear to one lucky reader (see how to enter below)!

I recently ran into an old friend who has connected with this company, and wanted to tell me all about their new products. He provided me with a complimentary sample to review*. What initially excited me about My Storytime Friends was that it was founded by the former president of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company – William York. Remember the beautiful bear packaged in a box that looks like a home?

My Storytime Friends has taken that several steps further. The company has combined the things children love - books, animals and fun - and packaged them in such a way that encourages children to explore, learn and interact.

Currently, the company offers six colors of bears to choose from. Early next year, they will release their line of six African Animals, and later in 2010, another new set of stories and plush animals. Each animal is packaged in a colorful box, which includes a 32-page hardcover storybook, and a unique code for lifetime membership and online access to free stories, downloads, activities and more.

All of this for only $39.95. In my opinion, this is a great value for everything you get. Read on...

My youngest son is 5 and loves books. He has also recently taken an interest in the computer. My Storytime Friends encourages reading activities for children ages 3-8. The book we received with our bear is entitled A Winning Dream.

All of the books include key messages of empowerment over adversity, attaining dreams, and aspiring for the future. Messages that children of all ages should hear over and over again. These stories come to life with cheerful characters, rich illustrations, and realistic dialogue that families can enjoy together.

A book and a bear might seem like a common gift to give, but what really excites me about this product is the lifetime membership to mystorytimefriends.com.

The website has many fun features, including:

1. The Library - where you'll find 12 new stories each year (one per month) that can be downloaded and printed or listened to (MP3 file), or you can get a hardcover version mailed to you for only $6.95, shipping is free. There are other options as well, including reading an interactive flip-book of the story online or downloading the book in black and white so your child can also color the pictures.
2. The Friend's Store - have fun dressing your new friend in different, brightly colored outfits that can be ordered at the store.
3. The Post Office - here you can help your child write an online review about the book, write to a Storytime Friend, access monthly activities (flash cards, activity books, story cards, reward certificates, etc.) and more! Parents and caregivers can also access the Themes & Values section, which offers a breakdown of the values and themes in each story and how to discuss with children. Also at the Post Office, visitors can access an additional 12 stories per year (one per month) that can be printed. These are "read myself" stories for younger readers. I love this section since my son is just starting to read.
4. The Newsstand - here you can access the latest news and special offers, suggestion box, and reviews and comments from other online visitors.

For a full list of membership benefits, click here...>

It is important to note that My Storytime Friends is devoted to ensuring children’s safety. All items they produce exceed the most current child-safety standards in the United States and the European Union for children ages 3 and older.

This means that each teddy bear, each piece of accessory clothing, and each printed book has been tested at every level of production and found to meet all of the latest requirements in the U.S. and the E.U., the regions where child-safety standards are strictest worldwide.

The materials (fabrics, dyes, fasteners, etc.) and assembly methods of their products comply with ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) International standards under the most current 2009 U.S. guidelines for lead, effective under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

I would love for you to win one of these beautiful bears to give to your child this holiday season. One My Storytime Friends bear will be given away to one lucky winner chosen at random from all entries received before the deadline. Open to residents of all countries 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited.

Here is what you have to do to enter:

1. SUBSCRIBE. You MUST be a subscriber of The Mom Entrepreneur blog. Our awesome giveaways are for subscribers only. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can do so via email or in a reader.
2. VISIT. You must visit My Storytime Friends and view their beautiful bears.
3. RETURN. Come back to this blog post and in the comment section below tell us which bear is your favorite from their website. Be sure to include your email address so we can notify you if you win. (1 entry)
4. TELL OTHERS. Get another entry if you blog about this contest, tweet about this contest, share on Facebook, Stumble, Digg, etc. (Be sure to come back and comment letting us know how you spread the word). (unlimited entries)
5. EXTRA ENTRIES: Get extra entries if you Follow us on Twitter: @tracibisson, @TMECoopShop - If you already do, just leave a comment - Love ya'! (up to 2 entries)
6. WAIT. Now you need to wait patiently until 5pm EST on December 9, 2009 to see if you are chosen at random as the winner. Winners will be announced on The Mom Entrepreneur blog and sent notification via email if provided.

Contest begins December 2, 2009 and will end on December 9, 2009 at 5:00pm (EST). GOOD LUCK!

(*I received a My Storytime Friends bear free from The de Sales Group. The company sent this to me and did not charge me for it. That being said, I am under no obligation to write a good review or to write any review about this product, and what I’m writing here are my own opinions based on my personal use of the product.)