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Peaceful Kids

In 2017, Alpharetta Lifestyle magazine interviewed Sedef Dion, co-creator of Pre-Grounded Kids Yoga, for an article called “Peaceful Kids.” At the time Sedef taught children’s yoga at Life Time Fitness Alpharetta, in classes for children as young as 3.

Sedef spoke about what yoga gives children: strength, flexibility, self-awareness, self-regulation and focus, along with tools for handling stress and anxiety. On children with special needs, she said, “Yoga is safe and beneficial for any age and ability level.” She explained that she teaches them with concrete directions and visuals.

Asked why children should learn yoga, she said, “Yoga encourages children to master themselves rather than wait for an adult to control them.”

Read the full article: “Peaceful Kids” in Alpharetta Lifestyle.

More to Explore

  • Shames, Shames, Go Away! And Don’t Come Back Another Day!

    Inspired by Yoga Sutra 2.16 Heyam dukham anagatam
    Avoidable is the suffering
    that has not yet to come~
    That feeling of shame
    That sticks like chewed gum.
    How do we get through places
    That are stuck deep inside?
    Where the holdings, the collections
    The patterns reside?
    The patterns of feeding
    Our suction cupped shames~
    With secrets and silence
    And judgements and blames.
    Attract the energy of movement~
    And comfort with movement~
    Comfort with change~
    Comfort with improvement.
    Create space between impulse
    And action that binds~
    The stuck feelings that resists
    Our meetings of minds.
    Space is the experience
    Of minds open and bright
    The Wisdom of Grace
    Is filled up with light.
    Grace is the knowing
    Our mistakes serve an aim~
    Instead of allowing
    Our mistakes to serve shame.
    So to prevent future suffering~
    And the feeding of shames~
    Create a steady practice
    Of breath work and aims.
    Here’s a mantra for you
    To embody and embed~
    Press thumb into each finger
    And say in your head~
    {I inhale to prepare~
    I exhale to share~
    I inhale to release blame~
    I exhale to transform shame~*}
    {Repeat 11 times}~
    Keep your sitting bones rooted.
    Slowly rotate your core ~
    Counterclockwise 3 rounds
    Your breath? Don’t ignore!
    Inhale going backwards,
    Exhale going forward .
    Your movements ride on your
    breath~
    It’s pretty straight forward.
    Pause and move clockwise.
    Repeat 11 times.
    Close eyes and listen.
    To your heart beat like chimes.
    Find someone you know,
    You love and you trust
    Show them your shames
    And watch your blames turn to dust.
    May we have what it takes
    To transform all our shames~
    To allow our mistakes
    To serve our Great Aim~

  • Namaste

    Said my young friend who wants a connection: “I wave. I shake hands, with no objection. No pain, no remorse, no one intervening a choice I make without much thought or meaning~” “…Is there a gesture that honors each other? That celebrates greeting sisters and brothers? Can you show me HOW to express happiness with social and spiritual significance?” YES, my dear friend, I can show you a mudra~ a gesture of sorts, for kings, friends and sudras. Place hands together from fingers to wrists~ like a knife, cut through difference that may exist. This immediately gets you to the shared ground~ of ALL people, of all cultures, of all sound. It’s a recognition, a united force~ that honors equality of all from the Source. Close your eyes and tune into your own inner light; your divine spark that forever burns bright. That’s the key, my dear friend, you must see your OWN in order to recognize others’ light shown. BLEND your five fingers of action on the left~ with five fingers of knowledge on the right~ to achieve the symbol of perfection the union of opposites; interconnection. FInd the Connection of your brain and your heart; your sun and your moon; your stop and your start. Marry together reason and emotion~ unite thoughts and feelings, stillness and motion. Join positive and negative; hot and cold~ theory with practice, silver with gold~ Wisdom with Method, intellect with instinct~ talent with genius, and feelings with think! Exhalation and inhalation, ,brain and heart~ Align in harmony, right from the start! There is indeed no sphere of our existence untouched by the symbolic significance~ of Namaste~ Namaste

  • Inspiration

    GROUNDED. (ADJ.)
    1. HAVING A SECURE FEELING OF BEING IN TOUCH WITH REALITY AND YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS.
    2. A FIRM FOUNDATION TO BE INSPIRED AND INSPIRE OTHERS.
    Two weeks ago my Grounded class wrote letters of congratulations to Emily, who had just earned her White Bandana. She’s nine years old and lives in Atlanta. The kids in my class were amazed that at just nine she had achieved this. They were inspired. The letters they wrote were thoughtful, complementary and from the heart.