Child's pencil drawing of a smiling woman with red lips and a red buttoned shirt

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The Book of Marlie

Child's pencil drawing of a smiling woman with red lips and a red buttoned shirtThank you Eight year old Marlie for presenting me with this yoga book you wrote and taught to classes in your school. I appreciate your interesting chapters~  Yoga that keeps me calm Yoga that keeps me Grounded Yoga with more than two people Yoga with two people Yoga that keeps me happy  and your very helpful notes~ Remember you will not get it the first time Breathe slowly Remember to lean  your beautifully detailed art~ and your permission to share your work on our blog~  I am grateful that you have been a grounded student for three years and you continue to serve your school with yoga.  With love,   Cheryl Crawford

Child's drawn page titled Yoga that Keeps me calm, showing Down Dog, Root Tree Rise, Just Breathe and Bridge

Child's drawn page titled Yoga that keeps me Grounded, showing No Whining, Plank, Double Dog Dare and Take Out the Trash

Child's drawn page titled Yoga with more than two people, showing Tree Friends, The Wave and Energy Circuit

Child's drawn page titled Yoga with two people, showing I've Got Your Back, Lean On Me and Rectangular Relationship

Child's drawn page titled Yoga that keeps me happy, showing Mountain Range Laughter, Whistle While You Work, Baby Got Back and Laughter Hero

Child's All about the author page with a smiling self-portrait and the word Yoga

More to Explore

  • The Power of a Pose: How Grounded Kids Yoga Helps Children Build Strength, Calm, and Confidence

    In this feature from Points North Magazine, Amy Haysman of Grounded Kids Yoga shares how playful, purposeful yoga classes help children develop strength, focus, and confidence. Learn how programs like Quest for Elevation empower kids to regulate emotions, build resilience, and share their inner light.

  • The Light Within – Yoga & Art Activity

    This activity came out of a need to define shinning inner light. The
    concept seems vague to some kids so I wanted to find a way to connect
    emotions with yoga movements in a concrete way. Doing this activity is a
    way for kids to verbalize their good qualities. Some kids are very familiar
    with their dark sides, and they only hear adults point out what they do
    wrong. They have to be able to identify their light sides and what they do
    right before they can shine their inner lights. Once they have a few
    concrete images to focus on, I think they can shine these attributes as they
    do the yoga poses.

  • Love in Your Head

    On this day, we invite you to practice the Love in Your Head pose gifted to us from Elie, age 6.
    “Close your eyes. Breathe and get still. Pour love into the top of your head. Not just one thing you love! Pour everything and everyone you can think of that you love into your head. Keep going until your head feels full of love and joy.”
    Love is the most powerful activator for positive change to manifest on this planet.
    Thank you Elie, for being the light of awareness. You are living wisdom. You are Love.

  • Roadmap to Lucidity

    Or
    The map to LUCIDITY
    Inspired by Yoga Sutra 1.33 which reads:
    maitri karuna mudita upeksanam sukha duhkha punya apunya
    visayanam bhavanatah cittaprasadanam
    The map to LUCIDITY?
    YES! Have you heard?
    Takes four states to get there~
    Not that absurd.
    The first is of FRIENDSHIP
    toward those who are happy.
    Even when you feel distant,
    resistance and slappy.
    The second is of COMPASSION
    toward those in distress.
    Tough when annoyed,
    imposed on and stressed.
    The third is of JOY
    toward those who are good
    through roadblocks of useless
    and misunderstood.
    The fourth is of EQUANIMITY
    toward those who are foul
    who are lacking in virtue,
    and react with a growl.
    Here in our mapping
    Four residents are mentioned.
    How we perceive them
    Is our fierce contention.
    Our attitudes we go for
    From composure to kind~
    Get us closer to LUCIDITY
    Where we STABILIZE our mind.
    Memorize these four~
    And observe in daily life.
    During times of quiet,
    Noise, and even strife.
    So buckle up~
    And prepare for a ride~
    To align your attitude,
    And try the untried.
    Close your eyes~
    Feel the state you are in~
    Soften your heart~
    your throat, and your skin.
    Drop your breath
    right into your heart~
    It’s made up of LOVE~
    And that’s where you start.
    Inhale with the thought~
    May I be friendly~
    Exhale with the thought~
    May I give friendship.
    .
    May I be COMPASSIONATE
    with your next inhale
    May I give COMPASSION
    with your next exhale.
    Inhale with the thought~
    May I have JOY~
    Exhale with the thought~
    May I give JOY.
    May I have EQUANIMITY
    with your inhale.
    May I give CALMNESS
    with your exhale.
    When someone comes to mind
    Offer these prayers
    No matter their issues,
    Their stains, or their stares.
    May you be LOVING~
    May you be LOVED ~
    May you be PEACEFUL~
    May you give PEACE~
    Your states of envy and mean
    Get smaller each time~
    Intolerance is removed
    You get closer to SUBLIME.
    Once your mind is CLEAR,
    And you’re CENTERED and FREE
    Skillfulness in ACTION
    Will be … Will be~