Sparkling Kids Yoga & Mindfulness

Wigan Council run a summer scheme for children of all ages with disabilities and additional needs. They asked me to run a session of yoga and mindfulness at one of their activity days. The staff had doubts about whether the children would join in and thought that, as a lot of the children find focussing for longer periods of the time a challenge, that an hour might be too much. I found myself saying, as I often do to parents, teachers and staff, "you may be surprised" and the...y definitely were! The breathing and concentration exercises worked their magic, the sound therapy helped them to connect with their bodies and relax and as one little girl with an infectious giggle connected to her body and started instinctively doing the poses she needed, she became the teacher and we all started following her moves. It was amazing watching staff and children all relaxing together and finding some moments of peace and stillness 💜🧡💛
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Some great 'calm down strategies' for kids - and adults! - here. I thought it was just me who liked to calm down by lying on a ball! :) Anyone got any other strategies that work for them that they'd like to share? #happyholidays #calmisasuperpower

Quick question... of the following blogs, which would you be most interested in reading?
1. Can happiness be taught? 2. Self-compassion - can it really help children become more resilient? 3. Re-wiring the brain for brave & courageous kids
... Please let me know in the comments below. Thank you so much! Jane 😊 P.s. Please like this post so that lots of lovely people get to read it, even if you're not interested in reading blogs. Thank you 🙏
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This week on the final week before the summer holidays I've been contemplating how yoga and mindfulness seemingly bring out kindness and compassion in children. It's amazing to see children coming to class fighting over yoga mats and an hour later totally changed with a softness in their faces, smiling and asking whether they can help tidy up. During family yoga relaxation, a child reaching out to hold their Mum or Dad's hand or coming over to give them a kiss and children ge...tting along so well at kids yoga together, supporting each other and 'lifting' each other 💜 It's almost too amazing to believe! I've been reading a great book on mindfulness by Thicht Nhat Hanh which explains how beneath the challenging feelings we all experience such as anger, pain, grief or anxiety are the amazing feelings of joy, compassion, love and connection. When we allow ourselves to feel into those challenging feelings and move through them, we reach the beautiful, untouched, sky's-the-limit shores of all of those amazing feelings. Yoga and mindfulness help us to get there. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it! Wishing you a beautiful summer, thank you all for your support this year and I look forward to seeing you again in September. Jane 🙏
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All classes finish next week for the summer holidays 🌞 Next week is a great time to try out family yoga or bring your children to kids or tween yoga for a taster to see how they get on. There will be some therapeutic yoga one-to-ones taking place over the holidays but apart from that I will be taking the opportunity to cultivate lots of play and rest 😊 If you are looking for activities for your kids over the summer, check out Little Oms who are running kids yoga sessions at Taylor Park in St Helens during August. See you at class next week! Jane 🙏

Great article explaining how beneficial mindful meditation was for the Thai football team trapped in a cave for 18 days. Stanford meditation expert said that it was crucial for keeping them alive as it kept cognitive resources switched on, such as problem-solving. Today I introduced a year 2 group to their brains and we learnt how mindful breathing can switch on the learning and memory functions of the brain, helping them to stay focussed and calm. I set them a little experiment so I'm looking forward to hearing how they got on next week! 😊

Some great tips here for helping children to navigate the end of school year and transition to the next year up. Children can be quite wired / tired and emotionally 'all over the place' at this time of year and in the back of their minds, without being consciously aware of it, they could be feeling unsure, anxious or nervous about the change that is to come. These tips are great for bearing in mind...

"I'm amazed" said a teacher this week after she did yoga with her class for the first time. She couldn't believe how the children were so focussed and in particular was amazed at the children who find it challenging to sit still in class who were peacefully and quietly relaxing at the end of the session. This type of yoga is truly amazing but when you understand the science behind it, it's not surprising. All of the exercises, poses, mindfulness, breathing and relaxation work... to bring the nervous and sensory systems into balance. Throughout the session the children regulate and deepen their breathing, which in turn helps them to regulate their emotions. "Calm", "relaxed", "happy", "awesome", "sleepy", "brave", were some of the words they used to describe how they were feeling. Bringing the body into this state of balance has a big impact on the brain as well. Stimulating the "soothing" part of the nervous system switches on the memory (hippocampus) and problem solving (pre-frontal cortex) parts of the brain, helping children to learn better as well as stay calm and focussed...it's a no-brainer! 🤣
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"I've got a thousand pieces of extra love in my heart." 4 year old at yoga tonight 💜💜 Be strong, be brave 💜 classes are back this week. Why not come and join us?! Everyone welcome 🙏

Just watched this interesting and insightful BBC programme on the drugs we're giving our kids. They introduced a group of children with ADHD to mindfulness meditation to see if it could replace the drugs they were taking. Really worth a watch and brilliant that more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of teaching mindfulness to children. Fascinated to watch the next episode showing the effects of giving our teenagers antidepressants and raising awareness of alternatives that can be beneficial... https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b4nxwt

It has been such a pleasure yoga-ing with both reception classes at Eccleston Mere Primary School for the past 6 weeks! They have all given their best and here they are doing an exercise for releasing tightness in the pelvis and learning how to deepen their breathing. I was such a happy yoga teacher today when Mrs Matthews told me that they have all been practising their mindful breathing in class 😊 This week we learnt all about how to switch on the memory, learning and problem-solving parts of our brains and did an empowering guided relaxation 💜

A fantastic article to read as adults which, explains in a kid-friendly way, the power of our brains and how we can shape and build our brain power to develop emotional resilience and the super power that is calm. It also helps us to understand why we practise breathing and mindfulness in yoga and how this leads to emotional resilience and self-soothing skills. I have some friends (a puppy dog and friends) I bring along, depending on the age of the children, who are great at explaining what goes on in the different parts of the brain. Happy reading 😊 https://www.heysigmund.com/dear-kids-love -from-your-brain-…/

This week at kids and tween yoga, in honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, we each shared one thing we like to do that makes us feel happy. Their answers were: picnics, playing with friends, going for walks and quite a few said yoga (happy yoga teacher 😊). I was impressed with their answers as the things they shared are things that can really impact on our emotional wellbeing; being with friends & family, being in nature, relaxing and connecting with our bodies & hearts (as opposed to things that might bring short term happiness like new toys, etc). These children are providing us with an important question during Mental Health Awareness Week; What brings us true happiness and how can we do more of what makes us happy? #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Received this lovely email this week from a nursery in the Wigan area that introduced yoga to it's pre-school group this time last year 😊 So lovely to hear how yoga has helped the children to develop emotional resilience skills! We have a 6 week block available, starting after half term, if you are in the Wigan area and interested in trying out yoga with your group of children on a Tuesday morning, please do get in touch.

A wonderful image for older children to explore...what's in my control? Let's focus on that 💜 Very useful for us adults too and I notice many successful sportsmen and women use this to help them navigate competitions, match day nerves and life's ups and downs 😊

So it's been a busy day for Sparkling Kids today! As well as 2 nursery sessions, a 121 with a little boy at his school and kids yoga after-school class, I gave a yoga taster and talk at Wigan Council's Parents Autism Conference. Wonderful to be part of such a positive event raising awareness of autism and sharing tips and support out there! Great to listen to some inspiring autistic speakers and thank you to everyone who joined in with my yoga demo and gave great feedback 😊

Hello all 😊 on Tuesday the 1st of May, Wigan Council is holding a Parents Autism Conference. There will be speakers and information stands and a yoga talk and demo (by me!). Spaces are limited and booking is essential. The conference is for Wigan parents of children aged 0-16 years with a diagnosis of autism or on the autism pathway. See information below. If you know anyone who you think might find it useful, feel free to tag them. Thank you, Jane

Hurray! Spring is finally on it's way! 🌼🐣 And yoga classes start back next week...there's lots to be happy about! Please take note of the new timetable...Tuesday night family yoga at Carr Mill is taking a break for a little while but it would be lovely to see you at any of the other classes that are available if you can make it. Looking forward to seeing friends old and new next week for lots of fun and relaxation. Jane 😊

Family yoga is back tomorrow evening at Howe Bridge leisure centre in Wigan. As part of Wigan Council's Get Out Get Active programme, the sessions are designed to create opportunities for ALL children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to get active with their families and meet other children. Everyone is welcome. These sessions will be running on: Friday the 6th April Friday the 20th April Friday the 4th of May See details below for timings and how to book. Just bring yourselves. Looking forward to meeting you all 😊 #fun #active #relaxing

Amazing feedback today from year 5 who had tests last week. Some of them remembered to do the yoga concentration exercise and said it helped with their maths test! Another person used it when she was feeling angry and it helped her to feel calm again 😊 Two children fell asleep at the end of the session during relaxation... everyone's tired! It must be the end of term...have a great break everyone! Jane 💜

Jane taught me and my 7yr old over the summer holidays. We're really going to miss those weekly sessions!



Jane is a very good teacher, her voice is calming, she gets you to focus well, explains things well and adapts the moves to anyone's individual needs. Highly recommended. And thanks again for the classes, they were wonderful.

Jane is such a calming & patient lady. My daughter has a few disabilities & Jane has the patience of a saint with her. She's helped her so much in just a few weeks & Maisie loves her. Highly recommended xxxxx

Jane taught me and my 7yr old over the summer holidays. We're really going to miss those weekly sessions!



Jane is a very good teacher, her voice is calming, she gets you to focus well, explains things well and adapts the moves to anyone's individual needs. Highly recommended. And thanks again for the classes, they were wonderful.

Jane is such a calming & patient lady. My daughter has a few disabilities & Jane has the patience of a saint with her. She's helped her so much in just a few weeks & Maisie loves her. Highly recommended xxxxx

Jane taught me and my 7yr old over the summer holidays. We're really going to miss those weekly sessions!



Jane is a very good teacher, her voice is calming, she gets you to focus well, explains things well and adapts the moves to anyone's individual needs. Highly recommended. And thanks again for the classes, they were wonderful.

Jane is such a calming & patient lady. My daughter has a few disabilities & Jane has the patience of a saint with her. She's helped her so much in just a few weeks & Maisie loves her. Highly recommended xxxxx