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Namaste is a respectful, kind greeting for people when they meet and when they part.  It's just like saying "Aloha" in Hawai'i, and expresses sincere happiness and thoughtfulness.  The origin of Namaste is Sanskrit and means "I bow to you."  It's a gesture that people use in Southeast Asia, India, and beyond.  When people say "Namaste" they press their palms together, fingers pointing up and bow.  It's a polite way of honoring our friends, family, and strangers. It's a way to peacefully say "hello friend."

Aloha means peace, compassion, mercy, and love. It's another form of saying "hello" or "goodbye." 

When we teach yoga to children, we teach them about gratitude and peace. Sure, yoga is a great workout for kids and helps strengthen their muscles and hearts.  And yoga is also about respect and compassion for each other and our world around us.  One of the ways in which we share this idea is through a greeting at the beginning and a farewell at the end, honoring and thanking each other for our uniqueness and love that we share.

There are many poems and sayings about Namaste, but one that I love and learned from a friend and great yoga instructor is this:

"The light in me, shines within you. Namaste." by Amy Ragan

Aloha!

Sports are great for kids.  They not only teach them about teamwork and good sportsmanship, but they are good for getting the heart rate going and keeping kids fit and healthy.  The most important thing to remember when choosing a sport for your child is finding something that your child is interested in.  It's also wise to choose a sport which is safe, fun, and age appropriate.  For example, soccer and yoga can be started at a very early age. They both help with fine and gross motor skills.  However, archery would probably be best for older kids, as arm strength and good eye-hand coordination is essential.  A good coach or trainer is a must.  Make sure the coach knows about safety and first aid. The coach should also be respectful to the children. 

Here are some other sports that kids enjoy doing:

tumbling, gymnastics, karate or other type of martial arts, swimming, diving,  dance, bicycling, jump roping, tennis, sailing, rowing, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, basketball, baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, horseback riding, volleyball, cheerleading, bowling, cross country running, track and field and more.

Even though sports have so many great benefits, remember that some are more dangerous than others when it comes to accidents and injuries.  For example, soccer and football can cause a lot of injuries and head traumas.  Yet, swimming and yoga are very gentle on the body and equally beneficial (if not more).  When choosing a sport, remember that children's bodies are continually growing and that safety is imperative. 

Make sure that your child is wearing the correct gear.  Also, they should also stay in shape and stay flexible (remember to stretch).  Your child should get a check-up or physical exam before starting a sport to make sure he or she is ready developmentally and physically for the activity.  And remember to wear sunscreen, stay cool, and hydrated.  Heat-related injuries happen more than we know it.

Don't worry if your child isn't ready to start a sport in Kindergarten.  There are so many great activities to do, which will help your child in their growth and development outside of a team sport.  Running around and playing at a park, climbing trees in a forest, or digging and running in the sand at the beach is equally important for kids.  Just as long as they are moving. 

Spinning and twirling helps with balance.

Have you ever noticed how much fun children have spinning around and around and around?  I remember growing up, my friends and I loved going in circles and making ourselves silly dizzy.  Even some adults still like to twirl.  Look at the Olympics for example.  We are always amazed at the power, focus, and balance that figure skaters have when they spin at amazing speeds.

I heard recently that spinning is good for a child.  I mentioned it to a father at the park, and he responded: "Yes, I heard it was good, too."  So, when I got home I did a bit of research and found out that yes, it is in fact good for you in some respects, but it can also be  (that's why our body sometimes tells us to stop by causing us to get nauseous).  Here are a few tips that I found from the website www.asensorylife.com  and thought I'd share. 

• Spinning needs to be controlled, supervised, and monitored with our children who have sensory differences and SPD (sensory processing disorder)
• Teach your child to spin no more than 10 times in one direction at 1 spin per second...then stop briefly, then spin the other direction
• For those children who do not get dizzy, encourage spinning in prone extension (on tummy) to help the brain learn to register the feeling of rotary input, along with following the two items above
• Spinning is incredibly powerful and the brain may need a long time to process the input
• Swinging in linear planes in prone extension and full body flexion are so much more important and beneficial for the brain in regards to the power sensation of vestibular input.  Focus more on this type of swinging rather than so much spinning.

We're always looking for a healthy cookie for our kids and ourselves.  Right.  Well, here is a tried and true recipe that's not 100% healthy, but it's full of good stuff and not so full of the bad stuff like processed flour.  It's also dairy free for those who are lactose intolerant or just don't have milk or butter on hand.

These cookies are a smash hit and are very similar to the ever so popular and fancy French Macaroon cookies. Here's how it goes.

Ingredients:

2 egg whites at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup coconut

Directions:

1. Set oven to 300 degrees F. 

2. Beat egg whites until frothy (about 1 minute).

3. Slowly add sugar to egg whites (1 Tablespoon at a time) while the mixer is running on the fastest speed. Add salt.

4. Continue beating at high speed until whites reach stiff peak stage.

5. Remove mixers and fold in vanilla, chocolate chips, and coconut to the mixture.

6. Drop onto foil lined cookie sheets 1/2 inch apart and bake for 20-25 minutes.

7. Open oven door to release some of the heat and then close it back up to let the cookies dry in the oven, preferably overnight.

 Adding sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time to egg whites at high speed.

 Egg white and sugar mixture are ready when stiff, glossy peaks form.

 Place mixture onto foiled baking sheet. They can be very close together.

 Ready to eat Meringue cookies!

Kids want everything. They want what their friends have, what their cousins have, and whatever they see around them.  It's only natural to want, want, want...and it takes time, energy, and patience to teach children to be happy with what they have and be content with what they have....same thing, but you know what I mean.    In the meantime, you can teach your children about saving.  Here's how my aunt and uncle did it and I'm doing it right now.  So far, so good.

My daughter really, really, really wants a doll.  Personally, I'd rather buy her a microscope or telescope.  Of course, she has babies and stuffed animals and all sorts of other "dolls." But there's one particular doll that she just has to have.  Well, one day I told her that she could save up her money for this doll.  Actually, she wanted a hair cut, and then a pedicure, and then a pair of shoes...and I kept telling her that she could have those things with the money in her wallet or she could save up for the doll that she really wants. 

Guess what? She decided she would rather save her money.  this was the perfect opportunity for me to teach her about earning and saving.  I told her that she could earn a dollar for every book that she read (she's four, so we read the books together).  I figured that counting out dollar bills would be easier than coins, and I wanted to give her a chance.  She needed something obtainable, so that she would see that earning and saving is possible!  I also didn't want to pick an amount or goal that was too easy and would make me have to get another job.

We also found a great website where kids can input their money goals and watch their money grow.  The website is www.threejars.com and it teaches kids about saving, spending, and sharing.  It's geared towards older kids (8 and up), but it's great for parents, too.

So, in a nutshell: When your child expresses an interest in something, have the save up for it.  Use one dollar bills to make things easier (or $5), and have them make money doing something that is fun and good for them.  As a kid, we were paid a nickel for every lap that we did.  It didn't add up to much, but it was fun.  I think my parents got more out of it, as we were exhausted after swimming laps in the pool and probably went straight to bed. 

Tell us how you get your kids to save. We'd love to hear your stories.