Star-of-David Mini Pizzas

Total time: 30m

Ingredients:

  • Packaged mini-toasts or big crackers
  • Deli sliced rounds of provolone or other cheese (round works best)
  • Tomato paste or pre-made pasta sauce
  • Fresh or dry oregano

Instructions:

  • Lay out the crackers or toasts on a foil or silicone lined baking tray that can go in your oven or toaster oven. The edges should not touch, and they should be lying completely flat.
  • Spoon a little tomato paste or sauce onto each one and spread it across the top. Don’t make it too thin or the toasts won’t soften in the middle.
  • Sprinkle a pinch of oregano on top of the tomato sauce.
  • Cut the rounds of cheese in half, then each half into three pie-shaped pieces. Slice the curvy edge off the triangle, and lay two triangles on top of each toast in opposite directions, to make a Star of David.
  • Put the tray in the toaster oven or under the broiler just long enough for the cheese to melt a little and form little bubbles; about 5-10 minutes.
  • Serve delicious mini-pizzas and eat ‘em up!

Snowman Skewers

Total time: 30m or less

Ingredients:

  • Bananas – each banana makes about two and a half skewers
  • One red and one green apple
  • A few red and green grapes
  • Chocolate chips or raisins (baby-sized chips work best)
  • Wood skewers
  • A flat serving platter or tray
  • Optional: a little bit of powdered sugar to dust serving plate with “snow” – works best when the platter is dark.

Instructions:

  • Cut ¾ – 1” thick slices of banana, put three on each skewer, circular cut side facing outward.
  • Quarter the apples and cut each quarter into thirds. Put on the skewer on top of the bananas – this is the snowman’s hat. Note: You might want to help little kids. It can be tough to get through the skin of the apple with the wood skewer, and we don’t want anyone getting stabbed!
  • Put a grape on the very top, over the apple, to make the hat’s pom-pom.
  • Using the chocolate chips, stick eyes and buttons into the bananas.
  • Optional: lightly dust your serving platter with powdered sugar and lay out all the snowmen.
  • Serve and eat; mmmmmm delicious!

Pita Holiday Trees

Total time: 30m or less

Ingredients:

  • Package of pita bread
  • Green Garden Dip (see next recipe) or other green and white dip – like tzatziki, spinach dip
  • Brightly colored veggies (tiny cherry tomatoes, red, yellow, and green peppers, black olive slices, etc.)
  • Optional: fresh dill

Instructions:

  • Cut each pita round like a pie, into eight triangles, and place on a serving platter, points up.
  • Spoon green dip onto each pita
  • Put little bits of fresh dill on top to look like pine branches
  • Chop the vegetables and decorate the “trees.”
  • Serve and eat! YUM!

Green Garden Dip

Total time 20m

Ingredients:

  • Large or mid-size container of Greek yogurt (not single serve)
  • Bundles of fresh leafy green herbs, like: dill, parsley, mint, basil, and tarragon.
  • 2-4 green onions. Use the whole thing, just cut off roots and any brown leaves
  • One clove fresh garlic, or a ½ Tablespoon of powdered garlic
  • ½ Tablespoon sea salt
  • ½ Tablespoon ground black pepper
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • *optional – 2-3 Persian cucumbers, 1/2lb of spinach, water chestnuts, etc.

Instructions:

I use the two-pound size of Greek yogurt, because this green dip is SO delicious, you’ll want lots left over for veggie dip, sandwiches, dressing…you’ll be evaluating everything in the fridge as a possible vehicle for this yummy green goodness. If you want to make a smaller batch, just scale down until you get the herb-to-yogurt density you like. Drain the extra fluid/whey from the container of yogurt before you start. If you want to make a vegan version of this dressing, you can use coconut yogurt, but you might want to add some chickpeas, soft tofu, white beans, or pureed cashews to thicken the mixture.

Clean and leaf the herbs. Discard the stems or save them for flavoring stock. Chop the cucumbers into slices. Throw all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until herbs are ground small and dip is uniform. The more herbs you add, the thicker the dip will be. If you want to add a little more mass to the dip, throw in a Persian cucumber or two, or perhaps some spinach. If you use water chestnuts, drain well and dice small, and add them after the rest of the mixture is pureed.

The dip may be a little runny when you make it, but will thicken a little once it’s been refrigerated overnight. It’s fine to use right away for the pita trees, though.

The Donut Debacle

Donut with Sprinkles

The group leader of my team (at my corporate job) brought in a special treat for everyone… festive decorated donuts! They looked delicious with green frosting, clovers and sprinkles! As other members of the team enjoyed their yummy donuts, she shared a story with us from her previous place of employment. “One day there was a box of donuts in the office, and when I went to get one, I realized all the filling had been siphoned out – leaving just the outer donut in the box – for the next person. Who would do that?” We all were flabbergasted and joked whether the perpetrator had used a straw or their mouth to remove the filling from the donut!

Later that day, I walked up to one of my team members at the end of our lunch hour, and she looked a little down. “Is everything ok?” I asked. She replied with a question, “Have you ever noticed how some people suck the energy right out of you?” Turns out someone else (from another department) on our floor had sat down with her for lunch that day. Everything that person said was negative and judgmental. Though my team member was just listening, her attitude had shifted, her spirit deflated and she was left feeling empty and drained – not unlike the hollow donut we joked about earlier that day.

I am reminded of a great book for kids Have you filled a bucket today? by Carol McCloud.  A heartwarming book encouraging positive behavior, and how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation and love. Here at YogaKids, we aim to empower children with confidence, love and compassion for others. We strive to teach them awareness and mindfulness of themselves, others and the world around them!

As parents, teachers and yogis, it is our duty to fill the buckets of those around us, not to siphon the yummy sweet center of the donut, but instead, leave them in their greatness – leave others better than they were before they met you! One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou,  “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

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Brain Buddies: Mudras

Finger Poses for Learning Readiness

Did you know you can talk to your brain with your fingers? Your fingers have a direct connection to your brain. When you touch your fingers together in special ways they create a circuit, and your nervous system passes the information right up to your brain!
mudra-spiderpushupsHAKINI MUDRA

Imagine what a spider would look like doing push-ups on a mirror. Bring your fingertips together and watch your spider do a few “push ups”. Now just let your fingers rest where they are and take a few quiet breaths.

Whether you take five easy breaths or relax for a few minutes, this brain buddy will help you remember anything at all.

Just ask for the right answer to a quiz or test and see what pops into your mind! This is perfect to do with Eyes Around The Clock for a double-memory-whammy! This simple finger pose reboots and balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

It increases the brain’s capacity and is ideal to use for problem solving or brainstorming new concepts.owleyesGYAN MUDRA

Touch the tip of your index fingers and your thumbs together. Make owl eyes. What can you see?

Now turn your hands up and rest them on your knees if you’re sitting. This Brain Buddy will help you concentrate and clear the mind so it’s easy to learn new stuff. You can use it to calm down whenever you’re feeling tense. At home or at school. Just sit down anywhere, bring your fingers together and take several slow deep breaths.

It will be your secret super smart brain builder. It’s also the perfect bedtime buddy if you’re having a hard time falling asleep. Lying in bed bring your fingers together with your arms resting at your sides or across your chest. Breathe slowly and the next thing you know you’ll be waking up from a restful sleep and sweet dreams.peacesign-energybarPUSHAN MUDRA

This Brain Buddy is really fun! It’s great for concentration, memorization, and will improve your mood. It is also a body energizer.

Just ask silently for what you want to do, breathe…and let your brain do the rest. Perfect as a study enhancer.

Right Hand: Join the tips of ring and little finger, and thumb, with your pointer and middle finger standing up. It’s kind of like a peace sign, except that your pointer and middle finger are held together, and not in a V-shape.

Left Hand: Join the tips of middle and ring finger with thumb. Your pointer and pinky fingers will stick up like an energy bar.

The Marvels of Meditation

School can be mega-stressful. New teachers and schedules, the never-ending pile of homework, tons of after-school activities. Add in the social stuff – friends, crushes, and finding the right outfit every morning? So. Overwhelming. Fortunately, we here at YogaKids have a tip to share that can make your life a little easier. And it’s so easy. It’s… doing nothing.

Ok, so technically, it’s not “nothing.” It’s “meditating.” Meditation isn’t just for monks and gurus. It’s for anyone interested in making life come with more joy and ease.

The dictionary defines meditation as “the act of spending time in quiet thought.” It’s been used in yoga and religious practices around the world since ancient times. And there’s a good reason for that. Meditating for just ten minutes twice a day can reap powerful benefits. It can quiet your mind, relax your body, and decrease anxiety. It can improve your relationships, test-taking talents, and even your athletic performance.

Ok – so meditation is great. But how do you do it? You just sit in a comfortable position. You can open your eyes or close them. You can listen to music when you do it, too — as long as it’s quiet and comforting. (And, you know, with no lyrics to guide your thoughts towards that person you’ve been crushin’ on.)

And that’s it. The idea is to clear your mind. That’s impossible to do, of course. We’re all thinking creatures and we can’t just turn off our brains. But that’s ok. Let the thoughts come in your head, acknowledge them, and then let them fly back out. Don’t hang on to them. And – this one is important — don’t judge them.

Oh – and one more thing. Although it sounds super-simple, it can be hard at first. Sitting still and doing nothing? Most people aren’t used to doing that. It can seem boring and lame at first. You’ll probably feel a bit silly too. But give it a try and stick with it for a week.

You might just be amazed at what a bit of nothing can do…

New Beginnings

Graphic: Happy New Year

I am met by five sets of bright eyes, all expectantly waiting to begin our yoga practice in the New Year! The list of things to do during our class runs through my mind as I set up. Will we work with our breathing buddies? Practice yummy ohms (oh so loud and silly)? Play a game we create on the spot? The answer most resoundingly is yes to all of these ideas. But there is something more I hope to impart to my little yogis along with movement and fun activities.

All of the above are things we want to do in our class. This can be likened to New Year’s resolutions of what we want to try to accomplish in the coming year. Most resolve to lose weight, exercise more, plan places to go, decide on items to buy. Instead of these goals, I’ve thought about working on becoming the type of person I’d like to be in the new year.

It begins with a self-assessment from which arise goals not of material or physical improvements but more deeply satisfying spiritual gains. Instead of looking for outward tangible signs of achievement, look inward to developing traits to become a better person.

When I share yoga with children I hope to embody an example of a caring, understanding and supportive teacher. How can I hopefully display these attributes? I look back on a previous article on the topic of Patience. To show patience, I have to be patient with myself first.  The same may be said of these other valuable qualities. By exhibiting compassion and empathy to myself I can more likely show it towards others.

The children look to me for learning flow series, guidance in postures, and sharing fun games. I hope I also provide much more by example, using kind words and patient understanding during our classes. Build awareness of how the children interact with myself and with each other.  Notice how they are feeling and it will help in responding with appropriate actions and words. Encourage this behavior by pointing out signs of understanding, kind-heartedness and support displayed by the children.

Inclusion of behaviors such as kindness, helpfulness, and empathy can be a good beginning. Add to them a listening ear, a hopeful outlook, and calm words. And do not forget to be nurturing to the self as well as to others in the months ahead!

Family Connection

Three Children Laughing and Singing

Around the holidays we get the opportunity to see family and friends we have not seen in a while. After the initial excitement wears off, the kids are often looking for something to do. If it is cold, outdoor activities are limited. That is when we can pull out some yoga! The beauty of yoga is that it does not require a lot of space to do, it can be quiet (which I love), promotes cooperation and family connection (which I also love).

Partner and group poses are especially fun to do. We like to share yoga poses with our friends that might not do yoga on their own. My daughter may do a pose with her cousin, or we may pull all the cousins into a room to do a few poses together. Since many people associate balance poses with yoga, it is great to start with Tree pose. After everyone tries to balance on one foot, we then come together in a circle, press the palms of our hands against our neighbor’s and help each other balance on the opposite foot. This is a great subtle lesson to support each other while improving physical balance.

Once the kids are excited for yoga, we move to some poses that feel good. In Standing Partner Stretch, two kids stand back to back and take hold of each other’s hands, then step forward a tiny step and gently lean away until both people feel a stretch in the chest and shoulders. Cooperation and trust are essential for the success of this pose.

Sit & Twist is another great pose. This one is done sitting on the floor facing a partner. The right arm reaches forward and the left wraps behind your back – then reach forward and find the arm your partner put behind their back. Breathe and twist.  While seated, try Row Your Boat pose. Balance on your sit bones and lift your legs off the floor. This pose strengthens the stomach, back and shoulders. Now try it with your partner, face your partner, feet touching, hold each other hands and with cooperation and communication, lean back, lengthen your legs and press the bottoms of your feet to your partner’s. Hold tight and stay afloat in partner boat.

From boat pose, keep holding hands but bring the feet to the outside of the arms and allow the legs to open and come to the floor preparing for Seesaw Triangle pose. One partner leans forward while the other leans back. After a few breaths, switch and then gently rock each other back and forth. What a fun way to stretch the legs!

These are just a few partner yoga poses, but there are so many more! You can also turn many yoga poses into partner poses with a little creativity! So, turn the television and video games off this holiday season and do a little yoga instead. It will benefit your children physically and mentally, and will help foster family connection and healthy relationships! Learn all these poses in the book, YogaKids: Educating the Whole Child, available in the YK Shop!

YogaKids Poses:

  •   Forest of Trees
  •   Standing Partner Stretch
  •   Sit and Twist
  •   Row Your Boat
  •   Seesaw Triangle

Create and teach family connection as a Certified YogaKids Teacher!

 

“I am the Light” Meditation

Hannakah Lights

 

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with this free meditation from YogaKids co-founder Don Wenig.