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What is
yOgaMini Project?
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yOgaMini
Project is a children’s yoga program, which is
specifically tailored for children aged 5-12
years, at the kid clubs, schools, kinder gardens
and children development centers.
The aim of this project is to help enhance
children’s physical and neurological skills
starting from small ages and help develop a
harmonious living containing a healthy body, a
peaceful mind and totally balanced soul.
yOgaMini
Project is developed in 2004 by gathering information
from several different resources, with the
support of researches and experiences of
children’s yoga instructors, under the advisory
of Mr. N. V. Raghuram, international coordinator
of Vivekananda Yoga University. Adapting the
practices about children’s yoga to our country, yOgaMini
Project aims to introduce yoga to children in a
systematic way and a correct approach.
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Target
Age
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Yoga programs for children and teens can be
developed for different age groups: Babies,
toddlers and 3’s, pre-schoolers (ages 4-6),
elementary (ages 7-9), pre-teens (ages 10-12),
teens up to 18 and teens over 18.
Ideal age group for yOgaMini
Project is 5-12. Individual yOgaMini
Programs can be developed separately for
different age groups starting from age 3,
following the main structure of the yOgaMini
program as explained in the following sections.
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Duration
for lessons
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According to the attention span of different
age groups, duration of lessons are explained
below:
| 5-6 years |
7-9 years |
10-12 years |
| 25-30 minutes |
35-40 minutes |
45-50 minutes |
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Materials
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Comfortable clothes are needed for the
children while doing yoga. Other materials used
are yoga mats, stuffed animals, balloons,
pillows, eye bags, blankets etc.
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Where
do yOgaMini
Lessons take place?
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| İstanbul-Asian side: |
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Bubbles Kid’s Corner |
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Düşler Şatosu-Anadolu |
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Milenyum Çocuk Klübü |
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Sihirli Park Anaokulu |
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Kita Yetenek Geliştirme Merkezi |
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Club bodymind, Çigdem Goker-Kalamış |
| İstanbul-European side: |
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Adil Çocukevi, Yeniköy |
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Denizatı Çocuklar Evi, Bahçeşehir |
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Garden and City Party House, Boğazköy |
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Düşler Şatosu-Avrupa |
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Enka Okulları,Neslihan İskit-Gülbin Kınık,
Maslak (halen uygulanıyor) |
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İpek Darga Yoga Merkezi, Mehveş Özel, Etiler (halen uygulanıyor) |
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Joyfull House, Etiler |
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Kemerburgaz spor merkezi, Kemerburgaz |
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Süper Çocuk Evi, Levent |
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Alp Anaokulu, Kemerburgaz |
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Maya Yoga,Hikmet Sezgin,
Bahçeşehir (halen uygulanıyor) |
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Elma Şekeri, Ortaköy |
| South Africa, Durban: |
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Glenashley Children’s Library |
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Umhlanga College Prep-school |
| İzmir: |
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B-fit Urla- 2008 yOgaMini Summer school |
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’bir’ yoga stüdyosu- www.biryogastudyosu.blogspot.com |
Gönüllü yOgaMini Projesi Dersleri: |
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Geleceğin Çocukları Vakfı, İstanbul |
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80.Yıl Gazi İ.Ö.O volunteer yOgaMini lessons, İzmir |
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About
Lessons
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1 or 2 yoga lessons are adviced weekly. One
yOgaMini Project package offers 6 lessons. This
is the minimum time to observe the effect of
yoga on a child. After the first six lessons a
child can continue yoga with attending another
6-lesson yOgaMini Project package.
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The yOgaMini
project comprises more than 80
positions, movements and asanas. Yoga
postures in the yOgaMini project are
inspired by 4 categories: Nature,
animal, people and objects. |
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During
each lesson, around 10-15 exercises are
introduced and practiced with the help
of stories, games and music. In all
lessons, warming up exercises (story
time and saluting sun), asanas, games,
relaxation, breathing are practiced. |
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yOgaMini
program flow consists of creativity,
observation, relaxation and turning to
inner self by closing eyes. |
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One yoga topic is introduced each lesson. |
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Mats are
arranged in the form of sun; kids face
each other while practicing yoga
barefoot or with socks. |
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Kids
double up for some games and group for
other activities. At least one or two
group activities are held at the end of
each lesson. |
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Educational talks and yoga stories are
told, also conversations about nature,
life, behaviors. |
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Who are yOgaMini Project Instructors?
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yOgaMini Project Parts
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yOgaMini
program consists of 4 main parts which are
explained below.
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Part 1
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yOgaMini
letters: Letters are made of asanas and
performed in the beginning of the session 3
times for concentration and warm up. (5 minutes)
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Part 2
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A. Story Time (And/Or Saluting The Sun)
Story time and/or saluting the sun
(Suryanamaskar) is used for warm up. For story
time, several yoga poses and asanas are used.
(10 minutes)
Saluting the sun is made of 12 positions
including relaxation, cobra and dog poses.
(10 minutes)
B. Asanas
Steady yoga postures which are performed
without movement.
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Part 3
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Group Poses and Games: (10 Minutes)
Sencronized yoga postures performed by
doubling up or grouping. This part takes
around 10 minutes. |
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Part 4
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A. Relaxation and Meditation
Consists of 6 Steps, it takes around 10 minutes.
| B. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises can also be
practiced during relaxation and
meditation. It takes around 5 minutes.
All the asanas,
movements and positions used in the
yOgaMini project can be arranged
according to the age groups and levels
of the children.
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yOgaMini Projesi Teacher Training 2010
1.Ayşe Ay
2.Aylin Okumuş
3.Beyza Şekerci
4.Ceyda Bozaba
5.Ceylan Kutup
6.Çiğdem Göker
7.Deniz Şanlı
8.Ferzan Karaduman
9.Pervin Yanıker
10.Sibel Adil
11.Sinem Adil
12.Mürvet Sermin Tekincan
13.Özlem Çelikdal Ürer
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yOgaMini Social Responsibility Projects
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Karma yoga is; chosing to take
actions without attaching to the fruits or results of the actions.
Volunteering is to take action and help people other than family members,
without expecting anything in return. With yOgaMini Social Responsibility
Projects, we choose the way of ‘Karma Yoga’ and we aim to help and support
children’s education in Turkey and
abroad by sponsorships, by |
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volunteraly giving
yOgaMini classes and giving education at
schools about environmental awareness with
TEMA Foundation (www.tema.org.tr). |
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***Please write to
beste@yOgaMini.com if you are interested
in supporting any of the yOgaMini Social Responsibility Projects***
‘I arrived at Beste's Yoga classes because I was having heavy back problems which I could not solve with my fitness programm, and the numerous orthopedists I saw recommended me yoga. Of course, I had heard of yoga but not learned about it. I found out Yoga is not just a "sport" it is a whole "way of living", of thinking. I think Beste is a very good teacher because not only she radiates such positive energy, but she also explains alot about what we are doing, other ways of doing it and we are always learning new things. The lessons are never boring, there is always a new element coming into place. I hate having to miss a lesson because I notice it straight away on my back. Now I have to leave the country, so I will be missing my yoga with Beste; it is just not the same when you are alone at home but I think I got a good base to be able to do some yoga at home on my own.
I leave a different person : much less back problems and a whole new way of perceiving life with my senses much more in action and my stress hormones less active !!
Thank you, thank you, thank you and again thank you for being such a great yoga teacher, a great person, radiating so much positive energy, just stay yourself.’
June 2009, Valerie Indlekofer
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‘I really look forward to Beste's yoga classes. Even when I feel tired before, after my weekly yoga class I feel more invigorated. I find her to be very professional, she definitely knows what she is teaching.
I am glad I found the class and I go to great lengths to attend every week...it's a must!’
April 2009, Kate Oakley
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