What is yOgaMini Project?
Target Age
Duration for lessons
Materials
Where do yOgaMini Lessons take place?
About Lessons
Who are yOgaMini Project Instructors?
yOgaMini Project Parts
    Part 1
    Part 2
    Part 3
    Part 4
yOgaMini Social Responsibility Projects

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:
Bubbles Kid’s Corner
Düşler Şatosu-Anadolu
Milenyum Çocuk Klübü
Sihirli Park Anaokulu
Kita Yetenek Geliştirme Merkezi
İstanbul-European side:
Adil Çocukevi, Yeniköy
Denizatı Çocuklar Evi, Bahçeşehir
Garden and City Party House, Boğazköy
Düşler Şatosu-Avrupa
Enka Okulları, Maslak
İpek Darga Yoga Merkezi, Etiler
Joyfull House, Etiler
Kemerburgaz spor merkezi, Kemerburgaz
Süper Çocuk Evi, Levent

Gönüllü yOgaMini Projesi Dersleri:
Geleceğin Çocukları Vakfı: İstanbul’da yOgaMini Projesi ekibinin 8-12 yaş 28 erkek çocuğa çocuk yogası dersleri vermeye başlamıştır. Ayrıntılı bilgiyi ‘yOgaMini toplumsal projeler’ bölümünde bulabilirsiniz.

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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.

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.
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.
yOgaMini program flow consists of creativity, observation, relaxation and turning to inner self by closing eyes.
One yoga topic is introduced each lesson.
Mats are arranged in the form of sun; kids face each other while practicing yoga barefoot or with socks.
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.
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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 Divya Beste Dolanay
 Dr. Neslihan İskit
 Mehveş Özel
 Hikmet Sezgin

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yOgaMini Project Parts
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yOgaMini program consists of 4 main parts which are explained below.

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 Social Responsibility Projects
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Target: yOgaMini Social Responsibility Projects: These Projects create funds for children who are in need in Africa and Turkey mainly for supporting their education.


2008-2009 Projects:

1.yOgaMini-Future Children Foundation Volunteer Project : In 2008, we have started giving volunteer yOgaMini classes for the children at this orphanage/foundation in order to support them physically, mentally and spiritually, and help them gain awareness, internal peace and harmony. www.gcv.org.tr
2.yOgaMini-Malawi Sponsorship Project:
With this project, we are sponsoring 10 children for a year at the Nkhwazi School in Likoma İsland, Malawi through the Island Child Project (www.islandchild.co.uk) Please click here for t he photos and details of the children.


***Please write to beste@yOgaMini.com if you are interested in supporting any of the yOgaMini Social Responsibility Projects***

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