Final Wrap Up

Here we are, finished with the “My Space to Be” book club!

I am so thankful that you have followed along.

The next two videos sum up where you can go from here. Watch this one first.

Ok, now watch this one. This is the “closing” track from the album.

If you would like a certificate of completion for 9 Hrs of Professional Development, please send me an email with a photo proving you did at least one with the activities with permission (or not) to share on social media. You can email me here.

OR if your child would like one, whenever they complete the club email me!

Thank you again for giving the book a shot and hopefully you found some tools that are helpful.

Please don’t hesistate to reach out if I can do anything else for you!

Be Kind to yourself and others,

Carrie :)

Week #8 - Take 5 Minutes, Self Love, Snowglobe, Be Still

Here we are on WEEK #8. This summer has flown by and so has this book club! This week has LOTS of activities in it - so we will check-in one more time NEXT week just to make sure you know where to go from here.

The thing about this book is that it is a bit of a workbook, not just something you read one time and then never revisit. It invites you to write, draw, JOURNAL, and to the activities over and over until the pages look worn and well loved.

Let’s start this week with Page 52. “Take 5 Minutes”

There is a song that goes with this one - it is a DUMP YOUR BRAIN, reflection track. An invitation to draw, write, be creative as you take 5 minutes to just let go of the story playing in your mind.

This uses pages 52-75. In this section there are pages to write your own yoga song, create a new sequence and color a yoga pose. Don’t feel like you must do this all this week - it is again something that you can come back to. You can also simply JOURNAL in your own diary/journal while you listen to the track.

“Self Love” is next, pages 76-77. This has a track and visuals in the book that make it pretty easy to follow along with. This is done 100% on the floor so it is a nice calming one to try before bed or when you are feeling a little less than yourself.

It is easy to get lost in negative ideas and self doubt. Sometimes you may find that you’re comparing yourself to others or striving to be more of something, less of something, better at something or just different than what you think you are. When you feel your inner critic spreading negative thoughts through your mind, you can pause, breathe, and practice self love.

Take a moment to lie down on the floor with your knees bent hip distance apart. Close your eyes and give this song a try. Listen and follow along with pages 76-77.

After complete pages 78-79. There is another tracker you can use this week (and beyond) each time you practice self love. You fill in a heart - reminding you to BE KIND TO YOU.

On page 80 you will have a place to practice that self love and kindness. Here is a space to write “5 Kind Things I can say to myself”.

I am….

The next 2 songs on the album are slow and relaxing. They are intended to be done seated or laying down. “The Snow Globe” is a great visual I like to use in my classes to help you see how things can soften and settle when they are given time and a safe place to do so. On page 81-84 of the book you will find activities associated with this track.

Take a listen to The Snow Globe where you stream music from or here.

Then complete the activities on pages 82-84.

The final activity to try this week is Be Still. Be Still is the savasana track. It is how yoga classes always end. Becoming aware of your body’s need for rest and quiet is part of growing up. Your schedule will become more full as you age and learning to take time just to quiet your body and mind will be essential to your overall health.

Try to find the quiet inside. Lay down on the floor and Be Still.

There is a song to go with this one sung by Rebecca Douglas. Take a listen where you stream your music or you can listen here.

After this you can complete the following pages. 87-89. Though remember there is a lot this week. So take your time and I will check back in with everyone next week to see how it went!

Week #7 - Hike the Woods, 3 Small Sounds

This week is about getting outside in nature. Hiking a trail can be a such a relaxing, calming experience. Have you ever heard of Forest Bathing? The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The purpose was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests. I encourage you to pause and take a look at this article to learn more. Or do a quick google search of the term.

We will work on BALANCE poses this week.

• TREE

• EAGLE

• ROCK (a calming grounding pose)

Take a moment to listen to the intro video followed by the full track with words.

Now that you have those 3 poses down. Let’s “Hike the Woods”. Give the track with words a try.

Pay special attention to the phrases:

• Time Slows down, on this trail I found

• Birds sing a song, as I am walking along

• Know in my soul, I’m part of everything

• Forest Bathe

• Find my balance, cares go away

• Beauty within, I know my worth

• Peace in my mind, my body is my home.

• I can breathe and find some space, Anytime I want, I come to this place.

There are so many sensory moments in this song. See what else you can hear. Then talk about about how listening to the world around us helps us stay so much more present and aware. This is a powerful song, not just for the physical benefits of balance, but also reminding us that it is so important to find the peace/quiet/balance in our busy busy world.

Page 47 is the next page to complete. How did you feel before/after you “Hike the Woods”. Maybe ask an adult if this week you can go for a real hike. Here is a link to one of my favorite local trail systems - Audubon State Park. We also like using the nature trails at Friedman Park.

Page 48 is a new tracker. This time you will track balance poses by coloring in one of the trees. Try this track several times this week so that you can continue to color in your trees.

Page 49 is a fun Nature Scavenger Hunt. See if you can find time this week to get outside and complete this activity. This is also a good one to bookmark for fall when it is a bit cooler.

3 Small Sounds - Page 50 is the final activity this week. I know there was a lot. This one is simple and almost like a Listening Game. This one has an audio track - you can listen wherever you stream from or this is the YouTube link.

Complete page 51 of the book sometime this week with your family. Remember this is a game that can be played anywhere.

Pro-tip: Parents or Caregivers - this is an excellent tool to have when a child is having big emotions. If you can get them to calm enough to play with you, it often can bring them down from a meltdown to calming talk after. I use this one a lot as it requires NOTHING to play. No equipment or special space.

That is it for this week! I got a little off on my original schedule for the book club so next week we will have several more activities to cover together and close up the book. I am thrilled that you have joined so far. Please reach out and let me know what has been your favorite!

Week #6 Belly Breath

Here we are Week #6, which brings conflicting emotions for me. I am excited that you are really into the thick of it with the book, but that means also it is almost over! As is summer, it is drawing closer to the end.

My children are older now, tweens and teens. So summer moments are precious now more than ever, as I know that this time with them home is not going to last forever. We have been trying to savor it that last week or so, so I admit — I am a bit behind this week.

We will only be doing a few pages this week,

Flip to page 41.

Belly Breath. A PERSONAL FAVORITE! This is something I do a lot in the regulation room of my school as well as when I push into classrooms to talk about mindfulness. It is SO simple and can literally be done anywhere. So give it a try!

This page has a CD symbol, so that means there is a album track to walk you through it. You can get that wherever you stream your music - or you can listen via YouTube here. (Dont forget to color a WAVE after trying it each time this week).

Give this track a try several times this week, then complete pages 42 and 43. Maybe try it when you are feeling calm, or before bed.

Then try it again when you are having a moment of BIG feelings. Anger, frustration, sadness, or whatever in between.

Practicing breath work when we DON’T need it - is like shooting free throws in the drive way. If we don’t practice before the big game, how will we know how to preform when it is really time. Practicing calming strategies BEFORE you need to use them, is the practice before the game. So maybe even flip back this week and repeat some of your favorites so far!

NEXT —

Page 43 is a fun one. This is where your child or your students get to teach an activity. Giving them more ownership of their experience with the book. Send me a note of how this goes! Maybe even share a photo on social and tag @youthyogaschool or #myspacetobebookclub.

Have a great week!

Week #5 - 5 Count Breath / Face my Obstacles

Welcome back to Summer Book Club. How is it going so far? I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line and let me know how you have used the book so far this summer!

This week we focus on a new breath (color a Wave after trying it). It is on page 30 in the book. Flip there, read along, and take a listen.

This track is available everywhere you stream music or here on YouTube.

After completing that page, it is time for your 1st activity in the journal this week. “My Gratitude 5”. The same why breath can help ground you, finding things in the moment to be grateful for can do the same.

Sometimes it feels like our mind is stuck in a loop of looking for the bad, or what is going wrong. We can break that cycle by REFRAMING our thoughts to positive ones. Try the activity on page 31 and see what you can come up with. Then SHARE a photo of your answers with a family member, friend, or even on Social Media. I would love to see you following along. Here is our Facebook Page.

“Face Your Obstacles” is the next thing I would love for you to try this week. Here is a video walking you through the yoga sequence. Take a minute to watch the intro video.

Now that you have an understanding of the poses you can try it to the music. Pay special attention to the lyrics. It is a powerful song encouraging you to turn inward when obstacles are in your way, or life gets a little hard. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

This track (music and vocal lyrics only) can be found on the album or here on YouTube.

Then turn to pages 37-40 and complete the follow up activities. Take your time and do them over a few days.

Week #4 - Nothing Quite like the Sun

Welcome to week #4. This week we will be trying a sequence of yoga. Several poses added together in a chain to make a Yoga Warmup.

Watch the first video to get an introduction to it.

After watching the introduction video you are ready to try this one with the next video or you can simply stream the music from your favorite device. The track is “Nothing Quite Like the Sun”.

After watching those and giving it a try you are ready for pages 25-29. These are for you to work on this week. The following video helps explain that a bit more.

Week #3- Wake up your Spine / Hit the Pause Button

Welcome back to week 3 of “Space to Be” book club!

This week we add a little movement by learning how to wake up our spine. The first video is simply an introduction to this.

Take a look!

Now that you know what activity is this week - Let’s get your music ready. If you stream music from any of the popular music sites your should be able to use the link below to find your favorite and listen from there.

If not, there is a video on YouTube that you can use.

Click on the button below.

Your goal this week is to Wake Up Your Spine at least one time each day and then decide how to start your morning. Do you like the 5 actions I suggested in the video above?

If so, I also LOVE to add music into my day. How about a DANCE BREAK! Try “Hit the Pause Button” on your own today. It is on page 18 in your book!

You can find the audio for “Hit the Pause Button” where you stream your music or by clicking the YouTube link below.

After you have a little time to dance and have fun complete pages 19-21 on your own. I’ll check in with you later in the week to see how those went!

Week #2 - Space to Breathe

Start this week with this Video.

Watch the Introduction Video first this week.

This is the first activity in the book that will score you one “wave” on the “My Breathing Tracker”. You will color in one of the waves each time you do one of these activities this week. I encourage you to try this breathing activity at least 3 times this week. (Color in a wave each time).

This breathing activity is simple and not difficult to do. This is on purpose.

Often times when we are introduced to breathing practices, they are complicated and don’t feel natural. Many of us don’t like that feeling of discomfort and it causes some to give up.

This breathing activity simply introduces breath awareness and challenges you to have a slow, deep, breathing pattern. What did you think?

Let me know how you did this week, if you have questions or comments add them below!

See you back next week!

Week 1 - Introduction, How to use the book

Welcome to the “My Space to Be” Book Club!

I am so excited you have decided to join us. If you haven’t officially signed up through the Google Form please take a moment to do that here. It helps me get a grasp of the angle I should take the content to best serve you.

1st things 1st: I am Carrie Rice. A little background on me, I am a mother of 3. Two tweens and a teenager. I am married and live in the same city I was born and raised in. I went to college for Secondary Education with concentrations in Social Studies and Health Education. Since then I have continued my education with a 200 hr yoga certification and 95 hr children’s yoga teacher certification. I started and ran 3 successful businesses, 1 of which was a yoga studio…. But my heart has always been in education.

Currently I am a program assistant at an elementary where I run the Regulation Room. I specialize in Emotional Identification and Emotional Regulation. It’s the best job.

I’m thrilled you have purchased my book and want to dive deeper into the activities with me! Ready to get started?

This week’s videos will take you through:

• Step 1: Buy the book

  • AND THANK you for that! This was a passion project for sure and I’m super excited to share it with you.

• Step 2: Learn how to use it, how to build habits with it.

  • This is not a book I want you to read through then set on a shelf and forget about it. It has spiral binding for a reason and no it is NOT cheaper to print it that way. It is because I want it to be a companion. Something that you can take on the go and use daily, like a journal.

• Step 3: Jump in!

  • Click on the Video below to get started!

The video below is your activities for this week, or your “homework”. These are fun and creative this week. Set aside a little time to do them as part of a self-care practice or a family activity!

That is it for your 1st week! See you back here again next week for Week #2 of the Summer Book Club.

Announcing: Summer Book Club

Starting June 4th Carrie Rice will be leading a SUMMER Book Club for her book “My Space to Be'“. Stay tuned for more details!