I am always searching for genuine, real-life experiences for my children in Spanish. I like to use products that aren't particularly designed to teach them Spanish, but used to live in Spanish.
I was so excited to try Umbral Yoga by Lina Navia. I went to her website and saw this wonderful preview of the yoga class for children in Spanish from her DVD.
Lina's soothing voice instantly captured the attention of my children. She takes them on adventures to the beach, flying to visit Africa and the farm. My girls favorite part is acting like a lion and then putting him to sleep. The DVD uses sound effects to help the kids imagine (roaring lion, trumpeting elephant, waves at the beach, etc). It has the perfect variety of fast and slow movements, soft and loud sounds, that kept my girls full attention for the 26 minute class. My girls were all trying each pose even if it was difficult. They practice balance, focus and strength.
At the end of the DVD, I was amazed how my children relaxed completely. I have never seen them lay so still (except when they are asleep!). I did the class beside them and I even felt a little sore after doing this exercise with my children (la bicicleta y remando el barco gets your abs!). The adult work-out of 49 minutes is another bonus with the DVD. I highly recommend this product for children learning Spanish. Children who are just learning Spanish will be able to watch and follow her simple instructions. They will learn animal vocabulary, colors and be able to follow instructions.
I loved interviewing Lina and understanding why she decided to create yoga in Spanish for children in the US. She felt that there is so much offered in English, but not in Spanish. She mentioned why she feels yoga is important for children. She said, "What I like about yoga is that it is a non-competitive way to exercise and an opportunity to connect with themselves. Yoga gives them the chance to relax in a way because it connects them with their own bodies and their breath." We talked about how important it is for children to build confidence in themselves and their bodies. This will especially be important as they grow older and become teenagers. I plan on doing this exercise with my girls at least weekly. Learn more about Lina Navia by clicking here.
Want to win a Umbral Yoga DVD by Lina Navia?
Here is how to enter this giveaway contest:
*Go here and come back to this post, make a comment telling us one thing you learned about Umbral Yoga or Lina Navia
Want additional entries?
After submitting your first entry you can do the following:
-Become a facebook fan of Wanna Jugar with Migo page (you must already be a part of facebook). Click on the Become a fan button on the right side bar. Come back to this post and make another comment saying you are a fan.
-Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and receive 2 more entries in the contest. Remember to come back to this post and make 2 more comments with a link to your blog entry.
-Become a follower of this blog. Make a comment telling us that you follow our blog (even if you are already a follower)
Giveaway ends Sunday, April 11th at 10 pm Central Time.
Contest Rules- You can enter only up to five times for the contest by doing each one of the instructions above. The winner will be chosen randomly by random.org. Comments must provide a name, no completely anonymous. Only USA addresses, sorry. After I announce the winner , the winner must e-mail me within 72 hours to get the prize. If you provide an e-mail, we will e-mail you.
*If you think you will not check back when we announce winners, please e-mail me at wannajugarwithmigo [at] gmail [dot] com with your e-mail or include your e-mail with your comments so I can send you an e-mail that you win. In the past, winners have lost out on products they win because they didn't respond.
