• Table of Contents
  • Variety of Dreams by Swami Veda Bharati
  • Unconscious Mind Stays with You by Swami Rama
  • HYT-TTP March 2015 by Maryon Maass
  • Annual Day Celebrations 2015 by HYMC Noida
  • Two Events Intertwine by Joanne Sullivan (Divya)
  • Navaratri (Slideshow) by Jay Prakash Bahuguna)
  • Story about Kashayp Goshal by Swami Veda Bharati
  • Gioco Yoga - Joyful Yoga for Kids by Costanza Viciani and Antonella Panzani
  • Dear Yoga Mentor, My Question Is…
  • Tarkeshwar and Dunagiri by Tacson Fernandez and Rajini Prakash
  • Story about Lala Babu by Swami Veda Bharati
  • Rural Development Initiatives by Sadhana Mishra
  • Dear Swamiji by Gabrielle Allen
  • Council on Yoga Accreditation International by Stephen Parker (Stoma)
  • Inspirations by Meeta Jagtap
  • 2015 Events and Beyond
  • Full Moon Meditation Dates
  • Location of our SRSG ashram
• AHYMSIN Newsletter Archive

Gioco Yoga - Joyful Yoga for Kids

by Costanza Viciani and Antonella Panzani

Since 2014 we have had at Himalayan Yoga Institute of Florence, a course called Gioco Yoga in which we have introduced and oriented people to teaching yoga to children and teens. Gioco Yoga is a short and intense training for school teachers, educators, instructors, parents, yoga teachers and all those who want to utilize yoga in the education fields acquiring a basic understanding of the yoga technique to transmit this discipline to the young people.

The goal is to spread the discipline of yoga in the educational environments like the schools, the family itself, or anywhere it’s possible, in order to stimulate the new generations to grow in harmony with life, to develop awareness of themselves and respect for others.

For many years, we have taught yoga for children at the HYI and yoga in schools at many levels.

For the last three years, the HYI participated with a particular project of the Government of the City of Florence, Italy, called TuttInsieme (All Together). The part of the project assigned at HYI, and that we are still following, is a special laboratory called “Yoga Insieme” (Yoga Together), that was born to help the integration of children with disabilities in the classes in some Florentine schools.

After these important and enriching experiences in different schools of Florence, some teachers expressed the desire to know more about the disciple of yoga to enrich and improve also their approach to teaching. So, we thought to start a course at HYI of Florence called Gioco Yoga. It’s a training divided in 4 workshops that takes place one Sunday a month from January to May. To participate at Gioco Yoga it's required to have some basic yoga experience and/or some knowledge of yoga. During each workshop, we develop the themes of yoga through the main theme of the Eight Steps of Ashtanga Yoga of Patañjali. Participants are exposed to an experiential path of methods and techniques used in teaching yoga for young learners. The adults get to enjoy being children again as they are guided into the fantastic world of yoga through the study of postures, awareness of the breath, practices of relaxation, breathing and concentration presented in a more fun way and through games. 

In February we started the second year of the course Gioco Yoga and, on the base of this experience, we are thinking to begin a two-years Teacher Training Program for Yoga Teachers of Young Learners according to the principles and the teachings of the Masters of Yoga Himalayan Tradition of the Himalayan.

In service

Costanza and Antonella

Editor’s Note:

Costanza Viciani and Antonella Panzani are Himalayan Yoga teachers graduated in 2010 and teachers graduated with the Italian school R.Y.E (Research on Yoga in Education). They teach regularly adults and children at the Himalayan Yoga Institute of Florence – Italy

We invite you to visit the website of Himalayan Yoga Institute of Florence: http://www.himalayaninstitute.it/