Ira Trivedi - Om the Yoga Dog: a Beginners Guide for Children (and their grown-ups)

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First published as My Book of Yoga by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd 2016
Published as Om the Yoga Dog in Great Britain by Puffin Books 2020

Text and illustrations copyright Ira Trivedi, 2016, 2020
Original text design by Kanika Anand

The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted

Illustrations by Mansi Shah

All correspondence to:
Puffin Books
Penguin Random House Childrens
One Embassy Gardens, New Union Square
5 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5DA

ISBN: 978-0-241-44600-3

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To the Gurus

Welcome to Om the Yoga Dog. I am so pleased to introduce Om and his friends to you.

In this day of mobile phones, iPads and distractions galore, yoga is more necessary than ever before, especially for children because habits learnt early on remain with us for a lifetime. In this book we focus on asanas (the postures and movements we perform), but the benefits of yoga transcend the physical. The ultimate benefits of the practice are the concentration, focus and willpower that a young yogi develops.

Through Om and his friends, I have relayed my learnings at the Sivananda Ashram where we follow ancient teachings from the Vedas taught to us by Master Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda. If it wasnt for them and their blessings, this book could never have been written.

Om Shanti.

Namaste! My name is Om and Im a yoga dog. Welcome to my yoga book! Yoga makes you strong, it makes you focused and it gives you unlimited energy to have unlimited fun. Ive been doing yoga since I was a little puppy and in this book I will show you all my favourite asanas, or poses. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy using the book and doing yoga as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The book is divided into four parts

ASANAS (The Postures)
by Om, the yoga dog

PRANAYAMA (Breathing Exercises)
by Prana, the frog

MINDFULNESS
by Moksha, the elephant

We suggest that you (and your grown-up) read each part individually and then refer to the plans at the end of the book to choose which class is best for you.

Before we start the practice of yoga, it is important to warm up the body in the correct way.

Every movement in yoga must be coordinated with the breath. We must use the breath to centre the body and to develop focus.

Sun salutations (or surya namaskars) are technically not asanas, but warm-up exercises that prepare our body for the asana practice.

Each sun salutation consists of 12 steps and while this may seem complicated in the beginning and you may get everything mixed up and twisted, keep at it and I promise that youll be able to do everything perfectly very soon.

Stand with your spine straight and arms relaxed by your side. Inhale deeply and begin.

1. Exhale
   Bring your palms together in prayer position.

1. Inhale
   Stretch your arms back over your head. Keep your knees and elbows straight. Arch your hips forward.

1. Exhale
   Bend forward, bringing your hands or fingers to the floor. Make sure your fingers and toes are in a straight line.

1. Inhale
   Stretch your right leg back. Drop the right knee to the ground. Stretch up and back.

1. Hold your breath
   Bring the left leg back. Bring your body in a straight line as if you are doing a push up.

1. Exhale
   Drop your knees to the ground. Keep the hips up and bring the knees, chest and chin to the ground.

1. Inhale
   Slide up like a cobra. Arch your chest up and bring the head back.

1. Exhale
   Tuck your toes underneath your body and, without moving your hands or feet, bring the hips up. Push the heels towards the floor. You are now in an upside down V.

1. Inhale
   Bring your right foot forward between the hands in line with your fingers and toes. Drop your left knee to the ground and stretch up.

1. Exhale
   Bring your left foot forward, next to the right foot. Bring your forehead towards the knees. Fingers and toes are in a straight line.