I find this concept wonderful for several reasons. Firstly: When I was growing up in Ridgefield, NJ, my older sister Gladys had a friend named Wayne Mellow. All of her friends in high school would constantly tease me. “If you marry Wayne Mellow” they would lovingly yet tauntingly say, “your name will be MarshaMellow, ha, ha, ha.” NOT. As a 7 year old, I would look downward with embarrasssment, and roll my eyes as I thought–not again.

So, as a yoga instructor and child advocate, I was delighted and amused to come across Kelsey Bowman, now 18, who invented a ‘marshmallow launcher’ at the age of 11, with the help of her mom Pat, to help increase the breath capacity of children with leukemia.

The 12 inch acrylic tube that Kelsey and her mom designed helped her and thousands of children, physically, emotionally and socially to receive the life giving gift of being able to strengthen their lung capacity by breathing mini-marshmellows through the tube, as a game, instead of one more therapy have to. To purchase one go to www.kelseyskids.org

Breathing fully and regularly is so crucial for everyone–from newborns to elders. The breath is literally under our nose, and yet, or maybe therefore, we don’t usually pay attention to this life giving sustenance. So when teaching yoga to children in hospitals, schools or at home, we use fun and playful techniques like “Bunny Breath”, “Dizzy’s Trumpet Breath” and “Peace Breath”.

Breathe in. Breath out. Blow out kisses and marshmellows. Enjoy this beautiful day.

Communications are so powerful, profound. We can do it simply by ‘talking’ to one another face to face, on the phone, computer, thoughts, telepathy….I was supposed to do a training this week with Nazreen Omar, CYKT. Those initials mean a Certified YogaKids Facilitator, in Johannesburg, SA, but due to various and sundry different circumstances it didn’t take place. On the day I was supposed to be there, we were thinking of each other, seemingly and supposedly random and unbeknowst to one another. She was meandering on this Saturday afternoon and walked into a local bookstore near her home. She was shocked and delighted to find that as soon as she walked in she was attracted to a 2008 Yoga Planner in the store. When she realized that my husband Don and I had authored this spiral bound calendar she was so tickled and delighted that she immediately texted me. On the other side of this modern world I sat at my bathroom mirror applying lipstick and blush to get ready to go teach yoga to children in New Buffalo, Michigan as part of Kids Day USA. Upon texting me she reminded me that even though I wasn’t there in the flesh, we were obviously hooked up anyway. So it is. So it goes. If you are looking for yoga for children in that part of the world or any part of the world for that matter, please let us know your interest. Contact Nazreen and check our website for training dates in the 2008-2009 time span. Namaste. Let the leaves fall where they may. Colors changing, remembering that the only thing permanent is impermanence.