About the Holiday
World Yoga Day was the idea of Samira Radsi, a yoga teacher from Berlin, Germany, who believed that harnessing the power of yogis worldwide could help the victims of human rights violations. With help from her friend, Bjoern Wyrich, a fellow yoga teacher, she contacted yoga schools across the globe and received positive responses from hundreds of schools. Now each year, yoga teachers, schools, students, and yogis around the world donate time, space, and money to human rights causes.
During the time of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. local time, participating yoga schools hold a session during which everyone devotes all of their thoughts and energy to people who have suffered human rights violations in hope that they will help people feel stronger and more positive. The two-hour time period creates a twenty-four hour yoga marathon of positive energy to support those in need. Any funds raised go to charities that help the victims of injustice. To celebrate, why not seek out a local yoga school or group who is participating in today’s holiday and lend your support?
You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses
By Taeeun Yoo
When the bright, early sun begins to warm the garden, “children all gather / Namaste to the morning.” If you sit back on your heels with your hands on your knees and your tongue sticking out, what are you? “You are a…Lion / King of the jungle / Roaring so loud / Make the woods rumble.”
Copyright Taeeun Yoo, 2012, courtesy of Nancy Paulson Books.
Now, sit up straight and press the bottoms of your feet together while you hold your toes and flap your knees. What are you? “You are a… Butterfly” Feel the breeze as you stretch your wings and flit through the air. What would you be if you stood and bent to touch the ground in front of your feet? You’d be a dog… “Stretch in the sun / Bark at your friend / Ready for fun.”
Copyright Taeeun Yoo, 2012, courtesy of Nancy Paulson Books.
Next try this! Lie on your stomach with your hands near your shoulders and push up. Do you feel like a…Snake? “In the cool grass / Slither and glide / Make a big hiss.” Ready for another one? Great! Crouch down with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on the ground in front of you and hop. You know what you are! A frog!
Copyright Taeeun Yoo, 2012, courtesy of Nancy Paulson Books.
If you kneel down on all fours put your head down and arch your back, do you feel like a…Cat? “Frisky at night / Mew to the moon / Play till it’s light.” Then stand tall with your palms together and your arms stretched high over your head. You’re a mountain, “solid and mighty / Touching the sky.” Finally, lie down on the ground and slowly breathe as you listen to the silence. “Namaste to each other.”
Copyright Taeeun Yoo, 2012, courtesy of Nancy Paulson Books.
Taeeun Yoo’s charming illustrations of a diverse group of children sitting, standing, lying, and crouching in simple yoga positions give way to lush imaginative scenes as the child assumes the personality and traits of the animals in each particular yoga pose. Accompanying these scenes are three-line verses of four syllables each that offer cheerful, spirited descriptions of each animal and make You Are a Lion! as much a picture poetry book as a yoga book.
Copyright Taeeun Yoo, 2012, courtesy of Nancy Paulson Books.
A little girl relaxes in a gold and white field of daisies as the breeze ruffles her ponytails and butterflies flutter around her. A friendly puppy, nose to nose with a little boy, wags his tail, ready to run and leap. A long, coral-colored snake winds through the deep woods, showing a little girl how to demonstrate a regal presence, and a little boy stakes out his spot on a lily pad as frogs hop, leap, and swim among the reeds. As night falls, a girl follows a cat bounding along the strong branch of a tree under a full moon, and a mountain range of children stand tall, each one accompanied by their animal.
You Are a Lion! is a sweet way to introduce yoga to young children as a playful and healthy activity. For families or classrooms who want to entice young children to participate in this nurturing relaxation method, the book would be a welcome addition to their bookshelves.
Ages 3 and up
Nancy Paulson Books, Penguin, 2018 | Board book edition, ISBN 978-0525515128 | Hardcover, 2012 ISBN 978-0399256028
Discover more about Taeeun Yoo, her books, and her art on her website.
World Yoga Day Activity
Yoga Alphabet Coloring Pages
It’s fun to match yoga poses with letters of the alphabet! Grab your crayons and enjoy these yoga-inspired coloring pages then do the poses!
D is for Dog | K is for Kite | W is for Waterfall
Picture Book Review
celebratepicturebooks.com 