| The National Association for Sport and Physical | | | | swimming, which only rotates about 65 percent of |
| Education recommends that elementary children | | | | the body's potential movement. |
| accumulate 30-60 minutes of age and | | | | Other forms of exercise like jogging, for example, |
| developmentally-appropriate physical activity from a | | | | improve circulation but do not directly benefit all our |
| variety of activities every day and should not have | | | | internal organs like animal frolicking. |
| extended periods of inactivity. | | | | Imitating animals will assist in the natural development |
| As a parent; avid practitioner of many forms of | | | | of your child's body. That may be sleek and graceful |
| exercise (jogging, walking, swimming, bicycling, | | | | like a deer, trim and strong like a tiger, quick and agile |
| weightlifting, and more); and Master Teacher of | | | | like a monkey, or bulky and powerful like a gorilla. But |
| many forms of yoga, t'ai chi, and qigong, it's my | | | | it won't be overweight and out of shape. |
| personal and professional opinion that part of every | | | | While having fun pretending to be these chi animals, |
| child's exercise program include the most ancient and | | | | your children are naturally and easily developing their |
| practiced forms of physical, mental, and energetic | | | | bodies and minds. |
| exercises in the world-yoga, t'ai chi, and qigong. | | | | A third grade teacher in America said, "I feel the |
| According to one Chinese Master, they are the most | | | | deep breathing, flexibility, balance and coordination |
| advanced achievement in body exercise and mind | | | | they experienced while doing Tai Chi increased their |
| conditioning ever to be developed. | | | | physical and mental well-being, and enhanced their |
| And, the very first qigong routine ever developed | | | | learning! They came back to class positive, confident |
| was frolicking like or imitating animals. | | | | and focused." |
| Regardless of your condition, age, shape, or size, | | | | Playing along with these special Chi animals improves |
| physical and mental well being are all about moving chi | | | | circulation, which strengthens the immune system. |
| or energy. | | | | With a stronger immune system, your child may |
| And that's what moving, twisting, turning, and | | | | experience less sick days and the sick days they do |
| freezing like a t'ai chi or yoga animal | | | | experience will seem less traumatic. They will have |
| does-STIMULATE, MOVE, and BUILD UP our | | | | more time to play and do the things they love to do |
| ENERGY! | | | | as their physical and emotional well being become |
| Even children experiencing physical and/or mental | | | | stronger and stronger. |
| challenges will benefit from pretending to be a | | | | Yon Lee, a t'ai chi instructor at HarvardUniversity, did |
| powerful animal by simply performing to their own | | | | a study in the 1980s and found that 3rd, 4th, and 5th |
| level of flexibility, capability, and enjoyment. | | | | graders doing tai chi for 30 minutes once a week |
| Many visualization studies show remarkable results | | | | lowered their blood pressure by an average of about |
| can even be realized by children who simply imagine | | | | 10%. |
| and feel like they are moving like an animal while | | | | Afterward, he said, "I feel that you can never be too |
| remaining perfectly still and quiet. | | | | young to learn or do t'ai chi. You don't have to |
| A third grade t'ai chi student said, "Last week you | | | | understand the philosophy of t'ai chi to do t'ai chi. |
| taught me how to feel a ball of energy, so every | | | | Children simply enjoy t'ai chi by doing." |
| night I make a warm red ball of energy and I take it | | | | Playing like animals integrates the mind and body, |
| to sleep with me. I sleep much better now." | | | | skeletal and muscular systems, and left and right |
| Pretending to be powerful, graceful animals provides | | | | brain, resulting in improvements in overall athletic |
| all the benefits of a rigorous workout but, because it | | | | ability and the power to control the body's functions |
| is not strenuous, it has no potentially harmful side | | | | and capabilities. |
| effects. | | | | Children's minds and bodies grow at phenomenal |
| Yoga, t'ai chi, and qigong's health benefits have been | | | | rates, so they are constantly having to work with |
| studied for nearly 2,000 years in China and India. | | | | new and different bodies, making coordination and |
| In the past 20 years, western medical research has | | | | balance a big issue. Research has shown that animal |
| quickly discovered what Chinese medicine has long | | | | frolicking strengthens equilibrium, so your child can |
| realized, that yoga, t'ai chi, and qigong provide more | | | | experience a lifelong gift of balance and coordination. |
| benefits than any other single exercise. | | | | Frolicking is also one of the best relievers of arthritis, |
| That's why they are fast becoming part of America's | | | | which affects many children as well as adults. |
| push towards self help and healing as evidenced by | | | | In addition, a regular practice of animal frolicking can |
| classes offered at Kaiser Permanente Hospitals, the | | | | physiologically ease back pain, improve posture and |
| Mindfulness Program at Stanford University's | | | | bone density, limber up joints, enhance muscle tone, |
| Complementary Medicine Clinic, and Jon Kabat-Zinn's | | | | potentially help with MS, help with ADD and ADHD, |
| Meditation/Yoga Classes at the University of | | | | increase breathing capacity, calm the central nervous |
| Massachusetts Medical Center. | | | | system, help ensure a full range of mobility, and |
| Dr. Kenneth M. Sancier, Ph.D. said, "The main | | | | reduce the amount of stress hormones as well as |
| conclusion from many studies is that Qigong enables | | | | asthma and allergy reactions. |
| the body to heal itself." | | | | Frolicking like graceful, powerful, and magnificent |
| Pretending to be an eagle, bear, tiger, dragon, gorilla, | | | | animals is a safe, fun, and effective way for children |
| deer, and monkey will rotate your children's bodies | | | | to maintain excellent physical and mental health that |
| about 95 percent of the ways they can be rotated. | | | | they will carry into adulthood and help them succeed |
| The next closest western exercise to this is | | | | in all they do! |