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Good Night Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Bedtime Story
For kids in early to middle childhood and the lucky people who have to get them to bed Good Night Yoga is both a bedtime story and a series of simple poses for following the natural world as it comes to rest at day's end. Created by the founder of the celebrated Kid Power Yoga program. The birds are flying back now To their homes in the trees. The ladybugs settle softly, Between the butterflies and the bees . . . This bedtime story is so much more than a story. It's a practice for kids and parents to end the day in a calming, mindful way. Turn the page and stretch like a tree, settle softly like a ladybug, float like a cloud, and you'll be dreaming soon. The sun in the sky is going down. And the clouds float by. You'll be dreaming soon.
36 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2015
45 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
About the author
Mariam Gates
10 books27 followersMariam Gates is a passionate and inspiring teacher with over 20 years of experience working with young people. Through the Kid Power Yoga Program she has combined her dedication to teaching yoga with her skills as an educator to guide children in accessing their own inner source of strength, confidence, problem-solving and creativity. Mariam received her Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1997. She taught in the Boston Public Schools and directed the Citizen Schools program in Dorchester, MA, a nationally recognized enrichment program for 9-13 year-olds.
Mariam Gates is a passionate and inspiring teacher with over 20 years of experience working with young people. Through the Kid Power Yoga Program she has combined her dedication to teaching yoga with her skills as an educator to guide children in accessing their own inner source of strength, confidence, problem-solving and creativity. Mariam received her Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1997. She taught in the Boston Public Schools and directed the Citizen Schools program in Dorchester, MA, a nationally recognized enrichment program for 9-13 year-olds.
Mariam Gates on Vinyasa: "I knew right away that this form, this flow, was both asking me to move past my perceived limitations and giving me the means to do so at the same time."
It did not take long for her to understand how powerful this work would also be for children. "It is never to early to deepen your relationship to your body. It is never to early to say 'I can do it!" In KidPower Yoga we encourage students to expand both physically and mentally to see their own truly great potential as human beings.
The Kid Power Yoga Program has been taught in the Boston and Lexington Public Schools and as a Professional Development Series for public school teachers: (YOGA 101)Yoga off the Mat: Bringing Yoga into the Classroom Setting - with a waiting list for all sessions. Mariam and her work have been featured in Yoga Journal, Boston magazine, the Boston Herald, Alternative Health Magazine, and on television and presented at Esalen Institute, Big Sur CA and Wanderlust Festivals in the US. Child magazine described Mariam as a "central figure" in the children's yoga movement.
Kid Power Yoga Teacher Trainings are now being offered nationally and now the KPY Training Materials are also available!
Mariam and her husband, author and teacher, Rolf Gates Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga now call Santa Cruz CA home and travel regularly with their two children throughout the United States and abroad offering workshops, teacher trainings and week-long intensives in Vinyasa Yoga and the principles of alignment.
Mariam Gates is a passionate and inspiring teacher with over 20 years of experience working with young people. Through the Kid Power Yoga Program she has combined her dedication to teaching yoga with her skills as an educator to guide children in accessing their own inner source of strength, confidence, problem-solving and creativity. Mariam received her Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1997. She taught in the Boston Public Schools and directed the Citizen Schools program in Dorchester, MA, a nationally recognized enrichment program for 9-13 year-olds.
Mariam Gates on Vinyasa: "I knew right away that this form, this flow, was both asking me to move past my perceived limitations and giving me the means to do so at the same time."
It did not take long for her to understand how powerful this work would also be for children. "It is never to early to deepen your relationship to your body. It is never to early to say 'I can do it!" In KidPower Yoga we encourage students to expand both physically and mentally to see their own truly great potential as human beings.
The Kid Power Yoga Program has been taught in the Boston and Lexington Public Schools and as a Professional Development Series for public school teachers: (YOGA 101)Yoga off the Mat: Bringing Yoga into the Classroom Setting - with a waiting list for all sessions. Mariam and her work have been featured in Yoga Journal, Boston magazine, the Boston Herald, Alternative Health Magazine, and on television and presented at Esalen Institute, Big Sur CA and Wanderlust Festivals in the US. Child magazine described Mariam as a "central figure" in the children's yoga movement.
Kid Power Yoga Teacher Trainings are now being offered nationally and now the KPY Training Materials are also available!
Mariam and her husband, author and teacher, Rolf Gates Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga now call Santa Cruz CA home and travel regularly with their two children throughout the United States and abroad offering workshops, teacher trainings and week-long intensives in Vinyasa Yoga and the principles of alignment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
March 25, 2016
Edit: upgraded to five stars as the Lo loves this book. We do the asanas in this book ( along with the reading) atleast three times everyday.. I am planning to get the goodmorning yoga book
so that she doesnt make me read ( and do) the night-time yoga asanas during the day!
so that she doesnt make me read ( and do) the night-time yoga asanas during the day!
October 21, 2019
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I’m not a huge yoga fan but the poses presented seem easy and appropriate for all ages.
This seems like a great bedtime book and a great relaxation book, though there needs to be a reader for the listener to get full benefit. Independent readers can both read and do but not as well as if someone is reading aloud. This would be a great audio book; I don’t know if there is an audio edition.
I appreciate that various kids are shown in the illustrations. The pictures fit the book and the colors are interesting. The art style would not be my favorite if out of context but I like it well enough here, and I think that most kids will enjoy the illustrations.
I appreciate the included illustrated additional pages at the end that have a “The Good Night Yoga Flow” and the “Cloud Journey Visualization” instructions.
For achieving a state of calm and especially for being ready for sleep at bedtime, this book is worth a try! Recommended for children (and adults) for helping be ready for sleep and for relaxation. Great idea for a picture book!
This seems like a great bedtime book and a great relaxation book, though there needs to be a reader for the listener to get full benefit. Independent readers can both read and do but not as well as if someone is reading aloud. This would be a great audio book; I don’t know if there is an audio edition.
I appreciate that various kids are shown in the illustrations. The pictures fit the book and the colors are interesting. The art style would not be my favorite if out of context but I like it well enough here, and I think that most kids will enjoy the illustrations.
I appreciate the included illustrated additional pages at the end that have a “The Good Night Yoga Flow” and the “Cloud Journey Visualization” instructions.
For achieving a state of calm and especially for being ready for sleep at bedtime, this book is worth a try! Recommended for children (and adults) for helping be ready for sleep and for relaxation. Great idea for a picture book!
October 22, 2017
A sweet bedtime story that is so much more than an ordinary bedtime story, Good Night Yoga, by Mariam Gates, and illustrated by Sarah Jane Hinder, will help not only children prepare for bedtime, but provides a calming, relaxing time for parents, too. I wish I had had this book when my daughter was little.
The book provides short sentences suitable for children that encourage them to do relaxing stretches and breathing (along with mom or dad). At the end is a brief relaxation technique to read to your child that helps them to regulate their breathing, and begin to feel sleepy. I believe I'll try it myself!
Hinder's illustrations are some of the most beautiful I have seen in a while. Children will love them. You will, too. Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.
The book provides short sentences suitable for children that encourage them to do relaxing stretches and breathing (along with mom or dad). At the end is a brief relaxation technique to read to your child that helps them to regulate their breathing, and begin to feel sleepy. I believe I'll try it myself!
Hinder's illustrations are some of the most beautiful I have seen in a while. Children will love them. You will, too. Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.
October 1, 2015
This is a beautifully illustrated primer on basic yoga poses for children and adults.
In each page the reader is introduced to a yoga pose appropriate to do before bedtime. I enjoyed seeing many racially diverse children in the book , and that the author had researched the proper way to do each pose. The art in this book is so atmospheric. You can feel the relaxation through tge pages!
I also enjoyed the bedtime meditation at the end of the book.
Children take to yoga very easily and this book can be a great evening ritual to help them relax and prepare for sleep.
In each page the reader is introduced to a yoga pose appropriate to do before bedtime. I enjoyed seeing many racially diverse children in the book , and that the author had researched the proper way to do each pose. The art in this book is so atmospheric. You can feel the relaxation through tge pages!
I also enjoyed the bedtime meditation at the end of the book.
Children take to yoga very easily and this book can be a great evening ritual to help them relax and prepare for sleep.
November 1, 2019
I am a yoga enthusiast and have done this for many years. This book was a sweet, capsule intro for the smallest members of the family. The art work illustrations are colorful and inviting for the little ones. Unfortunately, I do not have anyone young enough nearby to appreciate it, but I can see how really young children would enjoy this.
August 6, 2017
My niece enjoys this book. It asks you to do some simple yoga to get ready for bed while reading the story. She likes to make up her own poses and she still likes this one. I think the art is beautiful.
June 1, 2019
Super cute ! Would be fun to do with a three year old.
December 27, 2017
I thought this was very good. A series of relaxing yoga poses with a somehow cheesy text. I liked it and we followed it once, but after that I have offered it to my daughter a few times and every time she said she preferred something else. Eventually she said she finds it too calm and with no excitement. I guess that means the book did its job.
June 15, 2015
A simple bedtime yoga sequence geared towards kids but I think anyone can dig it. Beautiful illustrations, peaceful meditations and don't miss the kitty hiding on each page.
September 30, 2015
This book made me excited. I just wish I had a child to share it with. Such a cool idea.
October 6, 2019
I definitely think that this would be helpful to the hurricane child. A diverse bunch of children demonstrate the key position of each pose, while a verse describes the flow and the recommended thoughts to accompany each. I like the connections to nature as different animals, clouds, etc. also got ready for sleep.
I like the kids, and the fact that they could be as young as 3 or as old as 10, so any youngster can enjoy the book. I like the bonus meditation exercise to do after being tucked in. And I like the summary of the poses at the end (I'd love to buy a poster of them).
This is like Yoga Frog only in some ways even better.
I like the kids, and the fact that they could be as young as 3 or as old as 10, so any youngster can enjoy the book. I like the bonus meditation exercise to do after being tucked in. And I like the summary of the poses at the end (I'd love to buy a poster of them).
This is like Yoga Frog only in some ways even better.
May 2, 2019
Good night yoga goes through a nighttime sequence and relates the poses with things going on around children in nature.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was very calming and relaxing to read and I can imagine that following along is even more so. The illustrations were very nice to look at and matched well with the story.
I would use this book in my class to refocus the class if they were ever being rowdy. Although this book is technically for bedtime I think that it can still be adjusted to work any time of day. I would use this sequence as one of my brain brakes if they were feeling tired.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was very calming and relaxing to read and I can imagine that following along is even more so. The illustrations were very nice to look at and matched well with the story.
I would use this book in my class to refocus the class if they were ever being rowdy. Although this book is technically for bedtime I think that it can still be adjusted to work any time of day. I would use this sequence as one of my brain brakes if they were feeling tired.
June 2, 2021
A bed time story that incorporates the use of yoga poses and stretching to help relax and put the little one's down for the night to sleep.
June 8, 2017
Mariam Gates (of Kids Power Yoga) has written a very do-able yoga story, which includes helpful descriptions of each pose suggested by the story. As a read-aloud, this book may best be read in tandem, with one reader sharing the story, and the other using the provided narrative to lead the yoga poses. The illustrations by Sarah Jane Hinder are fanciful, but spot-on for this engaging addition to story-time literature, especially for those who offer Movement Story Times.
September 27, 2017
Excellent book for the children who have difficulties settling down for bedtime. Unwinding an hour or half hour without electronics or t.v. is a good thing, but how about some gentle yoga moves. Reading together and exercising together to slow down the body and mind. Having good night time rituals for the young is a good habit to establish. I think... I need this title for my bookshelves.
November 1, 2016
A great book to help introduce yoga to children. Kids will love to try the yoga movements that are illustrated on each page. This book would be great for daycare teachers who are looking for activities to do with the children.
December 14, 2018
I've been gifting a copy of this for each family of my niece and nephews and they adore it. This has become part of the nightly routine and each time guarantees a quick drift off to sleep. The youngest to participate is under two, but even he really got into it.
Cannot recommend enough!
Cannot recommend enough!
August 18, 2018
This book is very cute and I love the illustrations. My daughter loves the hidden cats on each page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2018
We read this book every night and my four year old remembers all of the poses. She asks for this book again and again.
May 24, 2020
This is in the child section of the store. For a novice yoga practitioner, this was detailed. Each pose is drawn and explained. Each pose has a paragraph explaining the pose.
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July 26, 2025Appreciate that there are descriptions of the poses at the end of the book. I wasn't sure what a couple of them were supposed to be as I read the story.
March 23, 2019
The story would make a confusing readaloud because there are two competing narratives on each page: the large text story in rhyming verse, and then the yoga instructions which are in beautifully poetic verse stanzas that don’t rhyme. As a storyteller, I would be crazy confused about how to read this. Two times? Or once through and break up the rhyme with the non-rhyming yoga instructions? What were the authors expecting here?
Other than that, the writing is fab; both narratives are excellent as is the accompanying yoga instruction and visualization technique at the end. I just wish I knew how to handle this as a read aloud. I am thinking of doing the yoga first, then while kids do their visualization, I will go back through and read the cute little story, uninterrupted.
Other than that, the writing is fab; both narratives are excellent as is the accompanying yoga instruction and visualization technique at the end. I just wish I knew how to handle this as a read aloud. I am thinking of doing the yoga first, then while kids do their visualization, I will go back through and read the cute little story, uninterrupted.
September 26, 2016
Our nanny brought this over one night and I don't know how it went with them (I assume great!) but for us it was a fun read. However, we do our reading at night in the rocking chair or bed so we didn't actually practice the poses :D BUT I think it's illustrated very lovely and has a wonderful theme to it that works even if you don't do the poses.
January 11, 2016
What a fabulous book for young kids.
A great introduction to yoga with poses for helping kids relax and stretch before bed time.
What a smart and interesting concept for the author to come up with and the illustrations are beautiful and engaging.
Definitely worth sharing with your children.
A great introduction to yoga with poses for helping kids relax and stretch before bed time.
What a smart and interesting concept for the author to come up with and the illustrations are beautiful and engaging.
Definitely worth sharing with your children.
September 8, 2018
With beautiful illustrations and simple explanations, this is a wonderful way to introduce kids to a gentle yoga practice, or just help them calm their bodies down before going to bed. There's a simple but lovely guided meditation included, as well.
January 2, 2016
Cute, but the pictures are much better than the accompanying words.
August 30, 2015
Read through this quickly at the bookstore awhile ago. I think it would be great for helping kids to power down at night. Will look into buying when I have older kids.
September 7, 2015
Simple and sweet storybook introduction to yoga for wee ones. Would like to try it out with a child! Also includes text for a guided relaxation at the end.
January 23, 2022
The two story lines which occur at the same time are very conflicting and make the peaceful illustrations seem confused and disjointed. I was unclear about how to read this book because of this.
March 8, 2020
Cool book. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews