Frog's Breathtaking Speech: How children (and frogs) can use yoga breathing to deal with anxiety, anger and tension

by Michael Chissick, Sarah Peacock (Illustrator)

Frog is very worried as he has an important speech to make at his school assembly. The speech is about breathing and he doesn't know a thing about it! He asks his friends for help and they teach him all about the lion breath, the crocodile breath, the humming bee breath and the woodchopper breath. Can any of these breathing techniques calm his nerves before the big speech? This charming illustrated picture book teaches children four yoga breathing techniques in a fun and interactive way. The story successfully increases children's awareness of their breath and shows how breathing can be used to deal with anger, anxiety and tension. Suitable for children aged 4-11. This book will be a great resource for teachers and teaching assistants in mainstream and special needs schools, children's yoga instructors, as well as parents looking for an engaging story to teach their children about coping with difficult emotions and stressful situations.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2012

About the author

For more than two decades I have been teaching yoga in both primary and special needs schools. I continue to be in demand and busy, every week teaching in a regular hub of schools spanning Essex, Hertfordshire and East London.

How privileged I am to have been teaching at one of the schools for twenty-two years and at least ten at some of the others.

Increasingly I am visiting schools all over England to train staff to deliver yoga to their pupils as part of the PE/PSHE curriculum

When I am teaching yoga to children there is more, much more to it than just the yoga.

The right approach starts with clear objectives and knowing how to achieve them.

The right approach means teaching within a structure that will encourage the very best behaviour and participation from the class.

The right approach comes from an understanding of what makes a special needs child special.

The right approach means never giving up trying to encourage a child with autism to get up and perform the sun sequence independently.

The right approach means making a commitment to ensure that every child is included in the lesson even if they cannot stand.

The right approach is much more than just yoga. Some might say that this is what yoga is really about.

My Expertise


Over the years I have developed my expertise in many areas of special needs including teaching yoga to children with Autism, Asperger's and Sensory Processing disorders, as well as children with severe and mild learning disabilities. SEN Teachers and support staff can benefit from my in-school training courses where teaching and training are geared to the specific needs of their pupils.

Both the Yoga Community and Education Sector acknowledge that I am a genuine pioneer and leader in this field, often referring to me as The Teachers' Teacher.

Reviews

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frog's Breathtaking Speech: How children (and frogs) can use yoga breathing to deal with anxiety, anger and tension by Michael Chissick; Illustrations by Sarah Peacock

This book is a great introduction to stress relief for pre-schoolers and elementary aged children and is so usable by both non-practitioners and yoga teachers alike. It can be easily integrated into the classroom for some self-esteem enhancement and mindfulness. This book uses adorable watercolor and ink illustrations to increase children's awareness of their own breath and affects of stress on their bodies, minds and energy and clearly instructs on accessible breathing strategies for all children. A nice bonus is that at the back of the book, there are illustrations for the yoga postures that accompany the breath-work.

I highly recommend this, one of the many awesome books by the dynamic duo of author, Michael Chissick, and illustrator, Sarah Peacock. Together they have filled a void in yoga and mindfulness for children with their picture books that clearly present techniques to reduce stress and increase peace of mind.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a must-read for all kids, my seven year old enjoyed this book. She liked breathing along with the variety of animals in the book.

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Yoga is a great thing to teach kids - if I were a teacher I'd be using this book in my classroom :)

[Eunice Adeniran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, easy to read and understand.