Princesses are loved by girls. Of my three dear daughters, two of them have been fond of princesses. I have lost count of how many princess parties, princess costumes and princess cupcakes I have been in charge of organizing and creating. So, if you are in a similar situation and have a special little princess in your life who is looking for something fun and princess-themed, you are in luck because this article is about how to create a princess-themed yoga class. It’s fun, easy, and will involve your princess and her court of closest friends and advisors.
First of all, you need to define what kind of princess you want. I personally like my princesses to be friendly, adventurous, creative, problem solvers, gracious, with integrity, compassionate, and lovers of fine chocolate. Most of the time I use Dancers Pose to represent the princess.
Next, your princess needs a companion, usually an animal, to share her adventures and dreams with. She often let the kids in the class or at the party choose the secondary kick and name it. Some possibilities include dog, cat, frog, mouse, donkey, rabbit, tiger, etc. If there is no corresponding yoga posture, she invents one that allows the children’s creativity and physical expression to flow.
Now we need an adventure that the princess can start on. This step often involves a fun-filled location (the Nile River, Amazon Rainforest, European City, Enchanted Island) or a villain (sorcerer, witch, landlord, pawnbroker, etc.) who intends to wreak havoc on the ideal world of the princess, or both. .
To warm up, practice Dragon Breath (inhale deeply and exhale powerfully with fire) and Sleeping Beauty Breath (yawn and stretch).
Then the adventure begins. “Once upon a time…”
You can traverse rivers in a boat (Boat Pose), cross mountain ranges (Mountain Pose), travel through Magical Forests (Tree Pose Group Variation), stroll through beautiful gardens (Flower Pose), visit the Great Pyramids (Pyramid Pose), swimming with Dolphins (Dolphin Pose), etc. Truly your imagination is the limit.
During her adventures, the princess will meet new friends, such as Warrior and Dragon, who will help her defeat the villain and save the world. This is often done through magic combined with strength of character. Recall the fairy tales of your childhood and create a wonderful and moving conclusion to your adventure that ties up all the loose ends. Personally, I like to drink the magical nectar of the lotus flower (Lotus Pose), which can only be ingested by ‘the pure in heart’ so that the princess can conquer any enemy and vanquish all evil.
For a yoga game, alter Swami Says into Fairy Godmother Says and revisit many of the poses used throughout your adventure.
As always, complete your yoga session with the relaxing Corpse Pose as the princess and her court settle down for a well-deserved rest.