Yoga Room
My daughter was a bit apprehensive about taking her first yoga class, so we arrived early to give her time to settle in. When the others arrived, there were six children in the class for seven- to 10-year-olds, making it intimate and comfortable.
The instructor, Hema, teaches all the children's classes at the Yoga Room in a simple and fun way. Given the small class size, she is able to spend time with each child, making them feel comfortable and boosting their confidence.
Part of the class included a sequence of yoga poses and the children took turns leading into the next pose.
Yoga basics were blended with games, relaxation and even a brief drawing/visualisation exercise at the end of the lesson. The games kept the children connected to the class.
The clear favourite was an animal card game in which Hema gave clues about an animal. The children had to slap their hand down on the card of the animal that matched the description. After the winner was determined, the pose was then practised.
The game connected them with the natural world, made them active learners and the competition increased their energy and participation. They enjoyed being butterflies, eagles, locusts, dogs and turtles.
After moving rapidly from activity to activity, the class enjoyed a bit of relaxation for their mind and bodies. Again, this winding down and quiet time was achieved by asking them to visualise themselves in a particular scene with one of the animals they had just learned about. Most of the children seemed to embrace this relaxation time, although the younger children needed extra coaxing. The reward for this was time to draw in their journals afterwards, for the last few minutes of class, where they could record the images they imagined.
Give yourself a bit of extra travelling time if you don't know Sheung Wan well as the venue can be a bit tricky to find.
Classes for ages three to six are on Friday from 5pm to 6pm. On Saturdays there are two classes for children aged seven and above, from 10am to 11am and 11am to noon. The walk-in rate is HK$180, but packages of 10 classes are available for HK$1,500.
Verdict: A great class for children aged seven to 10 that moves quickly enough to keep them interested while still teaching yoga basics. The high girl to boy ratio might make the class less welcoming to boys than it could be.
