In this month’s DharmaKids Yoga Lesson, we’re embracing the cozy magic of winter through movement, breath, and storytelling with The Mitten by Jan Brett. This classic, snowy tale invites children to journey into a world of wonder as we follow a lost mitten and the many animals that seek warmth inside it. Through this playful sequence, kids explore themes of inclusion, kindness, and finding stillness even when the world is chilly.
Using our Hoberman Sphere to visualize deep "belly breathing" and our "Yoga Dust" to settle busy minds, we guide young yogis through poses that bring each animal character to life. Whether we’re balancing like a soaring mitten, stretching our "prickles" like a hedgehog, or snuggling into a mat for a cozy savasana, this lesson helps children connect with their inner light and the warmth of community. It’s a heart-warming way to celebrate the season while building focus, balance, and a sense of peace.
Download your printable pose guide (PDF) featuring a few highlighted poses from this sequence!
Recommended Tools:
- Hoberman Sphere (a.k.a. Breathing Ball/balancing ball)
- Bird Timer
- Yoga Dust Brush (clear-handled makeup brush with floating glitter)
- Speaker
- The Mitten by Jan Brett
Lesson Plan: The Mitten
1. Opening with Namaste
We begin by greeting each other with Namaste, which means:
“The light in me sees the light in you.”
For young children, I explain this as:
We each have something special about us—something we’re really good at, something we enjoy doing, or something
we’re learning to do. Examples of this are, jumping high, running fast, drawing, cooking or learning to read. I hold out one hand and say,
“This hand reminds me of something that makes me special.”
Then I talk about how we all do kind things for others—like helping a friend who is sad, putting recycling in the bin, or cleaning up the classroom. I hold out my other hand and say,
“This hand reminds me of all the kind things I do for others.”
When we put our palms together, it shows that we are both special and kind. That is our light. When we begin and to end yoga, we honor that light in each other with Namaste.
2. Breathing Practice
We sit criss-cross applesauce and begin to breathe deeply to prepare our minds and bodies for yoga.
- Inhale through the nose like you’re smelling a beautiful flower, hands on our bellies, which get bigger as we breathe in.
- Exhale through the mouth, gently, making our bellies smaller again.
We repeat this three times. To help visualize the breath, we use the Hoberman Sphere, which expands and contracts like our bellies do when we breathe. Children can open the ball slowly or quickly to match their breath. This “breathing ball” is also a useful focusing tool in later poses.
3. Reading The Mitten
We read the book The Mitten one page at a time. After reading each page, we pause to do the corresponding pose together. Once we’ve completed the pose, we return to the book and continue reading. We repeat this pattern—read a page, do the pose—until the story is complete. Then we transition into Savasana.
1. Snowflake (Himanshu Asana), pages 1-2: Stand tall and spread your arms and legs wide like a sparkling snowflake. Wiggle your fingers and toes gently, take three breaths and slowly start to fall down to the ground, landing softly on your mat.
2. Rocking Chair (Utkatasana), pages 3-4: Stand with your feet together. Bend your knees and imagine you are sitting in a rocking chair. Reach your arms up toward the sky and rock back and forth in the cozy room, knitting the mittens.
3. Tree (Vrikshasana), pages 5-6: Stand tall on one leg with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed, looking at something that isn’t moving to help you balance, (such as our Hoberman’s Sphere Ball). Place your other foot on your inner calf or thigh (not the knee), bring your hands to your heart or reach them up like branches, take slow breaths, and imagine you are a strong, growing tree. (Younger children can keep their toes on the ground for support).
4. Mole Pose (Balasana), pages 7-8: Kneel on floor, bringing your big toes together, and sit back on your heels. Gently come down to your elbows, bringing your hands in front of your face to tunnel your way into the mitten!
5. Rabbit Pose (Sasangasana), pages 9-10: Come onto your knees and tuck your head down toward the floor. Lift your bottom up like a bunny, and stretch your arms back like long bunny ears. Stay tall like a happy bunny and take a big bunny breath!
6. Hedgehog (Tadasana), pages 11-12: Stand tall with your feet strong on the ground. Reach your arms up and make your body pointy like a hedgehog’s prickles. Can you look at something that isn’t moving, (such as a Hoberman Sphere Ball), on the floor and make your prickle taller by standing on your tippy toes?
7. Owl (Parivrtta Sukhasana), pages 13-14: Sit criss-cross on the floor. Place one hand on the opposite knee and your other hand on the floor behind you. Gently twist toward the hand behind you and look over your shoulder like a quiet owl. Sit up tall and twist softly, then switch sides and try the other way.
8. Badger (Gyan Mudra), pages 15-16: Touch your thumb and pointer finger together to make two little circles—these are the badger’s eyes. Bring the circles up to your eyes and look through them, searching for a comfy place to rest. Look slowly and quietly, just like a careful badger.
9. Fox (Vyaghrasana), pages 17-18: Come onto your hands and knees like a fox. Stretch one leg straight back behind you like a long, fluffy fox tail. Keep your back strong and switch sides when you’re ready.
10. Bear (Adho Mukha Svanasana), pages 19-20: Put your hands and feet on the floor and lift your bottom up high. Press your hands down strong and feel your arms and legs stretch. Take 3 bear steps forward and then three steps backwards to snuggle into the mitten.
11. Mouse Pose (Balasana), pages 21-22: Kneel on floor, bringing your big toes together, and sit back on your heels. Gently bring your head to the floor and let your arms rest beside you. Get cozy in the mitten with the other animals.
12. Sneezing Breath (Pranayama), pages 23-24: Take a deep breath in—ahhh… another deep breath—ahhh… one more deep breath—ahhh… then let out a big sneeze—CHOO! Repeat a few times like a sleepy bear clearing its nose.
13. Flying Mitten (Eka Pada Tadasana), pages 25-26: Stand tall like a mountain. Lean forward and bring one foot behind you. Look at something that is not moving on the floor ahead of you. Stretch your arms out like wings, lift the leg behind you, and let your mitten fly through the air! Balance strong like a mitten soaring in the sky!
14. House (Utkata Konasana), pages 27-28: Stand with your feet wide and bend your knees like a strong house. Bring your hands together above your head to make the roof. Stay tall and strong, just like a cozy house keeping everyone safe!”
15. Cozy Mitten (Savasana): For Savasana today, either wrap yourself up in your yoga mat, or get cozy under a blanket to feel like the animals did all snuggled up in the warm, woolen mitten.
4. Savasana (Final Rest)
After we finish our story and poses, we quiet our minds and calm our bodies with Savasana.
“Savasana helps our brains become calm and clear, making room for new thoughts and ideas.”
Using the Yoga Dust Brush show the kids how the glitter swirls when the brush is moving and settles when the brush lies still. Explain:
“Our thoughts are like that glitter—when we lie still, they settle down and our minds become clear.”
Children lie on their backs, breathing gently.
- Gently “brush” a little yoga dust on each child’s forehead to help them relax.
- Guide them to breathe in through their noses, expanding their bellies to rise, and out through their mouths, letting their bellies fall.
Optional tools: Eye pillows or breathing buddies (stuffed animals) on bellies. You can also use a star machine with calming music or a bird timer.
5. Magic Yoga Hugs and Closing Namaste
After a few quiet minutes, we begin to wake up:
- Stretch arms overhead for a full-body stretch.
- Hug knees to chest, and slowly roll up to a criss-cross seated position.
We bring our hands to our hearts and think of someone or something we love—family, friends, pets, even a favorite toy or blanket. It can be someone alive or someone who’s passed on.
- Breathe in and raise your arms up.
- Breathe out and give yourself a hug.
“As we breathe out, whoever or whatever you were thinking of will receive a magic yoga hug, wherever they are!”
Repeat once more, either with the same person/thing or someone new.
Then, we place our special and kind hands together and bring them;:
- On our hearts: “We respect each other with loving hearts.” Have the children repeat “loving hearts”.
- On our mouths: “We respect each other with kind words.” Have the children repeat “kind words”.
-
On our foreheads: “We respect each other by trying new things with open minds.” Have the children repeat “open minds”.
Finally, we all say together:
“Namaste.”
