In this DharmaKids yoga lesson, we bring those heart-animals in My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall to life through playful movement, breathwork, and simple mindfulness practices. Children learn that every emotion belongs — the bouncy ones, the quiet ones, even the prickly ones. When we move our bodies like animals, we begin to understand our hearts a little better. And when we understand our hearts… we grow kinder, calmer, and more confident. To wrap up our adventure, we’ll settle into a peaceful Savasana to reflect on our own unique magic, finishing with a heartfelt yoga hug and a "Namaste."
Don’t forget to download your printable pose guide (PDF) featuring a few highlighted poses from this sequence!
Recommended Tools:
- DharmaKids Yoga Bundle
- Zabuton & Zafu meditation pillow
- Yoga Dust Brush
- Hoberman Sphere
- Eye Pillows
-
Bird timer
- Book: My Heart Is Like A Zoo by Michael Hall
Mini Lesson
This month, we’re excited to share another DharmaKids mini lesson—a short, under-15-minute video designed to fit easily into your day.
Led by instructor Megan Tager, who has been teaching yoga for over 15 years, this gentle session walks through each pose shown in the accompanying PDF. You’ll see the movements brought to life on screen, with the same poses clearly highlighted again in the flow outline below, making it easy to follow along with children at home, in the classroom, or in a studio setting.
1. Read & Move: One Page at a Time
We read the book My Heart Is Like A Zoo 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.
Bolded pose indicates the poses that are on the worksheet.
1. Heart Breathing (Hridaya Mudra), page 1: Sit on the floor with your legs criss-cross applesauce. Make fists and point your thumbs down, then bring your hands together so your knuckles touch. Keeping your knuckles and thumbs together, gently open your fingers to see the heart you made. Hold it to your heart and take three slow breaths in and out.
2. Beaver Home (Adho Mukha Svanasana), page 2: Start on your hands and knees. Tuck your toes under, lift your hips, and make a triangle with your body. Look at that beautiful beaver home!
- If you are with another person: Take turns being the beaver and the beaver house. The beaver can crawl through (under) the home.
- If there are more than two people: One person is the beaver, and everyone else makes a long beaver home. Everyone comes shoulder to shoulder and pushes up into downward dog. The beaver crawls through the long home. Once on the other side, the beaver takes their place at the end of the home. Everyone can rest, and the first person in line becomes the next beaver. Repeat until everyone has had a turn!
3. Heron (Uttanasana), pages 4-5: Stand tall like a quiet heron by the water. Now hinge forward and bring your hands together to make a long beak, reaching down toward the ground to look for a tasty snack in the pond. Keep your legs long and still like a wading bird, and gently peck around with your beak.
4. Seal (Salabhasana), page 6: Lie on your belly like a playful seal on the beach. Hold your imaginary beach ball in your hands, stretch your arms forward, and lift your arms and legs up off the sand at the same time. Balance on your tummy like a strong seal showing off your ball!
5. Hippos (Chaturanga Dandasana) pages 8-9: Start on your hands and knees. Bend your elbows straight back and lower your chest a little, keeping your belly lifted, like a big hippo dipping down for a drink. Slurp up some apple juice, then push the ground away to come back up strong! Repeat three times, once for each hippo.
6. Crab (Ardha Purvottanasana), page 10: Sit on your bottom and place your hands behind you with fingers pointing toward your toes. Put your feet flat on the floor, then push your hands and feet down to lift your belly up high like a happy crab on the beach. Now lift one hand up and snap your crab claw, then switch hands and snap the other claw!
7. Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama), page 12: Sit tall and take a big breath in through your nose. Bring your hands to your shoulders to make your bee wings. As you slowly breathe out, make a gentle buzzing sound like a happy bee — “bzzzzzzz” — and circle your wings forward to fly toward the bull. Oh no, the bull is mad, let’s repeat and fly backwards and away!
8. Bull (Adho Mukha Svanasana), page 13: Start in downward dog with hands and feet on the floor and your hips high. Pretend you are a strong bull getting ready to kick — lift one leg up behind you and give a gentle kick to the sky. Put it down and try the other leg, kicking like an angry bull!
9. Fox (Vyaghrasana), page 15: 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. Caterpillar (Uttanasana to Phalakasana flow), pages 16-17: Stand tall, then fold forward and place your hands on the floor like a little inchworm. Slowly walk your hands forward until your body is long and straight like a plank. Then walk your feet up to meet your hands and curl into a tiny inchworm again. Keep inching along the mat!
11. Frog (Mandukasan), page 19: Stand with your feet wide apart and bend your knees to squat down low like a froggy. Place your hands on the floor between your feet and lift your chest. Take a big breath in and then jump straight up and down, RIBBIT!!!
12. Coyote (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), pages 20-21: Lie on your belly and place your hands under your shoulders. Press into your hands and lift your chest up like a tall, proud coyote. Tilt your head back and let out a long, gentle “Awooooo!” as you howl at the moon!
13. Lion’s Breath (Simhasana), page 22: Sit on your knees or cross your legs. Take a big breath in through your nose, then open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and roar like a big, brave lion as you breathe out — “Raaaar!”
14. Walrus (Malasana), pages 24-25: Sit on a small towel or mat with your feet flat and knees bent wide. Lean forward a little and put your hands on the floor — these are your walrus legs! Sway your body side to side and bark like a happy walrus lounging on a towel.
15. Clam (Shankha Mudra), page 26: Sit on the floor with your feet together — this is your bottom shell. Hold onto your ankles and slowly bend forward, bringing your head toward your toes to close your clam shell. Open back up, then close again like a cozy little clam in the ocean!
16. Bed (Purvottanasana), pages 28-29: Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind you with fingers pointing toward your feet. Press into your hands and feet, straighten your arms, and lift your belly up high — now you are a strong, cuddly- bed!
2. Savasana (Final Rest)
After our movement practice, we transition into stillness with a calming savasana.
“Savasana helps our brains become calm and clear, making room for new thoughts and ideas.”
To demonstrate this, use the Yoga Dust Brush—a clear-handled brush filled with glitter. As the glitter settles, explain:
“Our thoughts are like glitter—when we lie still, they settle and our minds become clear.”
Children lie on their backs, breathing gently. Use the bird soundbox to signal the start and end of savasana. The sounds last for two minutes.
Softly “brush” a little yoga dust on each child’s forehead to help them relax.
Then guide them to breathe:
In through the nose, letting the belly rise
Out through the mouth, letting the belly fall
3. Magic Yoga Hugs & Closing Namaste
After a few quiet minutes, we begin to gently wake:
Stretch arms overhead
Hug knees to chest
Slowly roll up to a seated, criss-cross position
Sending Love with a Yoga Hug
We bring our hands to our hearts and think of someone or something we love—family, pets, friends, or even a favorite toy.
Breathe in and stretch arms up
Breathe out and hug yourself
“As we breathe out, whoever or whatever you were thinking of will receive a magic yoga hug, wherever they are!”
Repeat once more with a new intention if desired.
Final Namaste Ritual
With our special hands, we close with a moment of kindness and connection:
Hands on heart:
“We respect each other with loving hearts.”
(Children repeat: “Loving hearts”)
Hands on mouth:
“We respect each other with kind words.”
(Children repeat: “Kind words”)
Hands on forehead:
“We respect each other by trying new things with open minds.”
(Children repeat: “Open minds”)
Together, we all say:
“Namaste.”
Introducing: DharmaKids Yoga Bundle
As you continue practicing this month’s lesson at home, our DharmaKids Yoga Bundle makes it easy to keep the rhythm going. Thoughtfully curated for little yogis, this set includes a cozy yoga nap mat, a durable water bottle, and the mindfulness tools we use in our classes — including the Hoberman sphere and Yoga Dust Brush. It’s everything you need to turn storytime into movement, breath into focus, and everyday moments into meaningful rituals. Explore the bundle and bring the practice home.
