By Mary Humphrey,
with photographs by Michael Frost
Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, $15.99

One of the tasks of childhood is learning how to handle deep and sometimes overwhelming feelings. Rather than allowing these feelings to get trapped inside the body, where they can cause damage and hinder self-knowledge, Mary Humphrey, a yoga teacher (RYT), author, and school librarian who has taught yoga and other mind/body techniques to children and their teachers for over 30 years, suggests that by coupling yoga poses, affirmations, and breathing techniques with their emotions, children can freely experience their feelings and safely release what otherwise would be repressed.

Parents will find in Humphrey’s work an opportunity to share the inner life of their children in a peaceful, nonjudgmental, and liberating way; Michael Frost’s photographs show each of the 20 poses so clearly that someone new to yoga — or a child who wants to practice alone — can easily follow them to perform the poses correctly. Young children naturally relate to the animal name given to each pose and the emotion represented by that animal: the “lion” pose, with its angry-looking face, for example, can help children release anger with a loud roar, and the associated affirmation says, “When I feel anger, I let it go.”

With its emphasis on living a balanced and harmonious life, The Kids’ Yoga Book of Feelings is a valuable tool for those who wish to help children between the ages of six and nine navigate tumultuous emotions with understanding and grace.