Lillian Harper

“Having practiced yoga for over 10 years, I was familiar and comfortable with the poses and the general flow of what a yoga class should look like, but in Foundations I was able to dive deeper into what it looks like to plan a class and teach yoga to young children. Being a teacher I am used to making lesson plans for my class but learning to write lesson plans or class plans for a yoga class was different than anything I had done before. One of my favorite things that I learned about in Foundations was RCAWY. For me, books are an extremely important part of a child’s education and it made so much sense to include books in yoga for children. Another one of my favorite parts of the Foundations class was watching one of Kim’s classes and beginning to learning how to run my own yoga classes. As an educator, I have a deep understanding of learning styles and how to run a classroom — and as a yogi I understand the basics of yoga poses and movement — but I decided to continue on with the YogaKids training because I want to learn more and expand on my knowledge of children and yoga. Although there are similarities between teaching in a classroom and teaching in a yoga class, there are many differences and I want to learn more to better be able to teach yoga in the classroom.”

Erika Dunville

“This past weekend, I completed my online Foundations course. I loved it! I really appreciated the opportunity to complete this online since I am a mother of 2 young boys. We are an extremely active family and are ALWAYS on the go! Even with that being said, I was able to make this a priority. I am a middle school teacher with a huge concern on how our kids find themselves being disciplined over and over again (with no change in their behavior). It is not working.  Last year, I just knew there was something that could help them be the best that they can be. (Isn’t that a slogan for an old commercial?Ha!). As I was going through the course, I began to get REALLY excited about the multitude of ways that I could help them center themselves. Unfortunately some of the students at my school come from home lives that are not conducive to learning. They have to deal with adult problems that their undeveloped brains can’t process. I look forward to trying to help them recognize their frustrations and anger and then work to find peace and calm. So, like I said before, I am a mother as well. I really loved the validation that I got from the activities that I did with my kids. I think sometimes I went a little overboard and did more than what the assignment asked, but it was great to get such positive feedback! That leaves me to my final reflection. The feedback! For an online course, the feedback is hands down the BEST I have ever experienced. The Yoga Kids community has been nothing but supportive and enlightening! I truly look forward to this journey!”

 

Suzanne Stratford

“What a wonderful experience of discovery! As the training progressed, I found myself becoming more and more drawn into the YogaKids program, and after not too much deliberation have decided to continue on with Full Certification. Much of my work with kids is based in sensory integration and neuromovement, and I absolutely love blending the fundamentals of this work in therapy with the YogaKids approach and philosophy. The other thing that I love is how this work extends to parents as well as kids….yoga is for all of us, together, all of us growing, learning, developing into the fullness of our unique potential.”

Amy Findlay

“It has always been my dream to teach yoga to children. When I saw that course number 1 (Foundations) was being offered in Saskatchewan, I felt compelled to go. The experience was awesome! I loved connecting with others that were passionate about teaching yoga and making a difference in the lives of children. The course was very well organized and Sara did an awesome job of involving us in the lesson planning process. I loved the experience and was excited to share my knowledge and teach lessons in my classroom. I loved the format of the lessons which engaged all children and helped them to feel involved. I was inspired to take more courses and do my full Certification for not only the benefit of the children I teach but for myself, as I have gained so much joy from teaching children. I felt deeply that having this knowledge would make me a better teacher.”

Darcy Dellavecchia

“I attended the Foundations YogaKids training about a month ago. I very much enjoyed my experience and felt that the program fit a lot of what I was looking for. As a pediatric Occupational Therapist I am constantly working with kids on fine and gross motor skills, coordination, balance, motor planning and praxis skills as well as getting kids engaged in activities and promoting healthy habits and lifestyles for them. I had used a few kids yoga games in my sessions to encourage movement and was excited to attend the YogaKids Foundations class to learn more about the program and other ways I could incorporate yoga into my sessions. 

One aspect I enjoyed most from my Foundations experience was that they plan for a 1 hour class which is typically how much time I spend with some of my clients. I also very much appreciated that YogaKids works in some educational and anatomy components, the visual vignettes and cooperative play types of approaches and the brain balance which are all things that I am used to already including in my sessions and I now have more ideas of how to work them in. I found that incorporating a theme into my sessions was something I had not previously thought of and loved that when creating lessons plans for YogaKids that a theme can help guide the session and activities included. 

Following my class, I looked up a free YogaKids spring lesson plan from the blogs on the website. I modified it a bit to use in one of my sessions and enjoyed the experience of using a lesson plan like this. I decided to move forward to doing the 2nd course for YogaKids teacher training online after that so that I could have access to more information and to help guide me in making my own lesson plans for the future. I look forward to learning more and being part of the YogaKids community!”

Doreen Braaten

“I have worked in early childhood for 20 years and I often pondered how  yoga would be great for kids, but couldn’t get past how they would not understand its  benefits as I knew them. While in my Foundations, a light bulb went off for me!  YogaKids WOWED me! Yoga for children finally made sense to me. My Foundations weekend was so exciting — I loved the games ,the songs, the books, and activities that had my mind going in every direction with all the Elements I could use to teach kids yoga. The possibilities are endless.”

Rochelle Richards

“Within the first hour of our training, I was in awe. My inner child was released and wanting more, the feeling safe and relaxed with the anticipation of what was to come next, the laughter, the feeling of belonging and acceptance had taken over. I went home the first night walking on cloud 9. I had never experienced such joy and excitement before in any yoga training or educational training before.”

Lisa Bana

“I finished the foundations class in March of 2018, in Saginaw, MI and it brought me so much joy. I loved working with the others in the class. It also gave me an outlet for creativity which I have craving. There are so many distractions and noise in our world, and to be able to give the children an hour of calm, creativity, and connection was wonderful. My goal is to now continue to reach as many as possible with the tools they’ll need in the world to stay grounded.”

Kate Steller

“My Foundations experience provided me with the basics I need to feel prepared to lead children’s yoga sessions. I am inspired to continue my YogaKids journey because two of my passions in life are working with children and yoga. I know that becoming a YogaKids instructor and completing all three steps of training will help me in my work with children and families in the hospital setting, and it will enable me to start my own business teaching children’s yoga classes. I am eager to expand upon my teaching from adult students to children, and continue to empower children to have the tools and resources to access their breath, their calm, and their joy. By equipping children with the knowledge that they can create space for themselves on their mat, I believe I can help contribute to developing a generation of strong and mindful
children.”

Courtney Abarr

“I truly believe teaching yoga to children is my passion. Taking the Foundation course only confirmed what I feel is the best way to approach teaching yoga to kids. I can not wait to continue to work on the second course and then spend a week in Transformations. I’m excited to be making my own lesson plans or lesson strategies and applying it to my own class for kids. YogaKids is the most significant opportunity ever.”