I knew I wanted to teach yoga as soon as I got my certification. I have a 3-year-old daughter, Q, and I knew I wanted to expose her to yoga as early as possible. Yoga has had such a profound affect on me, I knew it would serve my daughter well for years to come. Plus, I had written a bunch of short stories featuring animals and yoga for Q to read during bedtime and story time. Surely other children would find my stories just as fun.
I got certified as a yoga teacher in DR, but no one around here offered a kids yoga certification. I found Cosmic Kids Yoga, a program developed by Jamie Aton featuring hundreds of stories and an online training module. I loved her approach to teaching kids---she includes lessons on kids' anatomy and their development from toddler to their teenage years, how to teach yoga to various age groups, how to develop lesson plans and encourage mindfulness and meditation along with the postures. I completed the training, and started a kids yoga class at Natura Cabana in October.
My daughter comes to every class with me, holding the hand rail as she climbs the stairs up to the yoga loft, and jumping up and down around the studio as kids start arriving. My young students arrive eager and confident and ready to try anything. They follow along to the stories and also suggest moves along the way. And some have given me incredible feedback that makes my heart flutter. One of my students told me my class was "super awesome!" Another drew me a picture as a gift and presented it to me before class. It's this type of interaction that makes me want to do more--I've already released my first coloring book for kids incorporating yoga, and this year, I'd like to release even more illustrated products for kids. And, I'd like to publish children's books incorporating yoga and mindfulness.
These moments, along with knowing I am helping kids be more focused, healthy, calm and compassionate to others through my classes, make me feel so happy I chose this path. Yoga is so much more than handstands and backbends, it's about aligning the soul with your passions and your purpose. I love making kids smile, and I'm happy I can do that via my writing, art, and now through yoga. Namaste!