Why I teach yoga to kids?

When my daughter, Merryn, was born, I was suddenly thrust into this new world of motherhood. I was given this tiny helpless miracle whom I was responsible for: what do I do with this? As I went back to work, I found it was even harder to find activities for my little one and me. On to Google! I discovered Itsy Bitsy Yoga and fell in love with the like-minded approach to parenting that I found with parents and facilitators. In the spring of 2009, we took our first family trip to Chicago where I trained in facilitating Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Babies; two months later I returned for the Tot and Tyke training. The friendships that I developed while in Chicago were so amazing, but the information about sharing yoga with little ones was truly life changing.

 Babies and kids are natural yogis, their little bodies are bendy, and they have such an innate connection with their mind, body, and nature. It has become such a blessing to me to be able to guide parents in creating a stronger bond with their baby, tot, and tyke. Itsy Bitsy Yoga can:

• Help your baby sleep longer & better, improve digestion

• Soothe Fussiness & crying with Itsy Bitsy Yoga’s Magic Poses

• Lesson the symptoms & severity of the baby blues & postpartum depression

• Increase tummy time to develop your baby’s core strength

• Aid in whole brain function through yoga and cross lateral activities

• Witness your baby’s motor development flourish, & see your baby’s personality emerge

• Engage learning through the repetition, predictability, & tempo of IBY’s exclusive original rhymes & our Sing & Do techniques

• Set the stage for your child’s appreciation & enjoyment of exercise

• Bond & play with your child in a positive, creative, & safe environment of like-minded parents

• Children learn playful relaxation skills to help them (& their parents) relax in an increasingly stressful world

• Boosts self-esteem & fosters happiness

• Creates ample opportunity for social interactions & self-expression

But sometimes life can get in the way of our dreams, and I had to put my dream of sharing IBY with parents on hold due to work, then grad school obligations. Then came 2011....my personal word for the year was change; and little did I realize what an incredible change would happen. On September 26, 2011 (six weeks early), we welcomed twin boys, Luke & Thad, into our family. I had to make the difficult decision to stay home and take a leave from grad school. As they have gotten older, and a tiny bit easier, and as I have adjusted just a little to becoming a stay at home mom, I have realized that I have been given the perfect opportunity to realize my dream of sharing Itsy Bitsy Yoga with the community.

As Merryn has gotten older, my focus of leading yoga has expanded from just babies. I have put many hours of research in on starting a program to share yoga with older kids, from age 5-12. kidnetics yoga will give a great introduction to yoga, while keeping it at their pace. Great games, personal reflection, and service projects will also be introduced. My goal for kidnetics yoga is to help kids benefit from all that yoga has to offer us. kidnetics yoga can:

• Maintain flexibility and strengthen growing bodies

• Enhance concentration 

• Increase self-esteem 

• Teach present moment awareness 

• Cultivate a peaceful, relaxed state of body and mind 

• Give tools for stress management 

• Spark creativity in ripe imaginations  

• Encourage kind peer and social interactions 

• Enhance body awareness 

• Teach discipline and responsibility

I am so very excited to share my love of yoga with kids. I sincerely hope that it is as much of a blessing to them as it is to me.

Welcome

Welcome to kidnetics yoga! Stay tuned for class listings, pictures, great information on yoga, kids, and parenting. Let's all take a minute to slow down and enjoy our little ones. Namaste