Kidz Yoga Training

Yoga has been around for nearly 5000 years.

Here in the Philippines, yoga has become more mainstream so we have benefitted from the opening of more yoga studios. These yoga studios have offered more and more types of yoga. One can choose to practice everything from Ashtanga, Iyengar, Hatha, Slow Flow, Vinayasa, Bikram, Anusara, and even Jivamukti at one of the many yoga studios located here in Metro Manila. Yoga for kids-while still relatively new to the Philippines has seen a recent boom, since it is understood that the the same benefits experienced by  adults, can be reaped by children.

Imagine a place and time where children are empowered to calm themselves down, breathe their way through a challenging experience, and alleviate physical ailments by finding the right yoga postures. Imagine a time where children choose to meditate, use visual imagery and breathing techniques to help them achieve their goals. Imagine eco-conscious warriors, caring for Mother Earth and for one another because they understand at a very young age that we are all connected in the web of life.

Now, imagine yourself in the position where you can empower your students, or better yet-your OWN children by giving them the gift of yoga.

Kidz Yoga Australia will be  here in the Philippines, in October for another round of training. By attending the training you will not only learn how to pass on the gift of yoga to your students, but you will learn as much about yourself in the four day training as you will about teaching yoga to children. Kidz Yoga is an Australian based program run by my mentor, Grace Hetherington.

I met Grace at a pivotal time in my life, and without knowing it she set me on a journey to self discovery through my own yoga certification in early 2007. She shared a yoga class for kids with me and my daughter through another friend, Bambi Manosa of Creative Kids. When I saw how these children were hooked on yoga within the first few minutes of attending Grace’s class, I knew that she was onto something.

She held my hand through my growth as a yoga teacher and she encouraged me  to find my way back into the (pseudo) classroom after years of only teaching my children. Through my certification and self discovery I was able to make a go of living in a foreign country and in the process create a business by teaching children yoga.

I have been teaching yoga ever since, and have enjoyed the long standing relationship that yoga has nurtured between Grace and I. So, that’s why I’m pleased that she is partnering with Kids One Yoga and Krissy Manalo to bring KIDZ YOGA once again to the Philippines.

For four days in October, teachers, therapists, psychologists, parents, and anyone working with children (or who wants to work with children) can take advantage of the knowledge and experience that Grace will be passing on to help teachers share the gift of yoga with children.

Some of the many benefits of yoga for children include:

-Increases strength and flexibility

-Enhances concentration

-Increases self-esteem

-Teaches children to live in the moment

-Encourages a peaceful, relaxed state of body and mind

-Empowers children to deal with the stress effectively

-Enhances Body Awareness

-Teaches children that we are all connected to each other and to Mother Earth.

Remember that post I wrote a while back about Meditating with children? That is just one of the many aspects you will be able to explore if you decide to enroll in this certification. When I became interested in yoga for kids, all those years ago, I had to leave the country and have the added expense of flying and staying in a hotel to earn my certification for YogaKids. This October, Grace is bringing Kidz Yoga to the Philippines which makes it even easier for anyone to attend.

If I feel yoga has made me a better person, and I only found yoga after the birth of my second child 10 years ago, imagine the possibilities if we can empower a younger generation of yogis and yoginis from as early as 3 years old? Think about it…