If there is one person you could definitely entrust with teaching your young little kiddos about kindness, fun, and yoga; it would definitely be Erin Leach of Mama Bear Yoga.
Erin is the founder of Mama Bear Yoga which provides a safe space for all children to be themselves and for their caregivers to connect with them in that moment. By incorporating basic tenets of yoga, such as breathing, mindfulness, and affirmation, Mama Bear Yoga helps lay the groundwork for happy, healthy, and balanced children who will grow into happy, healthy, and balanced adults.
I had the pleasure of meeting Erin last Fall at the National Kids Yoga Conference in Washington D.C. I was new to the area and when I found out that this midwestern gal would need to take the city subway to get around, I had a more than a slight raise of of my heartrate.
Then along came Erin. Admittedly, I pretty much chased her down in our hotel lobby to ask if she was also going to the Kids Yoga Conference. I do pride myself on a pretty good judge of character and she seemed like someone I could definitely trust. The fact that she was also carrying a yoga mat didn’t hurt matters as fellow yoga enthusiasts tend to be pretty friendly.
Erin navigated me through the underground mysteries of the Subway system, had incredible patience and taught me well. If she is this good with adults, imagine how she is with toddlers and preschoolers.
Many things impressed me about Erin, but as you read this interview, you will also see what a true gift she is to children and I am so excited for you to get to know her.
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GGYfK: How did you first get interested in being a kids yoga instructor? It seems like such a natural fit for you.
Erin: I have been practicing yoga myself since I was in college, and it has been so beneficial for me, both physically and emotionally. In my first career as an elementary school teacher and counselor, I used yoga informally all the time with my students, and I saw firsthand how beneficial it was for them. When I attended my first official kids’ yoga training, I wasn’t planning on becoming an instructor. My plan was to get renewal credits toward my counseling license and maybe learn some fun yoga-related activities to do with my own children at home, but after the first evening, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Teaching kids yoga just made sense and felt right to me. I took more trainings and became certified to teach and the rest is history!
GGYfK: We are so glad that you decided that! How did the name Mama Bear yoga originate?
Erin: One of my favorite yoga poses that I learned in my ChildLight Yoga training is “Baby Bear.” It looks like Happy Baby, but you rock side to side and sing the words “baby bear” as you are doing it. It is so sweet to see mamas and their little ones practicing Baby Bear pose together. Once when I was telling the some friends this story, we all knew at once it had to be Mama Bear Yoga!
GGYfK:Why did you decide to focus on the younger kids?
Erin: I have always had a passion for teaching young children. I was a first grade teacher for many years; however, I think a big part of why I chose to focus on this age group as a yoga teacher is because this was the age of my own children when I first got started. I could really relate to toddlers and preschoolers because I had two of my own at home, and I was going through many of the same experiences as the moms who were bringing their children to my classes. Kids at this young age say the funniest things and always liven up any situation.
GGYfK:Tell us about one of these memorable or funny experiences while teaching kids yoga!
Erin: Oh my goodness–I have a running list of funny things kids have said at yoga class. I walk away from every class I teach with at least one memorable quote! One of my favorite toddler-isms that seems to be almost universal happens when I teach them the word “namaste.” Even in toddler class, we close our practice by singing “namaste,” and every time, at least one or two of the children sing “Mama-stay.” I think it is so sweet, and it amazes me that all toddlers seem to do it!
GGYfK:That is so sweet! I love that story.What is one thing that all parents/caregivers should do with or know about kids at this age?
Erin: Toddlers and preschoolers are pretty unpredictable. You never really know how they are going to react (or when they are going to have a meltdown), especially in new situations. Aparigraha is a yoga term that means “non-attachment,” and I think that this practice is so important when you are a parent. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t form an attachment with your toddler–obviously a strong and secure parent-child bond should be established early in life (and you can strengthen this bond by practicing yoga together!). What I mean is that you cannot attach yourself to their behavior. When they are having a meltdown in the grocery store or they are in yoga class refusing to participate or they are displaying any sort of challenging behavior, you need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that you cannot control their behavior. You CAN, however, control how you respond to it. Many times, this little pause is all it takes to help you resolve the situation smoothly.
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As you can tell, Erin, is very knowledgeable about this young age and cares deeply about inspiring young kids and really making a difference in their lives. Stay with us as Erin shares with us some of her tried and true lesson ideas for using yoga with these young ages of kids. You will not want to miss it!
Life is an adventure! It is full of unexpected twists, turns and ups and downs. This can sometimes cause uncertainty and unease which kids can easily pick up on in their day to day lives. Help kids manage their emotions, keep a positive attitude and connect with themselves and others with the use of positive affirmations, mantras and yoga.
Go Go Yoga for Kids and Zendoway have partnered together to give parents, teachers and other caregivers the tools and lesson plans to keep kids positive.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards will introduce children and families to yoga poses that will increase balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and more.
This yoga card deck includes 30 sturdy 4×6yoga cards including partner poses, confidence building mantras, and fun yoga games to play together using these cards.
What is one job that almost any kid would love to have as their full time grown up job? I am pretty positive that a toy designer would top the list. I am very excited to introduce you to someone who is doing just that. Meet Erica Golub of Backyard Yoga.
Read on to win of Erica’s latest kids yoga products: Roll-a-Pose Wintertime Dice Game
I had the pleasure of meeting Erica at the National Kids Yoga Conference in Washington D.C. last Fall. I was intrigued about what she was doing and creating to help maximize the power of play in children to incorporate movement, meditation and mindfulness.
Read on to find out more about Erica’s creative process and Backyard Yoga.
GGYfK: What was your favorite toy as a kid?
Backyard Kids Yoga: I’m not sure I had just one. I was a big fan of combining all my toys. Legos, Voltron, He-man, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears and My Little Pony all mashed together in one crazy narrative. When I look back, most of my time was spent outdoors. Some of my fondest memories as a kid are playing outside with my brother and neighbors making up games.
GGYfK: We love the name Backyard Kids Yoga as it seems so friendly and accessible to all. How did the name originate?
Backyard Kids Yoga: It literally originated from my backyard. I was searching for local kids yoga classes that would fit in our summer schedule, and allow both my 3 and 6 year old to attend together. One day I got tired of searching and decided to create it. I set up Backyard Yoga Playdates and invited friends. The private Facebook group has grown now to over 20 families and I still hold one every month during the summer. The have become my ambassadors and you can find them highlighted here.
GGYfK: Being a toy maker and designer sounds so amazing. What was the first thing you ever designed and sold?
Backyard Kids Yoga: My first product to hit the market was the Peaceful Planet Waterball that I designed while interning at Fisher-Price in 1998/99. A fun fact is that it had a cameo in the movie Under The Tuscan Sun, I think seeing my toy on the big screen may have been cooler than seeing my first toy on the store shelves.
GGYfK: Where do you get your inspiration?
Backyard Kids Yoga: Play. This is why I am such an advocate for play. Being curious and learning about new things will always fuel us and help us to grow. When you are learning new skills or just playing around, things will connect in the most unexpected ways. Getting my 200hr yoga certification started as a way for me to reconnect with myself again after my first child was born. I had no idea at the time the path those 6 months, 6 years ago, would put me on.
GGYfK:. What is the biggest challenge in designing unique products?
Backyard Kids Yoga: It depends on the space I’m designing in. If I’m designing a new stacking toy, that becomes pretty difficult since so many have been done before. With Backyard Yoga it’s a bit easier. As you know there are not a lot of resources out there for kids yoga, which is why you wrote Go Go Yoga for Kids. My toy design background coupled with my yoga experience provides endless ideas. The bigger hurdles revolve around resources.
GGYfK: Tell us about the next product you have in mind that you are excited to share with others?
Backyard Kids Yoga: Right now I’m pretty excited about a family of products coming this Spring. They focus on breath and meditation. Breathing Buddy Eye Pillows are character themed eye pillows with satin tummy’s filled with flax seed. They will be accompanied by a song I co-wrote and developed with super talented friends of mine. The song is my take on belly balloon breath. If you want to read more check out my article at MindBodyGreen.
The eye pillows and song will be followed by a picture book illustrating the words in the song.
These particular products are near and dear to my heart because they grew out of being a mama to an anxious little girl. The narrative in our belly balloon meditation was developed through some pretty tough bedtime talks. Sometimes little kids feel like they need to burden the weight of the world…and I will do whatever I can to create tools for kids and parents to help reconcile those feelings.
Leave a comment below Backyard Yoga’s newest products!
Roll-a-Pose Wintertime
INCLUDES:
A laminated pose card showing 10 winter themed yoga poses
2 10-sided dice in dice
Game play ideas and pose descriptions
Leave a comment below by February 10th with your favorite yoga pose for a chance to win this Wintertime Roll-a-Pose Game!
Join Go Go Yoga for Kids on a magical time at Barnes and Noble where over 50 young princes and princesses took off on their magic yoga mats for some Disney yoga for kids themed fun!
After warming up with some Darth Vader deep breathing, We became brave Pocahontas standing on our cliff and ready to dive forward for Sun Salutations.
Soon we were strong Warriors like Princess Mulan. Ready to stand up for what we believe in and what is right.
Peter Pan is ready to fly over the city. What will he see? This Peter Pan Pose is great for back strength.
Of course, we remembered our new Princess Moana in Boat Pose. We rowed our boats slowly and then quickly.
After meeting Princess Ariel on a rock in mermaid pose, it was almost time to end our yoga session.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards will challenge you and children with balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and more. This card deck includes 40 poses including partner poses, confidence-building pose mantras, and fun games to play together using these cards.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include:
40 progressive yoga poses including partner poses
Empowering pose mantras for beginners and meditation
Poses rated from 1-5 stars based on difficulty
Easy to follow poses to create many original yoga flow
15 Bonus Games to play using these pose cards
Tested and proven yoga poses to bring most mental and physical benefit
Takes only minutes each day to gain lifelong skills and health benefits
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards come in a strudy burlap drawstring bag and are printed in the USA.
gal would need to take the city subway to get around, I had a more than a slight raise of of my heartrate.
