5 Benefits of Our Kids Yoga Class

Amelia and Rose doing a Tree pose in our outdoor kid’s fitness program

5 Benefits of Our Kids Yoga Class

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

1. We Instruct an Age-Appropriate Class

   Kids are not mini-adults, kids are kids! To encourage kids to join us after a hard day at school, our kid’s Yoga class includes FUN icebreakers and fun warm-up games, playful animal safari rhythms, and pair bonding activities.
   

2. We Encourage Emotional Regulation

   Fights and conflicts happen all of the time - at home, at school, and sometimes on the street. Kids must learn to handle and resolve conflict positively (without violence or yelling and screaming). In our Yoga classes, our breathing techniques can help children calm themselves down when they feel angry, hurt, or upset, and bring their nervous system down. We know that when we’re feeling better, we make better decisions.

3. Strength and Flexibility Training

   Many Yoga poses are known to improve full-body strength and flexibility which can in turn help kids excel in school sports and physical activities. Research shows that having good skeletal muscles can help us recover from injuries and illness. Giving kids the chance to grow strong lean muscles at an early age can help keep them dancing and playing the sports they LOVE for years to come.

4. We're Trained to Work with Kids of all Levels

   Sumera was lucky to receive training in the Coaching Association of Canada’s Fundamental Movement Skills program and understands that all kids develop differently and perform based on their past and current experiences. Any kids instructor under Sumera must have experience instructing kids of all ages and levels, valid CPR training, and a police check VSC.

5. Positive Social Connections and Opportunities

   During the pandemic-related lockdowns in Toronto, kids became used to entertaining themselves with devices and social media. Our kid’s Yoga class gets kids to POWER OFF THEIR DEVICES for an hour and connect with other kids their age face-to-face through our games and pair activities. Social opportunities help kids feel happier, better about themselves, and more confident in their everyday lives.

For more information on our Kid’s Yoga Fitness class, click here.

5 Highlights From Our Summer Outdoor Kid's Fitness Program

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

Before Fall rolls in, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the key takeaways from our first outdoor kid’s fitness program in the High Park area.

1. We had a total of 18 kids registered across 2 sessions - that showed me that there was more demand for a program like this than I had imagined (YAY!)

2. We never had to cancel a class due to rainy weather (YAY!)

3. All of the parents were highly flexible and communicative -parents were always ready to reschedule a class in case of bad weather and awaited my email updates 2-hours before a class start time. I was lucky to have parents disclose their child’s needs ahead of time so that I could plan accordingly to support them in a group setting

Please note: I am not trained to work with children with special needs, but I do my best to accommodate all children where I can. If I cannot, I have an honest discussion with the parent(s) on what I feel is best for them when it comes to this type of program. That may include having the parent(s) assist in the class and/or issue a refund back to them so that they can enroll their child in a program that fits their needs.

4. Every child enrolled participated in ALL of the activities - I encouraged children to learn core fitness exercises through games and circuits that ranged from non-competitive to competitive at their own pace and by encouraging them to try different levels/variations as long as they did not have injuries.

5. All of the kids got along - It’s not easy to participate in a group activity with people we don’t know! That is why I was blown away by how well the kids came together in such a short period of time to get to know me and their peers.

We have a 0 bullying policy and I am proud to report that we had 0 bullying - this includes hitting, object throwing, name-calling, gossiping, and swearing.

What’s Next?

We’re gearing up for an outdoor Kid’s Fitness program this October with a Halloween element to it in hopes of keeping our little friends motivated to burn off some extra sugar before Halloween Day!

For more info on this 4-week session/to join a waitlist, click here