Hi! I am Ioanna, and I am based at the pre-school room! I have been teaching children's yoga at the Learning Tree since last May! I obtained my Kid's Yoga Alliance Certificate 8 years ago and I was lucky enough to refresh it in November 2023, with the support of  our wonderful Jess and the Learning Tree Nursery! Yoga has been my choice of exercise for years, as I can see how much my body needs it, how it reacts and how rapidly it can change from it. It is also beneficial for our well being and our attitude towards life. 

At our yoga class, the children have a safe space to be heard, to play, to learn and practice yoga! I find that the yoga mat, gives them a framework, a clearly framed space to move or sit, teaching them about their personal space, respect themselves and the others. This condition, takes off a lot of thoughts and some times anxiety of where we should stand and what is expected from us. 

My priority is for the children to feel they are heard and seen! I focus on the positives rather than the negatives, praising "those stretched legs", "that neat and tidy pose", "these strong hands, pushing the ground". It is truly a positive experience for them! "I am doing it!", "I am calm!", "Look at me!", they say, proudly!

At the first class, I had a child who seemed to just watch and occasionally move. The week after, their mum told me how much they enjoyed it and how they hadn't stopped talking about it and showing the poses during the weekend! This was so impressive, showing the amazing ability of the miror neurons, that get activated by watching someone acting, as if the person was getting to action too! Even if our children just watch, they still learn and gain a lot!

The lesson is well structured, offering visual material, to make the games and activities clear! There is a card with the activity going on displayed at all times. We start with grounding games, then we continue with warm up games and we finish with sound and relaxing games. The children practice in finding stillness and calmness, while in a comfortable position on their bellies or their backs. In the end, we reflect, sharing which game each one liked most from the session, by showing it with a special hand wand! Most of the children's favourite game is a variation of "what's the time Mr wolf" and the "surprise bag"! To my surprise, the majority of times, half of the children choose the relaxation games, as their favourites! I am so proud of how easily the children can get into a calm, neat and tidy pose and of their progress in yoga and stillness!

You might have noticed that the children and even us, adults, choose the same movies and books, over and over again! This predictability and familiarity make us feel safe! It fulfills emotional needs, gives us comfort and provides a sense of control over our lives. These are some reasons why, I have chosen structured and predictable lessons! 

Breathing is of essence for our health and well being! Controlled breathing, can cause lowered blood pressure and heart rate, reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood, reduced lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue, balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, improved immune system functioning and increased physical energy. We can even change how we feel, with the appropriate breathing. Nowadays, as adults we sometimes "forget" to breath properly! It is very important to teach children how to breath and this is a big part of yoga. We play games that require controlled breathing, such as making a feather fly. Between the different games, the children sit peacefully, showing their calm breathing. Last but not least, during relaxation, the children look at their bellies go up and down, giving them time to notice themselves in this state of slow breathing.

In a few words…

The Yoga Class Offers

- fun and play

- a structured and predictable environment

- visual props that keep the attention and accommodate different learning types and needs

- a positive learning experience that promotes self confidence and respect

- a growing ability of finding calmness and stillness

- breathing practices 

Why Yoga for children?

Because with yoga we bring

- Healthy Bodies

- Stress Reduction

- Self love and self care

- Co- operation

- Kindness

- Improved attention span

- Improved memory

- Flexibility

- Improved balance

- Strength

- Better breathing techniques

- Better immunity

- Improved coping skills

- Improved Sleep

- Happiness and contentment

- Calmness

- Confidence

- Creativity