How Teaching Children’s Yoga Made Me a Better Parent

Children’s yoga has a special way of transforming you—and for me, teaching children’s yoga has made me a better parent.

I started yoga teacher training to deepen my own personal practice but along the way teaching yoga has truly transformed me and has helped me better understand myself and my parenting style.

Teaching children’s yoga has taught me to bring presence, patience, and intention into the everyday moments I share with my children. It has taught me to see behavior differently and to connect with children before I react. And as both a parent and a children’s yoga teacher, I now think about discipline as a way of teaching my children life skills.

Today, I’d like to share a few things that I have learned as children’s yoga teacher that have made me a better parent:

(1) Children’s behavior is a form of communication and can be belonging seeking

Behavior is not good or bad but it is something we must try to understand and address with an empowering response.

When a child is:

• distracted

• silly

• resistant

• emotional

there is usually something underneath it.

In a kid’s yoga class, this might mean:

• they need movement

• they need attention

• they need clearer boundaries

• they need help regulating

At home, this shift changes everything:

• Instead of reacting, I find myself pausing.

• Listening.

• Interpreting.

  And often, the behavior softens when the need is met.

(2) We must connect with our children before we react or try to correct a behavior

In our teacher training, we help our teachers understand that they must connect with their students before trying to stop or control a behavior. While immediate situations must be addressed and boundaries set, the idea is that discipline should be skill-building.

As a kids yoga teacher and in my role as a parent, I focus on acknowledging the emotional state of my children while maintaining clear boundaries. I regulate first, connect with my children, and then focus on redirecting and/or teaching my children.

As I have made this shift, I have seen my children feel more comfortable in their bodies, have a better understanding of their emotions, and build the tools needed to control their impulses.

In a yoga class, this might mean:

• they need co-regulation – breathing, calm voices, pauses, eye contact

• they need rituals and rules – boundaries that help them make appropriate choices

• they need validation of their emotions and acknowledgement of how they are showing up

At home, and as a parent it means:

• I slow down before I react.

• I include my children as we solve problems together

• And I encourage my children to build the skills they need to manage their emotions

We have fewer power struggles, I have less stress, and my children are happier and

more capable.

We teach these skills and so many more in our kid’s yoga teacher training.

While our training is grounded in mindful movement –

• you will learn kids yoga class structures how we integrate stories and literature with movement

• fun mindfulness activities

• breathing tools and techniques for children

It will also help you –

• understand children

• guide behavior

• create connection

• hold space

• lead with intention

This is why so many of the people drawn to kids yoga aren’t just yoga teachers.

They are:

• parents

• educators

• caregivers

• people who want to show up differently for children

If you’ve ever felt curious about kids yoga, mindfulness for children, or if you’ve simply

wanted more tools to navigate everyday moments with kids, yogees yoga 4 kids is

offering an accelerated kids yoga teacher training on Saturday, May 16th from 8:00am -6:00pm in Dallas, Texas 75201 (Dallas Arts District)

What is the yogees yoga 4 kids Accelerated Children’s Yoga Teacher Training?

• A 10-hour immersive experience designed to give you:

  • practical tools

  • real-world strategies

  • a deeper understanding of how to work with children

• Our 10-hour training also lays the groundwork for those who might want to pursue a 95-Hour Children’s Yoga Certification with yogees yoga 4 kids in the future.

• We’ll cover:

  • kids yoga class structures

  • mindfulness and breathwork

  • games, storytelling, and engagement

• Our training is hands-on. It’s thoughtful. And it’s designed to be immediately useful whether you want to bring yoga to your own children, teach within the community, or just want to learn about kids yoga.

• No previous yoga teaching experience required.

Sign Up Here: https://forms.gle/GU3CQBumE1w15RX67

About the Writer:

Radhika Brinkopf is a mom of 2, a 500 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher and 95-Hour

Children's Registered Yoga Teacher through the Yoga Alliance. She teaches for and

leads Education and Curriculum Development for yogees yoga 4 kids.