Somewhere between soccer practice, play dates, school and playing Minecraft on your iPad, your kid deserves a chance to slow down, away from parents yelling at refs and buzzing digital devices. That’s why Sarah Bly teaches yoga for kids, claiming one answer to the over-stimulation of children is mindfulness and meditation. “And when teaching kids,” she says, “it kind of reminds parents that they should slow down and meditate, too.”
Bly has taught classes in the Salt Lake City area for three years. She learned her craft from Kidding Around Yoga, an organization that trains kids’ yoga instructors worldwide. “My background actually started in early childhood education,” says Bly, a former preschool teacher with a fine arts degree from Western Kentucky University. “I was also doing yoga and saw a training for kindergarten yoga, so I did it and I’ve taught yoga ever since.”
Sarah Bly teaches a student a yoga pose with help from a stuffed friend. Photo courtesy of Sarah Bly.
She often starts class with play time, followed by a warm-up song. Crazy Monkey is one of the most popular songs. “It talks about how you have a monkey mind if you don’t meditate,” Bly says. “You dance around to Crazy Monkey, and then you sit down, and you close your eyes and calm down your mind and meditate.” Classes also include stories to go with poses and games that focus on mindfulness (experiencing a moment with your senses). The mantra for Bly’s classes: “Peace begins with me.”
Bly sometimes runs into parents whose kids have done her yoga program, and they often tell her that their children haven’t forgotten the class mantra. “It’s just neat to see it has an impact on their lives,” she says. “Teaching young children mindfulness and meditation is so important. It’s a tool that all the adults now wish we had when we were 3 or 5.”
Kids and caregivers gather for one of Bly’s yoga classes. Photo courtesy of Sarah Bly.
Bly will teach classes throughout July 2019 at Fairmont Park and Sugar Space in Sugar House, and Marmalade Library and Sweet Library in Salt Lake City. She’s also available for birthday parties and special events. See her full calendar for dates and times.
If you’re not in the SLC area, you can find a Kidding Around Yoga instructor near you, or learn how to become one yourself, at kiddingaroundyoga.com.
More Yoga for Kids
Mountain Kids Yoga Program
Mountain Yoga in Sandy will host two kids yoga series, one for ages 4–6 featuring games, songs and art, and another for ages 7–12 that is slightly more grown-up. Both series begin in September 2019 and run for six weeks. Register on Mountain Yoga’s website.
Yoga with Randi Jo
Yoga instructor Randi Jo offers yoga for kids ranging from toddlers to teens, along with family yoga classes and summer camps, including two in August 2019. Get info on all of her upcoming classes and events at yogawithrandijo.com.
Read more of our family content in our Kid-friendly blog roll.
