Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness To Children, Level I:

Embark on a joyful journey with Yoga Child and lead teacher, Maureen Heil. During these five special days and evenings, you will acquire an in-depth understanding of yoga and mindfulness as related to children, as well as an appreciation of the developmental and behavioral needs of pre-school and elementary children. Upon completion of the Level I training, you will be able to skillfully create and teach thematic yoga and mindfulness classes that are safe, fun, and developmentally tailored for specific age groups within the range of ages three to ten. More information about the Level I training is available here: http://www.yogachild.net/yoga-training/yoga-teacher-training-level-1/. Graduates seeking their 95-hr Yoga Alliance accreditation are welcome to enroll in Yoga Child’s Level II apprenticeship program and to apply for teaching positions with Yoga Child.

About Yoga Child

Founded in 2002 by award winning author and educator, Gail Silver, Yoga Child is a Yoga Alliance Registered Children’s Yoga School, providing school-based yoga and mindfulness programs to Philadelphia area schools and yoga and mindfulness training to educators, administrators, clinicians, and aspiring yoga teachers.

Since its inception, Yoga Child’s award-winning curriculum of yoga and mindfulness activities has been an integral part of the school and after school curricula in ninety (and counting) Philadelphia area public and private schools. Our lead trainer, Parvati Maureen Heil, is looking forward to seeing you at this Level I training and teaching you how to share the joy of yoga and mindfulness with your students.

Founder and Curriculum Developer

Gail Silver, E-RYT, RCYT, JD, is the founder of Philadelphia’s Yoga Child, developer of its curriculum, and author of the award winning Anh’s Anger children’s book trilogy. Lauded by Publisher’s weekly as “A Winning Series,” the trilogy teaches children to navigate their stronger emotions through mindfulness and meditation, and is an integral part of Yoga Child’s curriculum. Gail has been teaching yoga to children and adults since 1999, providing students with the knowledge and skills to integrate mindfulness and yoga into their lives, both on and off the mat. A contributing writer to Shambala Sun Magazine and screenwriter of the animated family film, Planting Seeds of Mindfulness, Gail travels nationally and internationally to facilitate yoga and mindfulness based education. Prior to founding Yoga Child, Gail was an attorney, specializing in children’s advocacy law.

Cost to Participate

Yoga Child Teacher Training: Level I—$899. Your registration includes the Yoga Child training manual and a downloadable link to the Yoga Child CD: A Peaceful Place Inside. Additional required reading materials are to be purchased in advance. Training payments made to Yoga Child are fully refundable until 120 days prior to the training start date. Refund requests must be made with the above stated time period to [email protected]. It may take 5-7 days to receive a response to your refund request and an additional 5-7 days for such request to be processed. Requests made within 120 days of the training start date are non-refundable, but may be applied to a future Yoga Child training on a space available basis.


Learn

How to teach a thirty-six week curriculum using Yoga Child lesson plans and methods, including:

  • Inspirational yoga themes
  • Magical meditations
  • Yoga games
  • Original Yoga Child music and songs
  • Asana stories
  • Yoga journaling and thematically significant crafts
  • Off the mat lessons in mindfulness
  • And so much more…

How to enable children to discover and enjoy the benefits of mindfulness meditation on and off the mat

Mindfulness practice allows one to be fully present in each moment in order to to find more fulfillment in life, process our feelings with greater ease, and communicate with others more compassionately. Many trainees learn and practice mindfulness for the first time during Yoga Child training and are pleased to find that it is a useful practice for reducing stress in their own lives and in the lives of their students.

How yoga and mindfulness can be employed as a behavior tool

Teaching yoga to children consists of more than teaching yoga poses to children. You will learn how to tap into your own inner child and learn how to see the world through the eyes of your students. This will enable you to communicate effectively, set appropriate limits, and enable your students to benefit physically, emotionally, and to look forward to the lessons you will teach.

How developmental anatomy relates to informed use of asana in children and how to overcome the challenges and embrace the joy inherent in working with children


Experience

A renewed relationship with your own inner child

How it feels to integrate mindfulness practice into your own life

How it feels to become a Yoga Child teacher


Upon Completion of the Level I training…

You will be able to skillfully create and teach thematic yoga and mindfulness classes
that are safe, fun, and developmentally tailored for specific age groups within the range of ages three to ten.

I am so happy to have been part of such a welcoming, engaging, and fun training program and I’ve experienced the joy of integrating yoga into kids lives ever since!

—Courtney D'Avella


To Register

  1. Step #1: Register for the training using the “Register Now” button on this page and reserve your room by using the “Book a Room” button below (or link under “Register Now” above).
  2. Step #2: Complete and return the following two forms to [email protected]:
    1. YCTT Level I Registration and Waiver
    2. YC Practice Guidelines 2017

Enrollment In The Yoga Child Level I Training Includes:

  • The Yoga Child Teacher Training Manual
  • Sample lesson plans
  • A Peaceful Place Inside, Yoga Child’s original instructional CD of music and meditations
  • Guides for integrating Anh’s Anger and Steps and Stones into your classroom setting.

Required Reading Materials

Trainees must purchase these books prior to the training, as we will reference them during the training. These books are available in bookstores and on Amazon. Limited copies will also be available at the Himalayan Institute MarketPlace bookstore.

  • Anh’s Anger, by Gail Silver
  • Steps and Stones, by Gail Silver
  • A Pebble for your Pocket, by Thich Nhat Hanh
  • Spinning Inward, by Maureen Murdock