YOGA 'n PLAY Teacher Trainings

Please join Julianne Rice, Jenn Kara, and others for a weekend of resources, coaching and fun!

Descriptions of classes you will learn to teach:

• Part 1: Yoga 'n Play for Moms and Babies (75 minute class)
  A baby-centered approach to health and happiness for moms and babies ages (approx.) 6 weeks old to 6 months old. With Mom's help, babies participate substantially in this class. Class includes yoga and fitness exercises for mom alone and for mom together with baby, baby soothing tips, conscious touch, sounding, songs, a dance, nursery rhymes, bonding games, a lullaby, safety tips and a bit of time for support group sharing at the end.


• Part 2: Yoga 'n Play for Moms and Movers (50 minute class)
  A baby-centered approach to health and happiness for moms and babies ages (approx.) 6 months old to 16 months old through yoga and fitness exercises, conscious play and community building. The babies/toddlers in this class participate differently than in the mom and baby class. To the untrained eye, it may look like they don't participate much and may not be learning much. In fact, they truly are. Often, the class is advertised as a "yoga playgroup" rather than a straight-ahead "class" to ensure appropriate expectations. Class is set up in a baby proof room with the moms in a circle around the babies/toddlers with their many different kinds of balls. Moms do a lot of exercising and singing (along to the music of Andy Z and others) while the babies socialize (with the overseeing and guidance of the teacher and assistants) and assimilate naturally. The class is choreographed and repeated almost the same each week. This provides a structured, repetitious background for the toddlers. They learn and absorb effectively this way and the moms get to relax into the familiarity of it. Unfailingly, after some weeks, many of the toddlers begin copying the actions of the group on cue, i.e clapping, raising their hands, sounding, saying new words, etc. They also are coached in developmentally appropriate things such as gentle touch, rolling balls instead of throwing them, crawling over and under, crawling through a tunnel, working through separation anxiety, having assists in learning to stand and walk and in overall safety behaviors related to group play. A LOT happens in the context of "play" in this class and the moms always say they like it because they can just relax into the circle and just let go.

Description of the Yoga 'n Play Teacher Training:

• Teaching Manual for review, complete with the thinking and values underlying the program. It includes many easy-to-access, easy-to-read materials and resources for designing your own Yoga 'n Play type classes. Resources such as yoga and fitness exercises for mom alone and for mom and baby together, conscious touch, sounding, safety tips, songs, dance, music play lists, nursery rhymes, bonding games, baby soothing tips, community building tips, etc. This "optional" manual can be purchased on the day of the training. Mom and Baby Manual $25, Mom and Movers Manual $15.
• Demo Class with moms and babies/movers during each one of the trainings to get a real sense, hands on experience of the application of the work
• How-to of the materials listed in the manual
• How-to design your own classes and make them your own
• Questions and Answers
• A Look at Next Steps

Those interested in eventually teaching, must have some yoga experience (knowledge of sun salutations, basic postures and basic philosophy). Permission of instructor required. Interest and/or experience in early childhood development also required. Those not interested in eventually teaching are also welcome. No requirements are needed for them.