Kids Yoga Teachers' Training by Rainbow Kids Yoga

I've become interested in Yoga because of Ben.  He has become a handful and I needed help in staying calm and being more patient.  Then I asked myself, maybe Ben can practice yoga, too.  That's how I found out about Rainbow Kids Yoga Teachers Training here in Manila.  I've been discerning about attending it since last year and actually finalized it only during the last day of the early bird discount.  As the days of the training approached, I was both excited and nervous.  I was excited to learn but at the same time nervous of what will be expected of me.  After all, I am quite new to yoga and I don't consider myself very flexible and familiar with a lot of yoga poses.  Also, with the kids used to me being with them the whole day, I was anxious how things will be at home with me being gone for long hours.

I immediately felt better the moment  teacher Lei stepped in the yoga studio.  Her online profile described her as having a bundle of energy and I agree.  Her positive aura is infectious and I can see right away why she is a wonderful kids yoga teacher and why she can motivate other people to do the same.

The 3 day training was informative, fun and enlightening! I was shy since I didn't know anybody, but being surrounded with people with such positive energies gave me strength, and everyone was friendly, introducing themselves and laughing.  Everyone kept an open mind and there was no judgement whether you're a seasoned yoga instructor or a newbie.  Since we did a lot of demo classes, it was fun being a kid again.  There were some serious discussions as well, and I appreciated how Lei was able to share her experiences in teaching kids so we can learn from them.  However, to be honest, I think most of us found the quiet time part of the demo classes to be the favorite.  It was nice to settle down for a few minutes after moving up and about and just be grateful for the experience.

Another thing I enjoyed about the training was the opportunity to get to know the other participants and learn from them.  Each person has something to offer.  We were taught to put our own personal touch to the way we teach yoga, and by observing how my fellow participants teach in their demo classes, I got to know them better.  We had moms, dancers, preschool teachers and veteran yoga instructors.  Some came all the way from Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand, all united because of our interest in yoga and kids.

For my demo class, I made a Toy Story Themed yoga class in honor of my kids who love the movie.  Observing my fellow participants has inspired me to improve my ideas for classes.  Another thing I realized is that kids yoga is not just about  the poses (although they do play an important part), but also helping the kids focus on their breathing and letting them practice their imagination.

On a side note, as a Catholic educated by Jesuits, and member of the Christian Life Community, practicing meditation and contemplation is not new to me.  The teachings of St. Ignatius calls us to find God in all things, we can only do so by being "present" as the yoga practice calls us to do.  It's really wonderful how yoga and religion can compliment each other.

I will be an honor to be able to share what I've learned with family and friends.  Should you be interested, please let me know.  As we say during the training, yoga is better when we do it together so the more the merrier.