Kids to Teens Yoga Teacher Training

Come immerse yourself in a fun, playful learning environment with master educators in the field of children and children’s yoga.  You will develop the skills needed to work with kids of all ages through this comprehensive training. Through an interdisciplinary approach to yoga and learning, you will gain a balance of creativity and structure to become a skillful Kids to Teen Yoga® teacher.

Experiencing yourself through a personal exploration of your yoga practice, participating in mindfulness techniques, learning about child development in relationship to yoga and bringing in your own childhood experiences, will help you uncover the magic of being a kid and why you have chosen this path to work with children. You will develop through your creativity, practicing with other like-minded people, practice teaching and observing carefully crafted kids yoga classes the Kids to Teen Yoga® teacher that you already are!

Drawing from a diverse range of yogic philosophies and practices, you will be prepared to teach kids from littles (2-4 years) to teens in a variety of settings, from studios to schools, sports teams to summer camps.

Whether you are a parent, caregiver, educator, school support staff, school counselor, camp counselor, or a yoga teacher who is drawn to work with kids, this program will prepare you to share your yoga with the kids and teens in your life in a way that is unique to you.

course syllabus

General Background in the Specialty – 16 hours

• Child Development emphasis from ages 2-15

• Experiential exploration of developmental considerations for toddlers through to adolescence

• Typical development, individual development, cautions for developmental stages from birth to teenagers

• Teaching multiple age groupings effectively

• Teaching based on school aged groupings (mommy and me, pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school)

• Considerations for female and male learners at different life-stages

• Understanding age-specific milestones

• Self-study as it relates to child development

• Communicating and relationship-building with children and caregivers

• Communicating effectively with parents, guardians and professionals involved in child’s life

Techniques, Training & Practice – 20 Hours

• Inter-disciplinary approach on age-appropriate asanas and posture flows

• Choosing and using music to create energetic shifts and transitions, using music with movement

• Pranayama, chanting, partner poses, games, and meditation

• Affirmations, visualizations, stories and relaxation strategies

• Use of and choosing props, books, cards and visual aids

• Classroom management strategies and techniques for learning differences and behavior challenges

• Teaching in varied settings, partner/co-teaching, business & marketing

Teaching Methodology – 15 Hours

• Knowledge of classroom techniques for varied settings -Group processing for children’s activities

• Methodology for creating experiential learning environments

• Age-appropriate timing, teaching skills, phrasing /languaging for children, sequencing, and delivery

• Lesson planning, use of themes, organization and structure of a class depending upon the setting

• Designing specialty classes (e.g. studio classes, camp programs, family yoga, caregiver & toddlers, teen classes, yoga for athletes)

• Creating a safe, mindful and non-authoritarian environment

• Communicating and relationship-building with students and caregivers/families

• Balancing the need for structure and creativity in the class

• Being in the role of a learner as you teach (learn from your students)

• Observing and embracing the energy of the room and being in the moment

• Engaging the senses and using multiple intelligence techniques

 Anatomy & Physiology – 10 Hours

• Engaging students in the exploration of anatomy & physiology specifically for developmental stages

• Games, books, stories and songs as teaching tools for learning anatomy

• Eastern and Western approaches to physiology and energy anatomy

• Understanding of energy physiology (the chakras and nadis)

• Benefits & Contraindications for yoga techniques

• Avoiding common injuries in yogic practices and instruction on healthy movement patterns

• Age-specific adaptations for asana and pranayama

Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Children’s Yoga Teachers – 16 Hours

• Incorporating yoga philosophy (Yamas & Niyamas) in age-appropriate ways

• Learning philosophy through the use of games, visualizations, affirmations and play

• Fostering a non-competitive, mindful and inclusive class atmosphere

• The practice of yoga as a contemporary health and wellness tool

• Basics of ethical language and behavior when parents/guardians are present and when they are not

• Ethics, caution, and care in hands-on assists

• Creating a safe and protective environment for the students

• Collegial and ethical relationships with parents and associates

• Confidentiality

• Healthy boundaries in the student-teacher relationship

• Local, regional legal parameters, policies and procedures

• When to refer to other professionals

Practice Teaching and Observations – 18 Hours

• Observing, assisting, co-teaching, and teaching

• Design and teach mini classes in your style

• Teaching mock classes and classes with children of varied ages

• Practice teaching in small groups

• Co-mentoring & self-evaluation

• Giving and receiving feedback

• Designing multiple lesson plans to use to teach from

*After completing this training, graduates must teach 30 hours of children’s yoga.

**If desiring certification from the Yoga Alliance, completion of a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training is required. This however is not a requirement to participate in this course, but is a requirement to register as a RCYT with the Yoga Alliance and may be taken either before or after a children’s YTT. Please confirm requirements for Yoga Alliance RCYT as the requirements may change.

***Yoga Collective Nosara 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training is being offered July 9-30 if you’d like to spend a month with us in paradise register at www.ycnosara.com! We’d love to have you join us!

daily schedule

The typical schedule is listed below (Subject to change):

• 6:00 – 8:00am – Morning Sadhana | Personal Yoga Practice

• 8:00 – 9:30am  – Free Time- integration |projects |meditation |community

• 9:30 – 1:00 – Morning Session-Theory

• 1:00 – 2:00 – Group Lunch

• 3:00-4:00 Free Time-integration | projects

  *2 days will be observation classes 3:00-5:00 pm instead of evening session

• 4:00-6:00 Some afternoon sessions

• 6:30– 8:00 – Some Evening Sessions

recommended reading

• Introduction to the Anatomy and Physiology of Children, second edition, by Janet Mac Gregor

• The Whole Brain Child by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel

• Play by Stuart Brown

• 10 Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn

• Spark by Dr. John Ratey