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Kids’ Yoga
Is yoga innate in us?
When my son was born in 2004 and began to move more and more independently, I was very surprised. I could recognize some postures in him that are also found in yoga. From the prone position, he pushed himself up and came into the cobra pose. He practiced the quadruped position and the downward-facing dog before the whole thing transitioned into a movement, namely crawling. I recognized that yoga is anchored in children’s development. So, we don’t have to teach them anything, but rather preserve the special abilities and skills that we find.
Yoga has now been extensively studied. It has become accepted in our society that this form of movement, pausing, relaxation, paired with meditative exercises and exercises to discover one’s own breath, can be a great asset in growing up. For me personally, the whole thing goes far beyond that, as we also convey values and social interaction. We promote skills to strengthen resilience, as well as the regulation of emotions. In this way, a strong self can develop, with which we can best support our children on their way to becoming resilient and happy adults. Yoga is far more than just moving the body, meditation, and relaxation.
Training as a yoga and mindfulness teacher for children
What do children need to be resilient and self-effective? How do self-regulatory skills develop, and how can children develop strategies to master challenging situations?
It has long been known that children’s yoga, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques are a great asset for children. This is because the family environment, daycare, and school, as well as other educational institutions for children and youth work, usually cannot fulfill these additional learning tasks. In addition, the term
You will learn how to practice yoga, mindfulness, and relaxation together with children. In addition to asana studies and child anatomy, you will gain profound knowledge of pedagogy, developmental psychology, brain development, development of the nervous system, communication, and stabilization techniques. We also deal with inclusive yoga and what to consider when working with children who have diagnoses. We sensitize our perception to the uniqueness of each person, so that you can tailor your offer individually and precisely. Because yoga is much more than the physical aspect, we will consider development on a holistic level. This training goes far beyond what is usually associated with children’s yoga.
After this training, you will be well-equipped to work independently with your offer in courses, working groups, in educational institutions such as schools and daycare centers, or also in workshops (inclusive).
The training comprises a total of 150 hours (200 teaching units). It is divided into seven weekend modules (six of them online-live, the final module in attendance in Berlin), six evenings with guest lecturers, and a portion of independent learning. The training period covers one year, as we believe that learning also means integration and processing, and time is needed for this. You will gain practical experience during the training, so that you will begin teaching during the training. You will complete the training with a certificate after successful completion.
We place great emphasis on professional competence, but also on supporting you in finding your own individual teaching personality. Therefore, the evening modules will primarily deal with topics for your own practice, because children learn by example and you are a role model and attachment partner. Thus, self-reflection and self-regulation are important building blocks in working with people.
Who will accompany you on this path?
The special thing about this training is that we have brought together many experts who will accompany you on your path. In this way, you will get to know different methods and teacher personalities who will share their knowledge and their wealth of experience with you!
We are Sandra Walkenhorst and Benjamin Olzem, both educators with many years of professional experience in daycare and school, as well as in yoga with children, adolescents, and adults.
The anatomy section is taught by Marion Klinkmüller. Marion has been working for over 30 years as a physiotherapist with many additional qualifications from the field of physio for children and adults, mainly in the field of neurology and orthopedics. Since her yoga teacher training, she has firmly integrated yoga into her everyday life. Self-employed since 2003 in her own physiotherapy practice with health insurance approval. This was also her entry as a therapist for children in daycare centers and schools, to be a mediator between parents, educators, and teachers. With the project “Relaxed Lessons,” she was awarded a prize by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Women, and Health. Since 2014, she has been working as a certified burnout coach and integrates this work into all her areas of work.
The guest lecturers:
Eberhard Bärr will teach an evening on yoga philosophy.
He lived in India for 15 years and was trained there as a yoga teacher at the Vivekananda Institute in Bangalore. He spent ten years with his teacher Sukumar in South India and held seminars with him there and in Europe. During the long time together with Sukumar and through the instruction of other Indian teachers, he deepened his knowledge of Indian Vedanta teachings and is a sought-after speaker in German-speaking countries for a practical and everyday yoga philosophy. He led spiritual journeys in India and Nepal for many years and regularly holds seminars in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and is a speaker in many yoga teacher trainings. His informal and often humorous teaching style easily opens the doors to the deep wisdom of yoga and has a lasting effect on everyday life with many of his memorably formulated sentences. He has published the book “Upasana – Das gute Gefühl” on the subject.
Further information on seminars with Eberhard on the website. www.upasana.de
Florian Palzinsky lets us share in his great knowledge of meditation.
Florian spent many years in Asia, including as a Buddhist monk. Since 2004, he has been a yoga & meditation teacher and guest lecturer at training courses. His spiritual openness, curiosity, and practice lead him into the depths of Eastern wisdom teachings such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. He is the author of three spiritual books. Like a migratory bird, he lives with his wife in warmer climes during the colder season.
More information about his in-person and online events: www.yogaundmeditation.at / www.millretreats.at
With Michael Walkenhorst, we dive into the exciting world of our beliefs.
Michael is a state-recognized educator and has been working for over 30 years in the fields of pedagogy, nursing and consulting, in the areas of adult education, work with the disabled, work with mentally ill people, and work with children and young people. Currently part-time in the area management team, responsible for supervision and team building. He has also been working as a psychological consultant, coach, and supervisor in his own practice since 2013 and offers specialist training courses with a focus on psychology as a lecturer. He is also the author of the specialist books “Yoga trifft Coaching” & “Coaching für Kinder und Jugendlicher”.
More at: www.psychologische-beratung-griesheim.de & www.psyoco.de
Evelyn Schneider gives you helpful knowledge in professional studies and the path to self-employment.
Evelyn, author of the book “Der Leitfaden,” has her professional origins in the hotel industry and has, among other things, managed business turnarounds for a consulting company for several years. Within her now independent activity, her focus is on employee training and development. Her fascination with the “human” factor has inspired her to various further training courses (including various persolog® certifications) on the topics of stress management, resilience strengthening, and other aspects of personality development. Since Evi completed the 500h training in Vinyasa Yoga, she leaves no opportunity to continue her education. She has been practicing and teaching yoga for many years. Evi impresses with her structured and at the same time emotional way of teaching, in which she sensitively picks up her participants, challenges them, and yet leaves plenty of room for the discovery of their own yoga. She leads training courses for yoga teachers and supports them on their way to self-employment. She combines her professional qualifications and experience with the philosophical and physical knowledge of yoga – and she understands how to pick up yoga teachers where they are and accompany them in their language. More about Evi at www.yoga-yes.de
Mona Bekteši provides insights into how yoga can easily succeed in school.
For more than a decade, yoga has been an integral part of Mona’s life and draws her again and again into (the) its spell with its unique connection of breath and movement. Yoga is an exciting, unimagined path to her own center, which gives her strength and peace at the same time.
Mona is a certified yoga teacher (AYA) and children’s yoga teacher (KAY) and works as a teacher for German and history at a school in Bremen. Furthermore, she is a mindfulness trainer for children and adolescents. At the State Institute for School Bremen (LiS) and the University of Bremen, she trains prospective teachers and students. She has been teaching yoga for adults, adolescents, and children for many years and gives regional and national yoga training courses for teachers in various contexts. She is also the author of several books on yoga and school.
You can find more about Mona here: www.yoga-in-der-schule.de
Benjamin and Sandra will teach an evening for the strong self.
In this way, you will receive extensive knowledge, as well as diverse, practical impulses and get to know exciting teacher personalities who will accompany you on your own individual path with their experience and expertise, in order to then be an authentic and helpful companion for children yourself.
You can find the dates and content of the modules here: to the training
