Yoga sessions aim to benefit parent and child

Published 9:15 am Monday, July 18, 2022

Liz Havey didn’t have to look far to find the perfect co-instructor for her Tot & Me Yoga class.

At just 4 ½ years old, her son, Wyn, was clearly the perfect guy for the job.

“We have practiced yoga his entire life,” Havey explained. “I’ve got pictures of him back when he was an infant and I was still on maternity leave doing yoga with me, and so that’s always been a huge part of our lives.”

For her part, Havey began teaching yoga locally in 2014, but it was earlier this year that she transitioned to teaching private lessons full time. As founder of Soul Rebellion Yoga, she now primarily teaches people in their homes, but as a parent, she has seen firsthand the benefits yoga can have for children specifically. 

“It’s so rewarding because I have seen how yoga plays out in my son’s daily activities…,” she said. “I can see him realize when his body is starting to react to a situation, and he’s like, ‘Oh, this is an opportunity for me to take a deep breath, to practice some of these skills.’”

The two began sharing those skills with others in early 2020 with a Tot & Me class, and after the pandemic forced them to take a hiatus, they were able to pick up where they left off earlier this year.

During the 45-minute classes, parents and guardians of children work alongside the kids, and Havey said the sessions have proven to be beneficial for both age groups. 

“Especially for children, but for people of all ages, the concept of working with your breath — tuning into the breath as a mechanism for self-regulation and self-awareness —  is such a fundamental skill for being successful in life, and having the opportunity to work with these little kids so early in their skill development has been really rewarding for both me and the parents,” she said.

Sessions typically begin with a song and breathing techniques taught in conjunction with a story that takes students on an adventure to a faraway place where they can practice unique poses and take part in skill development like practicing courage or addressing fear. It’s all a part of affording the kids an opportunity to practice coping with big emotions that they don’t always know how to deal with. 

“The children just become so much more in tune with their physical beings,” she said. “They may not be graceful ever, and that’s okay, but their awareness of space can allow them to have better balance, better awareness of their external stimuli so that when they’re coming into a situation that might be challenging for them, they can think through it a little more rationally and a little more calmly about how they’re going to encounter that situation and how they can move forward safely and productively.” 

Most of the children who take part in the Tot & Me classes are between 2 and 8 years old. Havey said a good crowd usually attends, but they’re always eager to add more friends to their circle.

“They really are our friends,” she said. “Some of them are new to us, some have been friends for ages, and they become part of our little family here.”

Havey said it’s important for everyone to know that yoga is for people of all ages and all body types and abilities, so even if a child or adult has physical challenges, that doesn’t mean that yoga won’t be accessible for them. She said there are ways to work with people of all ability types, so no one should let their current physical status or well being interfere with the idea of yoga as a possibility. She said she is happy to work individually with those who don’t feel comfortable attending a class.

“Whether you are 8 months old or 80 years old, practicing yoga helps you become better tuned in to your body and your physical responses to the external stimuli that you come into contact with,” she said. “I think for a Tot & Me class, specifically parents and children working together, it gives children the opportunity to start becoming more aware, and it gives parents some additional tools to put in their box for helping their children work through those highly emotional times.”

Tot & Me classes are held every Saturday at 9 a.m. at Harmony Yoga & Pilates. Havey said anyone interested can register online in advance through Harmony’s website or simply show up for a class. Classes are $15 for an adult and child pair, or $25 for an adult plus two children. The classes have also been incorporated as part of the Twin Lakes Library’s System’s summer reading program, and two more of those sessions will be coming up as well. 

For more information, visit soulrebellionyoga.com or search for Soul Rebellion Yoga on Facebook and Instagram.