#006 How Do Adults Practice Self-Care and Self-Compassion with Wendy O'Leary
Release Date: 01/11/2025
#036 How to Teach Tween and Teen Yoga Classes with Claire Louise Smith
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Claire Louise Smith, co-founder of Ambassador Yoga, as they talk about an interesting question for our community of kids yoga teachers and educators-turned-kids-yoga-business-owners: "How do we create effective and engaging tween and teen yoga classes?" Claire draws from her 20 years of experience as a yoga studio owner and creator of tween and teen yoga leadership training to share her essential tips for structuring a successful program for youth. Claire explains that neither the playful games and songs of children's yoga nor the...
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#035 Mindful Monday - Meant to be Meditation
The Kids Wellness Podcast
In this special Mindful Monday, Giselle guides you through a simple yet powerful practice to help you accept the moment with grace. Whether you're an educator, parent, or anyone working with children, this meditation is a perfect way to reset, refocus, and manage stress. Take a deep breath, settle in, and let’s begin. 💛
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#034 Raising Happy, Healthy Kids: The Microbiome, Vagus Nerve, & Gut-Brain Connection with Dr. Elisa Song
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Discover the keys to raising happy, healthy kids along with Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Dr. Elisa Song, a Stanford-, NYU-, UCSF-trained integrative pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert. Learn practical tips and science-backed strategies for optimizing your child’s microbiome and overall wellness. Some highlights: -The difference between integrative, functional, and conventional pediatrics, and how each approach supports children's health. -What the microbiome is, why it matters for kids’ physical and mental health, and how it affects the gut-brain...
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#033 How to Apply for a School Yoga Grant with Leslie Wolfe
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow (founder of Kids Yoga Stories) and Leslie Wolfe (PE Teacher and founder of Playful Hearts Yoga) as we talk about a popular topic that we hear from our community: How do I apply for a grant for my school yoga program? We talk with Leslie, who applied for a grant through the American Heart Association (AHA) to start up a school yoga program in her local district. She shares how she found out about the grant, what was included in the application, and what her school yoga program plans are to bring yoga and mindfulness to the local schools. Find Leslie here: Website: ...
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#032 Building Confidence and Connection: Essential Tips for New Teachers with Alisha
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Alisha from Rainbow Sky Creations as they talk about how starting out as a new kids yoga teacher can be overwhelming and share invaluable tips and strategies for new teachers. Some highlights: -The importance of keeping lesson plans simple and effective. -How to build strong connections with students by using their names and engaging them as they enter. -Structuring a five-part lesson plan for consistency. -Strategies for managing classroom chaos and staying calm. -Embracing discomfort and unpredictability as essential parts of teaching....
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#031 Simple Mindfulness Tools for Everyday School and Family Life with Sally Arnold
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Sally Arnold, founder of Mindful Compass, as they discuss how mindfulness can make a real difference for children, families, and educators in everyday life. In this interview, Sally shares practical techniques and powerful stories from her global experience teaching mindfulness. Some highlights: -Sally’s unique journey from nursing and psychology to founding Mindful Compass. -Simple, effective mindfulness practices for busy teachers and parents. -Real stories of how mindfulness helped children make positive choices and manage stress....
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#030 Mindful Monday - Kindness Meditation
The Kids Wellness Podcast
In this special Mindful Monday, Giselle guides you through a simple yet powerful practice to help you foster kindness. Whether you're an educator, parent, or anyone working with children, this meditation is a perfect way to reset, refocus, and manage stress. Take a deep breath, settle in, and let’s begin. 💛
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#029 Teaching Mindfulness That Sticks: Creative and Culturally Relevant Approaches with Dr. Chris Willard
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Dr. Chris Willard, a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, international speaker, and mindfulness educator, as they discuss how to bring true depth, creativity, and cultural relevance to mindfulness practices for both children and adults. Chris helps cut through common myths and discusses the practical realities of teaching mindfulness today. Some highlights: -Common misconceptions about mindfulness and what it really is (and isn’t). -How to meet people where they are—whether they're kids, adults, or from diverse backgrounds....
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#028 How to Engage Children in your Kids Yoga Class with Laura McEgan
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow (founder of Kids Yoga Stories) and Laura McEgan (founder of Divine Light Yoga) as we talk about a popular topic that we hear from our community: How do we engage children of different ages in a kids yoga class? From her 20 years experience teaching kids yoga, Laura shares her tips of how to capture the focus and attention of different-aged children in her kids yoga classes. She also discusses the factors of why it seems to be more difficult now than ever to capture their attention - similar with children across the globe! Laura's resources that were mentioned in the...
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#027 How to Integrate Yoga and Mindfulness into Summer Camps with Emily Fleming
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Emily Fleming, founder of Yoga in Classrooms and School Consulting, as we discuss how to integrate yoga into educational settings, specifically summer camps. Learn how yoga and mindfulness can transform the learning environment and enhance summer camp culture. Some highlights: -Emily's career transition from a classroom teacher to a yoga and mindfulness educator. -The importance of starting with your own practice as a teacher before incorporating it into the classroom. -Strategies for securing summer camp yoga instructor positions. -The...
info_outlineJoin us as Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, interviews Wendy O'Leary, award-winning children's author of It's OK and Breathing Makes it Better, educator, and public speaker, about the importance of self-compassion for educators. Join them as they explore practical tips and insights on cultivating kindness towards oneself. Some highlights:
- Discover the three components of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness
- Learn simple practices and phrases to offer yourself care during challenging moments
- Understand the benefits of self-compassion for educators facing constant demands and stress
- Explore the resistance to self-care in education and the importance of overcoming it
- Gain practical tips for integrating self-compassion into your daily life as an educator
Find Wendy here:
Website: https://www.wendyoleary.com/
Instagram: / wendy_oleary_mindfulmatters
Facebook: / wendy.oleary.77
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🧘🏽♂️🧘♀️🧘🏿♀️ Kids Yoga Stories, a mom-run and mom-operated business, was founded in 2012 by former classroom teacher and certified yoga instructor Giselle Shardlow. During her travels and time teaching grades kindergarten through fifth grade in Guatemala, Australia, Canada, and the United States, Giselle witnessed the need to address childhood illiteracy, obesity, and stress. She blended her passions of yoga, mindfulness, and education to create books, card decks, and educational resources to provide classroom teachers, school staff, coaches, and parents with the tools to bring yoga and mindfulness to children everywhere.
Connect with us:
Facebook: 
/ kidsyogastories
Instagram: 
/ kidsyogastories
Website: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/
Shop: https://shop.kidsyogastories.com/