#013 How to Create Inclusive Environments for Black Kids with SonJoria Sydnor
Release Date: 03/02/2025
#042 Mindful Monday - Seize the Beauty
The Kids Wellness Podcast
In this special Mindful Monday, Giselle guides you through a simple yet powerful practice to help you seize the beauty. 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. 💛
info_outline
#041 How to Incorporate Literacy in Children’s Yoga Classes with Melissa Taylor
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Melissa Taylor, founder of Imagination Soup, a literacy expert and advocate for children's literature, as they discuss ways to integrate books into children's yoga classes and gain insights into fostering a love of reading. Some highlights: -Learn how to effectively integrate children's books into a kids yoga session beyond just yoga-themed books. -Gain recommendations for children's books that incorporate yoga and mindfulness. -Understand the importance of offering book choices to children to capture their attention and foster a love of...
info_outline
#040 Yoga for Autism and Special Needs with Shawnee Thornton Hardy
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Shawnee Thornton Hardy, founder of Asanas for Autism and Special Needs, as they discuss how yoga practices are making a difference for individuals with autism and special needs. Shawnee generously shares insights and success stories from incorporating yoga into her educational approach with neurodivergent people. Some highlights: - How breathing practices like Dragon's Breath can help with emotion regulation. - Shawnee's journey from a preschool assistant to an educational behavioral specialist. - The importance of compassion and growth...
info_outline
#039 Essential Tips for Teaching Baby Yoga with Shari Vilchez-Blatt
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Shari Vilchez-Blatt, founder of Karma Kids Yoga, as we talk about a common question that we hear from our kids yoga teacher community: "How do we best teach yoga to babies and toddlers?" After teaching yoga for over 20 years, Shari generously shares her journey in teaching baby yoga and lessons she's learned along the way, from teaching mommy + me yoga, baby yoga story time, and baby yoga and development movement classes. If you're thinking about teaching yoga to babies, don't miss this interview, where Shari shares her essential tips...
info_outline
#038 Mindful Monday - Ground Yourself
The Kids Wellness Podcast
In this special Mindful Monday, Giselle guides you through a simple yet powerful practice to help you ground yourself. 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. 💛
info_outline
#037 Raising Resilient Kids: Trust, Risk, and Free-Range Parenting with Lenore Skenazy
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Free-Range Kids movement and president of Let Grow, as they discuss how Lenore’s parenting choices many years ago sparked a national conversation that’s lasted more than fifteen years. In this interview, she breaks down what it means to trust children’s independence, why fear is so prevalent, and how schools and communities can encourage kids to grow. Some highlights: -The story behind letting her nine-year-old son ride the New York subway alone and the media firestorm that followed. -How trust,...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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. 💛
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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: ...
info_outlineJoin Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and SonJoria Sydnor of Our Family's Doing Yoga, and as they talk about an important topic for our yoga community: "How do we create inclusive, accessible spaces for black kids in our kids yoga classes?"
Some highlights:
- SonJoria's journey from educator to creating a yoga book for black kids.
- The role of authenticity and cultural representation in enriching yoga experiences for children. - Practical advice for non-black people on authentically including black kids in yoga and classrooms.
- Insights into SonJoria's family's yoga resources and their mission to increase concentration and self-regulation among children.
- Strategies for educators and authors to incorporate diversity and authenticity in their materials and teachings for a more inclusive approach.
Find SonJoria here:
Website: https://ourfamilysdoingyoga.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChE3vZLvb4yt_8z_5-qaNSw/about
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydnorvilleBooks/?ref=page_internal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackkidsdoyoga/?hl=en
🧘🏽♂️🧘♀️🧘🏿♀️ 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:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsyogastories
Website: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/
Shop: https://shop.kidsyogastories.com/