#040 Yoga for Autism and Special Needs with Shawnee Thornton Hardy
Release Date: 07/20/2025
#047 Mindful Monday - Greet the Day
The Kids Wellness Podcast
In this special Mindful Monday, Giselle guides you through a simple yet powerful practice to help you greet the day. Whether you're an educator, parent, or anyone working with children, this meditation is a perfect way to prepare, focus, and manage the day ahead. Take a deep breath, settle in, and let’s begin. 💛
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#046 How to Create an After-School Mindfulness Club with JaTorra Commodore
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and JaTorra Commodore, of Commodore Coaching, as they talk about an interesting topic: "How do we create a successful after-school mindfulness club?" JaTorra shares her story of how she created an after-school mindfulness club after leaving her position as an elementary school teacher after 20 years. With her Wellness Warriors program, she creates a safe place for children to find their calm, connect with themselves and each other, and build a caring community--all through the lens of mindfulness activities. Listen to the interview to hear...
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#045 Exploring Mindfulness-Based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Education with Athea Davis
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Athea Davis, a leader in Mindfulness-Based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Co-Secretary of the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM), to discuss the transformative power of mindfulness in education. Athea shares her inspirational journey and practical insights into integrating these practices into schools. Some highlights: -Athea's personal journey from law to becoming a mindfulness educator. -The impact of mindfulness-based SEL in Houston's schools. -Developing a curriculum and the challenges she faced when integrating...
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#044 How to Reduce Anxiety in Early Childhood Classrooms with Colleen Smith
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Colleen Smith of ChildLight Yoga as they talk about an important topic for our community of kids yoga teachers and early childhood educators: "How do we reduce anxiety in the early childhood classroom (with simple yoga and mindfulness activities)?" In this interview, Colleen Smith from ChildLight Yoga and BeLive Yoga shares her expertise on reducing anxiety in the early childhood classroom. She discusses her background, along with the causes of anxiety, and offers practical yoga and mindfulness strategies for early childhood teachers to...
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#043 How to Add Picture Books to Kids Yoga Class with Jodie Rodriguez
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Jodie Rodriguez, founder of Growing Book by Book, as we talk about a popular topic that we hear from our community: "How do we capture the focus and attention of children while reading children's books during a kids yoga session?" From over a decade of running the popular Growing Book by Book, a website dedicated to sharing the highest quality children's books, Jodie shares: -why it's beneficial to add quality children's books to your kids yoga experiences. -her 3 top tips for capturing the attention of children while reading a book....
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#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. 💛
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#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...
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#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...
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#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...
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#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_outlineJoin 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 in supporting neurodivergent children.
- Practical tips for integrating short yoga sessions into daily routines for children with complex needs.
Find Shawnee here:
Website: https://www.asanasforautismandspecialneeds.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asanasforautismandspecialneeds/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asanasforautismandspecialneeds
🧘🏽♂️🧘♀️🧘🏿♀️ 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/