#043 How to Add Picture Books to Kids Yoga Class with Jodie Rodriguez
Release Date: 08/03/2025
#053 School Trends 2025: 75% of Children Struggle with Self-Regulation with Margaret Rice
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Margaret Rice, founder of Your Therapy Source, as they unpack the results of a nationwide survey with over 1,000 school-based therapists and educators. The findings reveal a growing crisis in self-regulation among children and highlight the urgent need for movement, mindfulness, and play in classrooms. Margaret shares surprising insights from the survey and practical strategies to support children’s focus, behavior, and resilience. From calm corners and movement breaks to co-regulation and play-based learning, discover tools that can...
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#052 - How to Create an Inclusive, Accessible, & Trauma-Informed Yoga Class with Larissa Noto
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Larissa Noto of The Lovely Little Lotus Yoga as they talk about an important topic for our community of yoga educators: "How do we ensure that our kids yoga classes are inclusive, accessible, and trauma-informed, so that all children feel seen, heard, and understood?” From her unique experience as a lawyer and a yoga therapist, Larissa specializes in teaching trauma-informed kids yoga classes to ensure that the experience is accessible to all ages and abilities. Larissa explains what “trauma-informed yoga” means and why it’s...
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#051 Mindful Monday - Love & Acceptance
The Kids Wellness Podcast
In this special Mindful Monday, Giselle guides you through a simple yet powerful practice to help you bring more love and acceptance to your life. 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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#050 Be Unapologetically Impatient: Create Change with Courage & Compassion with Dr. Christina Cipriano
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Dr. Christina Cipriano, author of "Be Unapologetically Impatient" and Director of the Education Collaboratory at Yale, as they explore what it takes to create meaningful change—at home, at school, and in our communities. Through personal stories and practical tools, Dr. Cipriano shares how emotional intelligence, mindful communication, and compassion can turn discomfort into action. Some highlights: • The Universal Studios story that led to systemic accessibility changes • How to cultivate courage and speak up with compassion and...
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#049 Sugar, Autism, and Whole-Child Wellness with Dr. Joel Gator Warsh
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories and Dr. Joel Gator Warsh, a board-certified pediatrician, as they discuss integrative pediatric health, focusing on finding balance between conventional and holistic approaches for children's wellness. From sugar and autism to the importance of open conversations, this episode covers practical strategies for supporting children’s health in today’s world. Some highlights: -The need for balance between Western medicine and holistic, lifestyle-focused care in pediatrics. -Why open, nuanced conversations about vaccines, autism, and chronic...
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#048 How to Make Your Class Multicultural with Leanna Guillen Mora
The Kids Wellness Podcast
Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Leanna Guillen Mora, founder of All Done Monkey and Multicultural Kid Blogs, as we talk about a popular topic that we hear from our community: "How do we ensure that our kids yoga classes are multicultural and inclusive so that we are catering to the needs of all children and ensuring that all children feel seen and understood?" From well over a decade of experience running her own blog, creating a global community, and homeschooling her biracial children, Leanna shares: -why it's important to create a multicultural, diverse yoga...
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#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...
info_outlineJoin 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.
-book titles that lend themselves well to movement and mindfulness.
Adding literature to a yoga class is easy, engaging, and educational using Jodie's tips!
Find Jodie here:
Website: https://growingbookbybook.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growingbookbybook
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growingbookbybook/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/growingbbb/
🧘🏽♂️🧘♀️🧘🏿♀️ 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/