Q: Tell us about yourself

A: I struggled with anxiety since I was a child. Yoga and mindfulness helped me overcome years of panic attacks, so I founded Radiant Beginnings Yoga to help students manage stress in their own lives. I have been teaching yoga and mindfulness in the school system for ten years. In that ten years I have worked with ages two through 20. I’ve worked with students who experienced trauma/special needs (specifically ADD, ADHD, Autism) in title one schools, private day cares and public education. I have taught up to 23 classes a week and have partnered with P.E. and classroom teachers to implement yoga into the school environment. I have collaborated with therapists, social workers school psychologists, and researchers. After 10 years of driving from school to school and seeing the impact our program has on children during the school day, I am using my expertise in the classroom and expanding my reach to share tools with stress management with as many kids as possible. It is my life’s work to help children develop holistic tools for stress management that I wish I had as a child. After seeing the impact Radiant Beginnings has on students during the school day I knew I had to reach more people. Through Radiant Beginnings, I’ve created guided relaxations, videos, books, trainings and lesson plans to support teachers who will benefit from stress management skills in the classroom. Through self regulation, emotional intelligence, mindfulness and self awareness we have found great success in the schools we are working with. The students and the teachers are greatly benefitting from the tools we teach. For more information about my journey please read my Elephant Journal article.

Q: What inspired this work?

After being in and out of many different schools/classrooms I have seen the same common denominator across the board- schools need resources to help with stress management. I see educators and students trying to manage more stress than ever before. Along with pressure that students are putting on themselves to achieve at a higher level, they are also receiving outside pressures including but not limited to: peer, parental, and social pressure, extra-curricular activity pressure, pressure to choose and get into the right middle/high school, socio-economic and socio-emotional pressure. Teachers find themselves dealing with the effects of poverty, divorce, violence and social pressures. Teachers are doing a job that goes above and beyond their job descriptions. The bottom line is that there is an increase in the demand of a teacher's daily job. When teachers facilitate yoga and mindfulness in the classroom they not only create a place of self awareness for themselves, but they raise resiliency for stressful times and fend off job stress before it begins. Schools don’t need another curriculum or a book to read, they need hands on, simple effective tools to start implementing into their classes immediately.

Q: What have you noticed with your students?

A: We have seen students who are labeled with ‘problematic behavior’ change their behavior drastically. They may have trouble sitting still, keeping their hands to themselves or not paying attention. After breathing, mindful movement and relaxation they are left with an ability to self sooth, pay attention and notice what they need. We believe they need a place to slow down and tune into their thoughts and emotions. We have also noticed our teacher’s stress levels decreased when facilitating yoga/mindfulness in the classroom. They are able to breathe with their students, find moments of calm and tune into their body/mind.

Q: Is this training secular? Who enrolls in this training?

A: All trainings offered by Radiant Beginnings are appropriate for parents, educators, therapists, or anyone interested in bringing the art of yoga and mindfulness to kids. There is no need for prior yoga experience. We believe yoga is defined as mind, body and breath making classes secular. We use yoga as the vehicle to self regulate.

Q: What makes you different from other Kids Yoga businesses?

A: Radiant Beginnings is an evidence based program that focuses on helping children and teachers develop a sense of calm by targeting executive functioning skills/self regulation skills. We are helping children develop a tool kit for stress management that they can carry with them throughout their lives. Our work has given us firsthand experience with what works and what doesn’t. We kept what works and got rid of what the kids don’t connect with, ultimately creating a training that has been tried and developed from children’s feedback.

Q: What are the benefits? How can I use this training?

  • Self esteem
  • Body Awareness
  • Non-competitive mind set
  • Flexibility/strength
  • Coordination
  • Concentration
  • A sense of calm, relaxation, and self-control
  • Hormone balance
  • Confidence
  • Focus
  • Reduced stress/anxiety