Photography courtesy of Creatista
“If I were a tree, what would I look like? If I were a cat, what would I sound like?” Those are some of the movement prompts children’s yoga teacher Candace Glass gives her students. After working in elementary education for more than 20 years, Glass traded the classroom for the yoga studio. She now runs Elephant Power, a children’s yoga program based at Southtown Yoga in Lafayette Square. Glass also takes her yoga and mindfulness classes to area schools. Sessions include "Big Yogi, Little Yogi" (a yoga class for ages 2–6 and their parent or guardian) and classes and summer camps for ages 7–12.
Glass gets youngsters moving through engaging songs and then progresses to yoga postures and partner work. Classes also include story time and an art activity. With the older kids, Glass often focuses on mindfulness—staying in a moment. They focus on breathing and then strike more complex yoga postures, such as backbends and arm balances. They also do activities related to the day’s theme (e.g., uniqueness, generosity, kindness) and share their work.
“I think it’s important for kids to know they’re not alone in their feelings,” Glass says. The result? Children with more awareness and control of their actions and emotions, as well as compassion for peers when they get upset. With a laugh, Glass adds, “I always find it funny when parents say to me, ‘Yeah, the other day my kid told me I needed to take a few deep breaths and calm down.’”
To learn more about Elephant Power, visitweareelephantpower.com.
