About KYP

The Kids Yoga Project

 

The Kids Yoga Project began in Buffalo, NY in 2019 but the roots of the program date back to 2000. KYP was born from the work of master yoga teacher and mentor Coeli Marsh. Ms. Marsh has a history of establishing long-running yoga programs at Boston-area elementary schools and high schools, as well as community centers.  Like the KYP program, each of these other programs follows a similar structure, and overarching theme of “Everyone is Different, Everyone Belongs.”

 

The Kids Yoga Project provides weekly yoga classes to school-aged children. The structure of the program is built around the vision to provide students with more tools needed for overall wellness. The benefits of the practice reach students physically mentally, and social-emotionally. 

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The stress that kids experience is on the rise. The Kids Yoga Project allows students to take their practice “off the mat” into challenging situations that require deep focus, on to the playground when dealing with conflict, interactions with peers, and when feeling stressed or anxious. Students are taught how to focus their attention even when they are surrounded by distraction. They learn many poses and strategies to maintain a strong body and a calm mind and use the power of their breath to keep their bodies and minds at ease.

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The Practice

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While each class is tailored to the community of students present, classes provide students with a structure to practice mindfulness and a series of yoga poses. 

 

Kids first take a few minutes to step outside of their day and integrate into their space and connect to themselves. Next students move through a series of yoga poses to build strength, flexibility, and focus. Guiding students to feel and listen for their own breath is an effective way to place their attention on one thing. Throughout the practice, students are safely guided to try each pose, breath deeply, and focus intently.

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Kids will engage in other activities to promote mindfulness like guided meditation, journaling, conversation, and art. The yoga classes end with a few minutes of relaxation and stillness. Embedded in the class are important principles that teach empathy and compassion for self and others.

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What Makes KYP Different

 

While most studio-based (and many school-based) yoga programs offered to children seek to engage students through playfulness, KYP is taught to students with a seriousness of purpose.  The program does not focus on the “animal” names of the postures or include storytelling to the children.  Rather, the yoga classes are taught similarly to adult classes, with a focus on safe alignment, steady breathing, and the importance of personal experience.  

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