Every Thursday at 5pm Eastern, I sit down with a group of kids ages 8-13 and practice calming yoga poses and breathing exercises. It is taught online via Outschool and it is a great bedtime yoga class! The kids and I practice slow, mindful movements and restful yoga poses to feel calm and relaxed. We end our classes with Storytime Savasana. Who doesn’t love being read to?!

Calm Yoga Class Description

This is a calm and relaxing yoga class for ages 8-13, but other ages are welcome to join as well. In this class, we practice mindfulness and a combination of Yin & Restorative yoga poses. We often talk about relaxation techniques and offer education about how to soothe our nervous systems.

Restorative & Yin Yoga are a beneficial tools to rest the body and find comfort and relaxation at anytime, but especially close to bedtime. Expect a simple and effective yoga sequence that is safe and comfortable for kids. Each class will start with a calming breathing technique. This class will guide learners to a place of peace and relaxation.

50 minute class breakdown:

~5 minutes: Welcome + Expectations

~5 minutes: Breathing Exercise

~30-35 minutes: Restorative/Yin Yoga Sequence

~5-10 minutes: Storytime Savasana + Closing Greeting

FAQ for Calm Yoga

How will you teach? What’s your teaching style? How much will learners get to interact with you and each other?

• We teach this class by gently guiding learners into relaxing yoga poses through spoken instruction and physical demonstration. Our teaching style is warm and friendly. The learners will be able to interact with the teacher and the other learners during the welcome and introduction period of the class. After that, we encourage all students to stay on mute (as to not disturb the peace of the other learners) and use the chat box to communicate with the teacher directly throughout the class.

Is there any required experience or background knowledge that learners should have before enrolling? What is the pacing of the class?

• There is no required experience or background knowledge that learners need to know before enrolling. Previous experience with yoga is helpful, but not necessary. The pacing of the class is quite slow. We sometimes hold one single posture for up to 2-5 minutes at a time. The teacher will speak to the students throughout the posture, or sometimes there will be periods of silence. That is intentional to allow space for mindful breathing and resting the mind.

What kind of parental guidance is needed? Will my kid get hurt or injured?

• This class has very little risk of injury due to its slow paced nature, but just in case please be aware of any potential hazards when performing yoga as part of a fitness routine. You will need an open workout space, slip proof socks or bare feet, a mat, and comfortable clothing. Please note, this type of yoga is much slower than other types of yoga. If you child has trouble sitting still or focusing, this class could be very beneficial, but it would help to stay nearby to help your child focus and relax into the postures.

Props for Calm Yoga

You will need an open space, slip proof socks or bare feet, a mat, and comfortable clothing. Water is also handy to have nearby. Some basic props will include: a pillow and blanket.

Required Props:

• Yoga Mat (or a towel would work)
• 2 Pillows (or bolster if you have one)
• 1 Blanket

Optional Props:

• More pillows (2-3 for maximum comfort!)
• Blanket (for the final resting pose)
• Eye mask (to help rest your eyes)
• Anything else that helps you feel relaxed (i.e. stuffed animal, scented candle, night light, lamp, etc.)

Details | Calm Yoga for Relaxation

Calm Yoga for Relaxation is an ongoing course on Outschool. It started in February 2023 and has no set end date. Whitney, the head teacher of Yoga Kid Co., teaches this class. It lasts for 50 minutes and Whitney is always respectful of your time by starting and ending on time. If Storytime Savasana goes over time, she always stops to ask if it is okay with everyone before continuing on.

Whitney, the head of Yoga Kid Collective, is a certified and experienced yoga instructor (200-hour E-RYT) with more than a thousand hours of teaching experience. She owns and operates the online kids yoga and fitness studio, Yoga Kid Collective. She loves working out and loves teaching yoga. She teaches from a trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive lens while also providing a warm and inviting class experience.

We keep the group size really small to promote closeness in our community. We encourage a bit of community building time at the beginning and end of classes, but during the main portion of the class, we teach boundaries and respect by encouraging everyone to keep their mics on mute. This is to maintain peace and quiet within everyone’s “bubbles of relaxation.” The chat function is always available to send messages to the teacher if something comes up during class. Our hope is that you are so relaxed that you fall asleep!

In every class, participants will learn to relax their bodies in a calm, nurtured setting through basic breathing exercises and calming yoga postures. Calm Yoga for Relaxation is a truly special class that has served kids all over the world through its online accessibility. Now, we are only hosting one class a week, so we hope you will clear your schedule for Thursday evenings and join us for Calm Yoga for Relaxation!

Calm Yoga for Relaxation

Thursdays at 5pm Eastern | fully online taught via Outschool