Kids Yoga 

In kids yoga classes, children explore themselves physically and mentally in community with each other. Together, we discover new edges of what we thought was possible, practice listening inwards and acting from connection with Self, and enjoy spending time in silence and stillness. There is lots of laughter and fun as we move through wild animal poses that challenge focus, strength, flexibility, and balance; playful vocalizations (sound effects, song, chant); and non-competitive games. There is also time for deep rest and breathing that calm the mind.

Antonia Kao is a certified yoga instructor who has been practicing yoga since 1990, working with kids since 1992, and teaching yoga to kids and adults of all abilities, including those with specific challenges such as visual impairment, since 2003. Antonia has studied with many veteran teachers including, at the Sri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath Rangaswamy. She has completed teacher trainings at Avalon Yoga in Palo Alto and Sacred Movement in Los Angeles. In the past few years, she has worked with children ages 3 and up at the yoga studio Yoga is Youthfulness, the award-winning preschool Kindercourt, Bapuji Children's Orphanage in India, and the Santa Clara Emergency Housing Consortium.

Resources

Here's a link to Yoga for Youngsters (San Jose Mercury News, 31 July 2006) that features YiY kids yoga students and me.

Here are a few of my favorite kids yoga books for both parents and kids:

My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste ~ written for kids with charming illustrations and an accessible storyline

Born Yogis by Susie Arnett, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa ~ sweet photos of babies in yoga poses accompanied by inspiring and informative passages from classic texts

Here's a great overall resource for parents and older kids:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga with Kids