Mindful Conversations with KAY – Details, episodes & analysis

Hello listeners! In this episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY, Kelly and Kristi interview fellow KAY teacher Lisa Schreiber, an adult and kids yoga teacher, children's book author, and mom. The interview dives into Lisa's inspiring journey into the world of yoga, her path into teaching yoga, and her inspiration for writing her first book, The Promise of Shabbat: Yoga Poses for Happy Kids.

Kelly, Kristi, and Lisa also touch upon the long-debated question: is yoga a religion, each sharing their thoughts on the topic and how they navigate this intersection in their teachings. Tune in to this episode for an enriching discussion on yoga, spirituality, and self-discovery!

Purchase Lisa's book on Amazon or reach out to her for a signed copy. Lisa is available for in-person or virtual book readings. And give her a follow on Instagram or Facebook!

Podcast mentions:

PJ Library

For further reading & learning:

What OM Means To Me

Kids Pranayama with a Jewish Twist

In this episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY, Kelly and Kristi interview the fabulous Juliann Hartley, aka Miss Julieann. Miss Julieann is a board-certified music therapist, nature educator, illustrator, and children's musician. She recently released a new album, The Resilient Child, which features songs about developing support systems, coping skills, emotional expression, and self-worth.

In this thoughtful and authentic interview, Julieann shares about her journey and the driving force behind her creation of The Resilient Child. She courageously opens up about her personal battles with a severe neurological infection, offering a glimpse into her own resilience. As she delves into the effects of music on the brain, she unveils powerful strategies for effectively harnessing its potential for positive change. Additionally, Julieann sheds light on the transformative benefits of receiving gratitude, highlighting its profound impact on our well-being.

Tune in for a dopamine hit as Kelly, Kristi, and Julieann share stories of gratitude, growth, and inspiration. And if that's not enough, hit play on one of her uplifting songs from Resilient Child.

Be sure to connect with Miss Julieann:

Web | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Podcast mentions:

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Sanoviv Hospital

Laura Berkner Band

For further reading & learning:

Magical Music

Hooray for KAY Music

Deven Sisler has been teaching yoga and meditation to children and families internationally since 2005 as well as offering kids yoga teacher trainings since 2016. She loves sharing the tools of yoga with people of all ages and believes that everyone can benefit from investigating kindness, honesty, generosity, wisdom, and self-liberation.

Deven joins Kristi and Kelly on this week's episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY to discuss her new book, The Yamas In Pajamas: A Guide to Yoga for Kids and Their Adults, which dives deeper into the first limb of yoga for kids in a fun and accessible way. Each chapter includes reflections, guided meditations, breathing exercises, journal prompts, some activities, and mindful movements or body shapes for each Yama, so kids and their adults can experientially explore these concepts. Listen in as Deven shares more about:

1. Her personal journey with yoga and meditation

2. Her background in theater, circus, and clowning

3. Shifting her approach to teaching yoga to kids

4. Her inspiration for her book and plans for her next one

5. Her experience bringing the practice of yoga into schools and adjustments to make it suitable for all environments

Deven reminds us that the practice of yoga is available anytime, anywhere...even in our pajamas!

The Yamas in Pajamas is available at Target and Amazon, or purchase a signed copy directly from her website.

Connect with Deven: www.devensisleryoga.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/DevenSislerYoga

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DevenSislerYoga

For further reading and learning:

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships, by Marshall Rosenberg

The Secret Power of Yoga, by Nischala Joy Devi

In episode 1 we have the honor of interviewing the founder of Kidding Around Yoga, Haris Lender.  Haris tells us about her journey to finding yoga and how she began to bring yoga to children.  We talk about how beneficial yoga can be for people of all ages.  Haris is a certified Integral Yoga teacher at the 500 level. She has also been certified in Prenatal, Raja, Children’s and Stress Management.  Haris lives in St. Pete, FL with her husband, Evan.  Since she began spreading the love of Kids Yoga KAY has trained more than 10,000 people across the globe and as a result KAY teachers have delivered classes to more than 1 million children worldwide.  The unique program combines the principles of ancient yoga practices with a fun and engaging twist, which is coupled with a series of original music written and performed by Haris and many members of the KAY family.

For more information about KAY and what we offer visit our website.

https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/

For a blog post on kids yoga

https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/benefits-of-yoga-for-kids/

Mindful Conversations with KAY is a podcast for parents, teachers, counselors, or anyone who works with children. We will talk about using research based tools and strategies to help increase mindfulness, self-awareness, connection, self-regulation, and peace in your home or classroom. Join hosts Kristi Fischer and Kelly Winkler, Kidding Around Yoga trainers, moms, and educators for some fun and insightful conversations where we take a deep dive into all things kids yoga and mindfulness. https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/ 

Join our FB community https://www.facebook.com/groups/609981080229473/

“When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it's our job to share our calm, not join their chaos.” ~L.R. Knost

From the moment they’re born, children need safe, consistent, and responsive relationships with the adults around them. Most often, the primary relationship is with a parent, however other adults, such as grandparents and teachers, play a crucial role in a child's overall development and well-being.

Through stable relationships with caring adults, children are able to develop a sense of trust and safety in the world around them. They learn to regulate their emotions, foster positive relationships with others, and develop a strong sense of self.

In this week's episode of Mindful Conversations with KAY, Kelly & Kristi continue the conversation about mindful relationships with a focus on adult-child relationships.

Tune in as Kelly & Kristi dive deeper into the topic, including:

1. practicing mindfulness in our reactions

2. how behavior is most often a communication of a need

3. the importance of co-regulation to support children during challenging moments at home and in the classroom

4. releasing the ideal of the "perfect' parent or teacher

5. the role of repair

This episode is part of a series. Be sure to tune in all month for thoughtful conversations about relationships.

For further reading & learning:

Nurturing Healthy Relationships in Children through Yoga and Mindfulness: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/nurturing-healthy-relationships-in-children-through-yoga-and-mindfulness

Whether you are a parent, caregiver or educator, you can introduce the power and peace of traditional mindfulness practices into daily routine.

Parents, check out Mindful Parenting: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/mindful-parenting.

Teachers, check outEduKAY Online: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/edu-kay-online

If you think back over the course of your life, you can probably name different friends from different periods of your life. You may even have certain friends that you rarely see but, when you do, it seems like no time has passed at all. And, if you're lucky, you are still in contact with a childhood best friend. Through school, sports, our neighborhoods, and more, we'll cross paths with many people and these people will have a tremendous impact on our wellbeing. This week, we continue our series on relationships with a focus on another influential relationship: friendships.

Friendships are an important part of childhood and growing up. They build a child’s sense of belonging and significance in their world, make a child feel cared for and cared about, and in turn teach them how to care for others. Healthy friendships play a key role in a child’s emotional growth and their development of important life skills.

Tune in this week as Kelly & Kristi discuss the importance of connecting with others and how we can support and nurture meaningful friendships for our children, such as:

1. Exploring new interests through friendships

2. Exposing children to different people through different activities

3. Accepting that friendships ebb and flow and using that space to create new relationships

4. Encouraging children to make in person connections with the prevalence of text messaging and electronics

5. Helping children understand what a good friendship looks and feels like in themselves and others

This episode is part of a series. Be sure to tune in all month for thoughtful conversations about relationships.

For further reading & learning:

Building Friendships through Yoga: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/yoga-friends-community-health-kids

Social Emotional Learning – Yoga and Emotional Intelligence" https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-social-emotional-learning-sel/

Sangha: A Community of Yoga Kids: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-community-team-sangha/

Introduce the power and peace of traditional mindfulness practices into your family's daily routine with our course, Mindful Parenting: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/mindful-parenting.

This week, we kick off a new series on relationships and the role of mindfulness in relationships. Kelly and Kristi begin the conversation with the most important relationship: the one we have with ourselves.

Self-connection means knowing and accepting who you truly are, including strengths and weaknesses. It's about being in tune with your emotions and thoughts without judgment. It means developing self-compassion, self-acceptance and allowing growth. Young or old, having a deep relationship with oneself is vital to a balanced and fulfilling life.

Tune in this week as Kelly & Kristi share their personal experiences with self-connection and offer suggestions including:

1. Encouraging children to be curious and try new things

2. Giving children the space to make choices, and mistakes

3. Being careful not to label, but rather focus on effort and the ability to be brave

4. How a yoga and meditation practice can support our self-connection at any age

5. The important of understanding and accepting ourselves to build strong , meaningful relationships with others.

This episode is part of a series. Be sure to tune in all month for thoughtful conversations about relationships.

For further reading & learning:

Yoga Builds Self Esteem: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/self-esteem-yoga-kids-children

Modeling Self Care: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/modeling-self-care/

Building Self-Confidence Through Yoga and Mindfulness: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/building-self-confidence-through-yoga-and-mindfulness/

Introduce the power and peace of traditional mindfulness practices into your family's daily routine withour course, Mindful Parentig: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/mindful-parenting.

Transitioning to high school is a big change for teens. As they enter another new building, with new teachers and peers, they'll gain greater independence and access to a wider range of classes and activities. They'll also be faced with more academic and social pressure as well as pressure to start thinking about the future (...ready or not!).

Like the previous school transitions, you can expect feelings of both excitement and anticipation. As parents and caregivers, there are many steps we can take to help kids adjust to the new school environment and academic standards. In this episode of Mindful Conversation with KAY podcast, Kelly and Kristi conclude the conversation about mindful transitions with the final move to high school.

Listen in as the discuss:

1. How high school presents a time for growth and exploration

2. Tips and techniques for practicing mindfulness — even when there's resistance

3. Emphasis on encouraging kids to trust their gut

4. The importance of staying grounded and present for both kids and caregivers

5. The balance between staying connected but also providing space

This episode is part of a series so be sure to listen Part 1: The First School Experience, Part 2: The Start of Kindergarten and Part 3: Middle School for more engaging conversations and suggestions.

For further reading & learning:

Meditation in the High School Classroom: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-meditation-high-school-teens/

Reconnecting to your Family with Yoga: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/family-yoga-connect-children-parents/

Intuition: Learning to listen to our inner voice as a guide: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kidding-around-yoga/episodes/Intuition--learning-to-listen-to-our-inner-voice-as-a-guide-e234kmd

To gain more knowledge and practical skills to teach yoga and meditation to this age group, check out Teen KAY: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/teen-kay

The transition to middle school is a big step on the road to maturity. Regardless of what specific grade marks the beginning of middle school in your community, your child may be feeling both excited and afraid. (And you, too!) The transition is often complex. As young adolescents are changing school buildings they are also changing hormonally, mentally, and physically, but like all transitions, with some advance planning and open discussions, you can substantially ease your child's mind and ensure a smooth shift into this new space.

In this episode of Mindful Conversation with KAY podcast, Kelly and Kristi continue the conversation about transitions with the 'big leap' from elementary to middle school. Listen in as the discuss:

1. Being your child's mentor and sounding board

2. Supporting your child's independences and boosting their sense of responsibility

3. Understanding potential concerns your child may be having

4. Establishing a yoga practice to support the physical changes

This episode is part of a series so be sure to listen Part 1: The First School Experience & Part 2: The Start of Kindergarten for more thoughtful conversations and suggestions.

For further reading & learning:

Connecting with Teens through Yoga: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-teens-children-tweens-meditation/

Social Emotional Learning - Yoga and Emotional Intelligence: https://kiddingaroundyoga.com/kids-yoga-social-emotional-learning-sel/

Virtual Workshop: Pre-Teen Yoga: How to Adapt a Kids Yoga Class for Growing Yogis: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/how-to-adapt-a-kids-yoga-class-for-growing-yogis

To gain more knowledge and practical skills to teach yoga and meditation to this age group, check out Teen KAY: https://learn.kiddingaroundyoga.com/p/teen-kay