Karma Kids Yoga's Teen Teacher Training Intensive

This past weekend was absolutely overflowing with awesome.  In addition to the teen training, which I'll gush about in a moment, it was also a time to spend with my beautiful best friend and her boyfriend and a time to cram in as much time as possible with my fiance who is in Lake George for the week.  I'll be headed out of the city myself on Thursday to get a wedding dress in Florida with my mom and my grandma, so I've got another fantastic weekend ahead of me.

The Teen Training is led by Erin Wilson and Shari Vilchez-Blatt.  I already knew these two lovely ladies just through working with them at Karma Kids.  I see Shari practically every day, but I hadn't seen Erin since her move last year to San Francisco where she's continuing to spread the yoga love to teens in partnership with Integral Yoga, who works to get Erin placed in schools that so desperately need her.

The regular Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training that I took back in the fall of 2010 covers toddlers through teens, so I've already been teaching Teen and Tween classes for a long time, but I've known that this Teen Training was going to be an essential part of my teaching.  I expected to learn some meditations, some new activities, and to get a few new tools in my toolbox.  I got those things in absolute spades, and what I didn't expect to get was an absolute revitalization of my own personal practice and to leave with an absolute fire in my belly to teach so many more teens.

Sadly, my teen and tween classes at Karma Kids are finished for the summer  - right when I have all of this amazing new stuff to share with them! - but what I learned in this training I'll be carrying close to my heart and putting into practice myself a lot.  Erin doesn't just teach you how to teach kids yoga poses or Sanskrit, she uses the yogic philosophy and way of life to teach them how to be people.  There's such a focus on connection, community, strength, anger management, physical and mental health, service...I could truly go on and on and on.

Here is my class!  These training normally run at about 20 people, but for some crazy reason we had a small group this time.  We were small but mighty - and diverse!  Only two Americans, one amazing Irish woman, a stunning Chilean woman, a lovely Austrian woman, and an inspiring Londoner.  It was so wonderful to have so many different perspectives during our discussions - it felt like a huge bonus on top of the already wonderful training.  Everyone was ready to plan and open themselves up and we really bonded.


Thank you so much, Erin & Shari!!!  It makes me happy knowing this training is out there inspiring teachers and that this teaching is out there changing teens' lives every day.