Namaste from The Little Yoga Tribe
Focused on providing well-being for children
“My daughter loves this club, looking forward to it each week. She comes out relaxed and grounded, and calmly ready to take on the world (in an 8 year old kind of way).”
— Emily Hydes
About Me
My name is Gretel and I have followed my own personal Yoga practise for over 20 years now.
It wasn't until I had children of my own who decided to join me on my mat that I started to see not only how much enjoyment they got from the practise but also the benefits.
Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness… some of these practises have been around for centuries yet it hasn’t been until more recent years that they are finally becoming more recognised.
I decided to go on a learning journey to teach children the art of yoga, meditation and mindfulness providing them with their very own tool box of peace and calm.
Here I hope to deepen your understanding of these forms of well-being and how we can benefit from them.
The past to present
Humankind, the world, life and everything that comes with it has progressed enormously over the years.
Continuously making new discoveries, advanced technology, bigger goals, higher ambitions.
They are all to be celebrated yet they do often come with a price.
As we move forward in many ways, one thing that has declined in the process is our mental health and well-being.
The pressures of life today can often become too much for us leading to overwhelming feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, stress and sometimes depression.
This life is going to keep on progressing and as it does, so will the stresses and pressures. This prospect sounds daunting to some, but not if we have the right tools to prepare us.
Many adults now turn to a method of well-being to claw back some of that life balance, to regain some control over their mind state and coping abilities.
If I had a £1 for every person i’ve spoken to that have said they wished they had gone down this route years ago i’d have my own yoga shala with built in goat sanctuary.
So if as adults we see a positive shift in balance with our health and mental outlook following a path including well-being then think of the benefits our younger generations would feel having access to this from such an early age.
Preparing them mentally and physically for the world they have been born into. To instil self worth right from the start, an empathetic understanding of the people and world around them, to FEEL how good it is to listen and understand your body rather than continuously push against it and fight it.
To be able to let emotions rise and bubble without fear of knowing how to manage or understand them. To embrace the fact that we are all the same but different and that’s what makes each and every one of us so utterly uniquely incredible.
Yoga
Improves posture, strength, balance, flexibility and focus.
Teaches discipline and good conduct.
Provides understanding of different emotions and how to manage them.
Aids concentration and memory through focus and memorisation skills.
Teaches the principles of yoga philosophy and how we can contemplate on them both on and off the mat.
Boosts self esteem and self worth through learning to embrace and celebrate the amazing body we have been given.
Encourages empathy for people and world around us.
Helps coordination and motoring skills.
Teaches relaxation techniques for both on and off the mat.
Nurtures the imagination and creativity.
Can aid sleep and the relaxation process.
Meditation
Helps to attain focus and maintain attention.
Develops inner stability and security through teaching appreciation for what we have in the here and now.
Improves confidence by teaching they are in control of their emotions making them better equipped for unfamiliar situations.
Teaches patience, and dedication to practise.
Aids listening and concentration abilities.
Teaches them how to find their own inner calm in a group as well as alone.
Reduces mind chatter, stress levels and feelings of anxiety.
Improves mental processing and coping skills in challenging situations.
Mindfulness
Strengthens self control.
Improves decision making.
Trains focus control.
Can reduce stress and anxiety.
Teaches to live in the here and now.
Improves emotional regulation skills.
Increases awareness of thoughts and feelings improving communication and confidence.
Teaches methods to gain inner calm alone and in a group.
A deeper understanding of the self promoting self acceptance.
Embraces the imagination.
Well-being & Sens
Children on the autistic and neurodiverse spectrum can find the world a confusing and frustrating place sometimes.
Yoga and well-being can benefit the physical and motor planning, cognitive and neuro sensory processing as well as emotions and behaviours.
Other benefits include:
Improves posture, balance and flexibility.
Increases mobility, stamina and self awareness.
Assists with head, neck and trunk control.
Reduces anxiety and promotes calm and peace of mind.
Develops emotional expression and helps regulate survival responses.
Helps concentration and social skills.
Alters brain wave frequency and tones vagus.
Organises the vestibular.
If you would like to discuss one to one sessions for your child or a small group setting then please do get in contact.
“I love doing yoga with Gretel. Its relaxing, calming and enjoyable.”
— Charlotte Boyle age 9
Workshops
Workshops are very much tailor made to the individual schools requirements.
They can be delivered once a term, a few times a year or weekly if a more regular practise is desired.
Workshops include:
Yoga philosophy as well as physical poses and sequences.
Mindful activities as well as breathing techniques.
Guided mediation and relaxation methods.
An opportunity for the children to ask questions and explore their practise.
Exercises to promote calm, focus and energise that the children refer to as and when they need them.
Useful exercises and practises for teachers to introduce to the classroom setting.
After school clubs
A fun and nurturing club for children to enjoy after their school day.
The class is structured as follows:
Settle in and time to honour our practise.
Safety and etiquette for yoga class.
Warm ups including breathing exercises.
Exploring the Eight limbs of yoga and their meanings.
An opportunity to ask questions and share thoughts.
Mindful activities.
Physical yoga postures as well as sequences.
Guided meditation/nidra.
Contact us.
For more information or to discuss any of the services available please contact Gretel.
Thelittleyogatribe@yahoo.com
07456172007