In 2018, Tamara Margas, director of Turquoise Dolphin Wonderschool in Berkeley, Ca., decided to become a certified Pretzel Kids yoga teacher so that she could offer kids yoga in her daycare.

She hasn’t turned back.

“I thought it was going to be difficult because I have never taught yoga, but following the Pretzel Kids yoga methodology made it much easier. I felt that I was creating a story for children,” says Margas, adding that she loves offering fun yoga poses and incorporating mindfulness into her school.

Indeed, Margas - along with many other preschool directors - are onto something: Yoga and mindfulness offers many benefits for young kids. Not only that but incorporating kids yoga into your preschool appeals to parents, who often choose schools because they offer a kids yoga curriculum.

Here are five reasons to offer yoga and mindfulness at your preschool, followed by how to bring yoga into your school:

1. Kids learn positive habits. It’s true, the sooner you introduce mindfulness and yoga into children’s lives, the more tools they’ll have to handle pressures of school and life. For example, teaching yoga helps kids focus and remain calm. Not only that but kids who learn how to practice yoga outperform other kids in terms of cognitive and social control, empathy and optimism.

2. Kids who practice yoga are generally more social. Yup, this is true too. According to Developmental Psychology, kids who learn mindfulness techniques considered themselves to be 20% more social and were 24% less aggressive. A win-win!

3. Kids gain an appreciation for physical fitness. Even the youngest yogis can experience improvement in flexibility, strength, and balance. And, according to Harvard Medical School, yoga also promotes endurance and aerobic capacity in children.

4. Kids learn how to relax and destress. This is a proven fact: Yoga helps reduce anxiety and stress in children of all ages, even preschoolers! Between teaching preschoolers kid-centric breathing techniques and fun yoga games, they’ll learn how to calm their nervous systems and focus on the present, according to Pretzel Kids yoga.

5. Kids learn through play. Many preschool yoga curriculums are play-based as this is how kids learn best. The Pretzel Kids yoga curriculum, for example, was developed by two preschool teachers and the program is designed to help kids tap into their creative genius. Each lesson plan is based on a theme, like rain forest adventure, a day at the beach, or jungle safari. This way kids use their imaginations while learning important breathing techniques and poses in a fun way!

Bring Yoga to Your Preschool

Now that you know the five top reasons why you should teach yoga at your school, you may be wondering how to get started. Luckily, we’re here to help.

There are two main ways to add kids yoga to your school: Hire a kids yoga instructor or become a trained instructor yourself (or have one of your teachers train). Here are the pros and cons.

• Hire a kids yoga instructor

This may appear to be an easy way to get started. But, before you bring in a weekly adult yoga teacher (perhaps a parent who teaches adult yoga classes at a local gym or studio), you may want to rethink this and hire a teacher with experience teaching kids yoga to preschoolers. Or - at least someone who has taken a bonafide kids yoga certification course. With this said, it’s up to you to research kids yoga curriculums and teachers before you make this hire.

Another thing to note: This will cost you more than the option below…….

• Enroll in a kids yoga certification course

While this means either you or one of your teachers will be the one teaching kids yoga at your school, this is the most cost-effective way to bring yoga to your school - that is, if you enroll in the right course.

When it comes to kids yoga certification courses, you’ll find everything from a super expensive 200-hour long program to a 10-hour fast-track online kids yoga teacher training. For obvious reasons - think: affordability, convenience and ease - I’d go with a fast-track online program, like the Pretzel Kids yoga teacher training. Field-tested in preschools since 2005, this online course and curriculum gives you all the tools you need to start teaching kids yoga right now. Plus, you can join Pretzel Kids’ membership community to get your classes and school listed on the website. This translates to more parents finding your school when they search for preschools with kids yoga!

Are you ready to get started and bring kids yoga to your preschool? We thought so!

About the author: Robyn Parets is the founder and CEO of Pretzel Kids yoga, a curriculum-based yoga company offering a convenient and fast-track online training course and teaching resources for preschools.

Paper Pinecone is a thought leader in Early Childhood Education and a marketplace for parents to find the best daycare and preschool programs in their area. Parents search thousands of providers at no cost and providers always list free. Get started today.

Other articles you’ll love

Childcare and the 2020 Election: Democratic Candidates who Support Universal Childcare

6 Tips to Find Great Preschool Teachers and 6 Tips to Retain Them