It is a dream come true to be able to share what I’ve learned from my 14 years experience as an Elementary Teacher in the TDSB and 15 + years teaching kids’ yoga in school and studio settings. This new one day version (of my three day training) will give you the knowledge and inspiration to share yoga with the children in your life.

Classroom Heartbeat: How to use Yoga & Mindfulness to create a caring community

In this one day workshop, I will share:

  • My 6 “heartbeats”: practical, fun, and effective techniques to infuse yoga, mindfulness, kindness and caring into the day
  • Developmentally appropriate and classroom friendly yoga poses, breathing techniques, and relaxation strategies for JK – Grade 4 students
  • Why it is so much more powerful for YOU to teach your students yoga instead of a video
  • A deep appreciation for teachers who, despite the current climate and challenges in education, still love teaching and know, in their hearts, how critical their role is in supporting the well being of children
  • Some restorative yoga for YOU to help you reflect and relax before the school year begins

At this point in my professional life,  I want to share something that is manageable but still very impactful, thoughtful, and inspiring as you transition from summer holidays to a new school year. It will be a workshop teaching creative ways to share yoga and mindfulness with children but, more than that, it will also be a reminder to YOU about how important you, and the environment you create, are to the children in your care.

I’ve always called my workshops for teachers Classroom Heartbeat because it is my belief that the teacher creates the heartbeat of the classroom. This might be conscious or unconscious but, regardless, we play a huge role in determining whether there is a calm, steady heartbeat or an unpredictable one in the spaces we share with children.

I acknowledge that this is a big statement and that some years it is much, much more difficult to be that calm, steady adult. But, we are the adults and it is our job to find ways to cultivate the most fertile soils for learning and being.

The day I’ve planned is organized, so much fun, and full of easy to implement, developmentally appropriate ideas for JK – Grade 4 students. When you share what you’ve learned with your students, it will feel good to their bodies, minds, and hearts.

And it will feel good to your body, mind, and heart, too…I promise!

By the end of our time together, you will have many new, practical ideas to bring back some of the light and magic to your classroom. You  will also be reconnected to how much teaching matters, how the quality of your relationship with children impacts their school year, and how some simple yoga and mindfulness tools can help build the caring classroom community that kids and teachers deserve.

Pre-requisites and notes:

It is recommended that you have a personal yoga or mindfulness practice…or you are interested in starting one! It is our belief that teaching happens from an embodied place.

You will receive a detailed manual and, at the end of the training, you will receive a certificate of completion.

KIDS’ YOGA One Day Workshop

CLASSROOM HEARTBEAT: How to use Yoga & Mindfulness to create a caring community

Commitment: 8 hours

Dates & Times: Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023 / 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Location: Yoga Therapy Toronto / 692 Bloor St. West / Toronto

Cost: $199 (includes HST)

*Please note that this summer’s training is being offered at a reduced rate (regular $249) because photos will be taken periodically for use on my new website. If faces are shown, I will seek permission from participants.

Space is limited to 20 participants. To register for the training, please contact me directly to ensure there is still space. It is helpful if you include a little about your background (classroom teacher, yoga teacher etc.).  

Please note: You must be able to attend the entire day in order to receive your certificate of completion. Please plan accordingly before confirming registration.

You are welcome to email me at danachapman@beebirch.com to hold your spot. Your spot is considered confirmed once a deposit ($50) or full payment has been received via etransfer.  I am happy to issue a receipt.

As you can read from the testimonials below (from my 3 day training), this new one day version will be taught from the heart–with so much respect for both the magic and imagination of childhood and the challenges inherent in developing and growing into a conscious person. It will also be taught from a place of understanding that the connection we, as conscious adults, foster with children provides the foundation for all the kindness, fun, and trust that follows.

I hope you can join us!

The hallmark of a brilliant training is the ability to take a group of people through a process that leaves them wholly changed. Dana’s kids’ yoga teacher training is executed seamlessly, and students are completely supported by her careful planning, experience as a teacher, attention to detail and her knowledge of group process. I was thrilled with the comprehensive manual, and I left the training with the ability to teach an excellent kids yoga class. However, the best part for me, was that I left the training with a more playful and gentle approach to being a parent, and these tools have helped to shape the time I spend with my own children. I would highly recommend this training to any teacher or parent looking to enhance the quality of their interactions with children through mindfulness and movement.”

~Tracey Soghrati, Soghrati Yoga

I had originally signed up for the Kids Yoga Teacher Training through Birch Bee with the intent to broaden my yoga experience and to share my love of Yoga with my own three children. After only a few short hours of Dana’s course I felt compelled to share this gift with more that just my children. I was inspired to take the training and skills I was learning and share it on many different levels. Dana is such a wonderful teacher. She is engaging, kind and so knowledgeable. She creates such a comfortable and engaging environment. I found the experience with Dana to truly be life changing. Since completing my training I have been teaching kids yoga classes at a studio in my community. Just within the last year I have branched out to include five kids classes a week with the addition of birthday parties and speciality camps. I can’t thank Dana enough for sharing her gift with me, I am forever grateful of my time with her. “

~Shayna Naus, Yoga Blossom for Kids

The three day Kids’ Yoga Teacher Training with Bee Birch Yoga Therapy far exceeded my expectations.  Dana’s material is thoughtful, well-crafted and masterfully delivered.  It’s obvious Dana is passionate about kids and about her work with them.  She holds a space in the room that is intelligent, gentle and inspiring – both as a teacher of students and a teacher of teachers.  I would recommend this course to teachers and parents alike – anyone who spends time with children and wants to make that relationship richer.”

~Carla Weinstein

Taking Dana’s Yoga Teacher Training for Children was very informative and inspiring to me as an educator. Dana’s  lessons were rich with content and her delivery of the subject was masterful. Being a Drama and Dance educator in the TDSB I was inspired to combine some of the yoga poses I learned with creative dance as well as the theme of newcomers to Canada. Using Dana’s Yoga Story Map I created a practice lesson that combined the above  three elements. I look forward to using this method with future Drama and Dance lessons that are rooted in social justice issues. This training encouraged me to be more confident in my body and as a teacher. I highly recommend this course.”

~Megan Johnston

Dana’s 3 day Kids Yoga Teacher Training offered me a new and effective way to connect with children in both my professional and personal life. Each day is playful, fun and joyful. Dana is an inspiring leader who is able to govern adults through the eyes and ears of children. Her manual is a wonderful resource offering great information and research. I recommend this training for any parent hoping to learn new ways to connect to their kids; any yoga instructor hoping to work with children; and any grade school teacher hoping to include yoga and/or mindfulness in their classroom. Dana’s kids yoga teacher training is worth while and not one to miss! “

~Naomi Zahler

Participating in Dana’s 3 day training was the best training I’ve had in a very long time.  I had so much fun, learned so much, and left feeling so excited to jump in feet first to teaching  kids and teens. Dana left no stone unturned. Her passion came through in every part of her training, from training manuals to activities to providing resources to role plays. And who would have thought that learning philosophy and childhood development could be as interesting as it was: all due to Dana’s teaching style. Thank you, Dana. Only one question: when can I sign up for KYTT Level 2?” ~Alyson

The kids yoga program was inspirational! It was a really great mix of practical yoga practice with great research information and resources. The course was also great because it was broken down into different age groups, which makes it very easy to navigate in our own classes. As a classroom teacher it was inspiring to see how yoga can be practical, and is necessary, for the school children.”
~Alex
Ireally resonated with Dana, she is down to earth and very knowledgeable in all aspects of the course. With Dana also being an elementary school teacher she incorporates the yoga mat into the classroom and can share her experiences and give advice under this hat. Dana’s workshop was very concise and packed with loads of ideas and information while paying attention to every detail”
~Jenise
KYTT has proven invaluable in both my personal and professional lives.  As a Health and Physical Education teacher at an elementary school I have already incorporated many of the dynamic and thoughtful ideas into my own teaching praxis with much success, and as a mum to a young girl I have also used many of these same ideas at home with my young yogi who continues to value the quiet connection that yoga has given to both of us.  Dana’s training is a gift!”
~Carrie
Participating in Dana’s class was at times like becoming a kid again.  As teachers we were invited to participate, play and experience yoga as if we were children, and as we did so our kid-selves showed up and learning took on a whole new dimension of creativity and possibility. It’s was brilliant teaching and learning!  Dana’s classes were well planned.  The three-day workshop was a process of gradually introducing layer upon layer of knowledge mixed with hands-on experience. The course was overflowing with tried-and-true techniques and reflected an exceptional understanding of children of all age groups.  Dana is also an inspiring teacher because she loves what she is doing and she teaches from the heart as well as the head.  Music of all kinds and for all ages was presented;  instructions and tools to prepare yoga classes for all ages; and a teacher’s manual filled with resources, ideas, creative suggestions and frameworks to prepare and walk you through your classes.  You walked away from the course exhausted, but you knew you had everything you needed to create strong, safe and creative yoga classes for kids of all ages.  You couldn’t ask for a more creative, delightful, experiential and knowledgeable course on how to teach kids yoga!”
~Mary Rose