We believe that yoga is for everyone, especially kids. Our goal is to teach the younger generation valuable lessons through yoga and interrupt the cycle of dysregulation before adulthood. The earlier your child’s yoga practice begins, the better! We incorporate these three key elements into our teaching so that our students can discover their fullest potential:
MOVEMENT
Get in touch with your unique body.
Find appreciation for the way
your body moves.
Become aware of the signals
your body sends.
MINDFULNESS
Be kind to yourself, others, and
your environment.
Learn to find quiet and calmness within.
Find your focus and become present.
ME!
Fully step into your confidence.
Discover your own motivation.
You are exactly who and where
you’re supposed to be.
THE BALA BUDS PROGRAM
Bala Buds Yoga for Kids is an after-school program for children ages 9 through 13. During our 60-minute yoga classes, students can expect to learn postures, breathing techniques, and other self-regulating tools, as well as receive “homework” to practice these skills outside of class.
We currently offer weekly drop-in classes and encourage families to register ahead of time. Our class schedule is constantly changing, so to view our most updated calendar please visit our enrollment page below.
TRIAL SESSION
If you are unsure if you would like to enroll and want to check out the program, meet the teachers, and see our facility beforehand, please reach out to our program director to schedule your free trial session
BENEFITS OF YOGA
FOR KIDS
There have been numerous studies dedicated to discovering the benefits of yoga for children. To sum up the findings, yoga for children has been shown to:
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Reduce stress and anxiety.
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Help children cope better with stress and anxiety.
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Increase children’s ability to focus and pay attention.
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Improve children’s bodily awareness and self-regulation.
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Improve overall health and psychological well-being.
ARTICLES ON YOGA
FOR KIDS
Yoga for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being: Research Review and Reflections on the Mental Health Potentials of Yoga | National Library of Medicine | READ HERE
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More than just a game: Yoga for school-age children | Harvard Medical School | READ HERE
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7 Benefits of Yoga for Young Kids | Arizona Early Childhood | READ HERE
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The Benefits of Yoga for Children in Schools | ProQuest | READ HERE
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Yoga for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being: Research Review and Reflections on the Mental Health Potentials of Yoga | Frontiers | READ HERE
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The benefits of yoga in children | Science Direct | READ HERE
MEET THE TEAM
MITRA MALAEKEH
Mitra has been practicing yoga since 2012 and is a certified yoga instructor and life coach.
She enjoys encouraging others to improve their wellness and commitment to long-term health and fitness goals and to practice preventive methods to stay balanced and live a harmonious life.
As a Medical Technologist of 19 years, Mitra felt called to expand her understanding of the human experience beyond the physical and biological, and her curiosity led her to enroll in both the life coaching program (2013) and yoga teacher training program (2019) at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.
“I believe in the balance of body, mind, and spirit, and bringing balance to the right and left brain to be taught at schools and, at a young age, will encourage creativity in our children,” Mitra explains.
Fulfilling this need, Mitra began teaching children’s yoga in schools with the Zenned Yoga after-school program. Mitra is a registered member of Yoga Alliance, a certified member of American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB).
GENNA RITTER-JENKINS
Yoga found Genna in a place of mental ‘dis-ease.’ Finding herself having to adapt to many new environments, Genna was drawn to the deep connection yoga provided her.
Through breath and body, she was able to self-express and create space, moving energy in a powerful way that felt familiar and natural. Yoga gave her the sense of being safe and at home within herself. Over time, her practice deepened, her inner freedom rekindled, and she wanted more than anything to share this connection of self-love with others.
She started teaching kids yoga in 2014 following her teacher training in Yoga Therapy. She continued her education at the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy in 2018, individualizing classes for specific needs and goals.
ALANA SAMUELS
Alana’s priority as a yoga teacher is for her students to fully embody themselves. As a child, she frequently experienced negative sensations that she was unable to describe, causing her to feel stuck and misunderstood.
She later learned that these sensations were anxiety. When she was in college, Alana began practicing yoga to help her cope and, through the practice, developed a deep sense of connection with her body and the beautifully wide spectrum of its sensations.
After completing her concurrent degrees in psychology and linguistics, she became a registered yoga teacher so that she could share these practices with those who may be enduring similar struggles.
Alana’s passion has always been working with children, receiving the Zita M Johnson Child Study Scholarship as well as working in a children’s autism clinic as a behavior technician. Her goal in teaching children is “to help them identify and regulate the sensations of the body so they can live at peace with themselves and journey into adulthood with a strong sense of self.”