Community Corner

Stretching Body and Mind

A Northern Virginia nonprofit makes yoga a possibility for every child.

Over the past four years, YoKid has inspired thousands of children across the D.C. metropolitan area to "stretch their limits."

YoKid was founded by yoga teachers Ellie Gompert Burke and Michelle Mitchell to empower at-risk youth through yoga and make it accessible to kids regardless of socioeconomic background. The program began as “sort of an accident,” said Mitchell, who, at the time, was working with Burke at an after-school program at a middle school.

“We were working with kids who otherwise would not have been exposed to yoga,” said Mitchell. “IEP (Individualized Education Programs) or special education services were a typical part of the school day [for these kids]. The kids were really into it, and we started to see a shift in attitude and outlook. They were so happy and enthusiastic about the new activity, and their enthusiasm grew as they learned more.”

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After the success of the middle school program, Burke and Mitchell decided to take their idea to a new level. Four years, 50 schools, and 2,000 children later, YoKid continues to make a positive difference in children’s lives.

Said Mitchell, “We want to make sure every child has access to yoga as they would any other activity or sport.”

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A community rallies around YoKid

As a relatively new nonprofit, YoKid relies heavily on funding through sponsorships and grants.

“We are always looking for funding. We are a younger nonprofit at this point and we have been able to sort of be creative about way we’ve been funding the program,” said Mitchell. “We work with schools and community nonprofits, we write grants and check out people who want to actually sponsor our program.”

YoKid recently received a $10,000 grant from the Oasis Foundation to help fund trainings for new yoga teachers who are interested in volunteering for YoKid. Mitchell and Burke are in need of new teachers, as YoKid is expected to serve 1200 kids during the 2011-2012 school year.

The local yoga community consisting of teachers and studio owners has supported YoKid since its inception. The Virginia Yoga Week committee in particular has helped raise awareness of YoKid through community outreach and fundraising for the organization.

 “They don’t see us as competition at all and it’s nice to know that they believe there’s enough for everyone; it can pay off for everyone,” said Mitchell. “They hold classes and teacher training for us, they help spread work about YoKid and reach out to people for us.”

“You learn as much from them as they learn from you.”

Kendra Wesley has taught yoga for two years and began volunteering with YoKid a year and a half ago.

“The kids just have this kind of natural affinity to move and to want to experience new things,” said Wesley. “They really enjoy being able to move and they’re also open to us giving them new poses and new ways to think about things. Like with breathing techniques, you’ll hear, ‘I learned how to breath that and it helps me with my stress.’ They actually can articulate that it makes them feel calmer and peaceful, so it’s cool to hear that.”

Teachers in the YoKid program go through intensive training sessions to get their yoga teacher certification, if they haven’t already obtained it. Another training session is offered to teachers to learn the skills needed to teach yoga to children. All of the teachers involved in the program are volunteers. 

Teacher Kate MacDonnell has worked with YoKid for two and a half years.  She recalls her first class with YoKid as an “eye-opener.”

“My first class was in a Title 1 school at 5 p.m. with kindergarteners. I went in thinking that I would be teaching them yoga postures. Mostly, it was being present with them and acknowledging motion and relaxing and doing some sort of structured play.”

Teachers in the YoKid program learn to “go with the flow” and may take a different approach to teaching children relaxation techniques based on the type of day the children are having.

“We are working on calming the mind. For children, if that means reading a story sometimes we’ll read a story to teach them to calm their mind. It was something that I’ve taken throughout,” said MacDonnell. “You’re really being aware of the experience of the kids to provide them with a relaxing experience and teach them the tools to calm themselves.”

YoKid teachers agree that teaching in the program is a rewarding experience.

“The most rewarding part is that you become more than a yoga teacher to the kids,” said YoKid teacher Marsha Banks-Harold. “You become a mentor to them. You are able to motivate them to do better in school.”

“For the most part, what I’ve learned from working with kids prior to teaching yoga you can apply in any classroom,” said Wesley. “It’s fun. They push you to be a better teacher. You learn as much from them as they learn from you.”


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