Welcome to the Teeny Tiny Yoga blog. This blog aims to cover aspects of yoga linked to babies and children, lifestyle, food and seasonal changes and inspiration.
As this is my first blog EVER, I thought it apt to fill in the gaps and explain how I arrived here.
I fell in love with yoga
in my early 20's. Here was a non-competitive form of exercise
which made me feel great and keep fit. I loved that it wasn't just about
exercise, that my vegetarianism and personal philosophy fitted so
perfectly with yoga. My father was a GP and my mum, a nurse, I have always been
interested in how the body works, diet and complementary medicine. I went on to train as a massage
therapist and a reflexologist and often bring my knowledge of these areas into
my classes. I set up a pampering business with a friend and worked in the evenings
running pamper nights and 5 days a week in the city.
After
having my first child, Ava, in 2006 I took her to a baby yoga class when she
was only 6 weeks old. The baby yoga class completely changed my relationship with my baby. Having not had any
contact with babies before my baby came
along, the class taught me ways to settle her, play with her and enjoy her.
And after 6 months, I returned to my job in the city. Something had shifted
and while I continued to practice baby yoga with Ava, I realised there was a way to combine two things I love, babies and yoga. I signed up for a
Birthlight Baby Yoga Practitioner course when Ava was one year old.
Two years
later, Aaron was born. Initially, I decided not to return to work and set up
two baby yoga classes a week in local church halls. I called my business,
'Love Baby Yoga'. A year after Aaron was born, I realised that for
financial reasons, teaching baby yoga had to be put on hold and went back to the
city with a heavy heart and a plan. The money I earned in the city funded
the SMART (Stretch Move and Relax Together) Toddler Yoga course which I
completed in 2011. 'Love Baby Yoga' no longer worked as a name, as the
business name needed to encompass toddler yoga.
Once I completed the course, I
spent a long time writing a business plan for 'Teeny Tiny Yoga', building a
website, a logo and carefully selecting venues, and I was ready
to set up
my own business, teaching baby and toddler yoga. I handed in my resignation
and was about to work my three months notice period, when...I
realised I
was pregnant.
This was a
tough time for me as my energy levels dropped and I found it difficult
to carry heavy yoga mats in and out of venues. I ran classes until one month before baby
Louis arrived and started again when he was only 10 weeks old. He was my
perfect demonstration baby.
Baby Louis
is now 8 months old, my 4 year old has just started pre-school
which
finishes at 11.45am each day, and Ava is now 6 years old. They all
love yoga.
It is very
difficult to make a profit, when you consider the cost of childcare,
hall hire and marketing. It has taken 17 long years since I left university
to find a job I can do that I love. I used the time while I was working in
the city to build a portfolio of skills which would help me when I had set
up my own business, for example, using spreadsheets, web design, gaining a CIM
Marketing Certificate, copy-writing and PR and communication. I've since
formed a network of people running pre-school groups, ante-natal groups and
yoga teachers. I consider myself incredibly lucky to be doing
something I
love and also be there for my children when they need me. This
the optimum
position for me to be in. My next steps are to complete the Advanced
Baby Yoga certificate and become a Hatha Yoga Teacher
by the end
of this year. I see my teaching growing with my children and hope to train
as a children's yoga teacher and teach at lunchtimes in primary
schools.
