With time being a scarce and fleeting resource in today’s world, it’s important to invest the time you spend with your family towards meaningful experiences. Here at The Aura House, we are a home not only to individuals – but their families as well. Studio founder, Lisa Clarke, not only founded the space but also created laLa Wellness, a yoga and mindfulness-based program for children in their early years. Since 2015 through laLa Wellness, Lisa has trained Early Childhood Professionals all over Ontario and the United States, taught over 5000 children, trained over 2300 educators and made her way onto the bookshelves in Early Childhood Classrooms through her children’s book “I’m a Growing Yogi”. Here is a peek into the Family Yoga offering we have here at The Aura House, bringing yoga near you to the Brampton community.

What makes our Family Yoga unique?

We design every class to be playful, dynamic and engaging, with the appropriate amount of challenge to support the rich potential of every competent, complex and curious child in your care.

laLa kids yoga and mindfulness programs were developed by a former Child Care Administrator with over a decade of experience in childcare environments (and a lifetime of experience as the daughter of an RECE!) Our philosophy and teaching methods align with How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years and its four foundations are at the heart of everything we do here at The Aura House.

Belonging

Everyone is welcome in the yoga circle. There may be times when a child isn’t ready to join the circle and that’s okay. We always let them know there’s a spot for them when they’re ready.

Engagement

We do our best to plan our classes based on the children’s interests. The more interested they are in a topic, the more engaged they are when we explore it through movement!
We recognize that all children engage in our classes in unique ways:

Some children are all in with everything they’ve got.
Some children like to observe and then take their observations home with them where they feel more confident trying out the movement elements.
Some children listen to the movement story from another space in the room, and are making auditory connections to our class structure.
We celebrate them all!

Expression

Although the children are encouraged to express the movement elements the way we model them, they are given freedom of expression if their body feels like moving in a different way.
Yoga is not just about yoga poses, and only part of it is movement-based. A lot of what’s happening in a yoga class is experienced deeper in the connection between body and mind. Yoga class is a place to explore in ways that feel good and make sense to the child.
Our motto: let them express, don’t repress. We only redirect children if they’re going to hurt themselves or someone else.

Well-Being

We believe the main reason families want their children to participate in yoga is because they want them to develop confidence, strength and balance - both physically and mentally.
Yoga is a practice that can be turned to in all stages of life. Starting the practice young means that there is more time to chart strong neural pathways of self-care. Strong pathways mean more accessible pathways in times of need.
It may not be obvious at first sight, but our movement elements are crafted in ways that take the children’s bodies through various self-regulation cycles.
Our movement stories support the healthy development of a child’s fundamental movement skills and physical literacy.

What can you expect IN a Family Yoga class?

During a Family Yoga class, caregivers and their children will explore mindful breathing, mindful movement, and relaxation woven throughout a fun and engaging story. All members of the family are welcome to participate in whichever ways feel good for them. This is a great opportunity to bond, de-stress and develop physical literacy together. Each 30-45 minute Family Yoga class has 3 components:

Getting Present → transitions mindfully into the space and includes breathing and a yoga-based warm up

Movement Story → a series of movement elements that are woven through a story that is based on the child’s interests. Our movement elements focus on coordination, balance, strength, and support the development of fundamental movement skills

Rest → a grounding transition that gives the parents & children an opportunity to calm their bodies before returning back to their day

Family Yoga classes can also be offered with wellness stations following the class!

Wellness Station 1 - Mindful Stories

Explore an assortment of yoga and mindfulness based children's books, gain inspiration for wellness + relaxation, and develop a vocabulary for well-being

Wellness Station 2 - Mindful Colouring

Ease your eyes and mind while expressing your creativity colouring Mandalas

Wellness Station 3 -Mindful Breathing

Practice taking real deep breaths in a circle of belonging with bubbles and breathing balls

Wellness Station 4) Mindful Movement

Test your balance and coordination through an engaging yoga line obstacle course

Are you ready to create more harmony in your home? Join us for a free Family Yoga class on September 9th at our Grand Re-opening Community Day + Open House!

The Aura House can be somewhere for the whole family to move and play, together! Lisa (Owner of The Aura House and Founder of lala wellness) will be debuting our Family Yoga program with a free demo class from 4:30 - 5:00 pm. If you’re interested in joining, email instructor Lisa at Lisa@theaurahouse.ca

Create the safe space for your family to come home to themselves at The Aura House.

Use Yoga + Mindfulness as a parent can bring you closer to your children & create harmony in the home