Working in schools in curriculum time is a really rewarding thing to do as a yoga teacher. You can reach lots of children who may not otherwise experience yoga and for you as a business owner, getting regular income from an annual or termly contract can be a really useful thing. It is also a great way of spreading the word about other services or classes that you provide.
A question that I often get asked is  ‘how do you get into schools?’ 
There are lots of different ways that you can try to approach schools to deliver classes to them. But I’ll share with you the four main ways that worked for me.

1. Be clear that this is something that you offer. Share this everywhere in a visible way. As yoga teachers, we may have barriers about being visible. You may struggle to ‘be seen’ -I know I did for the first few years (and quite honestly, I still now am not great at sharing on social media). But make it known to the world that working in schools is something that you offer- put it on your website, on your social media, share it on your business page, on your personal page EVERYWHERE! Facebook community groups may be a great place too; as school employees, PTA members or parents may see it and remember you.
2. Get help from cheerleaders- if you teach community classes or family workshops, there will be people in your world who love you and what you do. They are your cheerleaders and they want you in their children’s schools. Ask them to share your information with the schools – provide them with fliers to give to the head teacher, or ask for the name of the best person to get in touch with to talk about working at their school.
3. Contribute to your community and get ‘known’ as someone who does what you do. This could be running sessions as part of a community fete or event -maybe even at a school fair, or donating vouchers for raffles. I got one of my school contracts by donating a free class as part of a raffle.
4. Email marketing- I worked with Cerys Kenneally in her Approaching Schools Academy. Cerys also does free challenges, so it's worth going here where you can get a free guide to approaching schools and joining the group to hear about upcoming challenges. Working with Cerys helped me with my mindset around contacting and approaching schools, as well as some of the practical tools too.
   

Schools work is the main part of my business. It fits around my life, plays to my skill-set as a previous teacher and the regular income helps me to feel safe in my business.

The main thing that I think is important about communicating with schools, is them knowing what you offer and also the benefits.  Sharing regularly what you do and also making connections, makes it easier.

📧If you would like my help with this or anything else, email me and we can work together to find the best strategy to suit you and your business.

📽️Watch the video

What would you like more information about?

x Julia

Have you ever lead a family workshop? Is this something that you would love to do but don’t know where to start?
They can be a really lovely fun experience for everyone involved, it can feel very special to be included in some ones family time!
 
One -off events such as family workshops can also be a great thing to have in your kids yoga business  both from a financial perspective and also because they help you to connect with a wider audience of people than you may be able to access in after school classes etc.
 
There are a few things to consider and today I’d like to share with you some thoughts based on my own experience in this area.
 
FAQs
When should I run these?
Some people run them as monthly events or even weekly! I find this a bit much for me personally, I’d rather do something more involved, less often. For me, family yoga workshops work really well in holiday times, so it’s worth looking at when the school holidays are in your area.
I love running seasonal ones, then I link it with nature and what the general themes are around that time. If you would like to run a spring workshop, check out my tried and tested plan for this.
 
How long should it be?
This really depends on your energy and what you feel is right for you and the people who you would like to invite. For example, if the families coming all have very young children you might like to keep it to one hour – 90 minutes, but if your families have older children you can probably manage anywhere from 90 minutes up to three hours.
 
What timing is best?
Generally, I would avoid lunchtime, mainly because that involves feeding people lunch and although snacks are definitely something I’m comfortable with, I’m no domestic goddess and I don’t fancy feeding everyone. For me, that would feel stressful. But If you are someone who really enjoys feeding people then this may be something that you would like to include. Also, consider the age of the children you hope will come, would they be younger children that may need a nap at some point? Old older children who may not enjoy an early morning?
For me, it comes down to knowing your people, ask them! Having said that, it’s ok to get some general feedback, but don’t try and accommodate everyone because you’ll never please everyone, if you have a social media account that your people interact with, a poll can be a useful way of finding out preferences.
 
 
What should I include?
 
I think this depends on what you love to share and do and what type of person YOU are! I personally love: eating treats, nature, being creative and connecting with others so that transfers to my family workshops!
 
A structure that has worked really well for me previously has been:
 

• Welcome simple craft activity while people arrive.
• Yoga adventure / story that combines mindfulness games and family poses within it.
• Snack and a drink.
• Mindful craft.
• Ending relaxation story/ mindfulness exercise.

 
I have found that this structure can be used for a variety of different durations  and I have just played around with different amounts of time for each section.
 
 
How should I price it?
Again, this really depends! Some factors that you will need to consider are:

• What would be your ideal income goal for the event?
• What are your costs? (include everything here from the venue hire, snacks and craft resources to your fuel for the journey)
• How much time will you be putting into the planning of the event?
• How long is the event itself?

It can be really tempting to base your prices on what other people are doing but that doesn’t really work because they are not you and they have different expenses to you.
 
Pricing structure can also be a tricky one here, some people charge per person, others by family some do a combination of the two by having a price per person and then a family bundle price or a family price for up to 4 for example and then an extra charge for additional people. Whatever you choose needs to feel good for you.
 
How should I advertise?
Here are some ways that I have had success with in promoting my family workshops:

• On my social media- both my personal and business page (and asking friends to share)
• Shared in local facebook groups
• Emailing current and previous clients (who have given consent for this type of communication)
• Giving fliers worded as ‘invitations’ to the people in my classes
• Posting fliers in local coffee shops, the library, the venue itself
• Giving fliers out at any community event that I am involved in
• Gifting a free family place in a raffle or other community event

 
Considerations
Terms and Conditions
Make sure that you are really clear about your terms and conditions for events such as this and share this at the point of booking. For example what happens if a family pull out last minute?  Have a policy in place before you even take bookings.
 
Payment
I always prefer to take full payment at the point of booking and I use either my own website or a site like bookwhen, this avoids  people reserving a spot, not paying and then not turning up. It happens!
 
Abilities and comfort levels
Make sure that you have information before the event about any health concerns so that you can be safe, also make sure that everyone know that the practices are optional. I always introduce everything as an invitation, not everyone is comfortable with everything and that is ok!
 
Safety
Make sure that you have risk assessment and insurance in place. If you are planning crafts, make sure that they are appropriate for the age and stage of development for the children attending. Ensure that parents know that they are responsible for keeping their children safe at the venue.
 
Photographs
Some people LOVE having photos of them being involved in an activity with their family, they love to share them with friends on social media and love the photos as a really special memory. Others HATE it! Or have very valid reasons why photographs of them and their family aren’t to be taken or shared on social media. Ensure that you get this information before the event, as you want people to be as comfortable as they can during the workshop. I personally have really cut down on the amount of photos that I take because I want people to be as present as possible.
 
I’d love to know your thoughts on this, is it something that you would like to do? Family workshops can be so much fun and I definitely enjoy the connections and the laughter that is created during them.
If you are interested in running a spring family workshop, check out my bundle for this.

                                             Prefer a video? 📽️ Watch here

When I first started teaching yoga, I was intimidated to deliver kids yoga in schools, because I was worried that I didn’t have the right documents in place. I loved the idea of teaching yoga to children, but I felt unprepared and overwhelmed with what ‘legal bits’ I needed (what did I even need anyway?).
 
Unprepared…
My kids yoga training gave me loads of ideas and I couldn’t wait to use all of the exciting props that I had bought. But when it came to ACTUALLY teaching the classes, I found myself stalling. It wasn’t because of the teaching (I had been a school teacher for years- I knew I could do this). It was the paperwork! What did I need? Where could I get it from? How did I know that I had everything?

It took me a really long time to get all my stuff together!

I researched lots and also learnt the hard way -by a setting or school asking for something and having to suddenly create it!
Now, after teaching in yoga in many schools (and nurseries and community groups), I’d like to share with you what I’ve discovered.
 
Every School is Different!
I’ve taught in state schools and private schools, nurseries, primary schools, infant and junior schools and secondary schools and there has been a real range in what documents they have asked for.
There doesn’t seem to be (in my experience) a magical master list that schools have.
BUT…
There are some things that you will definitely ensure that you have in place whether you are asked for it or not! For me, the following documents are vital:
 
My Top 5!

• Yoga teaching certificate
• Insurance certificate
• Enhanced DBS (it’s best to sign up to the update service)
• Risk assessment
• First aid certificate

Not all schools have asked to see all of these, but I believe that they are necessary.
 
What else?
Is that everything? Is that all you need?
Not really! Over the years I’ve been asked for a variety of different policies and I have also discovered a few other documents to be helpful to me.
I have compiled a list of all of the documents I have needed over this time, if you would like this super helpful document, you can download it here.
If you want to save time, check out the editable document bundle that’s available to buy.
 
The Fabulous folder!
When you have your documents gathered and printed, I HIGHLY recommend getting a folder to keep it all in. As a self-confessed stationary addict, it’s not really surprising that I’d recommend this, but my folder really does save my sanity.
I keep everything safe in my folder and carry it everywhere I go, guarding it with my life!
It’s a good idea to have all of these documents backed up in a folder on your computer- just in case.
 
One last note…
As always, I am sharing here, my own experience of working in various settings in the UK, this may not be the case for other countries.
If working with a new school or setting, I would also recommend checking with them if there are any documents or policies that you will need, prior to arrival, for example, schools usually ask for some form of ID- easily forgotten!
 
Do you want to feel super organised and ready to go? Get your checklist here.
 
Is there anything that you would like me to talk about in a blog or video?
Would you like me to help you get your documents together?
📧 Email me here

x Julia

Recently, I was chatting to some kids yoga teachers at a training that I was delivering and they were talking about how hard it can be to manage/ engage children during an after school yoga class and that they seemed so wired after school. I shared with them about after school restraint collapse and so thought that it would be a good place to share it here to. So today’s blog is all about what after school restraint collapse is, how it may impact your after school class and also how you can support children who are experiencing this to make your after school class fun and calm.

📽️You can watch the video here if you prefer.
 
What is after school restraint collapse?
 
The term was coined by counsellor, parenting educator and expert Andrea Loewen Nair. Here is an article that she has written about it.
 
Many children are ‘holding it together’ all day ‘behaving’ and fitting into the rules and constraints of the school day. Lots of children suppress their emotional reactions to things out of fear or embarrassment or just simply wanting to fit in or not make a fuss. It gets to a point where this ‘restraint’ is too much to hold. Andrea compares it to a bubble that needs to burst.
 
This is usually talked about as something that children experience when they get home from school and are with their parents/ carers. In my years of teaching yoga to children, I believe that this happens in this situation too. I think that if the environment is one that feels accepting and compassionate and the children are comfortable with the adult, children may release the emotions that they have been holding on to all day. 
 
How does restraint collapse impact an after school class?
In an after school class this might look like: lots of emotions- quick to tears or anger, running around a lot- many children will not have been moving as much as they need, explosive energy, loudness! It’s likely that the children will have been quiet for much of the day and now they have everything to say all at once, to anyone who will (or won’t!) listen!
 
How to support children
I find it really interesting to reflect on the article written by Andrea Loewen Nair, because many of her suggestions are what I put into place in my yoga classes! Here are her suggestions and my take on how this can work in the yoga class:

• Reconnect positively- I always like to start an after school class with some sort of circle time, giving each child the opportunity to share something (if they would like to). Ensuring that I give eye contact, use their name and smile. I try and avoid shouting to gain attention and prefer to use an instrument, such as bells.
• Create space- ensuring that there is some time within the session for children to just have some quiet time to themselves is very powerful. Sometimes, starting with a relaxing story or time with a mindful activity such as putty, or making a mandala using gems, stones or shells is wonderful. Tuning in to the energy of the class is important here, because this activity is most commonly used at the end of a class, but it is great to move it and use it at the time that the children most need it.
• Feed them- starting the session with the children having a snack and a drink is a great idea. I always encourage children to bring their own. It can also work providing a snack (as long as this is considering allergies and dietary requirements).
• Reduce the clutter and noise- if it is possible to set up the space before the children arrive, this is ideal. Having a defined space that is inviting, but not overwhelming, helps the children ‘land’ into the session. In my ‘props like a pro’ training I talk all about not using too many props in one session, this is one of the reasons. Calming, gentle music can really help to set the scene and lower the noise level.
• Stay connected throughout the day- in her article Andrea talks about ‘connection bridges’ to help her children feel connected when they are at school (such as notes in the lunchbox). As a kids yoga teacher, I like to teach children ways that they can ‘stay connected’ with themselves throughout the day. Talking about how the school day can be hard sometimes and teaching the children skills like a self -hug, or a breathing technique to help them connect with themselves can support them in the long run- which is surely our long term goal.
• Provide decompression time- decompression is different depending on what the child needs. Do they need to do a high impact energetic dance or shake out? Perhaps they need some quiet time and a self -massage.
• Have fun- giggling is such a great way of releasing tension, including fun activities in your yoga class is exactly what they need. And ultimately having fun in our kids yoga classes is what it is all about!

 
So, I hope that you can see that many of the things that you are already doing within your kids yoga classes are supporting children to unwind after school.

If you are having any challenges that you would like my support on, reach out. I offer hour long mentor sessions as one- offs as well as longer mentor packages for kids yoga teachers and I can give personalised support and guidance.

If you have an issue and you don’t have the finances for a meeting, email me about the situation, and I may be able to talk about it on one of my videos or blogs.

If you would like more information about behaviour in your yoga classes:
🧠check out this blog or video,
🎁download the rules that I use,
⬇️get this training workshop.

Hope you find this helpful, I'd love to know what you think :)

x Julia