Yoga for the Family in Middletown

Hello and namaste! 

My name is Jenn and I am a new librarian at the MidPointe location in Middletown.  I have been a teacher for the past few years at a Montessori school in Mason and a Reggio Emilia inspired school in Loveland. I am not a yoga instructor, but I have attended several classes and have read several books on the importance of meditation and yoga in the classroom for young children.

I have focused a lot of my efforts in my classroom setting around mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. I have found teaching the different tools to stretch, breath, and focus have helped a lot of my children with social-emotional needs.  It’s so hard for children to understand how to calm their tiny bodies when they get into those frustrating situations!  This is why I like to teach children to focus on breathing as we talk through those different social situations they may find difficult to work though after they have calmed down through yoga.

During the family yoga program, I have provided family yoga blankets where the whole family unit is able to stretch and strengthen each other, together.  When you come to the program, you can expect to be able to work on breathing, stretching, wiggling, balancing, making different animal noises, and having a few good laughs as the children rolly polly around.  Sometimes we will read a book that will accompany our stretches, or we will read a calm story after we have finished our stretches. 

Since this was the first time there has been a program like this at the library, and there was such a great response, it will be brought back in December!  Homeschool groups and children that are about to attend preschool are encouraged to attend!  We will also have bilingual yoga books available so it can reach different parts of our community. 

It’s so great to be able to see the children progress week by week and see them be able to demonstrate a peaceful center.  With that, I hope to see you soon!

-Jenn Damron

About the Author:  Jenn Effinger-Damron has taught children at a Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired schools and has turned accidental librarian in the Youth Department.  She loves silly stories, plays and coaches a local roller derby team, and is learning to play the ukulele..