PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Julie French, local wellness enthusiast and yoga instructor, visited preschool students at the Wintergreen Arts Center recently for a special session of children’s yoga and mindfulness.
“Children need to move their bodies a lot during the day,” said Lisa Brewer, who co-teaches Wintergreen’s creative preschool, Under the Willow Tree, with Katie Greenlaw. “And one of the ways we satisfy that need is by doing yoga.”
Brewer added, “The boys and girls love yoga, so they are going to really enjoy children’s yoga with Ms. Julie. Julie French has many years of experience teaching yoga to both adults and kids. She connects quickly with children and they really respond to her style.”
During her visit, French helped Wintergreen’s preschool students learn stretching exercise and yoga poses such as the Three-Legged Downward Dog. She also talked with them about breathing, visualization, and relaxation techniques.
“Yoga helps kids in many ways,” said French. “From body awareness and building self-confidence, yoga helps children manage stress through breathing, meditation and healthy movement. Plus, it’s fun!”
French explained, “There are lots of tools for teaching yoga to young children like playing games, and doing poses while singing songs with big, expressive movements. Yoga is a low-cost way to introduce positive concepts in the classroom.”
