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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Yoga offers a wide range of exceptional benefits including increased flexibility, relaxation, and improved energy, among others. While yoga for adults abounds, children’s yoga can sometimes can an afterthought.
However, this is not the case for Kristin Mulligan, who has been teaching children’s yoga at the Walpole Public Library for the past seven years. A Massachusetts certified teacher and children’s yoga instructor, Mulligan leads the combined yoga and literacy program on Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
The class integrates the physical fun of yoga with the benefits of early literacy concepts, knowledge, and skills. About seven years ago, when Mulligan was pregnant with her son, she began to do more and more yoga classes. Now, she works at an elementary school as well, so she teaches yoga a bit more infrequently - however, she still leads classes, primarily throughout the summer. “I just lead them through some simple children’s yoga, poses, and then just a few things just to practice stretching and balance and simple exercises, simple gross motor skills,” Mulligan explains about her class.
Registration is required for her program, which keeps the class size smaller, allowing for a more intimate setting. In addition to the actual yoga, Mulligan always works in a literary aspect. “We always incorporate a book, and sometimes we’ll … act it out,” she says. “I often choose books with animals so we’ll act out different poses.” While she has held the class for a variety of different ages, the class she is currently leading in Walpole is for those of preschool age.
As the children leave the room they, chirp their goodbyes and thank-yous, waving and smiling after an hour of relaxation and recuperation.
“Once the kids come once, they usually come again,” Mulligan confesses. “They like to do the same thing. They like their favorites.”
The returning children are a testament to not only the affinity kids can have for yoga, but also Mulligan’s excellent teaching and leadership skills.
