Yoga Calm Blog
Some Reflections on Minneapolis, February 2026
By Lynea Gillen Back when I was an elementary school counselor in Estacada,, Oregon, I spent my days with children who carried a great deal of stress and uncertainty. Many came from families struggling to get by, and the weight of that showed up in their bodies long...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Tips for Teaching Boys
Mrs. Gillen, if everyone did yoga, the world would be pink! This comment from an 11-year-old boy was typical of those Lynea heard from the boys in her elementary school’s behavior classroom when she first brought in yoga 25 years ago. And considering how the image of...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Breath Activities for Mindfulness
Transitions are an important time. Starting the school day. Shifting from work mode to having a family meal. Preparing for sleep. All are key times to shift our attention. They are also perfect opportunities to develop your mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is all the...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Action-Based Skills for Kids with ADHD & Behavioral Issues
When I first began working as a school counselor, I sometimes got frustrated with children who didn’t seem to apply the social/emotional lessons I taught them. “Why don’t they get it?” I asked my colleague Anne Bagwell, a counselor and an amazing mentor. “I explain...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Raising Skilled, Safe, Free-Ranging Kids
Those of us old enough to remember the original Mickey Mouse Club can recall that while Jiminy Cricket warned us about a whole lot of things – “I’m No Fool, no siree!” – “stranger danger” was never one of them. My, how things have changed! “Why Won’t You Let Your Son...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: The Need to Release Energy Throughout the Day
According to YouTube, our “Focusing Fun” segment from our Flying Eagle DVD – a demonstration of a simple game to practice focus – has now been seen by well over a million people. One million! Clearly, folks are looking for help with addressing ADHD symptoms beyond...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Finding Your Strong Voice
One of the best things about being a counselor is the opportunity to witness another person when they have an aha moment or begin to break through an old pattern. I remember one boy who came from a very difficult family situation. Second grade, third grade, fourth -...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: A More Holistic Approach to PE
Physical education is a crucial part of a child’s overall education. It presents limitless opportunities for instilling healthy habits while supporting their growth and cognitive development. Yet ask a random group of adults what they remember about PE class, and...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Tips for Teaching Friendship Skills to Kids
Ask a kid what it takes to make a good friendship, and they can tell you: But that doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to make friends, how to translate their head knowledge into action. Though you see kids make friendships very quickly in their earliest years, by...
Happiness Comes from Our Connections to Each Other
"I would say that 95 percent of things that are effective in making people happy and that have been shown to be true through happiness interventions are because they make people feel more connected to other people." -- Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of The How of...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Learning Through Action
When I first began working as a school counselor, I sometimes got frustrated with children who didn’t seem to apply the social/emotional lessons I taught them. “Why don’t they get it?” I asked my colleague Anne Bagwell, a counselor and an amazing mentor. “I explain...
Yoga Calm Fundamentals: The Bond Between Mindfulness & Yoga
Yoga Calm users know from experience how it can help kids with ADHD. Still, it’s always good to see and know that scientific evidence supports this, too. Such evidence was on full display in a 2024 systematic review that echoes a similar one that ran just a year...