ABOUT ME
My inspiration for this came from my time as an art and kindergarten teacher in the alternative, mainstream and international school settings over the past twelve years. During that period, I noticed how little time in the academic day, if any, was dedicated to wellness practises for children and staff.
After teaching in Ireland and the UK for a few years, I moved to Thailand where I worked as a lead teacher in an International Kindergarten. While there, I had a great opportunity to train as a children’s yoga teacher and fell in love with combining both my passions in wellness and education since.
I began to offer children’s yoga classes in my school, family yoga on weekends and yoga and mindfulness classes at the home for street children where I volunteered every week. I also led staff training on ‘Wellness in Education’ for my colleagues and over the lockdowns, offered yoga and mindfulness for children on Zoom. The positive response and feedback I received was incredible and it inspired me to design a creative yoga and mindfulness-based program to enhance the curriculum for toddlers, children, teenagers and offer advice and ideas to help teachers incorporate more yoga and mindfulness into their classroom.
I wholeheartedly believe all ages can benefit from the many wonderful life skills that yoga can bring as it helps us to become more competent, respectful, balanced and caring. It also generates resilience, wisdom and patience which in return will help education systems reach incredible goals within the classroom. Yoga encourages children and adults to exercise concentration, self-regulation and empathy into their day, resulting in good life skills and happiness within in the whole school and it’s wider community.
VISION
The Wonder Garden aims to brings tools such as yoga, meditation, and breath-work into education systems to empower children to be resilient, to improve mind-body connection and to exercise empathy into their community. All the all while they are learning how to take care of themselves in this very fast paced and changing world, we live in.
Classes are offered in nurseries, schools, studios and for 1:1/small group sessions at home. Inspired by Reggio, Thich Nhat Hanh, nature and art, each session offers a well-rounded learning experience of yoga, mindfulness, storytelling, creativity and play in a safe and nurturing environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
– 200hr Vinyasa based Yoga Teacher Training, Yoga and More, Yoga Alliance, 2021
– Paediatric First Aid Training, OnlineFirstAid, 2021
– Yoga for Kids and Families Teacher Training, Rainbow Kids Yoga, Yoga Alliance, 2019
– Teach Children Mindfulness and Meditation Practitioner, The Rainbow Room, 2019
– Level 3 Beach Schools Practical Skills and Environmental Management Award Practical Skills, Forest School Association, 2018
– Higher Diploma Teacher Training for Art and Design Education, Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork, Ireland, 2012
– CELTA Course: ACELS Certificate in English Language Training, 2010
– Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications, Limerick School of Art and Design, Ireland, 2009