Find A Grounded Kids Yoga Teacher

Darcy Alban, LCSW, MSW, RYT 500, RCYT

Certified Elevated Grounded

Yoga Teacher 

Darcy loves teaching family yoga and children, adolescents, and adults of varying abilities and yoga experience. Her classes and private instruction promote strength, flexibility, consciousness, and a sense of inner calm. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) at the 500 hour level and a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT).  She has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2001 and a mom since 2004.  When she’s not teaching yoga, you may find her taking a yoga workshop, or playing games, hiking, or traveling with her family.

Hey Fellow Yogis!
I am a former classroom teacher and current speech-language pathologist (aka speech therapist). I work in a pediatric outpatient clinic in Roswell, providing speech, language, cognitive, feeding, and swallowing therapy for individuals from 2 years to 21 years of age. I absolutely LOVE practicing and teaching yoga. I use yoga within my treatment sessions to help children master their goals and objectives in therapy. I am currently in the process of completing my RYT-200 certification and my RCYT certification.

I have been a certified Kids Yoga Teacher with Grounded Kids Yoga since December 2016. I started teaching kids yoga since July 2016. I have taught at local libraries and businesses in the local Charlotte, NC area. I am fluently bi-lingual in English and Spanish. I enjoy sprinkling Spanish words with poses as a fun way for children to learn a new language. I recently moved to the Santa Monica area in sunny California. I am excited to grow and learn with the community here and to be able to continue my teaching here.

Mary Beth has always had a love for children. Ever since she was a small child, she knew that she wanted to be a teacher. She began babysitting at the age of 10 and her senior year in high school, she did her senior project in a 3rd/4th grade classroom. It was her intention to study Elementary Education in college, but life had other plans for her and she studied Creative Writing & Fine Arts. In 1995 her father passed away suddenly and through her process of deep grief and sadness, she discovered yoga. It was when she discovered yoga that she was reminded of her childhood and the contemplative moments that she often experienced outside under trees or through laying on the grass and looking up at the sky. She was able to rediscover her sense of ahh and wonder, which then reminded her of how much she loved and adored children. Mary Beth also grew up with ADD/ADHD and multiple learning disabilities. She took Ritalin, which eventually lead her to struggle with her body and the emotions that she felt around being diagnosed as learning disabled. She found that yoga helped her to focus, which eventually lead her to stop Ritalin.

She has always felt that her story about the struggles she went through as a child in school would someday inspire education to shift. Mary Beth used to substitute teach in both the Montessori and Public school classroom. Her experiences with children taught her that teaching young kids was part of her purpose.

In 2005, Mary Beth was working at Kripalu Yoga Center when one day she overheard 2 of her co-workers talking about a kids yoga class that they were leading that day. She became very curious and started asking a lot of questions, which then lead her to researching a program where she could become a certified kids yoga teacher. At that same time, Mary Beth  already had experience teaching yoga to adults, but knew that she really wanted to be teaching yoga to children. In that same year, she flew to Los Angelos for a training/certification with Yoga Kids International. She then began teaching yoga to children at a day care and a small studio in New Hampshire. In 2006 Mary Beth moved to Charlotte, NC where she eventually began teaching yoga to children all over the city. She has taught hundreds of classes in various environments such as community centers, a church, studios, schools, a gym, a toy store and even a grocery store!

Mary Beth is a 500 hr RYT with an additional 95 hour Children’s Yoga teacher certification. She is pursuing another 95 hours with Grounded Yoga. She has studied with Yoga Kids International, Asheville Yoga Center, Little Flower Yoga and Grounded Kids Yoga and continues to see inspiration in the work of others.

Mary Beth is a child at heart and has an infectious love and warmth for children. Children enjoy her boundless energy and her youthful spirit.

Cynthia has been practicing yoga for nearly 10 years. She initially started practicing pranayama as a means to control her asthma and over the years her yoga practice has become an integral part of her life. She decided to teach kids yoga after enrolling her son in his first Grounded Kids yoga class. She fell in love with Grounded and was amazed at the transformations she noticed in her son just after a few classes. She enrolled herself in the next Grounded Teacher Training and has been teaching kids yoga ever since.

Cynthia teaches in a light-hearted, playful yet meaningful way. Inspiring children to work hard, laugh whole-heartedly, build self-esteem and most importantly self-love. She teaches children to look for the good in all things and to embrace the present moment where they are not held back by their past or hindered by expectations of the future. When grounded in the present moment, there are no obstacles and the possibilities are endless.

Cynthia is also a certified Laughter Yoga Leader and has worked on a contract with the National Cancer Institute as a Medical Librarian for 13 years.

The Lovett School, class of 1999

Auburn University, BA in Communications

Western Governors University, MA of Arts in Teaching

Grounded Yoga Training (Introduction to Methodology)

Trinity School, 1st grade lead teacher

Hobbies: Running, cycling, hiking, yoga, reading, cooking, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation volunteer

An ESL teacher with a passion for yoga!

Teaching in Camden, NJ

Cheryl Crawford is grounded in compassion and elevated in absurdity, and is dedicated to connecting children to the power of seriously playful yoga practices. As co-founder of Grounded,and founder of the non-profit yoga service initiative Atlanta Yoga Movement, she has spent more than a decade fusing Dr. Seuss and other universally loved children’s books with yoga sutras to help kids find peace, poise and playfulness in their everyday lives.

Cheryl’s teaching journey began in an Atlanta elementary school classroom, where she worked as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and curriculum coordinator for 11 years. Working in schools and playing with words, she discovered that students were far more connected to their daily lessons when they felt not only heard, but understood. After giving birth to triplet daughters, Cheryl began practicing yoga and then sought a way to pair her newfound dedication to this ancient practice with her love of books and longstanding passion for teaching.

For guidance, all she had to do was listen to the budding yogis and yoginis in her midst.

“I saw that yoga was beneficial to all sorts of people, from three-year-old children to men who were homeless,” says Cheryl, who has taught yoga full-time since 2003. “Each of these populations has a lot to teach each other about the universal truths that can help us all be our best selves. That’s why I make a point of really listening to the people I teach, because I know there are others who can benefit from their wisdom. “

Through breathing and mindful alignment (not to mention the occasional ridiculous rhyme), Cheryl believes that by asking “Are you safe? Are you sound? Are you whole? Are you well?” she can help students of all ages and abilities find the grounding they need to truly soar. Recognized by local, national and international media for her work in yoga education, Cheryl is also certified to teach Anusara, Correlation Vinyasa, Hot Core Power, YogaKids, Laughter Yoga and Radiant Child. Schools, homeless shelters, social workers and more seek Cheryl’s counsel on age- and situation-appropriate yoga curriculums that bring out the best in everyone so they can become open-hearted, flexible and confident on and off their mats.

She is honored to be the first official school yoga coordinator for the state of Georgia and to have her curriculum, United States of You, as part of Dekalb County Schools.

Lee Darling began her teaching career in 2007. She has taught Yoga, Music, and Mindfulness in Preschools and Elementary schools since 2011 and has worked with large corporations and special events to implement Yoga and Nutrition as part of their Health & Wellness programs.

She is a 200hr E-RYT, 95hr RCYT, and 85hr RPYT and is a Trainer with Grounded Kids Yoga.  She conducts local Teacher Trainings and PD courses for a variety of organizations.

She is inspired to teach children to learn through a multitude of activities that include yoga, music, movement, mindfulness and overall wellness. She believes every child is special, and that an early love for learning is important. As the mother of two girls, she values the importance of instilling a healthy lifestyle early on and is passionate about teaching families how to implement simple nutrition and exercise regimens into their everyday lives.

I have a passion for children and have dedicated my life + career to seeing children reach their full potential. Yoga is one practice that I believe can help facilitate a child’s potential in a holistic + sacred way.I believe children can learn to listen to their own inner knowing through the practice of yoga, which can facilitate a whole, happy, + healthy child.

My mission at Kindred Sol Yoga is to facilitate connection, self-awareness, + community through the practice of yoga. It is my hope that children will discover their purpose + boldly create a life of freedom through this transformational practice.

Toneka R. Etienne, Ph.D is a Psychologist, wife, mother, author, and self-love advocate. She has worked for over a decade as a School Psychologist throughout the metro Atlanta area. When she is not holding sacred space for children + women, Toneka can be found doing her favorite things: spending time with her husband and two daughters, traveling, reading, connecting with like-minded visionaries, and looking for divine inspiration.

I am a Middle School Spanish teacher. I have been a teacher at Warren Middle School, Somerset County, NJ since 2001, and I worked at Readington Middle School for 3 years prior.

I have been a yoga practitioner for 15 years, and always found a way to use breath and stretching in my classroom to invigorate or calm my class – which ever was needed! I decided to study the practice further when I was on medical leave following jaw surgery, and I received my 200 RYT in November, 2016.

Last year I worked with our basketball team, and ran an after school club for special needs students. It was a blast, and I am super excited to continue the club with all of the new Go-Grounded curriculum in my own school or in your school or neighborhood yoga studio!

Alexia’s personal journey of Yoga began in 2006 as a way to heal from loss and trauma. In 2018 it would become vital in her recovery from addiction. That same year, she completed Yoga Teacher Training and launched Peanut Yogini Yoga. Clients choose from private Yoga instruction, small Yoga group private classes, and are invited to a free, monthly community gathering. Alexia holds four certifications and incorporates elements of Yoga’s eight limbs into every class.

Alexia’s professional journey began at just 12 years old, fueled by her determination to afford a Corgi puppy and shopping trips to Limited Too—luxuries beyond her working-class family’s means. Eager to achieve her goals, she persuaded her parents to sign a work release, allowing her to spend weekends at Atlasta Farm. These formative experiences instilled in her a strong work ethic and self-starting attitude.
Meet Alexia: Peanut Productions Founder and Yoga Teacher
Certifications: 200-hour, CorePower Yoga | 95-hour, Grounded Kids Yoga | The Art of Assisting, Baptiste Yoga Institute | Trauma Informed Yoga, Chakra Flow University/Shanna Small Yoga | Level I, Beginner Tarot, Theresa Reed

Amy Haysman, E-RYT 500, RCYT, M.Ed

Founder & Owner, Grounded Kids Yoga

Amy Haysman is the founder and owner of Grounded Kids Yoga, LLC. She began her professional journey teaching Middle School Literature—at an age when she was often mistaken for one of her own students. After realizing (with a laugh) that it’s generally unprofessional to bring a baby to school, Amy took a break to raise her children and earn a Masters in Middle Grades Education.

Searching for purpose, Amy walked into her first yoga class and—just three minutes in—became captivated by the idea of making yoga accessible for all kids. By Savasana, her path was sealed. She earned certifications with YogaKids and Radiant Child, followed by decades of experience teaching children. Amy went on to complete laughter yoga certification, multiple 200-hour adult yoga teacher trainings, a 300-hour certification from Bhakti Yogshala in India, and specialized trauma-informed training.

Today, Amy’s greatest joy is teaching yoga to children and training grown-ups to do the same—whether it’s leading trauma-informed classes, hosting Girl Scout workshops, or creating birthday parties that help kids feel seen and celebrated. Grounded Kids Yoga is built on her conviction that every child deserves the chance to express who they truly are. Helping kids (and their grownups) find grounding, confidence, and joy is not just Amy’s purpose—it’s exactly where she’s meant to be found.

Amanda’s yoga classes for kids and teens are literacy-infused, integrating stories, words, letters, alliteration, music, art-making, laughter, and games with yoga to empower students along their own path towards deeper self-knowledge and awareness. They focus on helping children cultivate mindfulness and nurturing their physical, emotional, and social needs through grounding structure, yoga movement, and creativity. Amanda’s intention is to give children the chance to discover their own worthiness and inner light—so that they will shine brightly wherever they go.

E-mail kidsofmanayunkyoga@gmail.com for more information about local classes and yoga in schools in Manayunk/Roxborough, Philadelphia.

I specialize in pre-grounded, elementary age and personalized yoga.

I am a elementary teacher who has 20 years of experience in the classroom. I hold a Master’s degree in special education.
RYT (200)

Natalie Leach E-RYT200, RCYT began her yoga practice in 2000.