Find A Grounded Kids Yoga Teacher
Welcome to our Grounded Kids Teacher Directory
All listed teachers have completed at least Step 1 – Get Grounded In Children’s Yoga and are qualified to skillfully teach using our methodology. Those with the distinction of Certified Grounded Kids Teacher have complete 95 hours of comprehensive training to earn their certification. Use Categories for this selection. In the Search bar, find a teacher by entering any of the following fields.:
- You are searching for the keyword(s): cheryl-wiedwald
Elisha Simpson
Biography
Elisha is the founder of laughing heart yoga, yogi, wife, mother of two children with a mission to guide kids to empower themselves from within. Elisha’s innate ability to connect with students of all ages and backgrounds stems from her creative, exhilarating and sensitive style of yoga – she makes yoga approachable and accessible. She focuses on building confidence in a loving & safe environment that accepts their challenges and encourages exploration of inner wisdom and strength.
Working at summer camp with at-risk youth in Texas at Promises for Families, compelled her to continue to do more with this population. Moving to New York, she sought additional opportunities to continue working with at-risk youth and began volunteering at Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She worked in a Rapid Intervention Center (RIC), a 21-day residential mental health crisis intervention program for boys and girls aged 5 to 17 years who experience acute behavioral or emotional problems that place them or others at risk.
Currently, Elisha is expanding laughing heart yoga to include the Art of Yoga Project’s (AYP) yoga and art-based curriculum to help girls recover from trauma. Participants in this program, named The Crossover Yoga Project, will benefit from AYP’s evidence-based curriculum by gaining self-regulation, self-control and self-awareness. Girls are led to be more accountable for themselves, for others, and for their community by gaining insight, skills, and practical tools that help them change their negative behavior to positive.
Elisha’s personal yoga practice of over 20 years has provided her the strength, knowledge and drive to commit to this work, as it has grounded her throughout her life. Attending college, living in Paris, working as a grant writer and fundraiser in the Florida art scene in the late 1990s, obtaining her Master’s from the University of Arizona in African Art History, and raising a family.
Elisha is a RCYT, (Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher) and RYT-200, (Registered Yoga Teacher, 200hour) with Yoga Alliance. She began teaching in 2000, after her yoga training with Darren Rhodes, John Friend, and Noah Maze of the former Anusara Yoga tradition. Inspired by the heart opening focus of this training, she developed a healing and receptive teaching style. Her original teaching style developed from her variety of certification programs including Hatha & Prenatal yoga, and training with top teachers in children’s yoga: Mary Lynn Fitton/Art of Yoga Project, Marsha Wenig/YogaKids, Jennifer Cohen Harper /Little Flower Yoga, Street Yoga. Additionally, she is a Master Level Certified Storytime Yoga Instructor with Sydney Solis of Storytime Yoga and continues her studies with Erin O’Malley of Circus Yogaand Cheryl Crawford of Grounded. Her teaching experience also includes working with Hope’s Door’s youth programs, and she initiated the yoga/health program at Open Door Medical Center for the prenatal, HIV and diabetes populations.
Her ambition is to always be a student and a teacher. Her inner child is always present, ready to play, laugh, connect, breath and empower her students. She has a beautiful daughter, adorable yet ironic son and loving husband that provide her with inspiration, laughter, and love she brings naturally to her teaching.
Ruth Meagher
Biography
Ruth has been working in Education for over 20 years. She began her career with a Montessori Diploma and then pursued a degree in Art and Education at the Roehampton Institute of London. Before the birth of her first child, Ruth travelled extensively throughout Asia and Africa with her husband, working in schools in Nepal and Zimbabwe. Travel exposed her not just to diverse cultures, religions, yogic and meditative practices, but also opened her to the endless possibilities of the human spirit.
Ruth moved to the US in 2006. Using her educational background she taught in high school and elementary schools in Brooklyn, providing individual support to children who were struggling to reach their full potential. At this time she began her yoga practice and participated in a 200-hour Vinyasa training. She went on to complete her 300- hour teacher training at Yoga Montclair in January 2014.
She is grateful to have had the opportunity to be trained and Certified in Grounded Kids Yoga with Cheryl Crawford and Amy Haysman. She began teaching kids yoga classes at Yoga Montclair in 2013, and has expanded the program to include Yoga Summer Camp and Family Yoga. She combines her passions of teaching and yoga to create a safe and secure place where children can empower themselves with their actions, become more confident and connected, and elevate their sense of who they are in this world.
Yoga Montclair LLC , 107 Forest Street, Suite 3, Montclair, NJ 07042 – 973.233.9642
TUESDAY from 4-4:45pm
Ages 4-6 | Pre-Grounded with Ruth
For the young yogi this class will use elements of play and fun while helping the child to experience both the physical and emotional benefits of yoga.
FRIDAY from 4:30-5:30pm
Ages 7 + UP | Open Level with Ruth
Coming from the belief that we can all learn from each other, this class gives an opportunity for yogi’s of different ages to come practice together. It will help them to experience both the physical and emotional benefits of Yoga. Each class is based on an inspirational theme. Class ends in a traditonal savasana and guided imagery.
FAMILY YOGA
One Saturday a month
@ 4:00pm | $10 per family!
MORE SESSIONS/INFO
Family Yoga
13th June, 25th July, 26th Sept.
Yoga Camp will be July 6th – 10th, from 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Montclair Yoga Studio | Alignment Yoga | Classes & Lessons by ERYT500 Instructors | VOTED BEST OF ESSEX WINNER: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014
Mrs. Gina M. Misticawi
Biography
Gina Misticawi is currently registered with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT 200 and RCYT. She became certified through AFAA as a Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor and Group Exercise Instructor in 1997. She then completed her 200-hour yoga certification through Atlanta Yoga Fellowship/Peachtree Yoga Center under the guidance of Graham Fowler, Ursula Nix, and Kilkenny Walter-Tremblay. Gina is also a Spin instructor with Mad Dogg Athletics and Schwinn and holds numerous other fitness certifications. In 2016, Gina became a Certified Elevated Grounded Teacher under the direction of Amy Haysman, Cheryl Crawford, and Sedef Dion.
Teaching allows Gina to give back to those around her. She truly enjoys helping others find their own sense of self-acceptance and realize their full potential through the practice of yoga. Gina helps provide a safe haven where you can benefit from the grounding, stress-reducing gifts of yoga. She leads a lively, heart-centered practice that builds core strength, flexibility and ease. Gina meets each student where he or she is, and helps each person find their own ideal alignment and unique beauty. She finds the balance between knowing how to challenge students without forgetting who they are. What she loves most about yoga is that anyone, at any age, can practice. Yoga is available to all, no matter what the experience and physical ability…everyone can benefit from the practice of yoga.
In her personal life, Gina is married and has two daughters, Lily and Mia.
Currently teaching at:
Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, GA
Cecil B. Day Wellness Center in Dunwoody, GA
All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody, GA
Personal training clients in their homes
Juana Farfan
Biography
Juana Farfán is an accomplished dance educator and independent artist with a passion for promoting creativity and well-being through movement. She has earned a graduate certification in Arts in Public Health from the Center of the Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, as well as a coaching certification in Breathwork and Movement Therapy for Trauma Healing from The Embody Lab, and she is a Global Arts in Medicine Fellow. Juana’s approach to healing emphasizes interaction and connection, prioritizing the individual’s unique journey. She completed her B.A. in Modern Dance Performance at the University of South Florida and holds a Teacher Training Institute certification in Dance Education. Additionally, she is certified in Grounded Kids Yoga under Cheryl Crawford and Amy Haysman, and has received training in Brain-Compatible Dance Education from Anne G. Gilbert.
During her ten years at The Galloway School, Juana established the Creative Movement Program in Early Learning, significantly enriching the lives of her students. Her dedication to sharing dance and mindfulness has taken her to the Amazon, where she introduced creative movement and breathing techniques to Indigenous communities in Brazil and Peru. Juana has also returned to her roots in Bogotá, Colombia, where she serves as a guest teacher and conducts arts residencies that focus on integrating the arts into educational frameworks. Juana continues to inspire and empower others through the powerful impact of movement, and creativity.
Tara Bott
Biography
Tara Bott is a RCYT (Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher) and RYT-200 with Yoga Alliance. She became a Certified Elevated Grounded Teacher under the guidance of Amy Hayman, Cheryl Crawford and Sedef Dion. Tara’s certification included a specialization in Early childhood through high school and Special Needs. Tara brings over 23 years of extensive classroom experience in child development and education in the Montessori environment and various others. Tara also enjoys volunteering for other extracurricular groups such as a coach for Girls on the Run grades 3-5.
Tara teaches yoga for athletes (children and adults). She has an additional “Movement and Mobility 101” certification and training from Dr. Kelley Starrett.
Tara believes in the infinite goodness and potential of each individual child. She creates educational and fun kids yoga classes, camps, etc. infused with asanas (poses), mindfulness, grace, courtesy, children’s literature, music, art and dance.
Cheryl Janecka
Cheryl Davis
Cheryl Crawford
Biography
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.