Yoga: Not Just for Grownups Anymore

Now, I’ve dabbled in yoga for the past decade or so. I don’t claim to be a guru or anything (far from it), but I have attempted a few different styles of yoga. I’ve tried Bikram in rooms so hot I actually think I may have lost some short-term memory (where did I park my car?). I’ve taken Ashtanga, and ached like I’d lifted weights at the gym. I’ve taken chanting seminars (just say “om”). And when I was pregnant, I found a lovely Kundalini-esque pre-natal yoga class to help quell the mounting fears of becoming a parent. Then, after my daughter was born, I wanted to reclaim that feeling of peaceful calm (who doesn’t love the quiet of savasana?) without having to find a sitter. I searched high and low for a post-natal yoga class for the both of us and came up empty handed. Needless to say, it was très frustrating.

So I was thrilled to get a tip on a new yoga studio opening on Saturday, May 8 in the Princeton Shopping Center. Wild Child Yoga is exactly what its name suggests: Yoga for kids (and parents) of all ages, shapes, and sizes. The studio is completely geared towards children’s yoga, and also offers pre- and post-natal classes. And, I have it on good authority that the instructors not only are fabulous, but they are all certified and among the best in the area.

Owner Justine Thomson told me that she really saw a need for a yoga studio geared towards children and their youthful exuberance in the Princeton area. “The atmosphere [at Wild Child Yoga] will be supportive and welcoming for children [so] hopefully their first introduction to yoga in a studio setting will be a positive one.”

However, if you aren’t completely convinced that your Scooplet will be up for the downward-facing dog, Wild Child Yoga is offering three complimentary children’s classes on May 8, at 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. (the first 25 children to participate will receive a Wild Child Yoga T-shirt, to boot). And, if you decide that your little yogi or yogini is ready for the Wild Child Spring Session (May 10 through June 19), then e-mail me at jennifer@princetonscoop.com and I’ll hook you up with a $5 discount.

All I can say is, it’s about time. Can I get a “namaste?”

To pre-register, call 609.635-9663 or send an e-mail to wildchildyogaprinceton@gmail.com. Wild Child Yoga, Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton; 609.635.9663 or wildchildyogaprinceton.com.