Lying on the concrete at Veterans Memorial Park in Cloquet, 4-year-old Emily Sheff pushed herself up into Cobra Pose as the sun broke through the clouds.
“Make that 'hiss' sound when you do it,” The Nest Wellness Studio owner and instructor Carolyn Ripp said.
About 20 people, including kids ages 3-11, gathered at the park Monday, Aug. 9, to learn poses and enjoy relaxation during a kids yoga class organized by the Cloquet Public Library.
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During the 30-minute class, Ripp guided her young students through a variety of poses, including Child's Pose, Downward-Facing Dog and Cobra Pose.
Ripp also moved the young yogis off the concrete and to the cooler grass and shade of the trees for a short relaxation exercise, which Finley Holz, 11, said was his favorite part of the class.
Ripp highlighted the importance of yoga’s calming effects in addition to the added strength and flexibility a practice can bring, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This pandemic has been overwhelming to all of us,” Ripp said. “It’s been wonderful to give kids the tools to calm themselves with breath.”
Ripp has experience instructing young people about yoga. Previously, she had a two-year grant to work with Cloquet Middle School health and physical education teachers to develop a unit about yoga.
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