Pretzel Kids Yoga Teacher Feature: Meet Gina!

Meet Gina Buono, our February 2019 featured Pretzel Kids yoga teacher!

Gina is a mom to three amazing kids: Brianna, 23; Bodhi, 22; and Julia, 17. She’s been a middle school English teacher in the Utica, NY school district for the past 19 years and also has her own skincare business (can you say busy?) Gina took our weekend certification course at In Bloom Yoga in Utica, NY and has been a certified Pretzel Kids yoga teacher since May 2018. She loves practicing yoga on her own and with her middle school students!

We recently had the pleasure of talking to this New York-based mom and accomplished teacher about her adventures teaching Pretzel Kids yoga.

Here’s what she had to say:

Pretzel Kids: Can you tell us more about your Pretzel Kids journey?

Gina: I love practicing yoga and taught my first Pretzel Kids classes to middle schoolers last summer at a local summer program. I just got funding to start an after-school yoga program in my school and I’m so excited! 

Pretzel Kids: Can you tell us a fun fact about you?

Gina: I am mistaken for my daughter all the time!

Pretzel Kids: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Gina: I love spending time with my family and friends. We enjoy our camp in the Adirondacks, where I love the beach, boating, campfires and simply relaxing. I also love reading. I am always in the middle of reading two to three books at a time! Last, but not least, I love traveling and visiting new places. 

Pretzel Kids: What drew you to the Pretzel Kids certification course?

Gina: I have been wanting to start a yoga program at my school for quite a while, but was not really interested in becoming a traditional yoga instructor.  I actually considered hiring a yoga teacher to do this, but then the yoga studio where I practice advertised this course and I knew it was a sign! So I signed up immediately.

Pretzel Kids: What is your favorite thing (or two) about the course?

Gina: I absolutely loved learning all the different ways to teach yoga and breathing techniques through the use of fun games. As a teacher, the lesson plan format is exactly how I envisioned running the classes. The people I met along the way have also been such a blessing!

Pretzel Kids: How has the Pretzel Kids teacher training course prepared you to teach children’s yoga?

Gina: After taking the course, I feel completely prepared to teach yoga to children and teens. The hands on learning was extremely helpful and Robyn’s experience brought so much knowledge for different options on running successful classes.

Pretzel Kids: Where would you like to teach Pretzel Kids yoga in your community?

Gina: My goal to start an after-school kids yoga program in my middle school is now coming true. Next steps: I’d like to eventually run the Pretzel Kids program in every school in our district.

Pretzel Kids: How do you hope to make a positive impact with the Pretzel Kids curriculum?

Gina: I hope to make a positive impact using the Pretzel Kids curriculum by teaching  middle school students strategies to relieve stress and ways to deal with the daily pressures of middle school. The breathing techniques can help them before big tests and de-escalate stressful situations.

Pretzel Kids: You’ve had the opportunity to write Pretzel Kids lesson plans. What is this creative process like? Do the lesson plans make teaching easier and how have the kids responded?

Gina: The lesson plans are fun to create and I was able to easily modify them when I actually taught them.

Pretzel Kids: Would you recommend the course to friends, moms, childcare providers and yoga teachers? Why?

Gina: I would definitely recommend Pretzel Kids to everyone! I already have and some of my friends have since been certified as well! It is a great program and it offers so many opportunities.

Pretzel Kids: What’s your favorite Pretzel Kids pose?

Gina: My favorite Pretzel Kids yoga pose is crab pose!! There are so many fun games you can play in this pose.

Pretzel Kids: What’s your favorite Pretzel Kids game? 

Gina: My favorite Pretzel Kids game is “Clean Up the Classroom” while in crab pose. I work mostly with middle school kids so this game can be modified in so many ways and is competitive. They really enjoy it!

Pretzel Kids: Just for fun, what’s your favorite food?

Gina: This is a hard question, because I love food so much!!  I love all types of squash and fruit!! But I also love a good slice of pizza and hot sauce!!!

Thank you Gina and we wish you continued success! Do you want to be featured in an upcoming Pretzel Kids newsletter or blog post? Let us know by emailing us at info@pretzelkids.com!

Side note: Are you interested in taking the Pretzel Kids online certification course and learning how to run successful classes like Gina?We’d love to talk to you and help you create a lucrative side hustle teaching kids yoga! ​ We can’t wait for you to join our Pretzel Kids yoga family!

Got questions? Call us today!