Pretzel Kids Yoga Teacher Feature: Meet Sheena Muse
Meet Sheena Muse, our first featured Pretzel Kids yoga teacher in 2020!
Sheena is a licensed Pretzel Kids yoga instructor. She has also trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), an evidence-based approach to cultivating self-awareness to relieve daily stress.
She loves leading Pretzel Kids yoga and mindfulness classes to children ages two to 18. Not only that but Sheena also teachers cooking classes at Kids Test Kitchen!
At home in Massachusetts, Sheena enjoys practicing yoga, meditation and mindfulness with her family. We recently learned about Sheena’s yoga journey and desire to become a kids yoga teacher.
Here’s what she had to say:
Pretzel Kids: What is your background in yoga and nutrition? Do you have another career or interesting hobby?
Sheena: I have a background in health and wellness, certified as a Health Coach by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I also teach kids cooking classes in schools and community settings as part of Kids Test Kitchen, inspiring young children to become healthy eaters. I have been practicing yoga for 7 years and started teaching kids yoga classes this year after becoming a certified kids yoga teacher through Pretzel Kids yoga.
I’m also a mom to three children who love doing yoga at home!
Pretzel Kids: Tell us one fun fact about you (can be anything!)
Sheena: I have completed two half marathon races for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Pretzel Kids: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Sheena: I like to cook healthy meals at home, swim in the ocean at the beach, hike in the woods and spend time with my family.
Pretzel Kids: What drew you to the Pretzel Kids yoga online course?
Sheena: I wanted to work specifically with kids, so this yoga teacher training course was perfect for that focus. I also liked the online format of the course and the videos were interactive, showing class formats and all of the poses – rather than just reading material alone.
Pretzel Kids: What is your favorite thing or two about the course?
Sheena: I like the way the course was outlined so that it was easy to see the different sections and topics. I enjoyed seeing the live class format and the demonstrations of the different yoga poses as this brought the material to life.
Pretzel Kids: Do you feel prepared to teach yoga after taking the Pretzel Kids yoga teacher training?
Sheena: I do feel prepared as the Pretzel Kids yoga teacher training course expanded my knowledge from the teaching perspective. I also learned the Pretzel Kids yoga kid-specific yoga poses. This helped as I was only familiar with my adult yoga traditional practice.
Pretzel Kids: Where would you like to teach Pretzel Kids yoga in your community?
Sheena: I live in Topsfield, Massachusetts and enjoy teaching yoga in my North Shore community.
Pretzel Kids: How do you hope to make a positive impact with the Pretzel Kids yoga curriculum?
Sheena: I hope to make a positive impact by bringing yoga and meditation practices into local schools, recreation centers and communities. This way I can teach children and teens ways to relax and enjoy movement. Helping kids learn ways to control their minds and bodies, and incorporate a mindful practice into their lives, will provide them with important skills that they may have not yet developed.
Pretzel Kids: You had the opportunity to start teaching using Pretzel Kids yoga lesson plans. Did you enjoy learning how to create these yoga lesson plans as part of your certification process? What was this creative process like? Also, since you’ve been teaching Pretzel Kids yoga, do the lesson plans make teaching easier?
Sheena: I enjoyed this portion of the certification process because it put the training into action. Designing and implementing Pretzel Kids yoga lesson plans is a central part of the teaching process. I enjoyed using the Pretzel Kids yoga material and poses, but I also liked having the ability to use own ideas and creativity to create the lesson plans.
I was able to use the lesson plans I created as part of my certification in my classes. This was helpful with the structure and theme. The kids were excited about the concept of a theme and were looking forward to the rest of the yoga class. They even had their own ideas about themes or poses!
Pretzel Kids: How did you hear about Pretzel Kids yoga? Would you recommend the online Pretzel Kids Yoga Teacher Training course to friends, moms, childcare providers and yoga teachers? Why?
Sheena: I heard about Pretzel Kids yoga through social media. I read about the program and the founder, Robyn, who was local. This made Pretzel Kids yoga more appealing to me.
I would definitely recommend the Pretzel Kids Yoga Teacher Training course to friends, moms, childcare providers and yoga teachers. I think taking a yoga course tailored specifically to teaching kids yoga, as the format is much different than an adult yoga class. I think it is also great for moms as I have been doing yoga with the kids at home for a while now. Pretzel Kids yoga is helpful for the whole family to practice yoga and mindfulness together.
Pretzel Kids: What’s your favorite Pretzel Kids yoga pose?
Sheena: I like Butterfly Pose. I think this is a nice relaxing pose to start class with and get all the kids on the same page. It’s also a fun kids yoga pose as it represents a butterfly and it’s easy to do!
Pretzel Kids: What’s your favorite Pretzel Kids yoga game? What’s your favorite Pretzel Kids theme?
Sheena: I like Freeze Dance as a Pretzel Kids yoga game. The kids enjoy this as it combines music, dance, and movement. It also helps them think as they have to get into a yoga pose once the music stops.
My favorite Pretzel Kids yoga theme is an animal-based theme like a trip to the zoo or farm. I like the many options for animal poses and coming up with ways to incorporate games into these themes. The kids are familiar with some of the animal poses already, and animals help foster their creativity.
Pretzel Kids: What’s your favorite food?
Sheena: I love vegan pizza!
Thank you Sheena and we wish you continued success!
Editor’s note: Are you interested in taking the Pretzel Kids online certification course and learning how to run successful kids yoga classes like Sheena? 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!
