Why Global Family Yoga?

What makes Global Family Yoga Unique?
The practice of yoga for children has erupted like fireworks. You have many choices these days when it comes to learning about yoga for children. Why choose to study with Global Family Yoga (GFY)?

Professional Standards
Global Family Yoga™ (GFY) has been a registered school with Yoga Alliance since 2005, the first school registered with Yoga Alliance focused on children and families.

Experience
All Global Family Yoga trainings are led by our Co-founder and Director of Training, Mira Binzen.  Mira became a certified yoga teacher in 1999 and has been training others to teach yoga to children since 2002.  She is a registered Yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level (E-RYT, RCYT), a certified iRest Yoga Nidra teacher and a professional Integrative Yoga Therapist (1,000-hour level certificate). Mira is first and foremost a devoted student of yoga.  It is out of this dedication that her teaching flows. In addition to thousands of hours of both formal training and experience in the field, Mira continues to study with yoga masters each year.  This commitment to continuing education means our programs stay fresh, relevant and true to the tradition.   

Unbroken Lineage
Mira’s teachers, with whom she is still closely connected, are all students of gurus (enlightened masters) who have studied under an unbroken lineage reaching back thousands of years.  Does this matter?  We think it does. With us you can dig one deep well and know that what you are sharing is safe and effective. This is a living tradition and lifestyle.  This is Yoga with a capital “Y”.  

The unbroken lineage of our continued study humbly shelters us under the guidance and support of true masters of yoga.  In the words of one of those masters: 

"Children come into this world very pure.  

It is up to the adults to help them stay bright, strong and healthy." 
 
- H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda 
Rooted in Child Development
With a degree in Child Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at The University of Minnesota with specialized study in Communication Disorders, Mira weaves sound Western Child Development principles with Eastern wisdom for a comprehensive training program that supports well-being on all levels – physical, mental/emotional and spiritual.    

Focus on Family
GFY was founded by a mother and two daughters (Cheryl, Stephanie and Mira).  It is truly a family run enterprise.  We focus on family yoga in our trainings and promote family connection through yoga.  We also recognize that we are all part of a global family and that yoga helps us experience this interconnection.  It takes a village to raise our children and so we offer ongoing support through our unique Ohana membership program. “Ohana” is a Hawaiian word that refers to our familial relationships beyond blood relatives.  Everyone in our community is considered Ohana and we welcome you to the family.   

Communication and Sensory Integration
Our curriculum emphasizes language development and sensory integration.  You will be trained to create an environment that is language and sensory-rich and also soothing.  This is crucial for children to feel connected…and connection is the foundation of Well Being. 

Trauma Sensitive
It is estimated that a quarter of all children in the United States will witness or experience a traumatic event before they turn 4 years old, and they may be attending your children’s yoga class.  This is why our curriculum is trauma informed.  Yoga is inherently therapeutic.   The teaching style you will learn in our training takes into account the therapeutically rich practice of yoga in its full expression so the children who take your class feel supported and safe and can develop into their fullest potential.   

Unparalleled Support   
We’ve got your back. Whether you have a question about the registration process, a technical question or need some support to calm your nerves before your first class, we have woven a web of support so you can step out into the world with confidence. 

When you need something, who do you call? When you want someone who truly understands you? For most of us, it’s our mom.  Our mom (Cheryl) is our personal customer relations Devi. Decades of experience keeping track of details, nurturing (and corralling two unruly teens for a time), make her a consummate expert at YOUR service. 

Cutting Edge Technology, Deciphered
Learning online offers convenience, savings and depth.  It is the only way some are ever able to access our material.  Others have attended our live trainings and are interested in additional training.  We create and deliver online learning experiences in a format that is easy to navigate and easy to use.  If you consider yourself “technologically challenged”, Stephanie is available to walk you through the process.

We are leading the field in online learning for children’s yoga, creating new programs that are cutting edge.  One online participant said, our courses are: 

“Very well developed” and “Way ahead of everyone else.” ~  Monica B. 
Opportunity for Growth
No matter where you are on your path - just starting out, many years of experience or somewhere in between - you're hungry to learn more.  We understand.  We're life-long learners, too!  That's why in addition to our online and in-person training programs, we offer continuing education in many forms.  Teacher retreats and new content keep our teachers inspired and informed.  

Global Community 
Our community includes engaged members from all over the world - North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.  We don't say goodbye when trainings are over.  People stay involved. We're connected by regular email support and active social media groups.  You become part of a true Global Family. 

Questions to Consider When Choosing a Program
Consider these important questions when choosing your professional development: 

Who is leading that particular training?
What is the trainer’s experience?  Years in the field, education, experience, training, continued study – and with whom? 
Are they Yoga Alliance registered? If yes, for how long? 
What is the cost of the training, per training hour? 
We Believe

Children are pure beings of unlimited potential and remarkable sensitivity. 
Awareness and connection are the keys to happiness for life.
Unstructured free play is sacred.
Family comes first.
You deserve unconditional love and professional support.
A radically new level of consciousness is entering our world.  
The Time Is Now.
Our work is to help children open to who they truly are and to stay open, grounded and connected. 
Click here to see our values as teachers.

We would be pleased to have you join us for an in-person and/or online learning experience. 
“Mira is a superstar in the world of Yoga for Kids and Families. Her many years of training and experience shine through when she works with her students, and I've consistently been impressed with her ability to present the complex tradition of yoga with depth and clarity to students of all ages. She has a gift and a passion for her work, and it shows in everything she does.” - Kerry M., Owner, Bloom Yoga Studio, Chicago, IL 
Please contact us if you have questions or would just like to chat.