#Graduatestories

Creative Yogis graduates sharing Kids Yoga within their communities.

We take a training and then what NEXT? We take a leap of faith and put ourselves out into the world using the gifts and tools we have gathered. It is my absolute privilege to share with you the inspiration of some of the teachers from our global community who are genuinely making a difference in the world.

Dive in and discover how with our #GraduateStories.

Delphine, Andrea and Adriana - Belgium

We have all been practicing yoga for a long time now, realizing the practice of yoga and meditation is very powerful for our own well-being!

The three of us took the Creative Yogis kids yoga teacher training at the Yoga Room with Karen last year, and quickly started teaching under-privileged kids after that. With our (short) experience, and seeing the benefits of a regular practice for those amazing kiddies’ souls, we decided to try and combine our efforts, which led us to create IMAGINE.

Whilst reaching out to different organisations, initially offering yoga activities to underprivileged children, we quickly realised that (except in foster care) - where there are children in need, there are always adults in need too!

We decided to extend the scope of IMAGINE from yoga for kids to include yoga for all. Our initial focus on children came from our collective experience and passion after graduating and meeting on the kid's yoga training.

Together we will try to give the opportunity to under-privileged kids and their families to benefit from yoga as a vessel for shaping change. We hope to bring them different tools to support them through difficult times, by embracing yoga and creating an inclusive and diverse yoga community.

Thank you to Creative Yogis once more for being the inspiration and glue that made this recent project possible.

Andrea Rueda Hernandez, Adriana Florit and Delphine de Brogniez - Belgium Graduates 2020

Instagram @imagine_asbl_be

Mara - Philippines

I started joining yoga classes in 2016 out of curiosity, and then more seriously in 2019 when I was battling with anxiety and depression. I was trying all sorts of different therapies and options to help me cope. I joined a weekend yoga retreat by the beach and fell in love with the entire practice and philosophy.

Committing to a regular yoga practice has supported my mental health, especially if I’m feeling down or out of it. Helping me learn to love myself more and find inner healing. Especially during this pandemic, yoga has become my safe space and allowed me to find ease and peace during these crazy and uncertain times.

Because of this, I wanted to be able to share this beautiful practice with others. Pre-pandemic I was already teaching kids and adults Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and fitness at Origins Athletics. I thought adding yoga to my teaching would be such an amazing gift to share. Knowing that everyone (kids and adults alike) was struggling in their own way, I wanted to be able to share with others how yoga can help and provide some comfort.

Early on in the pandemic we shifted to teaching online, and now I primarily teach fitness classes to kids and adults, adding kids yoga classes since graduating.

I recently partnered with the charity HOPE for an online fundraising event to help build public school classrooms. I was asked if I would like to offer a kids yoga class so decided to provide YogArt classes. This class felt unique and special and offers a way to differentiate myself from other kids yoga programs.

Since completing my training with Karen it’s been a wonderful roller coaster ride applying all my learnings, and now teaching my own kids yoga classes. Diving right in, I felt confident applying what I was taught.

Mara Rafael - Philippines Graduate 2021

Instagram @maramrafael

Wendy - Hong Kong

I am from Hong Kong and have been practicing yoga for about twenty-five years. I was a Pre School Educator and the supervisor in school knew that I am passionate about yoga, so she requested me to teach yoga to kids at the Pre School. I did a 25 hours Teacher Training course with ‘Kidz Yoga in Schools’ and taught yoga as an extracurricular activity during school hours along side my teaching career.

In 2020 I quit my job and was thinking of becoming a full time Yoga teacher for kids, however my knowledge about kids yoga was not adequate. Fortunately, I came across Creative Yogis Teacher Training course in collaboration with Pure Yoga in Hong Kong, and completed my 95 hours training with Karen Wightman.

Karen is an amazing, competent and inspiring teacher, and I revere her for her love and respect that she has for each and every student of hers. After the course it took me two months to start a yoga class due to the pandemic. Now I run three classes of different ages, and Karen’s yoga journals and lesson plans are of great help to me.

Vandana/Wendy Nainani - Hong Kong Graduate 2020

Instagram @humblehearts_yoga

I couldn’t have found a better training and teacher to learn from. Karen truly cares about her students and her knowledge and experience in teaching just gave me so much confidence that I made the right choice.

MARA | Fitness Instructor/Kids Yoga Teacher - Philippines

Karen Wightman
Founder of Creative Yogis
Director & Senior Trainer