Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk welcomes Kira Willey as she discusses how she incorporates music, yoga, and mindfulness for very young children. Kira has had over a decade plus years of experience in music, mindfulness, and teaching kids. Today, Kira shares her story behind how she started on this path, how she perceives energy, and what for her mindfulness is and what mindfulness is not.

Music – it's where I need to be

While working in a previous parent and child program, Kira spotted this ad about children's yoga training for teachers in the workplace. Admittedly, Kira wasn't 100% into it at that time. Nevertheless, by looking at the ad, Kira knew that it was something she would do. The training also didn't come cheap. Yet, Kira had a go with it anyway. Mentally, Kira already had some part of the thing planned out in her head. Once she gets the certificate, she was certain she'd incorporate music into her teaching. 

Kira's love for music can be understood very easily in this interview. Bringing her guitar everywhere was not an issue for Kira. To her, 'it was like a crutch.' So she's very comfortable handling it. What she's not comfortable with, however, is being in a room with 25 six-year-olds. For Kira, music is so easy to love. It makes brains light up, and it influences everyone's energy. And even though there's science behind that, Kira believes you don't need Science to experience it.

About Kira Willey:

Kira Willey is the author of six children's mindfulness books: Peaceful Like a Panda, the Mindfulness Moments for Kids board book series, and the bestselling Breathe Like a Bear. Her books have been translated into 18 languages and sold more than 260,000 copies around the world.

As a kids' yoga and mindfulness expert with nearly two decades of teaching experience, Kira has spoken on the TEDx stage, trained thousands of kids' yoga teachers, and is the creator of Rockin' Yoga training and school programs, as well as her Rockin' Yoga membership, a thriving community of educators bringing mindful practices to children.

As a children's music artist, Kira has released six albums of yoga & mindfulness songs for kids, which have won Parents' Choice Gold and numerous other industry awards. Her songs have been streamed more than 35 million times, and her hits include "Colors," which was featured in a worldwide Dell ad campaign.

Kira is also the creator and host of two kids' TV programs, "Breathe With Me" and "Fireflies Yoga," which air on PBS affiliates nationwide. 

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:34] From sports to yoga

●     [06:24] Kira Willey – on working in music, earning less, and still loving it

●     [11:30]There's nothing better than creating with others

●     [15:13] How did music, yoga, and teaching kids come about for Kira? 

●     [21:03] Songs for channeling scattered energy

●     [26:09] Mindfulness doesn't have to be sitting on a cushion with a candlelit

●     [31:40] Do you have time for mindfulness? You should!

●     [35:52] Kira Willey – on working with parents

●     [46:26] You can do almost anything that you're already doing—mindfully

●     [48:47] What gives Kira Willey hope?

Resources:

Website:          https://kirawilley.com/home

Kira is offering How We Can Heal listeners free children's mindfulness and music resources! Head here to grab all the goods:

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