Kids yoga seems to be the after school activity of choice these days and we couldn't be more excited about this! In addition to having offered prenatal, baby and me, toddler and me, and family yoga classes for some time, our friends at One Down Dog have just launched kids classes at their adorable studio in Los Angeles. We asked kids yoga instructor, Bianca Cueva, to tell us a little bit about children's yoga at One down Dog. Here's what she had to say:

" My name is Bianca Cueva, and I am the Kids Yoga and Family yoga teacher at One Down Dog. I was born in California, grew up in the Philippines and am back living in California. So, I love the sunshine. My earliest memory of practicing yoga was at a Surf, Yoga, and Samba retreat in a beautiful island back home in the Philippines. I became an active member of my local flow arts community, of which yoga was a very big part. I completed my 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2015 from my home studio, One Down Dog and am certified to teach Kids Yoga under Shana Meyerson of mini yogis yoga for kids. I’m also an actress out here! Prior to moving to Los Angeles, I was a preschool teacher and performer for kids' events.

One Down Dog's acronym spells O.D.D. and that's what we're all about here! In this yoga studio, you'll find a positive and fun community of odd, quirky, unique, and diverse yogis. We're all about openness, making awesome things happen, and making yoga accessible to everyBODY. Kids are going to enjoy learning yoga here because we're all kids at heart! We love music, dancing, making new friends, and trying new things! And dogs! :) Here, they have a safe space to be silly and to channel their energy and feelings in a healthy way, all while doing something very nurturing for their bodies and minds.

Yoga is such a healthy practice that benefits our kids just as much as the grown ups! Kids nowadays live in a world where they are bombarded by all sorts of media, messages, technology, and distracting overstimulation that makes it very challenging for them to focus and find stillness especially when it matters. Yoga has an abundance of benefits for kids which includes their bodies, breath, brains, and social interactions with their buddies! Yoga poses or asana help improve their balance, coordination, core strength, and flexibility. They develop better body awareness, overall motor development, and good posture. When they feel good and strong in their bodies, they are ready for more fun activities and more play! By simply learning how to breathe fully and healthily (through pranayama), yoga can both energize or relax kids. Plus, it aids in better circulation and flow of oxygen to their body. As for their brains, kids yoga can help increase their attention span, improve comprehension, better their information retention and memory, as well as expand their creativity and imagination! Finally, yoga teaches kids all sorts of beautiful lessons such as patience, teamwork, camaraderie, compassion, body appreciation, and so much more. By being in a class with other kids, yoga helps to improve their social and communication skills. Yoga helps kids to embrace their uniqueness and unique skills, therefore instilling a sense of respect in our kids; respect for themselves, respect for other people, and respect for their surroundings. Kids can start yoga at any age! It's never too early or too late to start learning this magical practice. The future of Kids Yoga looks bright. I see Kids Yoga being shared and practiced in more studios, more communities, more schools, and in many more homes. The children indeed are our future, and when they grow up valuing peaceful and healthy practices such as yoga, they will develop into peaceful and healthy individuals who will impact this world for the better. Now THAT'S a beautiful future."

The Eastside LA yoga studio’s newest offerings are for kids ages 4 to 10. The classes are one-hour long and will take place at both of the studio’s two locations. Classes are $75 for 5 classes or $20 for a single class.

The schedule for classes is as follows:

Tuesdays from 3:45pm to 4:45pm, ages 4 to 10, Eagle Rock
Thursdays from 3:45pm to 4:45pm, ages 4 to 10, Silverlake

Additional services the yoga studio offers include one-on-one yoga sessions, yoga dance parties, goal-setting and life coaching, workshops and retreats, massages and yoga teacher training.

One Down Dog has two locations, the Eagle Rock studio at 2150 Colorado Blvd. and the Silverlake location at 4343 W. Sunset Blvd.

To sign up and learn more about One Down Dog’s family-friendly offerings visit onedowndog.com.