Habla yoga? Brooklyn kids' studio offers bi-lingual classes

Courtesy Monkey Do! Yoga

Yoga is permeating America almost as quickly as is the Spanish language.

To help kids tackle both, a Spanish-infused class called, Yoga Para You!, is included in the lineup at Monkey Do! Yoga, a kids and family yoga studio, which opened this month in Brooklyn, New York.

“It’s a wonderful draw – the idea of learning a language with physical movement through it. A lot of kids can better integrate the words when moving around,” says Marni Sandler, RYT and owner of the new studio, which offers yoga and creative movement classes for all children.

For 30-something year-old Sandler, the idea for the bi-lingual class occurred to her while she was traveling in Mexico post-college.

“I’d joined a gym class there and it proved to be the best way for me to learn Spanish. It stuck with me more. I wanted to bring this format in for the kids,” says Sandler, who took action on her long-standing dream of opening a kids’ yoga studio earlier this year, while on maternity leave.

The weekly bilingual classes aimed at kids’ ages 5 and up will be taught by a Spanish-speaking yoga teacher, with a background in social work.

“She works with girls in urban programs. I’m happy to have her on board,” says Sandler.