I’ve taught yoga on rooftops in Mexico. I’ve guided teacher trainings in Bali, Costa Rica, and more yoga shalas than I can count. I’ve stood in front of hundreds of students, barefoot and present, asking them to feel their breath and come home to their bodies.

But the most profound yoga class I’ve ever witnessed wasn’t one I taught.
It was one I watched, silently in my living room.

It wasn’t fancy. There was no music. No incense. Just a little boy named Rafael, my son, sitting on his mat in his Spider-Man pajamas, breathing.

He was three years old.

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At that age, everything in the world is big. Big emotions. Big energy. Big questions. And sometimes, big meltdowns.

That day, he had been frustrated. His toy broke. He didn’t want the blue cup. He was tired, or overstimulated, or maybe just three.

I watched him stomp to his yoga mat, the one I had bought him on a whim the week before, and sit down. He crossed his legs, wobbly and unsure, and placed one tiny hand on his belly.

And then…
He breathed.

A slow inhale. A slow exhale. And then again.

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I didn’t prompt him. I didn’t guide him. I had shown him these tools in passing, modeling my practice over the years, but I didn’t realize they had sunk in.

Until that moment.

It was like watching a child pick up a paintbrush and create something you didn’t know they understood.

I knelt beside him, tears in my eyes, and whispered, “You’re doing yoga.”

He looked up at me and said, “I feel better now.”

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Rafael is six now. He practices yoga regularly. He also trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, another mindful movement practice that has given him confidence, discipline, and strength.

But yoga… yoga is different.
Yoga is his reset button.
It’s the space where his feelings are allowed to exist, not be fixed.

It’s where he can come back to himself when the world feels like too much.

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And it’s because of him – this small, wise, wild-hearted boy — that we launched 11Exhale Kids.

Because if he needs this…
Other children in our valley do too.

Kids who are overwhelmed. Or anxious. Or extra wiggly. Or shy. Or big-feeling and bright-spirited.
Kids who don’t quite fit into the mold of “sit still and behave.”
Kids who need to know their body isn’t the enemy — it’s home.

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Our studio in San Jacinto is now home to a growing community of young yogis — ages 5 and up — who are learning how to stretch, breathe, and feel good in their own skin.

No pressure. No perfection.
Just playful movement, mindful breath, and a space to belong.

If you’re wondering whether your child is “too young” or “too busy” or “too new” to try yoga — I invite you to take a breath, like Rafael did.

And give them the gift of this experience.

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Your child’s first class is free.

Our next session begins Sunday, July 27th — and we’re only accepting 15 children into this first round.

🎟 [Click here to reserve your child’s spot]
💛 Or reach out with any questions — we’re happy to help.

Let’s raise this next generation with breath, love, and presence.

With heart,
Julianne