Anjli Patel

Founder of World of Children’s Yoga

Like the ancient yogis, I am the Yogini who observes the world around us. I learn from the world and I express it in all it's different facets through traditional yoga poses and activities, sharing this learning to engage whilst developing body - mind connections

So, why am I so passionate about Yoga?  

As a 9 year old, I was lucky enough to be introduced to yoga, although I just 'did' yoga. I remember practising yoga poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and relaxation (shavasana) in a group of 100 children, without understanding the benefits of what I was doing! I only knew I enjoyed the experience!  

As an activity that ‘felt good’, I kept returning to yoga every few years, although I kept on feeling something was missing. When I faced relationship challenges, breathing exercises were what I turned to to help me find peace and calm..it was the only way I could get to sleep! 

I didn't properly connect with yoga again until about 12 years ago when, in my 30s I met a Guru (Teacher) who guided me and I finally started to understand the answers to my question 'Why do I like yoga?' and 'Why should I practise yoga?'  

As life continued, I faced health challenges and yoga helped me...my physical practise helped me to understand myself more, to accept myself, to continue to challenge my inner voice to be kind to myself.  

Why do I want to share Yoga? 

During this time, I worked with a range of  people from a range of cultures appreciating the richness of diversity and the uniqueness of individuals. 

Through training and coaching bright individuals to understand themselves and how their they could grow as individuals and develop their professional relationships I wondered whether there was more to it? Were there other ways to impact on the inner motivations and well being of individuals? 

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Why Children's Yoga? 

 After having my second child, my world was truly focused on children and the world they had been born into. I started to observe this world as one where children: 

• Have unlimited access to information and stimulus 

• Can be active constantly or be inactive constantly 

• Are driven by the high expectations of others 

Within this context, it came as no surprise to me that children are demonstrating increasing levels of physical and mental imbalances, presenting as learning challenges, anxiety and stress, obesity and other illnesses. I started to wonder if there were ways to help my daughters navigate through this childhood world to adulthood, happily. 

All my roads of personal and professional experiences led me to a single destination, to yoga. To a system with enough layers which constantly surprises me in its simplicity, yet complexity. For some it can be a practise of physical wellbeing, it can be a practise of inner exploration for mental wellbeing and it can be both a physical and mental wellbeing journey for others.  

At its heart, yoga for me is simple - it's a journey to self awareness. It's about teaching my daughters and other children and families self awareness – how do their bodies feel? What feelings and emotions are they experiencing?    

Using and sharing yoga techniques, we can support our children and children can support us through whatever changes they and we may experience. We can help, learn, teach, guide, respect and help each other to develop resilience and strength in our bodies and minds. 

Qualifications:  

Children’s Yoga:

IYN 100 hours Children's Yoga 

YogaBeez 95 hour Children's Yoga Teacher Training, accredited by Yoga Alliance 

Creating Yoga, Mindfulness & Coming of Age Circles for Tween Girls

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Working in Schools & Nurseries:

DBS Enhanced Check

Training in Safeguarding

Training in Infection Prevention & Control in Education & Early Years

Training in First Aid

Women’s Yoga:

IYN 200 hour Women's yoga 

Aquatic Yoga Teacher Training 

Perimenopause Yoga Facilitator Training

Legal: LLB (Bachelor or Laws) with Honours, Post Graduate Legal Practice Course, Qualified Solicitor, England and Wales 

Learning & Development: Various psychometric tools including Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) I & II and Thomas International DISC 

ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring 

My deepest thanks to: 

My Dad, my first guide, who showed me the beauty of respecting all life

Indira Anand for helping me fall back in love with yoga 

Carolann Edwards,  an inspirational leader who gave me the freedom and confidence to pursue my dreams 

Cheryl MacDonald and Sophie Keil, who are amazing yogis and yoga teachers and who opened my world to teaching yoga to others 

Bryony Duckitt, another amazing yogi, who with her sincerity and authenticity confirmed my beliefs there is magic in in the real world 

And 

Darshna Parmar, my life long friend, my guru, the person who helps me believe in my true self