Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Wiegand.
Hi Leah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been working with children in some capacity for the last 20 years. My background is in elementary education. I taught in Detroit for several years before moving to the Atlanta area by way of Chicago seven years ago with my family. My husband and I live in East Cobb with our two boys and eight pets! There is always some kind of chaos in the house, which makes for never a dull moment and lots of laughs.
In 2019, I completed my 200-hour certified yoga teacher training and began a preschool yoga program. I loved seeing the socio-emotional and physical benefits yoga gave children and felt that it was time to bring those benefits to underserved schools. That’s how Laughing Dogs Yoga was born. Laughing Dogs Yoga is a nonprofit corporation that I founded in 2020. Our mission is to bring yoga education to underserved communities. We work to lessen stress and anxiety, provide coping skills, increase self-confidence and self-awareness, and provide a trauma-informed environment for children. We do that through the mindfulness and movement education that is yoga. I truly love the work that I do and feel so fortunate to wake up and look forward to the day ahead.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think that anyone who works in the nonprofit field can tell you that the road is never smooth. Resources and funding are always a challenge, however, we believe in the work we do and are so thankful for the support we do have. Covid has also been a challenge to our program. To keep students and teachers safe, our Head Start programs remain virtual with us. While this is not ideal, I am so impressed with how well these children adjust. I’m thankful we have the technology to keep us up and running.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Laughing Dogs Yoga?
Laughing Dogs Yoga is a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide yoga education to underserved schools. Stress and anxiety in children is on the rise, and for a variety of reasons, children in underserved areas are more likely to suffer from this. Growing research shows that bringing the movement and mindfulness education of yoga to schools decreases stress and anxiety, enhances coping skills, improves self-control, and increases self-confidence. Our classes also provide a trauma-informed environment for students who have had adverse childhood experiences. We know that there is a lot that children can not control, but we want them to know that they are capable of controlling their response to strong feelings and stressful situations. The younger we can start teaching children these strategies, the better.
We work mainly with Title 1 elementary schools and Head Start programs, so our classes begin with children at three years old. Classes include calming breath work, physical poses, music, free movement, and stories to support literacy development. Classes are also often themed to be fun and engaging. We do everything from superhero yoga to world geography yoga. Students are taught that yoga is not a race. You don’t have to be able to touch your toes or do the splits. Our classes create safe, noncompetitive environment where all students can feel successful. Through yoga, we support the happy, healthy development of children.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
There is so much in my life that makes me feel lucky. My amazing family and friends who support what I do and help me find connections to grow Laughing Dogs Yoga have been priceless.
Contact Info:
- Email: wiegand@laughingdogsyoga.org
- Website: www.laughingdogsyoga.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/laughing_dogs_yoga
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laughingdogsyoga
