We end each class with Namaste, "The light and goodness in me, sees the light and goodness in you."
Balance game collecting pom poms with your toes!
We end each class with Namaste, "The light and goodness in me, sees the light and goodness in you."
LMY Team
About Misty
Misty is the founder and owner of Little Mindful Yogis. Combining over 15 years of child development with an excited and approachable spirit, Misty makes teaching yoga to all ages fun and fulfilling. She blends her yoga journey and experience as a teacher and mother to all of her instruction.
Misty started Little Mindful Yogis in 2019. She found her love for kids yoga when applying it in her own preschool classroom. After seeing its effects, she decided to gain training so that more children could have access to all of the benefits of yoga. She then received her kids yoga certification from Kidding Around Yoga, 200 hour RYT certification, Children's yoga certification for ADHD/Autism and Differently Abled, and Trauma Informed Yoga for Youth certification.
Misty has used her experience and knowledge to create the LMY curriculum and themed lesson plans for all school classes. She gives guidance and training to all of the LMY team so that they may lead classes confidently and with intention. She is also the lead instructor for Little Mindful Yogis Kids Yoga Trainings.
When she isn't in the classroom or managing LMY, you can find her hiking with her partner and their dog, doing acro yoga on the beltline, and traveling whenever she gets the opportunity.
About Mariah
Mariah is a veteran educator and has been with LMY for over three years. Prior to teaching yoga, Mariah taught young adults with additional needs and disabilities for many years. She also coached a Special Olympics team. Currently, Mariah is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200, YACEP) and an LMY certified Kid’s Yoga Teacher. She has also taught aerial yoga, yin yoga, trauma-informed yoga, yoga for addiction recovery, HIIT yoga, yoga barre, chair yoga, and more. She brings her playful and joyful spirit to the kids' yoga classes, creating an environment where every child feels safe, included, and encouraged to express themselves freely.
Mariah is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health in Management and Policy. Her ultimate goal is to influence change on a macro level so that all individuals can equitably access health, happiness, and wellbeing.
During her free time, Mariah is usually running with her two dogs, cooking weird vegetarian meals, or embracing her creative side via singing, aerial dance, cosplay, or crafting.
About Kaitlin
Kaitlin began her yoga journey over 10 years ago. She had always been drawn to yoga, and it was not before long that it became a lifestyle. Through practicing the 8 limbs of yoga, she felt empowered, confident, strong, and drawn to share her experience with others. In 2022, Kaitlin graduated from her 200 hour yoga teacher training from Giving Tree Yoga in Smyrna, Georgia. In 2024, she received her Kids Yoga Teacher certification from Little Mindful Yogis.
Along with her love for yoga, Kaitlin has always had passion for working with children. From a young age, her mother would always say she “was born to be a mom” due to her nurturing nature and overwhelming sense of empathy. Kaitlin has worked with children of all ages through her years as a camp counselor for the YMCA and a lead preschool teacher. She has always advocated for children’s emotions and finds yoga to be very beneficial in regulating some of their big feelings. Although her journey in teaching kid’s yoga is still new, she is dedicated to utilizing her training along with her insight on child development to create a fun environment for her students to learn. Through a playful approach to teaching, she combines breathwork, dynamic movement, creative games, and other age-appropriate activities to offer her students tools for keeping their minds and bodies healthy.
When she is not teaching, Kaitlin enjoys hiking through the Smokey Mountains, attending concerts, deepening her own personal yoga practice, cuddling up with pets, and spending time with her family and friends.
About Melissa
Melissa is a nurturing and engaging instructor, full of first hand experience with her own children (2 and 4). She respects the yoga teachings and encourages her kids to practice with her so they can enjoy the lifelong benefits of yoga.
Melissa’s yoga journey started 2015 in college where she studied child development. After over seven years of practice she decided to pursue teaching. She is RYT 200 hour certified as well as a certified Kids Yoga Teacher through Little Mindful Yogis.
During her free time, she gives back to her community by volunteering her yoga teachings at local church groups, particularly Spanish-speaking groups, so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy yoga.
About Myrriah
Myrriah is an enthusiastic yoga instructor and the proud owner of Elm Yogis. With over five years of experience and an RYT 200 certification, she loves introducing yoga to young minds in a way that’s fun, playful, and engaging. Myrriah also holds a degree in early childhood education, which helps her create classes that are both educational and nurturing. As a mom to a toddler, Myrriah understands the benefits of combining movement and mindfulness to help children build confidence and find calm. She started teaching kids yoga as a preschool teacher and now brings her classes to various locations, including the Sandy Springs Library. Her sessions are filled with imaginative stories, playful poses, and creative breathing exercises, providing a safe and supportive environment for children to explore their bodies and emotions.
Myrriah is excited to share the joy of yoga with young yogis, helping them elevate their spirits, embrace kindness, and discover their inner strength, all while having a great time on the mat!
About Haley
Haley loves combining her passions of both yoga and children into one with LMY. She has been working with children for most of her life and is currently a Registered Behavioral Therapist for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her yoga journey began around 2017 as a way to connect her mind with her body. After seeing substantial changes in mindset, ease, and confidence, she quickly recognized the power of the practice as a tool from which everyone could benefit. She then began incorporating yoga techniques and breathing exercises into sessions with children she assisted and nannied, then witnessing the profound positive changes this practice has on a young mind! She then took her practice a step further and received her RYT200 certification from Nexus Institute in Nosara, Costa Rica. In 2024 she received her Kids Yoga Teacher certification with Little Mindful Yogis.
As an actress in Atlanta, Haley has the imagination, enthusiasm, and energy levels to match any child where they are. When she is not practicing yoga, Haley enjoys any and all things adventurous. You can catch her hiking, traveling, seeing live music, cooking, or engaging in some art project.
She currently teaches adults at Bring It Om and adults + kids at {Sacred} Yoga. Haley believes in fostering each child’s unique talents and abilities by listening to each individual, harnessing inner beauty, spreading positivity, and allowing breath and emotions to flow.
About Joyanna
Joyanna (or Joy) is a certified yoga teacher that has been practicing for a little over three years and is also certified in Reiki healing. Being built under the pen name of PeriwinkleYogi, Joyanna has wanted to emphasize that finding one thing to bring yourself joy and comfort is more important than any pose or breathing technique. Yoga is about building a safe space free of judgement and competition, but instead full of support and growth.
Having a background in Anatomy and Physiology, Joyanna works to acknowledge how any pose may feel entirely different depending on how your body is while emphasizing that these differences are normal. She prefers to teach a slower style of yoga so that you can safely transition from any pose and feel the alignment at any point; if you feel like something is not for you, you are welcomed to pull out of the pose and try a different modification.
Joyanna’s primary goal as a teacher is to help students find a sense of self while building confidence, trust, and acceptance within. Feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas, and she’ll do her best to talk things out with you. This life is all about growth and just enjoying each moment as they come no matter how crazy they may feel.
~Periwinkle Yogi Joyanna~
About Julia
Julia is a passionate kids’ yoga instructor with a decade of experience in education, including five years as a classroom teacher. She completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in Bali Indonesia, where she deepened her understanding of the mind-body connection and holistic wellness. Inspired by the tranquility and wisdom of her training, Julia brings a calm, nurturing energy to her classes.
She has a passion for teaching and nurturing young minds creating fun and engaging sessions that help children build confidence, mindfulness, and a love for movement. Julia’s classes focus on playful exploration, balance, and relaxation, providing a supportive environment where every child can thrive.
About Alex
Alex began her personal yoga practice over 20 years ago as a healthy way to cope with the stress and anxiety of being a teenager. Over the years, her commitment and dedication to the practice of yoga and mindfulness as a tool to manage all of life's obstacles has only deepened. As a busy mother and nurse practitioner, there are many days where the time spent on her mat is the only time her mind is peaceful and body relaxed. It is with this in mind she began utilizing the principles of yoga in her nursing practice, sharing the benefits and joys of yoga with her patients, most recently as an acute pediatric mental health nurse.
In 2024, her passion for sharing yoga with the children in her personal and professional lives led Alex to become Kids Yoga Teacher certified with Little Mindful Yogis. She is excited to bring her experience with the benefits of yoga to youth.
In her free time, you can find Alex practicing heated vinyasa yoga, cooking and crafting with her daughter, hiking, watching live music, and snuggling with her menagerie of rescue animals.
About Gina
Gina Misticawi is an E-RYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) and RCYT (Registered Children's Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance. She became certified through AFAA as a Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor and Group Exercise Instructor in 1997. She then completed her 200-hour yoga certification through Atlanta Yoga Fellowship/Peachtree Yoga Center. Gina is also a Spin instructor with Mad Dogg Athletics and Schwinn and holds numerous other fitness certifications.
After having children and realizing the amount of stressors placed upon them, she decided to become a Kids Yoga teacher. In 2016, Gina became a Certified Elevated Grounded Teacher under the direction of Amy Haysman, Cheryl Crawford, and Sedef Dion. In 2024, she became Kids Yoga Teacher certified with Little Mindful Yogis.
Gina currently teaches Kids Yoga at the Atlanta Athletic Center and All Saints Preschool. She teaches big people classes at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Cecil B. Wellness Center, Burn Bootcamp, All Saints Catholic Church, and Mary Our Queen.
Teaching allows Gina to give back to those around her. She truly enjoys helping others find their own sense of self-acceptance and realize their full potential. What she loves most about yoga is that anyone, at any age, can practice. Yoga is available to all, no matter what the experience and physical ability…everyone can benefit from the practice of yoga.
Gina is married and has two daughters, Lily and Mia. She loves spending time with her family and her two rescue dogs.
