A discussion about what makes students happy and how small joys can shift their mindset. Guided relaxation or visualization to anchor positive emotions.
Shift for students: From distracted, tense, or disengaged to curious, lighthearted, and eager to participate.
“We are so grateful to have Luzette back at our school again this term. Her knowledge, dedication and passion for our youth is amazing. She connects on every level with our tamariki and they respond so well to her encouraging ways. We look forward to many more sessions that will strengthen our mindfulness practice, meditation, movement and build kindness and inner strength in our children. I highly recommend Luzette and Youth Yoga.” (Social Worker with Family Works Northern)
Activities that empower students to learn to trust their gut feeling and internal compass (e.g., “what did you think about that vs how do you feel about that”).
In order for students to be able to avoid dangerous and vulnerable situations, they need to learn how to trust their 5 senses.
Once they learn how to trust their 5 senses, it then gives them the skills to strengthen the internal compass of better and safer decision making.
The program gives them these skills by 4 specific activities that are fun and designed to activate their sensors to make stronger decisions.
Shift for students: Creating inner harmony when they feel inner conflict situations, a scenario where they are vulnerable. E.g Saying no under peer pressure.
“Luzette came into our school last year to run a programme for our Year 8 girls, and the absolute success of it meant that we had to get her back in this year to run it with all the intermediate girls! Over the six weeks, we had such a positive response. Luzettes ability to relate to the girls and connect with them made it a great environment for the students to learn and develop new skills. I would highly recommend this for anyone and any age. Thank you again!” (Social Worker with Family Works Northern)
The biggest challenge is teaching students how to respond instead of reacting.
The program gives them the skill to take control of the fight, flight or freeze mechanism. And this is done by them using simple breathing techniques like deep “belly breathing” or “box breathing” for emotional regulation.
The program guides students through real-life scenarios (e.g., feeling anxious before a test or angry with a classmate) and practicing breathing as a pause mechanism. And through repetition that’s when they build mastery to respond instead of reacting.
Shift for students: From reactive, shallow breathers to calm, focused, and self-aware learners.
“Over the past two years, the year 7 and 8 girls at our school have been fortunate enough to participate in a Youth Yoga programme, run by Luzette. Throughout these sessions Luzette tailored programmes, to support the girls with specific needs, while encouraging and challenging all students. We had phenomenal results which saw students take risks, grow in confidence, tackle issues and develop strategies to draw upon in the future. Her experience and knowledge of yoga practice and calm, approachable manner fostered the opportunity for the girls to develop positive relationships with each other and with Luzette. The sessions were fun, interactive and were a highlight of our girls week” (Assistant Principal at Redoubt North School)
What it looks like in the classroom:
Partner or group activities that require teamwork, like problem-solving challenges or collaborative projects.
Reflective discussions about what connection means and how understanding different perspectives can reduce conflict. Eye-contact exercises or guided conversations to practice active listening and respectful communication.
Shift for students: From feeling isolated or misunderstood to feeling part of a supportive, connected classroom community.
“Luzette has been an incredible asset to our school, so much so that she ran a programme with 20 year 7 and 8 students in term 4 of 2020 and now in 2021 we are getting her into our school for every term. The Youth Yoga programme is informative, fun and interactive. Luzette works intuitively and is able to read the group and shift to meet the needs on the day to best support. The kids are always excited to come to their sessions and it’s been incredible to see the growth of the kids’ confidence and in their wellbeing through learning new practical tools and skills. Luzette is timely, passionate, knowledgeable and great to work with. “ (Social Worker – IOSIS Social Worker)
What it looks like in the classroom:
Help students recreate negative classroom moments (e.g., struggling with a subject, dealing with criticism) and explore how reframing their thoughts could lead to a positive outcome.
Introduce “Symbolic Reframing” tools, like journaling or drawing, to help students visualise solutions.
Role-play decision-making scenarios to show how shifting perspectives can lead to better choices.
Shift for students: From negative self-talk and indecision to confident, solution-oriented thinking.
“You know when the tamariki have a rapport with someone at our Kura. They run up to give them an awhi. That’s what happens when Whaea Luzette arrives at Kura. Everyone wants to go to her Yoga sessions. They love the games, the music and her upbeat manner. Luzette is a down to earth person who is not shy to talk about her own experiences, good and otherwise, as a way of relating to others. We all love the whakatau Wairua session at the end too. I don’t want to say too much more about how great her sessions are, in case she becomes so popular, she gets booked out !!” (Principal Dianne Pomare from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Nga Maungarongo)
What it looks like in the classroom:
Reflective activities like creating a personal “empowerment toolkit” with their favorite strategies from the past weeks.
Group discussions where students share how they’ve grown or moments when they used the tools taught.
Celebration activities (e.g., art projects, student-led skits, or a shared meal) to reinforce the positive transformation.
Shift for students: From fragmented learning to a cohesive, empowered mindset ready to tackle future challenges.
We have been so lucky to have Luzette run yoga twice in our school last year! The tamariki absolutely loved having her and were able to get so much out of the programme than perhaps they thought they would. What really stood out for me was being able to see a student that found managing their anger a challenge being able to really get stuck into each session. The tamariki loved the programme so much they didn’t want to leave! (Family Works Social Worker at Clendon Park School)
“We are so grateful to have Luzette back at our school again this term. Her knowledge, dedication and passion for our youth is amazing. She connects on every level with our tamariki and they respond so well to her encouraging ways. We look forward to many more sessions that will strengthen our mindfulness practice, meditation, movement and build kindness and inner strength in our children. I highly recommend Luzette and Youth Yoga.” (Social Worker with Family Works Northern)
“Luzette came into our school last year to run a programme for our Year 8 girls, and the absolute success of it meant that we had to get her back in this year to run it with all the intermediate girls! Over the six weeks, we had such a positive response. Luzettes ability to relate to the girls and connect with them made it a great environment for the students to learn and develop new skills. I would highly recommend this for anyone and any age. Thank you again!” (Social Worker with Family Works Northern)
“Over the past two years, the year 7 and 8 girls at our school have been fortunate enough to participate in a Youth Yoga programme, run by Luzette. Throughout these sessions Luzette tailored programmes, to support the girls with specific needs, while encouraging and challenging all students. We had phenomenal results which saw students take risks, grow in confidence, tackle issues and develop strategies to draw upon in the future. Her experience and knowledge of yoga practice and calm, approachable manner fostered the opportunity for the girls to develop positive relationships with each other and with Luzette. The sessions were fun, interactive and were a highlight of our girls week” (Assistant Principal at Redoubt North School)
“Luzette has been an incredible asset to our school, so much so that she ran a programme with 20 year 7 and 8 students in term 4 of 2020 and now in 2021 we are getting her into our school for every term. The Youth Yoga programme is informative, fun and interactive. Luzette works intuitively and is able to read the group and shift to meet the needs on the day to best support. The kids are always excited to come to their sessions and it’s been incredible to see the growth of the kids’ confidence and in their wellbeing through learning new practical tools and skills. Luzette is timely, passionate, knowledgeable and great to work with. “ (Social Worker – IOSIS Social Worker)
We have been so lucky to have Luzette run yoga twice in our school last year! The tamariki absolutely loved having her and were able to get so much out of the programme than perhaps they thought they would. What really stood out for me was being able to see a student that found managing their anger a challenge being able to really get stuck into each session. The tamariki loved the programme so much they didn’t want to leave! (Family Works Social Worker at Clendon Park School)
“You know when the tamariki have a rapport with someone at our Kura. They run up to give them an awhi. That’s what happens when Whaea Luzette arrives at Kura. Everyone wants to go to her Yoga sessions. They love the games, the music and her upbeat manner. Luzette is a down to earth person who is not shy to talk about her own experiences, good and otherwise, as a way of relating to others. We all love the whakatau Wairua session at the end too. I don’t want to say too much more about how great her sessions are, in case she becomes so popular, she gets booked out !!” (Principal Dianne Pomare from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Nga Maungarongo)
“Did this for a team building and it was amazing. Learned so much about our mind and body in a fun packed session. Great team bonding, highly recommended.”
“Thank you for sharing your talent with us. We all had a fantastic time and left feeling so much better that when we walked in. Fun was definitely had by all. Would recommend this.”
“I was quite nervous coming in and didn’t know what to expect. The way you presented the workshop, put me at ease and I love the way you teach, using so many different methods to keep everyone engaged and having loads of fun. I would highly recommend this workshop for team building and learning skills to use in the workplace, but also on a personal level”
“Luzette, I cant thank you enough! After our workshop, I went home and shared what I had learnt with my husband. He had been going through a rough patch, he wasn’t sure how to process his feelings in regards to a particular situation. I sat with him and relayed, what I had learnt in your workshop and he got it! He was able to use these tools to help him! What a gift to be able to share this with my family as well”
“The yoga workshop was amazing. Learning things that could help slow my thinking down was helpful. Luzette was an amazing facilitator. She was engaging with the group and used music to keep things fun. I would recommend this for other teams”.
“The yoga was so enjoyable and relaxing. I really appreciated the small acts that enabled us to position ourselves to be grounded and loved what you said about sitting with our emotions. I will try to practice that more often and also enjoyed the different yoga techniques that you showed us. I know that this will benefit the kids and they will view yoga from another aspect. Thank you for being open with us and making it a fun session”
“Luzette’s Yoga workshop taught me when you practice your breathing in the right way it helps me to relax and helps me to sleep better. I found I have more energy and have brighter moods and also assisted me hugely to manage my anxiety through breathing. This workshop has also taught me when I am stress-free I am able to connect well with my mahi and do things I do with supportive team/family members and the community . Also one step towards my PD goal”
“I found this workshop extremely beneficial. Luzette was so bubbly and energizing that I felt comfortable and included by her straight away. The activities were fun and achievable. Thank you for a lovely training”
We offer one-time workshops and full-time packages that can be customized to fit your company’s needs.
Our one-on-one sessions are designed to help you feel at home in your own skin, whether you’re new or old to yoga.
Name: Luzette Singh-Williams
Email: youthyoga1111@outlook.co.nz
Phone:+64 21 260 8655
