Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Gullberg.
Tiffany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started teaching yoga to adults 11 years ago (which I still teach to adults) and having children naturally led me to teach yoga to children. I was asked to come teach a kid’s yoga class in my older daughter’s day care center. When I taught the class, I was filled with so much joy and love and my entire body filled with goose bumps. It was that moment that I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I started teaching all over San Diego in adult yoga studios, parks, schools- wherever I could. I had numerous people tell me I should open up a studio and an opportunity arose in a small center in Point Loma nearing CorePower Yoga where I opened up my first If I Was a bird yoga studio. My journey hasn’t been easy and has been filled with many challenges but also with just as many triumphs. Each day I am grateful for what I do and that I get to share the gift of yoga with children and help in building a strong, kind, loving and peaceful foundation for our future generations. I was and still am the only kid’s yoga studio dedicated specifically to kids and families.
How I got to where I am today? Not giving up even when there were moments that I wanted to. Just keep doing what I do best. Work hard and do what I love.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it hasn’t – like all businesses, it takes time to build and it’s hard when you have a busy family life that you want to be fully present in.
Some struggles:
-Dedicating years of practice, experience and lots of trial and error to create a program that is successful in teaching yoga to kids. There are so many different elements when you’re working with kids. I wanted to create a program that was more than 20-30 min. of yoga play based. I wanted to develop a full 45 min. yoga practice that is traditionally yoga based but is playful enough through dance, movement, storytelling and props to keep the kids engaged. I want the kids to leave after class feeling the yoga bliss and experience that we do as adults after a yoga class.
-Convincing parents that even a 2yr old can do yoga and that they greatly benefit from it as much as adult do and sometimes even more. That kid’s yoga is fun, playful and active but with a great balance of peacefulness and relaxation and is geared towards the different age groups.
-Educating families of the importance of yoga for children and that’s it’s just as important as ballet, gymnastics, swim or soccer. It’s a lifelong activity and it compliments all their other activities and nurtures the whole body and mind.
-Maintaining a kid’s studio business is different than a traditional yoga studio. Kids have different schedules, nap times, school hours, birthday parties and they get sick. 🙂 So, I’ve had to learn to maneuver through all the scheduling.
-High overhead of having multiple studio locations.
Though all of these have been struggles I don’t see them as struggles now- I see them as accomplishments.
If I Was A Bird Yoga Kids Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The studio specializes in yoga just for kids and families and is the only studio in San Diego.
The name came from a family song “If I Was A Bird Today” It’s about pretending to be different animals. In yoga all the poses are named after animals and nature so we are pretending to be those animals as in present not past (If I Were A Bird).
My program is educational based for the Tots-5yrs old and have a theme where we travel to a different place in the world through the yoga class and learn about the place. We learn the national flowers, trees, birds and animals throughout the yoga class and learn them through the yoga poses. The class has an educational art project prior to class that matches the theme as well. Our classes for 5yrs up have more verbal themes such as love, kindness, peace, giving to provide a positive yoga experience through the poses and providing themed base music and verbal cues. I have written dozens of educational yoga classes for the kids to experience as well as other fun themed classes that children enjoy. Examples are: Frozen Winter Yoga, American Girl Doll Yoga (where you bring you doll to yoga and we make yoga mat for them and they do the yoga class with us), Holiday themed events, Super Hero Yoga, Dinosaur Yoga and so much more. The list goes on and on. I think we are def known for our Signature Yoga Events and themes. These classes are also in the process of being published as kid’s yoga books.
I feel like I am known for being a strong foundation for kid’s yoga in our community being the only kid’s yoga studio. I know we are known for the expertise, love and commitment in providing yoga to kids and youth. We are known for building a strong kids yoga community in San Diego. So many more kids are doing yoga now!
I created a kid’s yoga paddle program where we take the kids out on the water and do yoga on paddle boards.
I also offer a unique kids yoga recital each year that are an accumulation of my educational curriculum “Exploring the World through Yoga”. The kids get to showcase their yoga poses and movements on stage through costume, dance and yoga. It’s kind of like a ballet recital but with yoga.
I also offer classes for children with special needs.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
The definition of success to me is happiness.
Pricing:
- Monthly Yoga starts at $79
- Yoga Camps start at $195 weekly
- Signature 2hr events start at $20
- Yoga Birthday Parties start at $250
- Family Yoga start at $20
- Get Certified to teach Kids Yoga $695
Contact Info:
- Address: 1040 University Ave. Suite B203 San Diego, CA 92103
2670 Via De La Valle #A-125 Del Mar, CA 92104 - Website: www.ifiwasabirdyoga.com
- Phone: 858-775-2913
- Email: tiffany@ifiwasabirdyoga.com
Image Credit:
Julie Licari Photography
Natiya Guin Photography
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
