Westlake yoga instructor helps children thrive

Preschoolers stretched their imagination muscles during a yoga class tailored just for them at the Moorpark College Child Development Center last week.

Westlake Village resident Afi Kobari, a certified instructor who combines yoga with traditional preschool methods, teaches the class.

The weekly half-hour lessons take place at the Child Development Center in Moorpark.

A small group of six children took off their shoes and socks recently as Kobari, who's called "yogamama," greeted them.

Seated on blue yoga mats, the children and teacher selected a few poses from a large picture board.

They jumped like frogs, mimicked the roar of lions and posed as squirrels gathering acorns from an imaginary tree under the guidance of Kobari, who also uses a "magic" box filled with surprises to keep the children attentive and incite their imaginations.

The box contains a quieting shaker, a star-shaped wand and pillow, several small cushions and a bell ringer, which is used to help the little ones switch gears between the exercises.

"I use these to show the children that the real magic is in them," said Kobari, who also plays soothing music to set the mood.

The tools, along with the repetition of positive messages, remind children that they are powerful and beautiful within, she said.

Yoga is a spiritual activity, but it's not religious, Kobari said.

The program is popular among kids and parents, said Cindy Sheaks-McGowan, director of the Child Development Laboratory Center at Moorpark College.

"Kids are eager to participate, and their parents are excited about the opportunity," she said.

In addition to building strength and flexibility, yoga can be used as a tool to develop selfconfidence and relaxation.

"If children can leave here knowing how to calm themselves then they're better able to learn once they return to the classroom," Sheaks-McGowan said.

Kobari uses a therapeutic form of yoga called Hatha yoga, tailoring poses and exercises for each participant.

"My dream is to empower children to become aware of their breath and to use it as a tool to feel good and to stay strong in hard times," she said.

Kobari trained at the Samata International Yoga Institute in Los Angeles. She traveled to India to study yoga for special needs children at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram and earned a certificate in yoga therapy from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles

Since yoga can help improve concentration and coordination, it's helpful for people with disabilities.

"Working with special needs children is my favorite thing to do," Kobari said.

The activities help kids with disabilities to become more aware of their surroundings, Kobari said.

In addition to working with preschoolers at Moorpark College, Kobari teaches yoga classes at a Montessori elementary school in Thousand Oaks and conducts workshops for teachers.

Kobari has experienced the healing effects of yoga for herself.

For many years she suffered from fibromyalgia and advanced osteoporosis, conditions that cause pain and hinder movement. After numerous treatments, Kobari sought relief in yoga, which turned her life around, she said.

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, Kobari also used yoga as a source of therapy while healing from her mastectomy.

"The breathing and power of yoga kept my body moving," she said.

For more information about Kobari's programs, visit www.yogamama.net.