JAY – Roars erupted at Jay-Niles Memorial Library as Jennifer Stone led children and their families in dinosaur yoga on Thursday, Nov. 14. Participants did dinosaur poses and practiced sighing out any stressful or bad feelings.

Stone is a social worker at Spruce Mountain Elementary School where she has worked for 18 years. Over the past year, she has been running a business centered around yoga and mindfulness for children called Family Focused Yoga. Stone runs themed yoga classes at the West Farmington Grange, but she also hosts occasional free yoga events at Jay-Niles Memorial Library.

Stone said that her classes aren’t entirely fitness-focused, but that the primary goal is mindful self-regulation and learning how to handle big emotions. “Kids don’t even know they’re doing this social-emotional work,” Stone said. She said that classes are for all ages and levels, typically families come together and participate.

Stone’s yoga routines typically start with breathwork and stretching, then move on to the main theme with poses and freeze dancing. She ends with more breathwork to calm the body before doing a guided meditation. She will also play sing- and dance-along songs and read stories. Stone enjoys incorporating themes not just to make it more fun, but also to tie in learning experiences as well.

“Mrs. Stone is awesome,” said Children’s Librarian Lindsay Hopkins. “We’re happy to have her programs.”

Stone said that she wants to create a scholarship fund through her work that would be available for anyone.

“Come give it a try,” said Stone. “Especially in the cold months ahead.”

To learn more about Stone’s work, visit her website: https://www.familyfocusedyoga.com/ or check out the Family Focused Yoga Facebook group.

For more events from Jay-Niles Memorial Library such as the upcoming Santa Meet and Greet on Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon, visit their  website: https://www.jaynileslibrary.com/ or the Jay-Niles Memorial Library Facebook page.