Pittsburgh Yoga Collective brings om to city’s most vulnerable children

When Caitlin Lasky was 8-years-old and anxious about an upcoming sleepaway camp,  her father introduced her to yoga and meditation.

“I remember thinking I will never use this. But I was using the techniques by the third day of that camp,” says Lasky, 29, of Polish Hill. “And now, I use them daily.”

Lasky believes in the emotional and physical benefits of yoga and relaxation exercises, and thinks bringing them to children – particularly children in underserved areas or those who have experienced trauma or health issues – is critical to encouraging healthy development.

In September, Lasky launched the Pittsburgh Yoga Collective, a movement to bring yoga to populations in Allegheny County that might not be exposed to it otherwise. The Collective started with a pilot class in Braddock where six kids of varying ages spent an hour stretching, posing and practicing deep, calming breaths.

“I think there is a perception in current culture that yoga is for people who have money, are white, thin and women,” says Lasky, a certified Yoga Alliance instructor. “That seems so wrong to me. This should be available to anyone. The principles of yoga can root a child’s holistic wellness.”

When Lasky walked into the inaugural children’s yoga class at Braddock’s Nyia Page Community Center in September, the children were “being kids and running everywhere,” she laughs.

She says children learn and respond best to ritual, so she started the class with a connection activity where a child rang a bell, said their name and favorite color and then walked the bell to the next child.

“Children need to be connected to each other and their environments so they can feel safe,” Lasky notes.

The children next walked through breathing and connection exercises and then moved on to very basic yoga poses, focusing on stretching. The children were also taught a focus activity, such as looking at a glass jar filled with water and glitter. The final stage of the class involved having the children relax silently while sitting or laying on the floor, as Lasky counted down from 30.

Kelly Deitt heard about the Pittsburgh Yoga Collective and brought her daughter, Airyonna, 5, to the Braddock class. Deitt says her daughter has chronic asthma and is often limited in her physical activity, but the yoga class was perfect for her.

“She had a phenomenal time,” says Deitt, of West Mifflin. “She keeps asking when she can go back. Yoga is something she can do, and be an active and healthy kid without putting herself at risk for an asthma attack. I think it’s wonderful that this program is being brought to families who might not be able to afford to do it otherwise.”

The Pittsburgh Yoga Collective attained 501(c)(3) status in September and Lasky is hoping to branch out to offer a 10-week program for children, which would normally cost $500/group, but which she hopes to offer for free to children with foundation, private donor, and sponsor support to defray costs. She is focusing on families with a median household income of $35,000 or less.

A Nov. 18 event is planned at the Pittsburgh Winery, 2815 Penn Ave., to raise money and awareness about the goals of the Collective. The event, which will run from 5:30-7:30, costs $35 and includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.

For more information about the Pittsburgh Yoga Collective, contact Lasky at info@pghyogacollective.org or through the group’s Facebook page.