My name is Anna Starikov – I discovered yoga over 12 years ago when I tried a Hatha Yoga class in Jersey City, NJ to help manage my stress and was automatically hooked. When we moved back to the Seattle area and I became pregnant with my daughter, the highlight of my week was my prenatal yoga class which was taught in the Viniyoga tradition.
Both of my kids suffered from Reflux and Colic and had rough starts. After trying many methods for soothing them, I found myself automatically moving them into yoga postures that I knew worked for me — these movements seemed to give them relief and calm them down. One night, I had a dream where I was sitting in a circle with moms, dads and babies — we were singing to the babies and I was leading the class in a baby yoga practice! When I woke up, I knew I found my calling. I started to do some research on baby yoga and found Helen Garabedian’s Itsy Bitsy Yoga® program.
I attended the Baby and Tot Itsy Bitsy Yoga® trainings with Helen in New Jersey in February of 2008 and attended the Tykes Itsy Bitsy Yoga training in Portland with Helen in October of 2008. I became a Certified Baby and Tot Itsy Bitsy Yoga Facilitator in July of 2008 and became a Certified Tykes and Little Family Itsy Bitsy Yoga® Facilitator in January of 2009.
In June of 2009, I completed a 200-hour Advanced Studies and Teacher Training program at Yoga Studio Be in Kirkland based on the Viniyoga tradition and started teaching adult yoga classes. I have always been passionate about birth and am a Doula at heart! I became very interested in how Yoga could help during pregnancy, so I began to study with Colette Crawford of the Seattle Holistic Center and completed a Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training in July of 2009. I continue to study with Colette whenever she offers her continuing education weekends so I can continue to help my prenatal yoga students embrace the changes in their bodies, trust their intuition and birth confidently and in peace.
As my kids grow, so does Blossoming Yogis! I completed the YogaKids® Foundations Training in April of 2010 and in March of 2011 became a YogaKids Apprentice as I work towards completing the YogaKids Advanced Training, so I can continue working with kids through age 18.
I started Blossoming Yogis to share the benefits of yoga with other families and look forward to meeting you and your little (and big) kiddos in class! Namaste!
