little om BIG OM brings fun yoga and mindfulness classes to kids & families around the Madison-area! We bring our mobile program to studios, schools, libraries, camps and other locations around the community.
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Our team of talented instructors use playful and creative activities to teach the many asanas (poses) of yoga and principles of mindfulness to kids of all ages. We feel strongly that exploring yoga should be a positive experience for kids, and it is our goal to introduce our students to skills and strategies that can help them on and off the mat!
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A yoga practice can increase awareness and focus, improve physical fitness and posture, improve breathing techniques, reduce stress and increase confidence, and we love offering kids opportunities to benefit in these ways at a young age. Kids love our classes because learning new ways to use their bodies and minds is exciting and rewarding, and we love seeing our students building confidence in themselves!
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We use songs, games, props/toys and stories to explore these class components:
Warm Ups
Standing Active Asanas (Poses)
Yoga Games and Partner Activities
Sitting/Lying Asanas (Poses)
Pranayama (Breathing Exercises)
Relaxation and Mindfulness (Yes! Relaxation. Kids learn to calm themselves and hold still!)
Our Team
Jamie Gale
Founder & CEO
Jamie is the Founder & Owner of little om BIG OM and just loves seeing proud kids in tree pose who also know how to take deep breaths like pros. She loves working with small yogis, moving, learning, and having fun on the yoga mat while exploring the power of the mind and the breath. She holds her BA in Spanish and a Certificate in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is certified to teach yoga to children through Karma Kids Yoga, Rainbow Kids Yoga, Yoga Education Institute, and YogAutism. Jamie is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, is certified to teach yoga to adults through Yoga Education Institute and completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training through Zen Yoga Garage. Jamie is also the Co-Director of Creative Soul Camp and Founder of BOSS MAMA, a professional and personal development network for business-owning moms, as well as a Co-Founder of Meet Me in Child's Pose, a kids yoga teacher training for adults who want to bring yoga in the lives of the children around them. Jamie also owns a podcast network, Lit Path Studios, where he produces and hosts podcasts, and leads a training for summer camp staff called The Star Counselor. When she's not connecting kids and families to yoga through little om BIG OM or running her other programs, Jamie can be found chasing around town with her three energetic kids.
Meghan May
Director
Meghan is the Director of little om BIG OM in addition to being a lead instructor. She began her practice of yoga when she was a student at the University of Iowa, where she graduated with her BBA in Marketing. She began going to yoga classes as a form of exercise, and soon discovered there were more than just physical benefits from her practice. The mind-body-spirit connection was something she couldn't walk away from. She continued her practice at home and in different studios, as she and her family made several moves. Meghan has been an instructor with little om BIG OM since 2017, teaching the full range of classes for toddlers through teens. Meghan completed her 200-hour RYT and graduated from the Balanced Breath School of Yoga - an affiliate of Integrated Yoga Therapy in 2015, and she completed the Meet Me in Child's Pose Kids Yoga Teacher Training. Meghan has a gift of connection with all ages. Her favorite part of being a little om BIG OM instructor has been helping students connect with their bodies to find coping mechanisms for worries or anxieties while getting the wiggles out. In her free time, Meghan loves to move her body, do puzzles, go on adventures with her family, travel, and of course get to her mat and connect with herself.
Alyssa Ploessl
Instructor
Alyssa first discovered yoga in a high school physical education class, and soon realized that it would become a lifetime practice. A practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation, but also a practice of being truthful, a practice of being kind, a practice of being fearless, peaceful and happy. She believes that the practice of “yoga” is continuous; it does not stop when you roll up the yoga mat. Yoga includes the way you live your life, the way you relate to your family, friends, co-workers and to strangers on the street. This is the lifelong process of developing yogic awareness.
Alyssa completed a 200-Hour Vinyasa Yoga teacher training course in 2015 through Dragonfly Hot Yoga. Since then, she has completed numerous other trainings in Yin Yoga, pranayama, alignment, assisting, and more. Alyssa believes that you never stop being a student of yoga, and has plans to continue her education in other areas of yoga in the future.
Jenni Rowe
Instructor
Jenni began her own yoga practice as a young child alongside her own mom. Since then she has developed an ongoing love and appreciation for the how yoga makes her mind and body feel! Jenni is an early childhood educator that believes in building off children’s innate curiosities and excitement to create engaging and joy-filled experiences. She loves the way little om BIG OM allows her to do this, while also making space to learn social and emotional skills that help young children better navigate the big world around them. Jenni has completed the Meet Me in Child’s Pose Yoga Teacher Training and strives to continue to grow in her practices on and off the mat each day.
Dani Butalla
Instructor
Dani was introduced to yoga during her first pregnancy and from then on she knew yoga needed to be a part of her life for good! Dani received her 200 hr certification through Dragonfly Hot Yoga during the summer of 2017, and began teaching. Most recently, she completed the Meet Me In Child's Pose Kids Yoga Teacher Training. As a mama to littles, a former early childhood educator, and a background in social work Dani knew that little om BIG OM was the perfect opportunity to intertwine her love of yoga and working with children and families! She loves how yoga provides a space to arrive just as you are. Stepping on your mat invites the opportunity to explore movement and breath to create a stronger connection of mind and body. She can't wait to meet you on your mat!
Mo Lancaster
Instructor
Mo's journey with yoga coincided with her journey into motherhood. What began as a physical outlet led to a renewal of her mind-body connection. Yoga has also provided a space to introduce her own children to mindfulness through movement and breath. In Mo’s teaching, her intention is to create a safe and fun space for children to learn about their mind-body connection. Mo's goal is to teach movement and breath work in order to help children name their emotions and give them the vocabulary to discuss their social and emotional selves with parents and others. Mo has studied adult education and Theology for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Mo has always been a teacher at heart, seeking to make connections between ideas and people of all ages, including adults, children or families. Through life experiences and her work at a Madison preschool, she was led to pursue training for teaching kids yoga. Mo completed her kids’ yoga teacher training with Meet Me in Child’s Pose in August 2022 and then her Teacher Certification in March 2023.
Caitlyn Pahmeier
Instructor
Caitlyn was born in Madison, Wisconsin and has lived here her whole life. She currently is a student at UW-Madison and is in the process of getting her bachelors degree in psychology. As a child she was a competitive dancer and has continued to dance as a hobby. She is a lover of kids and getting to teach them new skills. She is so excited to be an instructor for little om BIG OM and continuing her journey in yoga and mindfulness. She is honored to be able to help children and families integrate mindfulness activities into everyday life!
Madeline Fuchs
Instructor
Madeline’s journey with yoga started through her 15-year competitive dancing career and has remained a constant through her ever-changing life! Madeline is extremely passionate about using movement as a form of self-expression and self-care. Moving into the next phase of her life, as a current student at UW-Madison studying Nursing and Global Health, Madeline is excited to connect her passion for movement and exercise with her passion for working with children! Hoping to eventually become a Pediatric Nurse, Madeline adores the light and energy that comes from working with and getting to know young children. Outside of little om Big OM, Madeline is also a Club Leader for Creative Soul Camp and is the current President of EmBark UW, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the healing of animals and survivors!
Lizzie Johnson
Instructor
Lizzie believes in the transformative powers of yoga for the physical, mental, and emotional development of young minds. With her passion for working with families and children, she works to create innovative, age-appropriate, and inclusive environments, empowering children to build strength, flexibility, and mindfulness within their bodies. In today's fast-paced world, Lizzie understands the challenges and obstacles kids face and strives to equip them with tools to navigate stress and cultivate a sense of inner peace. With a bachelor's degree in social work, education, and family studies from St Olaf College, Lizzie has seen the benefits of yoga and is ready to construct lessons where children can explore the practice of yoga in a playful and engaging way.
Cloey Deignan Koelzer
Instructor
Cloey was born and raised in the Madison area and has a true passion for working with children, creating art and writing. Teaching and engaging in yoga is also something that she is extremely passionate about - it has helped her thrive in so many ways! Cloey loves being outside in nature, hammocking, reading on the beach, swimming, hiking, etc! In addition to teaching kids yoga, Cloey is a music specialist and Club Leader for Creative Soul Camp and she is a published poet and artist. Cloey completed the Meet Me in Child’s Pose Kids Yoga Teacher training before joining the little om BIG OM teaching team!
Weslie Cymerman
Instructor
Weslie loves her time with children every day. She has been a teacher for 12 years, and currently teaches Health and Wellness at Wingra School in Madison. Weslie began her yoga practice 15 years ago and has been exploring it with curiosity, joy, and compassion ever since. Play and exploration of yoga with children is entirely natural and exciting to her, and she feels honored to have the opportunity to spend her time with little om BIG OM. At home, Weslie has a toddler who loves making animal growls and a baby on the way. Weslie has her BS in Elementary Education from UW-Madison, is a Certified Children's Yoga Instructor through Rainbow Kids Yoga and has completed her 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certification.
Colleen Condon
Instructor
Colleen loves connecting with kids and families through the magic of yoga. Colleen has seen, as a kids' yoga teacher and as a school social worker, yoga empower children to live from their inner strength and in greater harmony with others. With a Masters in Social Work from UW-Madison and 12 years of studying yoga and mindfulness, Colleen's students have been some of her greatest teachers, inspiring her to truly show up for life with an open heart, understanding, healthy boundaries, and a playful spirit. Her two-year-old son is constantly adding to those teachings and helps Colleen practice a full-spectrum yoga every day! Learning from all that is around us, honoring the light that lives within, and sharing it together--this is the yoga that Colleen embraces. Colleen completed her 200 hour RYT through Ritam Healing Arts Yoga with Saul David Raye and is certified to teach Trauma-Informed Yoga.
Melinda Miles
Instructor
Melinda is a lover of all things active and all activities with young people - what could be better than teaching kids and family yoga?! She is a graduate of Purdue University where she majored in Biochemistry and was a member of the rowing team. It was with her teammates that Melinda first started practicing yoga, and she found so many physical and mental benefits that she continued at studios in Madison, at home on the living room floor (where her black lab helps demonstrate the *perfect* downward dog), with the high school rowing team she coaches, and the preschool class of 4 and 5 year olds she teaches daily at a school in Madison!