Danielle ‘Daya’ Radl has been a California Credentialed Teacher working in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District since 1989. She has extensive experience educating children in elementary school grades k-12, a mother of five grown children and grandma to four amazing grandchildren. Daya began practicing at Nosara Yoga Institute in 2000 when building her second home for her family in Playa Guiones. Her journey began at Tree Tops with Amba Stapleton, co-founder of Nosara Yoga Institute (NYI) and she hasn't stopped thirsting for yogic knowledge ever since! While kids have always been her passion, the fire for kids yoga was ignited and the foundation set when completing HeartRise Children's Yoga Training. The Kids to Teen's Yoga Teacher Training ® was inspired by her real experience working with children on a daily basis, her deep yogic knowledge and personal yoga practice.
Daya holds a Masters Degree in Education, elementary K-12 credential and a Secondary Physical Education Credential. She is an E- RYT 500 Yoga Alliance, and NYI 1000 hour, as well as a Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) with the Yoga Alliance. She is also a KRI Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher level 1 and level 2, a Professional Trainer of the Aquarian Teacher Academy, and Teacher Trainer assisting Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainings at Yoga West Los Angeles with Guru Singh until 2020. Daya has completed thousands of professional hours of training in various yoga schools and traditions. She brings this breadth of knowledge into her teaching and training programs.
Working privately with families and kids teaching mindfulness and yoga strategies is another passion for Daya. She also teaches public classes in kids, teens, teen athletes, adult vinyasa, adult kundalini, restorative, pre/post natal yoga classes along with teaching at Meadows Elementary School in Manhattan Beach. She is a mentor for Social Emotional Wellness district wide, a trainer for Mind-Up Program and a Yoga Ed Trainer. In the summer months you will find her teaching Kids to Teens Yoga ® in Summer Camps and leading yoga teacher trainings in Nosara, Costa Rica. Contact Daya at Kidstoteensyoga@gmail.com.
a message from danielle
Mindfulness for our Children: Guiding by example
People often ask me what my secret is to peace and serenity amongst the chaos of raising five children and working full time as an elementary school teacher. I'm writing this blog to share that answer with South Bay Families Connected parents. This is also a story of how my own children have benefited.
I never thought of raising mindful children as a goal of mine, it just sort of happened. I began practicing yoga and meditation upon the birth of my fifth child. I began to find an inner peace that I had never experienced before in my life. I thought, "How could this be?' I have five kids ages 12, 8, 5, 2 and a newborn.’ I became disciplined with my practice and soon sought out a yoga teacher training. About this same time, our family began to spend our summers abroad in Mexico and Costa Rica. My husband and I wanted to give our children a different experience. The summers were simpler and we spent much quality time together (24/7).
My yoga and meditation practice became a central aspect of my day, I never missed. Little did I know I was modeling for my kids ways for them to find peace. As my older kids aged into their teens, there were many instances that they would yell at me to stop chanting, as they rolled their eyes when seeing me practice. Our younger children however, were drawn to join in, so they did. My daughters and I completed a 1000 day meditation when they were 10 and 11 years old. Many of their friends joined us because we did our meditation before bed and if they spent the night with us, they joined in to meditate with us! The friends often remind me today that they still know the meditation/mantra because of their experience in our home.
Today three of my five children are certified yoga teachers, the other two practice regularly and my three grandchildren practice with their mom daily. Has a daily practice of yoga and meditation changed our family? The answer is yes and no. Do we still disagree with one another, have we struggled with decisions our children have made and are we always peaceful? The yes answer is I think that we have more moments of connectedness and are able to authentically communicate with one another. The no answer is that we can be so in touch with our feelings/emotions that we can really be stubborn with our convictions. The key is being able to have the space to share with one another and the underlying knowing of unconditional love.
Guiding my own children by example has been an amazing experience, but guiding other people’s children in the practices of mindfulness, meditation and yoga is beyond my wildest dreams. Training adults in these practices is the icing on the cake. Teaching adults to bring awareness and consciousness into their homes, one household at a time is a gift.
So these are some of my tips/secrets to a peaceful household with teens:
Clear communication (boundaries, feelings acknowledged and heard)
Unconditional love
Bonding together as a family-eating meals together, digital detox during meals, hi’s/low’s as a starting point of conversation
supporting one another in each other’s endeavors/dreams
Being together… while doing together (presence)
Connecting daily (checking in with each and every child daily)
Respecting one another, even if we have differing opinions
Be a listener… refrain from giving unsolicited advice
Be Present in your home when your kids are home-limit your distractions
Demonstrate selfless service (seva) and invite your kids to join in
Open door policy… be the house where friends come to and observe