Why We Love Kristin Neff (and Why Yoga@Play Is Better Because of Her)
There’s a moment, right before we try something new, when our mind whispers, “I can’t.”
I watched it happen again last week. A mom stood at the edge of our FLYoga studio, arms crossed, watching her 8-year-old daughter climb into an aerial hammock for the first time. The girl was hesitant. Quiet. The kind of kid who watches from the sidelines. But then—something shifted. Suspended three feet off the ground, wrapped in silk, she started to smile. Then giggle. Then full-belly laugh as she spun slowly in circles. Her mom's arms uncrossed. Her shoulders dropped. And when her daughter called out, "Mom! Look at me!" I saw tears in that mother's eyes.
From Shy to Shine By Ofrit Barash I was that shy girl. The one walking around the playground pretending to be busy — holding a snack, looking down — just to avoid being seen alone. When teachers called on me, my face burned red. My voice shook. I learned early that staying quiet felt safer than being seen. And even though my mom meant well when she pushed me to “speak up,” all it did was make me shrink further inside. But here’s what I know now: shyness isn’t weakness. It’s sensitivity waiting for a safe place to bloom. Years later, yoga became that safe place for me. On the mat, I didn’t need to prove or perform — I could just be . And for the first time, my body and heart felt like home. When I became a mom, I wanted to give my kids — and every child — that same gift. I started teaching yoga in preschools. I thought it would be a small thing, a few classes a week. But the children’s joy, their wonder, their calm — it was magic. And then, in 2020, it was gone. COVID shut down everything. Overnight, the Yoga@Play programs I had built disappeared. For a moment, I felt lost — that same quiet girl again, not knowing where she belonged. But this time, I knew the question that could change everything: “What else can I do?” That question became the seed of FLYoga. I imagined kids in hammocks — six feet apart, but still laughing, still connected, still flying. That vision became my mission: to create spaces where children could rebuild confidence, courage, and joy through play. Because what I’ve learned — what I live — is that transformation happens in small, safe spaces. It happens when we are seen, not for who we should be, but for who we already are. Today, when a shy child walks into my studio, I see myself. The hesitation in their steps. The quiet “what if I can’t?” in their eyes. And I promise them what I once needed to hear: “You’re safe here. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t even need to speak. Just breathe. Just play. Just be you.” And then it happens — that moment when they try, when they smile, when they fly. And I cry almost every time. Because play isn’t just fun — it’s freedom. It’s how we rediscover who we are. It’s how we heal. From the little girl who was afraid to be seen to the woman who now helps others shine — that’s my journey. And this is our mission. To give every child — and the child within all of us — a place to feel seen, safe, and free to fly. 🦋 And if you or your child has ever felt shy, afraid, or unsure — you’re not alone. You’re already enough!
