A Personal Journey, A Dream for All
The history of Yoga 4 Youth spans nearly 15 years and is the story of a personal journey of its founder Katherine Dalton-Brown Long. An optometrist by profession and mother of two, Katherine’s encounter with yoga began after seeing first hand the dramatic improvement that physical therapy had on her son’s performance in school. The relationship between physical movement and mental cognitivity fascinated Katherine, a graduate in Optometry and Neuroscience, and inspired her to enroll in a yoga teacher training programme in the hope of sharing her knowledge and experience with other children and young adults.
Upon completing her training, Katherine began teaching adult hatha yoga classes, an experience she immensely enjoyed, but the deep yearning to teach children continued to nag at Katherine and in 2010 she attended further training in New York, US. When she returned, Katherine began offering children’s yoga at summer camps and later that year, joined Akasha Studio in Maraval where she formally established “Yoga 4 You * Yoga 4 Youth” – a program offering yoga classes for youth and for those wishing to maintain and nurture their inner fountain of youth.
Upon completing her training, Katherine began teaching adult hatha yoga classes, an experience she immensely enjoyed, but the deep yearning to teach children continued to nag at Katherine and in 2010 she attended further training in New York, US. When she returned, Katherine began offering children’s yoga at summer camps and later that year, joined Akasha Studio in Maraval where she formally established “Yoga 4 You * Yoga 4 Youth” – a program offering yoga classes for youth and for those wishing to maintain and nurture their inner fountain of youth.
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Meet our Teachers
Katherine Dalton-Brown Long
Katherine Dalton-Brown/Yoga Kate is a practicing Optometrist with over 20 years experience. She has practised yoga since 1999 and has been teaching yoga since 2009. She is a certified yoga instructor, having studied initially with Bliss Yoga, Shari Vilchez Blatt of Karma Kids Yoga, Loraine Rushton of Zenergy Yoga - Australia and Glenn Black at Omega Institute. Yoga Kate has completed the Off the Mat into the World - Yoga, Purpose & Action Intensive with Seane Corn, Hala Khouri & Suzanne Sterling. Yoga Kate completed a yoga therapy programme in Nepal in March/April 2017 working with girls and women who were rescued from various Human Rights Atrocities. In July 2019 Yoga Kate facilitated a 7 day yoga programme at the Bali Silent Retreat in Bali, Indonesia. Yoga Kate became a certified UK Yoga 4 Health instructor in September 2019. Yoga Kate offers weekly yoga sessions to the ladies at the Women’s Prison in Trinidad & Tobago along with regular yoga classes, private sessions, workshops and retreats.
Yoga Kate’s practice and teaching have led her to a greater understanding of the connection between body, mind and spirit. In this regard, Yoga Kate has a special interest in assisting adults and children develop full motor and cognitive function, understanding in particular that mental and personal development are in tandem with the development of motor, somatosensory, coordination and balance skills. There is a fundamental connection between healing and garnering a sense of presence and understanding of Self.
Through her love for the outdoors Yoga Kate understands and appreciates the benefits of nature. Yoga Kate initiated a programme which promotes cultivation of local produce, supplying local organic produce and value added products. Yoga Kate has been involved in many initiatives bringing yoga to communities to empower youths and adults to understand better their options and bring guidance for making choices more aligned with sustainable goals.
Yoga Kate’s objective is to open body and mind to an understanding of the depth of every individual through practice and intention so that every student discovers within, an abundance of life, opportunity, strength, healing and spirit.
Erica M. B. Ashton
Erica M. B. Ashton is a Human Resources Professional and Lecturer with over 20 years experience in the field of Human Resource Management.
She began to fully practice yoga in January 2009, developing a quick love and appreciation for the discipline. In 2011, she started training with and understudying her teacher at Ananda Yoga, and began to teach in March 2012.
In July 2012 she completed the Teacher Training Programme with Karma Kids Yoga of New York and in July 2013 underwent training with Loraine Rushton of Zenergy Yoga, Australia in Yoga Therapy for Kids. In September 2013, she furthered her teacher training in Austin, Texas with David Swenson, one of the foremost practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga. In July 2014 Erica completed an Advanced Teacher Training programme for teaching yoga to children and to special needs children with Zenergy Yoga, and in July 2015, completed the Teen Yoga Teacher Training through Karma Kids Yoga, NYC. She currently teaches both adults and children.
She began to fully practice yoga in January 2009, developing a quick love and appreciation for the discipline. In 2011, she started training with and understudying her teacher at Ananda Yoga, and began to teach in March 2012.
In July 2012 she completed the Teacher Training Programme with Karma Kids Yoga of New York and in July 2013 underwent training with Loraine Rushton of Zenergy Yoga, Australia in Yoga Therapy for Kids. In September 2013, she furthered her teacher training in Austin, Texas with David Swenson, one of the foremost practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga. In July 2014 Erica completed an Advanced Teacher Training programme for teaching yoga to children and to special needs children with Zenergy Yoga, and in July 2015, completed the Teen Yoga Teacher Training through Karma Kids Yoga, NYC. She currently teaches both adults and children.