Young Warriors creates community through bringing families together to practice yoga. At our Denver-based studio, we provide safe space for children to move their bodies, engage the breath, and take a moment for stillness and gratitude. In 2008, when Christen Bakken founded Young Warriors, she stepped away from a public school teaching role in the pursuit of teaching to the heart of children rather than teaching to their data points. Young Warriors currently offers classes to children ages 18 months to 18 years in studios, after school programs, and schools. Since then Christen has trained over 200 teachers to offer the gifts of yoga to children of all ages. Her methodology focuses on self-discovery of your own potential and light in the hopes that each individual, regardless of age, can remember that light and help to remind others of their light.
In 2013 we created a symbiotic relationship with The River Power Vinyasa Yoga Studio in Denver, where parents can also create time and space for the yoga practice making wellness a family priority. On a weekly basis, Young Warriors offers 7 classes that parallel adult classes in The River Power Vinyasa Yoga Studio. The sounds of oms, laughter, and delight can be heard on either side of the studio walls. We truly believe that the cultivation of this time can lead to a more peaceful and loving world. The adults in the space are an example of commitment to a practice- that we do not grow out of or finish yoga, that yoga is a day-to-day choice. The children in the space are examples of freedom and contentment. Children serve as a reminder to all of us to loosen up and lighten up, not only our hamstrings, but our heart-strings.
Our world has become more programmed to see connection through a screen than through a conversation. At Young Warriors, we believe that we are in this together and we can make a difference if we can simply remember to connect. We believe that as we learn to lean in, we can make almost any task possible. We look to one another for inspiration and for support. Yoga is our vehicle to self-discovery, connection, and big impact.
Christen Bakken, founder of Young Warriors, is offering classes during the Colorado festival. Look for her “Rockin Bhakti” classes that will serve as a reminder that we have the light that can change the world at the bottom of our hearts.