Stretching Minds and Imaginations with The Yoga Man and Eliza Allen

Mindful Monkeys and Stretching Sloths: A Magical Day for Mental Health Awareness

Today we were lucky enough to host a truly special event centred around children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

We were joined by the wonderful Eliza Allen, author of One Branch at a Time – a beautiful children’s book that gently explores feelings of sadness and how to cope when things feel tough. Eliza shared her story with some of our families in a calm, nurturing space and introduced us to the Monkey’s Meditation Magic – a simple yet powerful breathing technique to help little ones manage big emotions.

To start the afternoon, families joined in some gentle creative activities themed around sloths and monkeys – a lovely nod to the story we were about to hear. The real magic began when Eliza Allen shared her beautiful book, One Branch at a Time – a tender, hopeful tale that helps children understand and manage feelings of sadness. Through the character of a young sloth, the story offers a gentle reminder that it’s okay to feel down and that, with time and support, those feelings can lift. You can find out more about the book here.

After story time and learning the Monkey’s Meditation Magic, the session moved into something a little more active – a fantastic children’s yoga workshop led by the one and only Yoga Man.

We were thrilled to welcome Simeon Wright, better known as The Yoga Man, to lead a fun and inclusive children’s yoga session. Simeon is a certified children’s yoga instructor who discovered the transformative power of yoga in 2019. After experiencing the benefits of yoga and meditation first-hand, he was inspired to share these tools with children, helping them build confidence, emotional awareness, and physical coordination.

Through storytelling, movement, and games, Simeon creates engaging sessions that are especially supportive for neurodivergent children, offering a safe space to move, breathe, and have fun.

Yoga offers huge benefits for neurodivergent children, including improved emotional regulation, reduced anxiety, and better body awareness. The gentle movement, rhythm, and focus on breathing can be particularly supportive for children with autism or ADHD, helping them feel calmer, more centred, and more connected to their bodies.

At Includes Us Too, events like this are so important. They give families a chance to connect, try something new, and share moments of joy and understanding in an environment where they feel truly accepted. We love collaborating with local organisations and creatives – because when we work together, we can build something even stronger for our community.

Thank you to everyone who joined us – it was a joyful reminder of how powerful simple moments of connection, creativity, and calm can be.

If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of One Branch at a Time by Eliza Allen, it’s available to order online It’s a beautiful resource to support children’s mental health. And if you’re interested in booking a fun, inclusive yoga session with The Yoga Man, you can find out more by heading over to his website or feel free to drop us a message and we’ll happily connect you!