What is a Yoga "check in" and how does it support speech-language learning

A yoga "check-in" 💭 is a simple, mindful moment—usually before or after a practice—where children pause to notice and express how they’re feeling in their body, mind, and emotions. It helps build self-awareness and sets the tone for their yoga practice, or allows them to reflect on how they’ve shifted by the end.

Yoga check-ins are a goldmine for supporting pragmatic language skills—the social use of language—which is so key in both early development and social-emotional learning. 
What Does a Check-In Involve?
After practicing Talk Yoga™, adults can model their own feelings first. This creates a "safe space" for kids and provides examples of emotional vocabulary like happy, hungry, or tired.
Check-ins can be done in a variety of ways depending on age, communication style, and goals:

Verbal Check-In

• “How are you feeling right now?”
• “Before yoga I was feeling _____, and now I feel _____.
• “What’s one word to describe your body/mind/heart?”
• Kids can share with a partner, the group, or during circle time.
  
  

Nonverbal Check-In

• Thumbs up/side/down for mood.
• Pointing to an emotion on a feelings chart.
• Using colors, facial expressions, or gestures to show how they feel.
  
  

🧠 Why It Matters: Yoga check-ins create space for kids to slow down and listen inwardly. They promote the mind-body connection that yoga naturally nurtures. For speech and language development, check-ins also build vocabulary, expressive language skills, and social-emotional learning--foundational social communication skills.

From a speech-language perspective, check-ins are also a powerful tool for building pragmatic language skills:

• 🧏‍♂️ Turn-taking: Sharing in a group or partner check-in gives kids real-time practice in listening and waiting for their turn to speak.
• 🧠 Perspective-taking: Hearing how others feel helps children develop empathy and understand that different people can have different emotional experiences.
• 🗨️ Topic maintenance: Responding to a prompt like “How are you feeling?” supports staying on-topic and using appropriate vocabulary to express thoughts.
  

In short, yoga check-ins blend mindfulness with meaningful language opportunities, making them a perfect bridge between movement, emotional regulation, and communication development.