A Jefferson native recently published her first book that helps kids through yoga.

Sara Weis is the author of “Go Go Yoga Kids: Empower Kids for Life Through Yoga”. She was born and raised in Jefferson and is a 1995 graduate of Jefferson-Scranton High School. She has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and currently teaches kindergarten in the West Des Moines School District. Weis says she wrote the book after she started teaching kids yoga in her classroom, health clubs and clinics around West Des Moines to give kids “brain breaks” to keep them focused on their education.

“I wanted parents, teachers, people that babysit kids, other caregivers, really anyone that works with kids, I wanted them to have a nice, easy resource with pictures, and game ideas, and poses, a book that anyone could pick up and introduce kids to yoga. That was my goal.”

Some of the benefits that kids can get from yoga is increased flexibility to prevent injuries, while also increasing a youth’s concentration and focus skills. The book includes Weis’s own original yoga games and themes for preschool age kids through teens.

Copies of the book are available on Amazon, the Printer’s Box in Jefferson and the Jefferson Public Library.