YOGA · MINDFULNESS · CALMING CREATIONS · EMPOWERMENT
Mindful Movement Collective™
Middle School Mindfulness Programs in Minnesota
A judgment-free space built specifically for middle schoolers — to slow down, build real stress-management tools, and show up more confidently in their own life.
New Brighton Community Center · Mounds View Community Education · Twin Cities north metro
NEW · STARTING AUGUST 2026
The Mindful Movement Collective™ Is Back
After-school yoga and mindfulness sessions for Grades 5–8 are opening at the New Brighton Community Center this August. Spots are limited — list members hear first.
📍 New Brighton Community Center
📅 August 4, 11, 18, & 25
6:05 - 6:55 PM
🎓 Grades 5–8
THE PROGRAM
The Mindful Movement Collective™
A Yoga & Mindfulness Space Built for Middle School
Middle school is its own kind of hard. The academic pressure, the social dynamics, the identity questions — most wellness programs weren't designed with any of that in mind. The Mindful Movement Collective™ was.
A small-group, after-school program for Grades 5–8 where there's no performance pressure, no competition, and no judgment. Just tools that actually help.
New Brighton Community Center
Starting August 2026
August 4, 11, 18, & 25 · 6:05 - 6:55 PM
Grades 5–8 · Ages 10–14 · Small group
✔ Yoga movement adapted for middle school energy
✔ Breathing and regulation strategies for stress & anxiety
✔ Mindfulness practices and guided relaxation
✔ Confidence-building in a low-pressure group
✔ Real connection with peers going through the same stuff
WHY IT MATTERS
Middle School Is a Lot Right Now
The Reality
✔ Academic pressure hitting earlier than ever
✔ Social dynamics that feel impossibly high-stakes
✔ Sleep disruption and chronic low-grade stress
✔ Big identity questions with few safe spaces
✔ Anxiety that shows up as shutdown or irritability
"Parents often notice calmer transitions, better stress management, and a student who's more willing to talk."
What Helps
✔ Body-based practices that regulate the nervous system
✔ Breathing tools they can use anywhere, anytime
✔ A consistent small-group space that feels genuinely safe
✔ Confidence from mastering something non-competitive
✔ Adults who meet them where they are — not where they "should" be
ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH MOUNDS VIEW COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Make & Take: Calming Creations™
Now for Middle Schoolers Too — Fall & Winter 2026 at Mounds View Schools
The program already running in Mounds View elementary schools is expanding to include middle school sessions — with more advanced projects and deeper reflection designed for the tween experience.
Winter 2026
Mounds View CE · Edgewood Middle School
Thursdays, Dec 3 – Dec 17 · 2:30–3:40 PM
Grades 5–8
Registers through Mounds View Community Education. Join our list to be notified when spots open.
Winter 2026
Mounds View CE · Chippewa Middle School
Mondays, Dec 7 – Dec 21 · 2:30–3:40 PM
Grades 5–8
Registers through Mounds View Community Education. Join our list to be notified when spots open.
What the middle school Calming Creations experience looks like:
✔ Age-appropriate projects for tween emotional experience
✔ Projects: self-love mirrors, clay stress creatures, scented sensory tools
✔ CASEL-aligned SEL reflection journals with every session
✔ Take-home tools they'll actually use
✔ Designed for the middle school brain
✔ More complex themes & deeper reflection than elementary version
SEASONAL WORKSHOPS & EVENTS
Talk to Me Nice™
Teen Empowerment Workshops — Available on Select Non-School Days
On select non-school days, we offer Talk to Me Nice™ — a heart-centered empowerment workshop for Grades 6–12 blending mindfulness, movement, journaling, and creative expression.
During the workshop, students:
✔ Explore how positive self-talk impacts confidence
✔ Practice mindful movement and relaxation techniques
✔ Guided journaling for self-reflection
✔ Create DIY affirmation items — buttons, bracelets, custom pens
✔ Connect with peers in a small, supportive group
Students leave with:
✔ Handmade affirmation creations
✔ Breathing and grounding tools
✔ A stronger positive inner voice
✔ Calm, confidence, and genuine connection
Offered seasonally on non-school days. Join our list for upcoming dates.
Especially for Middle Schoolers Who....
✔ Feel pressure to perform academically or socially
✔ Struggle with anxiety, big emotions, or shutdown
✔ Don't love competitive sports or performance activities
✔ Need help with focus and managing a long school day
✔ Benefit from smaller groups and consistent connection
✔ Feel overwhelmed by rapid changes
✔ Want a space that doesn't require them to be "on"
✔ Need calming tools they can use independently
✔ Would benefit from body awareness and self-regulation
✔ Are curious about mindfulness but skeptical about "yoga"
No yoga experience needed. No flexibility required. Students come as they are.
YOUR STUDENT'S EDUCATOR
Designed & Led by Founder Tara Willits
All Mindful Movement Collective™ sessions and middle school programs are designed and led by founder Tara Willits — a trauma-informed wellness educator with a background in child psychology, emotional regulation, and school-based programming.
Child Psychology degree
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) certified
Group Fitness Instruction certified
Children's Minnesota Child Life Dept. background
5,000+ classes taught · Twin Cities north metro
Also for This Age Group
Non-School Day Camps
Themed non-school day camps for middle school students.
Calming Creations™
The full program page including all project descriptions and how each session works.
Mounds View Programs
All Mounds View after-school programs including fall and winter Calming Creations sessions.
The Mindful Movement Collective™ and Mounds View Calming Creations sessions fill quickly. Join our list for first access.
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