About me

I have been practicing yoga for 25 years. They offered it at my gym in West Hollywood and I was hooked! I hadn't found anything physical that I loved since dance class in high school UNTIL I found yoga.

My dedication shifted To 200 hour teacher training with Tami Schneider of Cleveland Yoga. I have been teaching ever since. I have taught group classes at a variety of places including studios, gyms, RECREATION centers,

gyms and schools. As I moved around a bit in my twenties, I would seek out yoga studios and practice as often as I could. At 32, I moved to Cleveland and my dedication shifted. I began a daily practice, committed

All the while, I began teaching yoga to children at schools all over Cleveland . There is something very rewarding in sharing this ancient, healing practice and educating children on mindfulness and yoga has been the biggest gift of all. It never gets old witnessing an "aha moment" in a 6 year old's eyes or seeing one of your former students at a "big kids" (aka adult) class. This was 13 years ago, well before yoga became mainstream, particularly at a school. Today you hear about kids' yoga or mindful movement all the time at schools. Yes!

Today I work with many schools, educators, therapists, counselors, studios, and professionals who work with children, looking for training and programming in Yoga and Mindfulness. Through my company, littleOMie, I have trained hundreds to lead a successful kids class, spanning Cleveland to Chicago...and still growing. The training is just the beginning. I always make myself available to anyone who has taken my training(s) and do what I can to support your teaching and help build community.

Sharing yoga is like the game telephone. I share with you and then you share with others and they share and so on. Kids will also share with their peers and their parents. Sometimes things get a little lost in translation but that just makes it more like the journey of yoga. Who knows what it looked like 8000 years ago before there was reading and writing.

So, how does Barre fit into all of this? I grew up around a barre (not a bar!) and I LOVE the classes! The style I teach is similar to that you might take at an Exhale Studio as I was trained by Fred Devito in the Lotte Berk Method (old skool). If you have a barre at your home, I would love to train you and your friends.

I am also a consultant for Beautycounter. I was actually a pretty early adopter of this philosophy of clean beauty. I remember shopping at Wholefoods 20 years ago (waaayyyy before Amazon owned it) and noticing they had a "self care" section. Yay! It was the first time I bought anything "clean" that wasn't food. I went all out and purchased deodorant, makeup and even body oils and lotions. Long story, short - I smelled bad, the makeup dried out and the lotion left a filmy layer on my skin. Not great - I was back to MAC, Secret and Cetaphil until my daughter was born. I had already started delving into safer cleaning products...does anyone remember Calben? Around the same time a friend asked me to host a party for this new "Clean Beauty" line she is repping. Given my Wholefoods experience, I had low expectations. It was Beautycounter and I was blown away! I have used Beautycounter exclusively ever since. Not only was it safe but it was high quality...and it worked! It only took me 8 years to finally say, "Ok, I'll do this". And I have been educating folks on clean beauty ever since. I'm up for a consultation if you are!

So, what is next? World domination (no, just kidding).

Now it is time to launch a 95 hour Children's Yoga Training! Check back for more on that to come…

Halley Firstenberg (she/her)

Testimonials

  • I am a child psychologist in private practice. I thought taking a class on how to teach yoga to young children would aid me in helping others in a different way than my psychological training. Halley’s class was a great experience! She made it experiential and accessible to someone like me, who comes from outside the yoga training world. I learned some new ways to incorporate mindfulness into my psychology practice. It was a lot of fun! I would highly recommend this training to other mental health professionals who work with children and families.

    — Melissa Korland, Ph.D.

  • Halley provided extensive examples of age appropriate activities and engaging lessons for our targeted age group. She continues to network and share opportunities within the community after the training. This experience is extremely beneficial for yoga instructors, educators and anyone interested in working with children!

    — Katie Mann, Special Education Teacher, M.Ed.

  • I highly recommend littleOMie Kids Yoga Teacher Training. I have been teaching kids yoga using the method and tools I learned since almost immediately after completing the training. It has allowed me to build classes that are well-rounded, educational and SO MUCH FUN! The kids I teach absolutely love learning about yoga and can't wait to come back. Not only that, Halley continues to stay in touch, offering advice and continued job opportunities.

    — Rebecca Marich, Yoga Instructor 200 E-RYT

  • Halley has encouraged and inspired me to go further in my yoga journey and learn how to teach kids yoga. Her children’s program was insightful and full of rich content. She created an environment where I felt seen and heard and made it fun at the same time. Halley has continued to support me even after my kids yoga certification was complete. I’ve reached out several times since our training with random questions and she’s promptly responded and continued to provide valuable feedback. She’s a wonderful human, teacher, friend and resource!

    — Jaclyn z. Yoga teacher ryt 200

  • I am glad that I have Halley's Kids Yoga Teacher Training in my tool belt. She gave us a lot of great games and activities to engage the kids with, but the things that have stuck with me the most are the rules and guidelines that go along with working with children. This is priceless information that every yoga teacher should be aware of. Halley's training was fun and efficient and two years later she is still available to me if I have any questions or concerns regarding a class.

    Amy Stover, Yoga Instructor 500 E-RYT

  • Halley’s littleOMie trainings were incredibly beneficial to me as a yoga instructor and teacher. I was looking for more age specific activities to utilize and she definitely delivered. I especially appreciated the special needs yoga training. Halley’s knowledge, experience, energy and enthusiasm made the trainings not only informative but fun!

    —Missy Fitzgerald, Yoga Instructor 200 Hour E-RYT

  • Halley F. created a Yoga and Mindfulness Program for CMSD's Early Childhood Development (Ages Pre-K / Kindergarten). This program allowed the children to explore movement and breathe in a fun and supportive environment while implementing strategies to support self-regulation, increased focus and a greater connection to their peers. Halley and her staff were very professional, and our educators were happy to have this yoga program as part of our summer school program.

    -Amy Wollack, Early Childhood Assessment and Accountability Manager for CMSD