NewYork-Most children begin kindergarten with a backpack, new school supplies, and excitement about the year ahead. Five-year-old Arpan Regmi began kindergarten on September 8, 2026, carrying another accomplishment with him—he had already completed a 200-hour yoga teacher certification.
But Arpan’s story is not simply about earning a certificate at a young age. It is about growing up in a family where yoga has been part of everyday life.Long before Arpan could understand what a yoga certification meant; he was surrounded by the practice at home. He watched his parents and two older sisters, ages 8 and 10, practice yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and mantra chanting. As he grew, he naturally began joining them. Today, every member of the family is a certified yoga teacher.
For Arpan’s mother, bringing yoga into the family was never about achievements or recognition. It began as a way to find balance amid the demands of work, family, and everyday responsibilities.“There are days when work is stressful and there is so much to do at home. I found that yoga and meditation helped me slow down, stay focused, and remain calm even on the busiest days,” his mother said. “That made me think about my children. If they can learn these skills while they are young, I hope they will have something they can carry with them throughout their lives, especially during difficult or stressful times.”Over time, what began as a family activity became something Arpan genuinely enjoyed.
He likes practicing poses with his family, showing his favorite poses to his sisters and cousins, chanting mantras, and learning new things. For him, yoga is not a task or an accomplishment to check off a list. It is simply something he has grown up doing—and something he finds fun.Like many five-year-olds, Arpan learns through curiosity, imitation, movement, play, and the encouragement of the people around him.A Fifth Birthday Built Around Something He LovedPerhaps one of the best examples of Arpan’s enthusiasm for yoga came when his family began planning his fifth birthday.
At the time, he was already working toward completing his yoga teacher training. When the conversation turned to what kind of birthday celebration he wanted, Arpan had an idea of his own: he wanted a yoga-themed birthday.On May 2026, family and friends gathered to celebrate his fifth birthday. Along with the traditional excitement of a child’s birthday, yoga became part of the celebration.It was a simple reflection of something that had already become meaningful in his young life.A little more than two months later, on July 29, 2026, Arpan completed his 200-hour yoga teacher certification.
His training introduced him to yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation techniques, mantra chanting, and traditional principles of yoga. Throughout the process, his family says their priority was to keep the experience enjoyable and appropriate for his age, giving him the freedom to learn at his own pace.More Than Learning Yoga Poses For the Regmi family, yoga has never been only about flexibility or performing poses correctly. It has become a way for the family to spend meaningful time together while encouraging qualities they hope their children will carry into other parts of their lives—patience, mindfulness, healthy habits, self-discipline, confidence, and calmness.
They also hope Arpan’s experience can offer a simple message to other families: children do not have to wait until they are older to be introduced to positive habits.Whether it is yoga, music, sports, reading, art, cultural traditions, or another healthy activity, giving children opportunities to explore at an early age can help them discover what brings them joy.Arpan’s accomplishment may be unusual, but his life remains very much that of a five-year-old.
He goes to kindergarten, learns new things, plays, makes friends, spends time with his sisters and cousins, and enjoys the everyday adventures of childhood.And when he comes home, yoga remains part of the family life he has known for as long as he can remember.His family hopes that as Arpan grows older, yoga will continue to be something he chooses to enjoy—not because of a certificate, a title, or recognition, but because it gives him something meaningful personally.For Arpan, however, the explanation is much simpler.When asked why he loves yoga, he answers in the straightforward way only a five-year-old can:
“I love doing yoga because there are lots of poses, I like.”
