THE idea wowed the hard-to-please Dragons Den panel last year.

Now a children’s version of YogaBellies, a class for pregnant women and new mums, is coming to Tweeddale.

After buying a franchise, local yoga instructor Stephanie Kitching has decided to set up YogaBelliesKidz sessions in Peebles.

And ahead of the May launch, she ran a taster session with a twist at Newlands Centre in Romanno Bridge.

The event, called Easter Yoga Party, took place last Friday, when children and parents went on an Easter adventure, trying out various yoga postures and singing songs.

Stephanie said: “The children were all relaxed and they received daffodils and stickers. The children love yoga and it is amazing how many parents are keen to get their children involved.

“The YogaBelliesKidz classes involve yoga and meditation for children, relaxing their minds.

“Even kids are subject to a great deal of stress these days because of their workload at school and the high expectations that their parents have for them. “They are pushed to be achievers at every single point of their lives, and when they fail, they take it to heart and become depressed.

“Yoga helps them relax and de-stress when they feel upset or depressed. It soothes their frayed minds and helps them get back to a normal mental state.” YogaBelliesKidz sessions are written in line with the UK National Curriculum for Excellence and can see children journey through space, dive deep in the depths of the ocean, meet the Romans, meet exotic jungle animals and much more.

YogaBelliesKidz yoga postures focus on the things that excite and trigger the imagination of today’s children.

“Each of our Kidz postures is grounded in traditional yoga with all of the benefits that adults can expect to see during a yoga practice, but with a much more gentle and fun approach,” Stephanie added.

“I can definitely see yoga becoming very popular in Peeblesshire.

“I am in the process of speaking to schools and I will hopefully be able to offer these classes to children within school and this can also help with exam stress.” YogaBellies was founded by Scottish entrepreneur Cheryl MacDonald, who appeared on the BBC’s Dragon Den along with her husband Michael, securing a £50,000 investment from Duncan Bannatune.

YogaBelliesKidz yoga is for children aged 3-12. Stephanie plans to run classes in the Silverbirch Studios at Cavalry Park, Peebles, in May, for kids from 10 months though to 12 years of age.

There will also be classes at the Newlands Centre in Romanno Bridge every Friday. For more information e-mail stephanie@yogabellies.co.uk