About Yogapalooza

After graduating college in 1991, Yogapalooza founder Bari Koral moved to NYC with a new dream to become a musician. As she navigated through challenges and setbacks, Bari found herself starting to become overwhelmed by anxiety and doubt. She was woefully unprepared and had no tools to manage so many new negative thoughts and emotions. Always joyful and optimistic, Bari soon found herself with a bonafide panic disorder that ruled her life and limited her world for nearly 7 years. One day she walked into a local gym and met a yoga teacher who showed her (in under 5 minutes) how she could calm her nervous system and guide her thoughts to calmer places. “Didn’t anyone teach this to you?” the yoga teacher asked. No, they did not. Yogapalooza grew from that seed. First to heal herself, she became certified to teach yoga and mindfulness. As Bari learned, she taught others. Always a musician, Bari became a music and movement specialist at a top preschool in New York and turned her talents to writing music for her little students. She soon recognized a growing need- to create music and activities that could help kids move, grow stronger and learn to be calm too. That teachers and parents would also love. That would be a joy to do and easy to learn. And that could be done on repeat. That was how to make a positive impact every single day in and out of the classroom. And that is Yogapalaooza 🙂Read their story