About Maria

Hello! I'm Maria McNeal. I am an author and educator who lives in Shawnee, KS (just outside of Kansas City) with my husband and daughter. With a decade of experience as an elementary teacher, I am passionate about emotion education, trauma-informed care, and the importance of sturdy and loving adults in the healthy development of children. For years I've been writing poems for people for graduations, weddings, big birthdays, etc. and I decided to make one of these poems a little more "official" by turning it into a children's book. Always Enough is dedicated to my daughter, my students, and to the child within us all: may we always remember our worth. ​

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I am also a kids yoga teacher! I love teaching, I love kids, and I love yoga, so teaching kids' yoga combines three of my favorite things. I have personally been practicing yoga for many years and became certified to teach kids' yoga through Cosmic Kids Yoga in 2023. In my classroom teaching experience, I often used yoga and meditation for transition times and as a "brain break" for my students between lessons. I currently teach classes at The Kids Creative Space in Shawnee, KS and would be thrilled to have your child join a class or camp. 

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In my free time, you can usually find me exploring local parks and trails, practicing yoga, or curled up with a good book. :)

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