Finding Strength and Sunshine: A Q&A with Dawn Price, Author of Yogi Baby Forever

Dawn Price’s radiant picture book Yogi Baby Forever is more than a story, it’s a celebration of emotional empowerment, self-discovery, and inner strength, all wrapped in a field of wildflowers and flowing movement. Through the character of Arieta and the guiding light of “YB” (Yogi Baby), children are gently introduced to foundational yoga concepts, resilience-building mindsets, and the beauty of becoming their truest selves.

From energetic plank poses to the soothing cycle of breath, Yogi Baby Forever invites young readers into a story that glows with mindfulness, warmth, and purpose. We caught up with Dawn to learn more about the meaning behind the poses, the message behind Arieta’s journey, and how the story came to life, on and off the page.

What inspired you to create Yogi Baby Forever? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked Arieta’s journey?

The birth of Yogi Baby – as I like to tell it – felt like a download from the universe, as if three bright stars collided and sprinkled their magic stardust down into my open, creative mind.

The first star was a conversation in the fall of 2023 with my daughter Jessica, also a yoga teacher, as we planned an Eight Limbs of Yoga workshop to present to our students.

The second was knowing I was about to become a “Yogi Grammy” with my first grandchild arriving in June 2024.

The third star – and the spark that pushed everything into motion – was a postcard invitation to the Gender Reveal Party hosted by my eldest daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Max. On the back, it read, “In lieu of a card, please bring a book for baby.”

With those three inspirations swirling together, the concept of Yogi Baby – a wise, young friend we’d all love to have – with her well-practiced understanding of the Eight Limbs – flowed straight from my pen onto the page. The very first version of the book was a handmade, cut-and-paste-and-taped, 3” square board book that I humbly gifted at the Gender Reveal that spring.

As the Yogi Baby story evolved, other characters emerged – the first being Arieta, the narrator of Yogi Baby Forever, the first book in the series. In an early manuscript, Yogi Baby (‘YB’) was going to tell how she met the emotional Arieta, but eventually I shifted the point of view so that Arieta would be the one to share the story of the first time she met Yogi Baby – right at a time when she needed a new friend.

Arieta represents many of us – children and adults alike – who sometimes fall into the trap of feeling a lack of abundance because our lives may not look or feel as successful as someone else’s. YB listens and recognizes early in the story that Arieta hasn’t yet practiced Asteya, one of the Yama of the Eight Limbs: the principle of non-coveting.

Yogi Baby, with her gentle wisdom, understands what Arieta is experiencing and invites her on a journey from conversation, through movement, breathing, and visualization, into a light, meditative state. With her new friend as her encouraging guide, Arieta is actually introduced to a practice of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Feeling empowered by this interaction, Arieta begins to see her life and her choices in a new light.

YB introduces Arieta to yoga, but also to deeper ideas like asteya, tapas, and samadhi. Why was it important for you to weave these elements of yogic philosophy into a children’s book?

In a typical yoga practice in the West, the focus is often mainly on asana, the third limb – the physical poses. But the Eight Limbs of Yoga offer so much more: philosophical, ethical, and moral practices that, along with breathwork and meditation, can enrich our lives. Some people even say these practices have saved their lives. They are powerful tools for cultivating abundance, joy, appreciation, and gratitude, ultimately guiding us toward a healthy sense of connection with something greater than ourselves.

The Eight Limbs hold big, meaningful concepts – and I believe that when they are presented in a kid-friendly way, children are ready for them, sometimes even more so than adults whose habits and ways of thinking may already have become more fixed.

Asteya, one of five Yama from the first limb of yoga, teaches the self-restraint of non-coveting or non-stealing. In Yogi Baby Forever, Arieta learns that she has choices beyond her feelings of frustration, anger, or jealousy.

Tapas, one of the five Niyama in the second limb, is about strengthening self-confidence and our sense of purpose and having a willingness to do hard things to ignite the inner fires of transformation.

These two principles work hand in hand in the story: while Arieta struggles with asteya and her feelings of jealousy, she learns she can tap into her inner strength and determination using a few challenging yoga poses and practicing tapas to gain empowerment instead.

And finally, samadhi, the eighth limb of yoga, represents the ultimate goal: our own self-realization, a deep, pure, and supreme happiness, and a true understanding of how we are connected to the universe.

Even at a fairly young age, children can benefit from being taught to consider and practice these principles.

The illustrations by Flávio B. Silva are vibrant and expressive. How did you collaborate with the illustrator to bring this blooming world to life?

The book would not be what it is – what I imagined it could be – without Flávio’s incredible skill and talent. I had a clear vision for every spread and illustration, in addition to reference photos on my “mood board,” but it was Flávio who brought those visions to life so beautifully – yes, vibrantly and expressively – for others to see.

Despite living in Brazil and perhaps even being more familiar with Portuguese than English, we collaborated for six months entirely through typed notes and shared images, with the wonderful team at Bear With Us Productions sometimes helping with translations and keeping the project on track along the way.

I am deeply grateful to Flávio for his work, and I’m excited to be collaborating with him again on the second book in the series, Yogi Baby and Yin, scheduled for early 2026.

YB’s calm and confident presence is so memorable - what do you hope young readers take away from her character and her wisdom?

Wouldn’t we all love a friend like Yogi Baby? Yes, she does hold a calm, confident presence and seems wise beyond her years. And I believe each of us – children as well as adults – carries a bit of her within us. Through our own life experiences, we all have gathered pieces of wisdom and developed skills that help make life more manageable and joyful. But Yogi Baby represents an ideal; she holds a compilation of the bits of wisdom we’ve all gained over time, which is based upon her study and practice of the eight limbs of yoga.

Lessons come early to some, while for others wisdom comes much later. But just as Arieta met Yogi Baby at the moment she needed a supportive friend, we may also have people of character in our lives – teachers, friends, or family – who care and stop to listen when we’re upset and remind us to be mindful and skillful with our thoughts and actions if we’ve lost our way. Yogi Baby embodies all of that loving guidance and shares her support in a nonjudgmental, modest, and down-to-earth way... she just happens to “have it all!”

Arieta’s transformation isn’t just physical, it’s emotional and empowering. Why do you think books like this are important for young readers today?

I believe the message in Yogi Baby Forever is valuable for both young and adult readers. Before we learn to be skillful with our thoughts and mindful with our words and actions, our emotions can easily take over. We may tend to react impulsively, allowing our feelings to shape what we think, say, and do. With practice, however, we can begin to recognize how temporary emotions really are. Our feelings can shift from happy and content to bored and upset in an instant, even if nothing around us has significantly changed.

When we notice these changes in our inner energy, it’s insightful. Emotions aren’t permanent or defining, so we can look at them as signals. They can let us know when we may need to adjust our thoughts, actions, or even the direction we’re heading. We gain much more control over our experience when we pause, respond mindfully, and act with purpose.

In the story, Yogi Baby offers Arieta exactly that kind of gentle guidance. She helps Arieta understand what she’s feeling, leads her through a few challenging yoga poses to shift her focus, and then brings her into a calming breath and a resting state. Once Arieta’s body and mind are settled, she’s open to an empowering visualization, a light meditation that helps her see her situation from a different perspective.

Through that journey into calm, she realizes she has the choice and the power to take responsibility for her own transformation. That message is empowering for anyone – not just children.

You include Sanskrit terms and a glossary at the end. How do you hope this educational aspect adds to the reading experience?

I believe that when a story draws from ancient practices, it’s important to honor the tradition by including elements of the original language. Using Sanskrit terms in the text and glossary adds authenticity, but it may also spark curiosity and invite readers – both kids and their grownups – to explore the deeper roots of yoga. Many Sanskrit words don’t have perfect English equivalents, and their fuller meanings can offer richer insight into the concepts in the story. Including these terms gives readers a chance to return to them, reflect on their significance, and discover how they might apply that wisdom in their own lives.

When you're not writing, what brings you joy or helps you feel most like yourself?

I love being involved in the creative process. Whenever I’m in a dry spell, grieving, or unsure of my next step, I turn to Zentangle drawing. Its simple eight-step method is soothing and repetitive, keeping my hands busy and productive while reminding me – through both the art and the mantra, “one stroke at a time” – that life can be approached the same way.

I’m also devoted to my “Fur Fam” – two farm-collie-type dogs and one feline queen. My mornings always begin with coffee and journaling that I call my “scribbles,” then a walk with the dogs, followed by some exercise and my personal yoga practice. Every Saturday, I teach a Yin yoga program I’ve developed over the last five years, which I call Lunar Yoga. Each of the 30 sequences I’ve created for my classes begins with an intention for practice that is connected to the energy of the moon’s phase for that day, and I weave in aspects of the eight limbs of yoga alongside the longer-held Yin poses. I’m grateful for my students – they’ve helped me grow as a teacher, and many have become cherished coffee-club friends.

I’m lucky to have my two grown daughters nearby and a brand-new granddaughter I get to babysit for a day every other week. On alternate weeks, I head north with the Fur Fam to my creative retreat near Old Mission, Michigan, where I’m relearning piano and spending less time staring at glowing screens. I’ve also created a winding path on the property – my “Tupa Trail” – where the dogs enjoy the freedom as much as I do.

YB tells Arieta to “imagine your breath is moving the moon.” What a magical line. What do you hope this metaphor sparks in readers’ imaginations?

...speaks to not only the power of our imagination and visualization but also to the power of a conscious breath.

Visualizations are a powerful way to enter meditative states, which are deeply beneficial for the brain. When we pair visualization with positive affirmations, we can encourage ourselves to do the hard inner work that leads to the personal transformation we desire along our path to self-realization.

This story carries an underlying theme related to the third chakra, which is connected to the element of fire and the solar plexus region of the body. As you read, you’ll notice references to the sun, heat, light, the color yellow, the “burn” of a challenging yoga pose, and even third chakra yantras on YB’s shirt and in the corner designs on each spread. While the sun lights the moon, Arieta imagines her breath moving the moon from one phase into another. This becomes a metaphor for her own inner fire – the power she has to “calmly, steadily create change” in her life.

In my own practice, I’ve experienced this sense of connection and clarity; when my body and mind are relaxed, insights often arrive, and my imagination is sparked with new possibilities and pathways forward. That is the journey on which Yogi Baby takes Arieta; she guides her to recognize the power of mindful thinking, to ground herself through movement and breath, and to experience an empowering visualization that inspires the choices she makes going forward.

What do you love most about yoga personally, and how has it shaped your life outside of writing?

As I mentioned earlier, some people will say yoga has “saved their lives” – and I’m one of them. I began struggling with severe back pain in high school due to spondylolisthesis, and the condition only worsened after the birth of my children. A surgeon once told me he had never seen X-rays showing “spondy” as advanced as mine in someone who wasn’t already in a wheelchair. Surgery couldn’t fix the slipped vertebrae, only stabilize it with screws, while risking further slippage above. So, it didn’t feel like a real solution.

I tried physical therapy and many chiropractors and kept exercising through the pain, but it was stretching and eventually yoga that truly helped. With a consistent, daily practice, my pain became manageable, and over time the affected area actually stabilized by fusing on its own. Today, I may still get the occasional twinge, but yoga has kept me active and far from the wheelchair.

Yoga has been just as transformative mentally and spiritually. The yamas and niyamas have guided me toward more mindful living and healthier relationships. The physical practice keeps me strong, flexible, and resilient; breathwork helps me regulate my energy, and meditation and savasana provide clarity and healing.

In many ways, I live the Eight Limbs of Yoga daily, and they continue to bring balance, joy, and restoration to my life.

Where can readers follow your journey and learn more about you and Yogi Baby Forever?

I’m excited to be working with Magic Moon Publishing on the second edition of Yogi Baby Forever, soon to be published in the UK and distributed through Gardners. With this expansion, I look forward to new marketing and licensing opportunities as well.

The second Yogi Baby book, Yogi Baby and Yin, is scheduled for release around March of next year. I’ll be sharing sneak peeks and updates on my social media, and the narrator of this new tale may surprise you!

You can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dawn.price.author and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/price.dawn/, where I’d love to connect as “friends” and mutual “followers.” I also have a fun, informative website at www.yogibaby.co

as well as a new Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/shop/YogiBabyForever?ref=shop_sugg_market, where those interested in wellness and mindfulness products will soon be able to find Yogi Baby Forever-themed merchandise.

I look forward to connecting and discussing any of the concepts in the Yogi Baby series, which I hope will eventually include seven books – one for each chakra. And yes, by popular request, a young boy will tell his Yogi Baby story in the upcoming third book of the series.