Amber Byfield is an author and children’s yoga teacher who invites people of all ages to connect more deeply to their emotions and to one another.
Her first book, Jojo’s Heart Party, was inspired by Rumi’s “The Guest House”— and her child’s journey navigating big feelings. Years ago, Amber asked her teary-eyed 5-year-old, “Who is at your Heart Party right now?” The question became a daily practice that has helped develop their emotional vocabulary together. Amber soon brought the idea into her family yoga classes, and gradually, the idea of a children’s book took shape.
Amber knew that local artist Anna Kamburis, whom she’d met at children’s yoga teacher training, would be the perfect partner to bring Jojo’s Heart Party to life in whimsical and vibrant illustrations. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Amber and Anna developed their book in the moments between mom life and full-time careers (Anna as an art teacher and Amber as a collaboration manager). A year later, the dream of the book had become a reality!
Amber hopes that Jojo’s Heart Party is the first of many mindfulness tools she can bring to social-emotional learning toolkits everywhere. Tweens can join her on the yoga mat Sundays at 3 p.m. at Studio Satya. And everyone is invited to check out more mindfulness resources on Instagram @WisdomAtPlay, where Amber holds space for creativity, curiosity, and open-hearted compassion at any age.
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