🦙 Just 15 Hours Left to Meet Our Stretch Goal: And Only 3 Print Books to Go!
3 months ago
– Fri, May 22, 2026 at 06:09:16 PM
🦙 Just 15 Hours Left to Meet Our Stretch Goal: And Only 3 Print Books to Go!
We are currently sitting at 97 print copies ordered. We need exactly 3 more print books to hit our 100-book milestone.
When we cross that line, it instantly unlocks the 5-book donation to schools and libraries, bringing the life-improving power of yoga fables to children who need it most.
⚡ A Quick Way You Can Help Us:
Share the Link and blurb below: Text or email a parent, teacher, or yoga studio owner who would love these stories. Remind them that these special edition premium hardcovers will jump significantly in price after publication.
Let’s rally together in these final 15 hours to unlock this donation and get books into classrooms!
Thank you for your incredible support.
With immense gratitude,
Michael
👉 Copy and Paste to Share!
🧘 Join an indie yoga teacher in bringing "Llamas and Niyamas" to life! 🦙🧘♀️
We’re in our few hours on Kickstarter and 124% funded! 🦙✨
Cleanliness with a Raccoon? Contentment with a Bear? 🦝🐻
Teach your kids the 5 Niyamas through fables they’ll actually want to read. I am so honored to share that Jaime Amor of Cosmic Kids Yoga provided our back-cover endorsement, calling it:
"A beautifully thoughtful and accessible way to introduce children to the niyamas... helping them discover how things like tidying up, handling big feelings, and taking quiet time can help them feel happier, calmer and more confident in themselves.”
I originally wrote these stories for my daughter over 20 years, and I am so honored to finally share them with our yoga community.
The 'Teacher's Starter Kit' is now live! 🍎
Includes:
✨ The physical book
✨ 30 character stickers
✨ Digital coloring book & Niyama tracker (in both secular and traditional versions)
Join the herd and pre-order your founder’s edition before the campaign ends! 👇
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/llamasandniyamas/expand-kids-yoga-learning-with-life-improving-fables?ref=dh6mz5
We’re just 3 print books shy of our book donation stretch goal! Late pledges will be accepted for a limited time.
💳 Crucial Financial Notice: Card Charges Impending
Kickstarter will automatically attempt to charge your credit card immediately when the campaign ends in 15 hours.
- Please double-check your payment method on file right now to avoid any payment flags or processing errors.
- Any desired reward tier adjustments or add-ons must be locked in before the clock hits zero.
📦 Looking Ahead: Watch for Your PledgeBox Survey
Once the campaign concludes, our fulfillment process moves to PledgeBox.
- Within the next two weeks (perhaps a few days) you will receive an email containing a critical PledgeBox survey link.
-
Please do not ignore that email. This survey is completely mandatory for collecting your shipping address, calculating local taxes, and ensuring your books actually ship to you.
(And yes, finally relief from these constant updates.)
46 Hours Left! 🚨 6 Books Away from Our Big Stretch Goal + A Very Special Community Cross-Promotion!
3 months ago
– Thu, May 21, 2026 at 10:44:58 AM
46 Hours Left! 🚨 6 Books Away from Our Big Stretch Goal + A Very Special Community Cross-Promotion!
Hello Backers!
We are down to the final 46 hours of our campaign, and I am absolutely blown away by your support.
📚 We Are SO Close to Our Stretch Goal!
Right now, we are at 94 print copies ordered. If we can reach 100 print copies before the clock runs out, we will unlock our major community stretch goal: a 5-book donation to local libraries and schools!
If you have friends who might be interested in this book, please let them know about it. Also, please make one last call out to your social media. Now is the time, so we can donate these books to children who need them.
Let’s finish these last 46 hours strong.
With gratitude,
Michael
(Relief from these constant updates is coming soon!)
🤝 Community Spotlight: Let's Help "English Activated" Come Alive!
As part of our mission to expand children's learning, I want to introduce you to a wonderful fellow creator who recently gave our campaign a beautiful shout-out.
Her project is English Activated - A System Where English Comes Alive. Education creators stick together, and with only 6 days left, her campaign is sitting at $3,599 of her $5,228 goal. Because Kickstarter is all-or-nothing, she needs a final community push to reach her funding goal so this project can officially launch.
Here is a glimpse into what she is building:
✨ English Activated is an interactive 2-year English learning system designed for young learners aged 6–8. The core idea is to move away from traditional, worksheet-based learning and instead focus on real engagement through hands-on, story-driven materials.
The system is built around a physical, highly interactive book with elements such as flaps and simple manipulative features that encourage children to discover language in context rather than passively receive it. The goal is to increase real language use in the classroom and make lessons more dynamic without relying on screens, apps or digital tools.
It is currently live on Kickstarter and in its final funding phase, with the production already prepared for a limited first print run.
👉https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/145247308/english-activated-a-system-where-english-comes-alive
🎁 A Special Hardcover Upgrade for Supporting Her!
If you back English Activated at any reward tier, I want to personally thank you for supporting a fellow educational creator.
I will completely waive the potential $2 manufacturing upcharge and grant you a FREE upgrade from the paperback version to the premium Hardcover version of our book!
-
⚠️ The Important Fine Print: While the $2 manufacturing upcharge for the hardcover book itself would be completely waived on our backend, please note that this free upgrade would not cover potential differences in regional shipping costs, local taxes, or international tariffs/VAT. Because a hardcover book weighs more than a paperback and has a higher monetary value, any shipping weight adjustments, taxes, or customs fees would be calculated and collected via our post-campaign pledge manager, PledgeBox.
How to claim your upgrade:
- Back her campaign: English Activated.
- Then go to the backed projects in your profile. Find and select my campaign and then tap the blue "+" sign, and toggle from Backing Details to Messages.
- Send me a private message saying "I backed English Activated!"
I will manually log your username on our backend to ensure your reward tier rolls over into a Hardcover when your final PledgeBox survey arrives!
Let’s help an amazing teacher bring her project to life!
With gratitude,
Michael
Other Kickstarter Campaigns that I Have Pledged and Endorse!
3 months ago
– Tue, May 19, 2026 at 11:23:36 PM
Other Kickstarter Campaigns that I Have Pledged and Endorse
Please check out these fellow Kickstarter projects described below. My endorsements of many of these 5 projects are buried at the end of my updates, so I really want to make certain that you have seen them. Many of these campaigns have run concurrently with mine, have similar end dates, and similar numbers of backers, and I’ve watched them grow. I feel like I know them personally. These creators are compatriots, if not friends. Some have even cross-promoted my campaign. So, please take a look!
1) In view of the recent loss of my mother-in-law, I love Jenny’s project and find it to be especially relevant. Her campaign also has only 3 days left, so make your pledge soon!
🌤️ Project We Wholeheartedly Endorse: Look To The Sky: The Community Edition 🕊️
When a family experiences loss, finding the right words can be tough. Look To The Sky is a beautiful, deeply touching picture book about grief, love, and maintaining a comforting connection with those we love who have passed away. Our friend Jenny Kim has created a treasure.
So that hospitals can provide the book to grieving families, only a high-volume print run can provide the pricing and quality needed to make it affordable on a large scale. Fortunately, her campaign is already 363% funded, but every dollar will help get the book to more grieving families. And, her campaign just reached the stretch goal for a Spanish language version!
👉 Check it out and make your pledge. The campaign is in its last 3 days! Look To The Sky, live on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jennyjoeykim/look-to-the-sky-the-community-edition
Thank you for supporting fellow independent creators who bring impactful stories to the next generation.
2) As we work to bring mindfulness to your child's day through yoga fables, we want to share another beautiful project that helps families find peace at night.
🌙 Kickstarter Spotlight: "The Yawn Song" Picture Book (Only 7 Days Left!)
We are thrilled to share another wonderful project created for young families: The Yawn Song!
This beautifully illustrated picture book captures a gentle story of sleepy forest animals at dusk. It is specifically designed as a soothing bedtime read to help your little ones wind down and drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Their campaign is in its final 7 days, so time is running out to secure your copy and help bring this project to life!
Click below to check out The Yawn Song on Kickstarter before time runs out!
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theyawnsong/the-yawn-song
Thank you for supporting fellow independent creators who bring impactful stories to the next generation.
3) Because our chapter book focuses on nurturing a child's inner habits, we are thrilled to endorse: Charli Safari: Two New Endangered Animal Adventures! Tara’s book series takes young readers on a journey through the outer world, teaching them all about wildlife conservation. To celebrate our love for animals, we are proud to cross-promote with fellow creators who are as passionate as we are about raising mindful, conscious kids.
🦋 Project Spotlight: "Charli Safari" Children’s Book Series (6 Days Left!)
We want to share another wonderful independent project that aligns perfectly with our goal: Charli Safari: Two New Endangered Animal Adventures by author Tara Divers!
This beautiful series is a heart-led project designed to take kids out of screen time and into the great outdoors. In these standalone stories, Charli travels to real-world wildlife habitats—learning all about loggerhead sea turtles and migrating monarch butterflies. It is a brilliant way to teach children about wildlife conservation and how small actions can help protect our planet's animals.
The project has already smashed past its funding goal, unlocking special teacher-made printable Adventure Companion Packs for every single backer! Their campaign has only 6 days left, so it is the perfect time to secure your copies.
Click below to explore the Charli Safari Kickstarter and grab your signed copies!
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/taradivers/charli-safari-two-new-wildlife-adventures
Thank you for supporting fellow independent creators who bring impactful stories to the next generation.
4) We love supporting projects that align with our mission of child wellness and education! Check out Skyler and the Spooky Storm: Mental Health for Children
Campaign Spotlight: Skyler and the Spooky Storm
This beautifully illustrated children's book is designed to help kids understand, process, and manage big emotions like anxiety, worry, and fear. Through Skyler's relatable journey, young readers are introduced to practical mental health tools, emotional resilience concepts, and mindfulness techniques that they can apply in real life. It acts as both an engaging bedtime story and a valuable emotional regulation toolkit.
In a world where children face unique stressors, resources like this are more important than ever. The campaign offers fantastic rewards for backers, making it the perfect addition to any home library, classroom, or counseling space.
Support their campaign and help bring this vital mental health resource to families everywhere! Click below to secure your signed copies!
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kousarsadeghzadeh/skyler-and-the-spooky-storm-mental-health-for-children
Thank you for supporting fellow independent creators who bring impactful stories to the next generation.
5) We are so excited to feature a beautiful, heart-centered project currently live on Kickstarter that brings the healing power of sacred sound right into your home. Please take a look at the "Breath of Bhakti" Kirtan Album by Shell & Anton!
Campaign Spotlight: "Breath of Bhakti" Kirtan Album
For nearly a decade, Shell and Anton have been guiding communities through Bhakti Yoga—the path of devotion, love, and trust. Now, they are creating a full-length studio album to capture those transcendent live moments. Blending traditional Sanskrit mantras with harmonium, drums, handpan, and modern musical elements, this album is designed to dissolve the noise of the mind, slow the breath, and open the heart.
Whether you need a companion for quiet mornings, a soundtrack for your asana practice, or a tool to help you unwind and reconnect, Breath of Bhakti provides a profound space for presence and shared spirit. The album is being recorded with acclaimed producer Chris Gartner and will be available on both physical CD and digital download formats.
Support their creative journey on the official Shell & Anton Kickstarter Campaign Page to help bring this vital musical offering to the world!
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breath-of-bhakti/breath-of-bhakti-kirtan-album-by-shell-and-anton
Thank you for supporting fellow independent creators who bring impactful stories to the next generation.
⏳ 3 Days Left: Crucial Milestone Update & A Big "Thank You!"
4 months ago
– Tue, May 19, 2026 at 11:17:37 AM
⏳ 3 Days Left: Crucial Milestone Update & A Big "Thank You!"
Dear Backers,
We have officially crossed into the final 92 hours! The finish line is in sight, and the momentum from this community continues to blow me away.
Things are moving at lightning speed as we finalize our files for production, and I wanted to give you a quick update on where we stand with our community goals.
🦙 The 100-Book Milestone: We Are So Close!
We are now just 7 books away from hitting our 100-physical-book milestone to unlock the Book Donation stretch goal. We have made incredible progress, and we are right on the cusp of unlocking it!
If you know a parent, teacher, or studio owner who would love these yoga fables, now is the absolute best time to share the link. Remember, these special edition premium hardcovers will only be available from the first print run and their pricing will jump significantly after official publication, so securing them now ensures the best value.
Click below to view and share our campaign page! 👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/llamasandniyamas/expand-kids-yoga-learning-with-life-improving-fables
Let’s keep this incredible energy going for the next 3 days and finish as strong as possible!
With deep gratitude,
Michael Levine
As we work to bring mindfulness to your child's day through yoga fables, we want to share another beautiful project that helps families find peace at night.
🌙 Kickstarter Spotlight: "The Yawn Song" Picture Book (Only 8 Days Left!)
We are thrilled to share another wonderful project created for young families: The Yawn Song!
This beautifully illustrated picture book captures a gentle story of sleepy forest animals at dusk. It is specifically designed as a soothing bedtime read to help your little ones wind down and drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Their campaign is in its final 8 days, so time is running out to secure your copy and help bring this project to life!
Click below to check out The Yawn Song on Kickstarter before time runs out!
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theyawnsong/the-yawn-song
Thank you for supporting independent creators who bring beautiful stories to children.
📢 4 Days Left: Finalizing Layouts, Modifying the Cover & Adding a Special Easter Egg!
4 months ago
– Sun, May 17, 2026 at 11:01:21 PM
📢 4 Days Left: Finalizing Layouts, Modifying the Cover & Adding a Special Easter Egg!
Dear Backers,
We are officially in the home stretch! With just 4 days left in our campaign, the energy behind Llamas and Niyamas is incredible. I am so grateful to every single one of you who has joined this journey, shared the project, and helped us push past our funding goal.
Because we are down to the wire, things are moving fast behind the scenes. Here is a sneak peek at what we are working on right now to make this book perfect for you:
-
Front & Back Covers: We are putting the final polish on the cover image and spine designs to ensure they look absolutely spectacular sitting on your bookshelf. (Just last week our fabulous editor (Jenefer Angell) noticed a small but important detail in the cover images that needs to be changed. I’ve looked at the cover every day for months and never noticed—LOL!)
-
The Final Layout: Our interior files are being meticulously aligned so that the fables and vibrant illustrations flow together flawlessly.
-
Back Matter Easter Egg: We are adding a little subtle surprise in the back matter of the book! I won’t spoil it completely (and it might not be noticed outside of Portland—hint), but keep your eyes peeled when your copy arrives—it’s a little extra fun element that we think some you and your little ones will love discovering.
🦙 Quick Milestone Check-In
We are still pushing toward our 100-physical-book milestone to unlock our Book Donation stretch goal! My most recent count is 90. If you chose a paperback tier, don't forget that you will get to select your choice of upgrades (including the Luxury Hardcover or Ultra-Premium Color Paperback) in your post-campaign PledgeBox survey, coming after the campaign ends.
If you have a friend, family member, or fellow yoga enthusiast who hasn't pledged yet, please send them our link over these next 96 hours. Retail pricing for these premium hardcovers will jump to over $24! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/llamasandniyamas/expand-kids-yoga-learning-with-life-improving-fables?ref=user_menu
Let’s finish these final 4 days stronger than ever!
With deep gratitude,
Michael Levine
Also, please check out the fellow Kickstarter project described below. In view of the recent loss of my mother-in-law, I love Jenny’s project and find it to be especially relevant. Her campaign also has only 5 days left, so make your pledge soon!
🌤️ Project We Wholeheartedly Endorse: Look To The Sky: The Community Edition 🕊️
When a family experiences loss, finding the right words can be tough. Look To The Sky is a beautiful, deeply touching picture book about grief, love, and maintaining a comforting connection with those we love who have passed away. Our friend Jenny Kim has created a treasure.
So that hospitals can provide the book to grieving families, only a high-volume print run can provide the pricing and quality needed to make it affordable on a large scale. Fortunately, her campaign is already 363% funded, but every dollar will help get the book to more grieving families. And, her campaign just reached the stretch goal for a Spanish language version!
👉 Check it out and make your pledge. The campaign is in its last 5 days! Look To The Sky, live on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jennyjoeykim/look-to-the-sky-the-community-edition
