What started as a “Mummy and Me” activity when she was just three months old has now taken Phoenix Giselle Hicks all the way to the Guinness World Records.
At five years and 337 days old, the Houston, Texas-based girl became the world’s youngest female yoga instructor after completing a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course.
Her achievement has earned her a place in the Guinness World Records 2027 edition.
Phoenix was introduced to yoga as a baby when her mother, Sydney Hicks, took her to “Mummy and Me” classes. What began as something she did alongside her mum gradually became a passion of her own, taking her from practising yoga to eventually teaching it.
Today, Phoenix joins her mother in leading yoga classes for children and adults in Houston.
But earning her record meant doing much more than mastering a few yoga poses.
Phoenix was the only child in her teacher training class, surrounded by adults. She had to study anatomy, read books, write papers, attend daily classes and complete practice teaching hours.
“I was the only kid in a class of all grown-ups,” Phoenix told Guinness World Records.
And she made it through.
Her favourite pose is the tree pose, partly because of the balance it requires. But Phoenix sees yoga as more than just movement. She also uses breathing exercises to help children manage emotions such as anger, sadness and frustration.
She recently published a book teaching children simple breathing techniques they can use when they feel upset. Her advice is simple: pause, breathe slowly through the nose and breathe out through the mouth.
Earlier this year, Phoenix took her yoga journey to London, where she visited Guinness World Records headquarters, led a beginner yoga class for children aged seven to 16 and read an extract from her book.
And yoga is only one of the things keeping Phoenix busy.
She has trained in ballet since she was two, started playing the piano at three and has performed at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She is also part of a robotics team and enjoys science experiments.
Her ambitions are just as varied. Phoenix hopes to become an astronaut and pursue her interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She even dreams of becoming the first person to practise yoga in outer space.
For her mother, Phoenix’s journey is about more than learning yoga poses.
“She’s nurturing a movement,” Sydney Hicks said, describing her daughter as an example of how children can discover their passions and make an impact from a young age.
For Phoenix, the Guinness record is another milestone in a journey that began with yoga classes beside her mum.
“I am so grateful to inspire kids around the world to follow their dreams no matter how young they are!” she said.
