Phoenix Giselle Hicks was five years old when she became a certified yoga instructor. She didn't just stretch well for her age or help her mom lay out mats, but rather completed 200 hours of training and made it into the Guinness World Records as the youngest female yoga instructor in the world.

The record was set on June 22, 2025. At that time, Phoenix was 5 years and 337 days old - less than a month shy of her sixth birthday. Now, at the age of seven, she indeed leads classes for children and adults together with her mom, Sydney, in Houston.

Yoga entered her life when she was just three months old: her mom took her to a class. By the age of four, Phoenix could attend more advanced groups, and then she started teaching alongside her mom.

To obtain the certification, one must complete a standard 200-hour teacher training course: read books, study anatomy, and attend classes every day to accumulate practice hours. That's exactly what Phoenix did, and she was the only child among adults.

Phoenix's favorite yoga pose is the tree pose. She likes it precisely because it's not always easy to maintain balance. She explains to her students: if you wobble or fall, it's okay, just try again.

At the age of five, Phoenix didn't limit herself to just yoga. She has already written a book called Breathe for children on the topic of breathing and mindfulness. In it, the young author explains how to calm down when you're angry, sad, or upset: stop, breathe in slowly through your nose, and exhale through your mouth several times.

Phoenix has already thought about what she wants to become in the future. In this regard, she's not much different from other five-year-olds. She wants to become an astronaut and be the first person to practice yoga beyond Earth.