Meet the Woman Behind the Bears
Estelle McCluskie didn't set out to build a party company. She set out to answer one question: how do you help a child feel calm, confident and genuinely themselves, not just entertained for an hour.
YogaBears is the answer. Every session, every bear character, every party in Dubai still runs on that same question today.
Meet Estelle McCluskie
Estelle is the founder of YogaBears Wellness FZ LLC, and she's spent more than 20 years working in children's health, wellbeing and education. Yoga educator, speaker, entrepreneur, and above all, someone who's spent two decades in rooms with children, watching what actually helps them.
Her focus sits across a specific set of things:
- Children's emotional intelligence
- Nervous system regulation
- Mindfulness for children
- Yoga-based movement
- Chakra-inspired wellness
- Family wellbeing
- School wellbeing programmes
"If we can give children and families the right tools earlier in life, we can help create happier, healthier and more connected generations."
That line sits behind every YogaBears party we run in Dubai.
Why YogaBears Exists
The idea came from Estelle's own life, not a business plan. She was a mother, a yoga teacher, and someone working directly in education, social care and family support. That combination gave her a front-row seat to the emotional challenges children face today, long before those challenges show up as a problem anyone notices.
Her conclusion was straightforward: emotional resilience shouldn't only get taught once something's already gone wrong. Kids can learn how to manage big emotions, build confidence, say how they're feeling, calm themselves down and connect with others, the same way they learn anything else. Early, and through play.
So instead of turning any of that into a lesson, Estelle built it into an adventure. That's YogaBears.
Where It Started
The story doesn't begin in Dubai. It begins in Liverpool, where Estelle ran her own studio, Liverpool Yoga Studios, teaching everything from traditional yoga to styles she developed herself. Her aim was simple: make yoga feel like it belonged to everybody, not just the people who already looked like they fit in a yoga class. The very first YogaBears sessions were taught right there, inside that studio.
The studio ran for five years and grew into something people described as more than a business, closer to a family, a safe space for whoever walked through the door. From there, Estelle spent time in Spain, focused on retreats and growing YogaBears further, while raising two young children of her own.
Dubai is the newest chapter in that story. The same philosophy that started in a small studio in Liverpool now shows up at birthday parties across the city.
Built on Real Research, Not Just a Nice Idea
Every part of a YogaBears session has a reason behind it. Mindful movement and yoga are linked to real improvements in children's emotional regulation, focus, coordination, confidence and social skills, and that's not marketing language, it's what the research on child development actually shows.
Yoga-based movement activates the body's parasympathetic nervous system, the same "rest and digest" response that helps a child feel calm and safe rather than wound up. Breathing exercises lower stress hormones. Storytelling builds emotional understanding. Messy, sensory play supports creativity and healthy emotional expression, especially for younger children who don't have the words yet for what they're feeling.
Put those four things together in one party, and you get something that looks like pure fun to a child and does a lot more underneath.
More Than a Party Company
Estelle built YogaBears around a specific idea: most children's entertainment asks "how do we keep kids entertained?" She asked something different: "how do we help children flourish while having the best party of their lives?"
That shift is the whole difference. Children walk away from a YogaBears party not just having had fun, but feeling calm, confident, connected and, often, a little proud of themselves. Parents tell Estelle regularly that the effect outlasts the party itself.
Beyond Birthday Parties
YogaBears isn't only about birthdays. The same approach runs through wellbeing programmes for schools, families, community organisations and wellness events, in the UK and now in Dubai.
See our School & Nursery Parties page for detailsWhere This Is Headed
Estelle's ambition for YogaBears goes well past one more birthday party company. She wants it to become one of the world's most recognised children's wellbeing brands, built around a growing family of characters, stories and experiences that help children everywhere build emotional intelligence through adventure rather than instruction.
As she puts it, wellness shouldn't feel like a lesson. It should feel like magic.
What Parents & Partners Say
“The YogaBears party was absolutely brilliant. The children were completely engaged from beginning to end: moving, laughing, dancing and joining in with the characters. What I love about YogaBears is that underneath all the fun there's such a lovely wellbeing message for the children. It really is something different.”
“YogaBears brings together everything children naturally love: characters, stories, movement, music and imagination. The children were so excited and involved, and the whole experience felt really special. It's wonderful to see a party that's so much fun while also encouraging confidence, creativity and wellbeing.”
“The kids absolutely loved it! From the moment YogaBears arrived, they were hooked. There was so much energy, laughter and excitement, but it was organised beautifully and every child was included. It was completely different from the usual children's party.”
“Such a gorgeous experience for the children. YogaBears made the whole celebration feel magical without it becoming overwhelming. The mix of movement, games, music and imagination was perfect, and seeing the children so happy and engaged was lovely. I'd definitely recommend a YogaBears party.”
“YogaBears parties are just magical. The children don't feel like they're doing a structured activity. They're simply having the best time, while moving their bodies, using their imaginations and building confidence along the way. The characters make it extra special. The children were still talking about it afterwards!”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Estelle McCluskie?+
Estelle is the founder of YogaBears. She's spent more than 20 years working in children's health, wellbeing and education, and started the very first YogaBears sessions in her own studio in Liverpool before growing the brand into Spain and, now, Dubai.
What makes YogaBears different from other children's entertainers in Dubai?+
Most kids' entertainment is built to fill an hour. YogaBears is built around real emotional development, yoga, mindfulness, storytelling and sensory play, backed by research on how children actually regulate emotions and build confidence. It's designed to be fun first, but it does more underneath.
Does YogaBears only do birthday parties?+
No. Alongside parties, YogaBears runs wellbeing sessions for schools, nurseries and community groups. See our Schools & Nurseries page for details.
Where can I see more of Estelle and the YogaBears story?+
Follow along on Instagram @yogabearsuae or read more on the YogaBears blog.
Ready to Meet the Bears?
Estelle's team brings the same philosophy to every party in Dubai: real fun, built on something that actually helps.