Yoga for kids? Absolutely! The slow, flowing motions not only builds flexibility but takes a lot of concentration and can help slow a young mind down. It can help you child achieve balance in their young lives. Almost every children experiences stress with homework; pressure to compete with other children as well as non-stop after-school activities and over scheduling. All this can make for a very hectic lifestyle. Kids today, like their parents, are turning to yoga for both health and relaxation. Yoga for kids is a means of helping them to develop better body awareness, controlling themselves, and flexibility as well as coordination. Kids may be able to carry the yoga skills they learn beyond class and into their normal everyday routines.
Strong and Confident as Warriors
Yoga for kids may also help hyperactive as well as attention deficit children who may be craving for movement as well as sensory/motor stimulus and by learning yoga for kids; it helps them channel these impulses in a positive manner. One mindfulness activity for kids, yoga, is especially good yoga for kids are the postures that seem to instill calm, confidence as well as balance in them and these are known as the warrior pose and the tree pose. The kids however, need to go beyond just performing the posture and also need to understand the meaning of the posture and to become like the posture – strong and confident as a warrior should be. Partner poses may also be taught to the kids to help them develop trust.
Some children may not be able to close their eyes and relax while others can’t seem to get enough and so yoga for kids should inculcate in them visualization and imagining that they are at a beach playing their favorite sport in order to get them to relax. Yoga for kids may also try the approach of teaching the kids a guided visualization that has a calming theme in order to instill a sense of peace as well as help them feel an oneness with nature. The child should also be encouraged to give their own input and their ideas and questions should be addressed to help them to get all the benefits of yoga for kids.
To introduce yoga for kids there are also books that are unique and fun to read and which are suited for young children. One such book is Yoga Bear: Yoga for youngsters, which can be read by two to six year old kids and which includes photos, delightful color illustrations of Yoga Bear and also has instructions for parents. The book retails for about $16 and can be read as a rhyming book or be used by parents along with the child.
Yoga is a fun and relaxing activity that can be a great sport alternative, or can supplement your child;s sports to add balance to their lives and perhaps even increase performance due to their increased concentration and flexibility that comes naturally with learning this ancient art form.
The past several nights I have done yoga with the kids before bed. It has been fantastic. My 5 year old boy devours the poses.
“Look dad. I can do up dog and look at the ceiling.”
“Dad! I am doing down dog and I can see the door.”
He holds the poses along with Rodney Yee who leads the power yoga video. T made it 20 minutes on the first night. I had the under at 5 minutes.
My youngest daughter was a riot as well. 3 Year old M held her down dog right along with daddy and T. She love to run under Daddy’s bridge while I am doing down dog.
We lined up our 3 yoga mats side by side and hugged and kissed each other as we transitioned in and out of the poses. It was adorable.
Mommy and L joined us for yoga the next night. All five of us moved in and out of the postures for 10 minutes before bedtime. It was a joyous time.
Thank you so much for writing this article. I did yoga with my kids before lunch and bed to make them slightly calmer and their energy doesn’t explode inside them, it radiates around them!