Benefits of yoga for kids
Benefits of yoga for kids
Here are the amazing Benefits of yoga for kids.
Yoga for kids teaches important values
For a toddler, a yoga lesson could be the first time he/she is exposed to a structured classroom environment. In yoga class, the child learns to follow instructions, share with others and wait for their turn. Yoga is an excellent way to teach your child some important values that will help them in the future.
I always tell parents that there’s no such thing as a bad yoga class. As long as the child is exercising, socialising and having fun, the class is a success. I am blessed that I have a career where I am doing something I am passionate about and loving every second of it!
Yoga for children is good for cardiovascular health
Yoga classes for toddlers may not be quiet and serene events. My kids can be energetic. They talk, laugh and giggle. They jump. They run around the class. Sometimes they wander into their parent’s arms. Class is over as far as they are concerned.
As a teacher of kids’ yoga, I have a bag of tricks to keep the children interested and focused. Yoga movements like Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 when done systematically over a length of time not only stretches muscles but can increase heart rate and bring on a sweat. We make it fun in the class by shouting out our warrior cry and brandishing our light sabres.
Yoga for children improves their breathing
One of the fundamentals of yoga is breathing. I always start my beginner’s class with simple postures like lying, sitting or standing. The children learn how to be aware of their breathing. They are then shown how to regulate their breathing and relax in passive postures.
A popular breathing game we play in class is the ‘I’m a good sleeper’ pose. We use it to close many of the classes. After an energy-charged 30-minute workout session, it’s a good way to calm them down. I sometimes play soothing music when the children are in their Savasana pose.
Yoga for children helps them relax
Do you know your 4-year old bundle of energy can learn to relax with yoga? I teach the kids to relax while performing both passive and active postures. A child breathes better when accessory muscles associated with breathing (shoulders, chest, and abdomen) are strengthened, stretched and relaxed. Yoga is particularly useful for children with asthma because it teaches them to relax and not panic during an asthma attack.
Yoga for kids aids bowel and digestion functions
A favourite position I practised with my students is the ‘cat-cow’ pose. A gentle spinal exercise, the pose is excellent for strengthening back and neck muscles. It also stimulates kidney and adrenal glands.
Most days, my students will ask for a nursery rhyme. My beginner’s class loves ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ because it’s got the cat, the cow, and the dog. We sing it a lot. There are laughter and a fair amount of meowing, mooing, and barking.
Yoga for children strengthens improves balance
Yoga is a great way to improve a child’s balance and coordination. Yoga builds strong and healthy bones and muscles. The ‘tree’ pose is a favourite in my class because the children like to see who can stand on one foot for the longest time. After a while, one ‘tree’ will start to lean sideways, and the whole class is making huge crashing sounds every time a ‘tree’ falls.
Yoga for kids builds self-confidence
Mastering a yoga pose is good for your child’s self-confidence. When your child develops strength, control, and flexibility, they naturally develop better self-esteem and confidence.
Yoga for children improves posture
Children develop bad posture easily but yoga techniques can improve it. Yoga develops core muscle strength which is needed to sit, stand and walk better.
The benefits of Yoga for kidsare immense.
One of the things I love about my job is when I hear how my students turn to yoga in normal life. The other day, one of the mothers rushed in to thank me for the ‘tantrum yoga’ I taught in class. Tantrum yoga? I did not know what she meant. It made sense when she explained further. Her three-year-old was in the middle of a giant tantrum storm in Coles. Feet stomping. Hands thrashing. Tears. The works. Then his brain clicked in and he dropped to the floor and curved his spine. “The dog. The dog.” She kept saying. Of course, the downward-facing dog pose. We learned the pose that week.
Hands and knees. Elbows stretch. Back relax. Spread out. Press firmly and knuckle down. Exhale. Tuck the toes. Lift the knees. Now, you’re a dog. Woof! Woof! Amid all the barking and giggling, one little girl said: “I am like Lucy, my dog!” More giggles. I’d told the kids that the dog was good for stretching out neck muscles and releasing tension. If you feel overwhelmed try to be a dog, I said to the class. It worked for one of the kids, later that week.
Yoga is not just for adults. Children and babies can benefit from it too. When children practice yoga, they are exercising and staying healthy. Yoga teaches children about their bodies and how to control it. The breathing techniques and poses taught in yoga can help children relax and be calm. Yoga benefits a child physically, emotionally and socially.
What is children’s yoga?
Yoga employs a range of techniques to promote total wellbeing (physical, emotional and social). These techniques include breathing, stretching, posture, movement, relaxation, concentration, and meditation. Yoga can easily be adapted to suit children. Taught by a qualified yoga instructor, yoga for kids is a high-energy play experience with powerful calming and restorative value.
About the writer
Max Escouri has been practicing yoga since he was a teenager. A qualified and experienced fitness and wellbeing coach, Max has dedicated his life to teaching yoga to kids. To make yoga relevant and fun to kids, Max loves spending time fine-tuning his themed lessons and games. Max is the Co-Founder of TopKidz Yoga – a specialist yoga and music school in Vaucluse, Sydney.