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Kids & Yoga

 “What ages are the best for kids to do yoga?”

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KIDS & YOGA

How Yoga Can Improve Your Childs Life

When Is The Best Time For Your Child To Start Yoga?

The magic of yoga connects the mind, body and soul as one.  It helps one connect to their inner being giving them the ability to strengthen their mind, increase their self-esteem and their self-confidence.  It is great exercise and a great way to strengthen the body, improve flexibility, decrease stress and stay healthy and at the same time, it gives you the ability to focus on the meaningful things in life that make a difference in our lives.  Your kids could be experiencing these wonderful things, too. After all, yoga is not just for adults. Yoga is a practice that can be modified to every age level, from small  babies all the way up to great grandma and grandpa.

Purpose of Yoga

People have practiced yoga for thousands of years in India. Yoga was founded on the idea that the mind and body are one. Practitioners believe that yoga for kids can create a brighter future for your child by maintaining good health and by improving how your child sees the world. Yoga calms the spirit and decreases stress in their life.

How Yoga Helps Kids

Yoga carries the same benefits in children as it does in adults.  Yoga helps children in various ways.  Here are some of the benefits of enrolling a child into a yoga program.

ü  It improves flexibility

ü  It improves strength and balance

ü  Yoga teaches children how to focus

ü  Yoga teaches children how to stay calm and relax

ü  It increases self-confidence

ü  Builds self- esteem

ü  Science has also noted the positive effects yoga can have on children: Studies have found that yoga can improve symptoms in adolescents with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

ü  Science has also noted that yoga can help children with ADHD

ü  It is an effective way to help obese teens lose weight

ü  Yoga can improve fatigue

ü  Yoga can help people who have multiple sclerosis

ü  Yoga can help people who have asthma learn to breathe more easily

ü  Yoga can improve kids’ grades

ü  Yoga can help kids fall asleep at night

ü  Yoga shows kids how to have a happy healthy and productive life

ü  Yoga can help people who have asthma learn to breathe more easily

How to Get Your Child Started With Yoga

Look for a yoga facility that offers parent and child classes.  Many yoga classes offer classes for children and babies that can crawl.  However, remember, it is important to find a teacher who is trained in working with children. The reason for this is because children are still developing and certain poses have incredibly strong effects, you do have to practice yoga with care. The teacher should know which poses are good for which ages and be able to make adjustments for the physical and mental needs of your child.

If your kids are old enough to go to yoga class by themselves, one of the best ways to encourage your children to try yoga is to let them see you doing yoga. Explain to them how enjoyable yoga is and tell them all the positives changes it has brought to your life. 

When I would practice yoga in my room, my kids would come in and ask me what I was doing.  I would explain to them what yoga is, what each pose was called and how it helped enhance my life.  Before long, my kids were doing yoga with me.   

Learn the Best Poses For the Best Age Groups

Specific Yoga Poses That Are Most Beneficial For Kids at Specific Ages Groups:

For Elementary School Kids

Pose: Tree pose

Benefits: Teaches balance, promotes a connection to nature, grounding

How to do it: Stand with feet together. Bring the bottom of your right foot to the inside of your left leg and rest it as high as you can and still balance — the ankle, the shin or the inner thigh. Stand up tall, raise your branches (arms) up in a wide V. Open your fingers, and stay here as long as you can. Then do it balancing on your right leg.

For Tweens (Ages 12-14 Years Old)

Pose: Volcano pose

Benefits: Releases stress, deepens the breath, opens the chest

How to do it: Stand with feet wide apart and hands in prayer position in front of your heart. As you breathe in, reach your arms up as high as you can. As you breathe out, open your arms out to your sides and make a big sighing sound. Return your hands back to the starting position and repeat three to five times.  

For Teens

Pose: Warrior series

Benefits: Builds strength in the legs, arms and core. These poses Improve posture, which boosts confidence and helps improve their self-esteem.  It is import at this age for teens to look and feel their best because how they feel about themselves now will affect their future.  These poses also teach teens how to stand their ground against peer pressure.

How to do it: Aim to spend three deep breaths in each pose. Start standing with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right and point your left foot toward your right foot. Bend the right knee deeply, rotate your torso to face toward your right leg, and bring your arms straight up alongside your ears. From here, open your arms out to your sides at shoulder height and look out over your right fingertips. Finally, transfer your weight to your right leg and lift your left leg to hip height behind you (toes pointing down). Straighten both legs and extend your arms alongside your ears so that your entire body is in one even line except for the right leg, which is supporting you. Repeat on the left side.

Children need more activity than adults do in their lives. Encourage your child to practice yoga.  Yoga will help your child feel great mentally, emotionally and it will keep them physically healthy too. Toddlers, children, tweens and teens who practice yoga are fit, have more energy and better focus at school.  Take a moment today to find out how the magic of yoga can help your child too.