When most people think of yoga for children, they usually don’t think of the impact it can make on a child’s life. In reality, yoga benefits kids in many of the same ways that it benefits adults.
About Yoga for Preschoolers and Young Children
The word ‘yoga’ derives from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj,’ meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite.’ As per Yogic scriptures, the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature.
Yoga, in easy language, can be defined as a set of physical and mental exercises originally from India, intended to control the body and mind. In recent years, yoga programs, yoga poses for kids, and children’s yoga videos have been developed for youngsters.
Why Yoga for Kids?
Due to the fact that our children live in a hurry-up world of busy parents, school routines and technology, a child’s stress can be the same or even greater than what an adult experiences. We usually don’t think of these influences as stressful for our kids, but often they are. The bustling pace of our children’s lives can profoundly affect their innate joy—and usually not for the better.
Finding the benefits of yoga for children can help counter these pressures. When children learn ways to reduce stress, stay active, learn self-health techniques, and relaxation, they can navigate life’s challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a non-competitive physical activity.
The Benefits of Yoga for Children
- Enhances Physical Flexibility
Offering yoga to your children as a fun exercise promotes physical strength as their muscles grow and develop. While typical children’s yoga programs are shorter, the poses still challenge muscle groups and strengthen while also being fun.
2. Refines Balance and Coordination
Children will be challenged to balance in new ways through yoga. As coordination and balance are tied closely together, we have found that children’s yoga provides valuable benefits in the area of enhanced stability also helping with fine motor skill development.
3. Develops Focus and Concentration
Through yoga exercise programs children are offered the unique opportunity to escape overstimulation of video games and television. This develops their focus and concentration skills.
4. Boosts Self-Esteem and Confidence
Yoga creates opportunities for children to be proud of themselves and the work they have done. Learning poses and keeping balanced encourages children to be confident in themselves.
5. Strengthens the Mind-Body Connection
Just as it does in adults, yoga creates a sense of peace and calms the mental state of children.
6. Teaches discipline and reduces impulsivity.
Through yoga children can learn the valuable skills of self-control and self-discipline.
7. Yoga can reduce challenging behaviors in the classroom by providing a physical outlet for children to express themselves.
Yoga programs in schools, such as the ones we offer at Montessori House for Children and Elementary School, offer a break to normal classroom activities and allow for children to discharge energy in positive ways.
These benefits of yoga for children urge us to incorporate yoga into our children’s daily lives and to nurture our children’s physical need for movement, mental resilience, and emotional balance. Thus, contributing to the betterment of self and making this world a better place for us all.
