Do you do yoga? Think about how it makes you feel and what you gain from it. There’s a certain playfulness and childlike nature to much of yoga so it’s hardly surprising that it’s becoming as popular with young children as it is with adults.
As well as helping with self esteem, fitness and discipline, learning yoga at a young age will help to give children the skills they are likely to need in an ever fast paced world.
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
There are a huge variety of benefits of kids taking part in age appropriate yoga classes. These include:
- Learning to concentrate and maintain focus
- Increased coordination
- Physical activity that doesn’t place strain on joints
- Improved discipline and listening
- Ability to manage stress
- Breathing techniques and awareness of breath
How To Teach Yoga for Kids
Group yoga classes for kids are increasingly popular and a great option for yoga teachers who may have free time during the day.
Yoga classes can also be considered a social occasion, as it’s a good opportunity for children to interact in a calm and relaxing environment.
Classes should always be designed with the child’s age and ability in mind. For younger children, visual aids such as pictures are often used and music is popular in many classes too. Props such as swiss balls or bands are also useful and children love trying these out.
Yoga classes for children will obviously be much shorter than adult classes – generally their focus will last for up to 15 minutes however longer sessions can be broken up with breaks or group games.
It’s important that the classes are fun – children shouldn’t be made to feel worried about performing moves or sequences correctly and improvisation should be encouraged. Tell the children the names of poses, especially those that they can easily relate to such as ‘Tree’ or ‘Dolphin’.
Are you looking to get started at home? This fantastic article from Mom Junction has 15 yoga poses for children with diagrams and instructions, to help you on your way!