Yoga for Children

Age of media and technology

Children today live in an age of media and technology, hearing and seeing war and violence.  They watch TV, play video games, and don’t run and play outdoors connecting with friends, exploring the world and getting exercise.  The developing bodies and minds of many children become overwhelmed, causing stress, which can lead to various health issues.  They suffer disconnection with their own minds and bodies, and with their environment.

Yoga, in Sanskrit, means to unite, (to yoke).  Yoga unites the body, mind and spirit.  Children’s yoga is playful and creative, interweaving asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing), and relaxation, encouraging imagination and connection.  Continued practice provides children with the tools to manage their emotions, to focus and concentrate, and to calm and center themselves, to become more connected in body, mind and spirit.

“As you peer inside that doorway (of a children’s yoga class), you might be wondering to yourself, “What are the children really learning?” The depth of the response may well surprise you.

What do kids really learn in a yoga class?

When children share yoga:

• They learn how to feel inside their bodies, what parts tighten and what parts release;
• They learn how to use their bodies to self-calm and regulate their emotions, and how to use their breath to complement this process;
• They learn how to stay healthy as their muscles lengthen and tone, their bones grow strong and they develop their sense of balance and co-ordination;
• They learn important social skills, how to interact with others in a way that is positive and affirming;
• They learn how to listen, both to instructions and to each other, before taking action;
• They learn to motor plan and problem-solve as they think about how they are going to move their bodies into the next physical posture;
• They learn to take risks and have a go, knowing that it is safe to do so;
• They learn to believe in themselves and to know that they are worthwhile;
• Finally, they learn that they are just one piece in a massive puzzle of human connection, and that when they unite together with another human being they feel a sense of solidarity and begin to feel compassion.

“Ultimately, when children share yoga, they learn about life”.

Lenarduzzi, Child Development Club