Yoga for kids? Absolutely! The slow, flowing motions not only builds flexibility but takes a lot of concentation and can help slow a young mind down. It can help you child acheive balance in their young lives. Almost every children experiences stress with homework; pressure to compete with other children as well as non-stop after-school activities and over scheduling. All this can make for a very hectic lifestyle. Kids today, like their parents, are turning to yoga for both health and relaxation. Yoga for kids is a means of helping them to develop better body awareness, controlling themselves, and flexibility as well as coordination. Kids may be able to carry the yoga skills they learn beyond class and into their normal everyday routines.
Strong and Confident as Warriors
Yoga for kids may also help hyperactive as well as attention deficit children who may be craving for movement as well as sensory/motor stimulus and by learning yoga for kids; it helps them channel these impulses in a positive manner. Especially good yoga for kids are the postures that seem to instill calm, confidence as well as balance in them and these are known as the warrior pose and the tree pose. The kids however, need to go beyond just performing the posture and also need to understand the meaning of the posture and to become like the posture – strong and confident as a warrior should be. Partner poses may also be taught to the kids to help them develop trust.
Some children may not be able to close their eyes and relax while others can’t seem to get enough and so yoga for kids should inculcate in them visualization and imagining that they are at a beach playing their favorite sport in order to get them to relax. Yoga for kids may also try the approach of teaching the kids a guided visualization that has a calming theme in order to instill a sense of peace as well as help them feel an oneness with nature. The child should also be encouraged to give their own input and their ideas and questions should be addressed to help them to get all the benefits of yoga for kids.
To introduce yoga for kids there are also books that are unique and fun to read and which are suited for young children. One such book is Yoga Bear: Yoga for youngsters, which can be read by two to six year old kids and which includes photos, delightful color illustrations of Yoga Bear and also has instructions for parents. The book retails for about $16 and can be read as a rhyming book or be used by parents along with the child.
Yoga is a fun and relaxing activity that can be a great sport alternative, or can suppliment your childs sports to add balance to their lives and perhaps even increase performance due to their increased concentation and flexibility that comes natually with learning this ancient art form.