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Why Should Children Practice Yoga?

In the short term, the children will benefit from the creative class structure and the physical aspects of the posture work. 

However, in the long term classes will help children to develop a stronger sense of self-esteem, respect for one another and the values of a healthy lifestyle.  This combination will lead to a well balanced individual, better prepared for the teenage years ahead.   

 

Yoga provides children with the following key benefits: 

Physical:

·     Breathing exercises improve concentration, strengthen the abdominal muscles and balance energy levels.

·     Postures help support the immune, respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems whilst strengthening the core stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back.

·     Posture work helps to tone the body, maintain joint mobility and develop good posture.  It helps children become conscious of their body, and how to look after themselves and be more aware of what they eat. Yoga can improve agility in sport and help prevent injury.

·     Yoga maintains a child’s natural flexibility, which can begin to change from a surprisingly young age, especially once they spend more time at their school desks as opposed to free range play and they become distracted by computer games and television.   Boys tend to get stiff in the back of their legs which makes touching their toes more of a challenge. In the long term this lack of flexibility can cause discomfort in the lower back.  For girls, yoga helps to develop upper body strength as well as stability in the knees and ankles. 

Mental and Emotional Benefits

·     Yoga improves self-confidence through teaching children breathing techniques and encouraging them to use their voices.

·     Makes learning fun.

·     Postures are designed to release day to day anxieties such as separation issues, bullying, lethargy and feelings of negativity. Children often find it easier to express their emotional state in a physical way.

·     Relaxation techniques bring clarity and stillness to the mind, allowing for improved memory retention which helps children learn more easily. We absorb information better when our brain waves are in a slower pattern.  When we limit outside distraction and work on the sound of our breath and relaxing our body, our brain waves will naturally slow down.   

·     Classes help children to develop their own creativity through stories and adventures. 

·     The practice of yoga improves co-ordination and balance; it promotes healthy sleeping patterns and allows children to explore their intuitive nature and their spirituality.