The stressful lifestyles of modern living in parents and the environment all around us, inadvertently translates itself to kids at an early age. During these years of growing up, by nature the mind is in continuous mode of exploration, learning and growing. This natural process is sometimes disturbed by stress from homework, pressure to compete academically or physically, and overscheduling on a number of after-school activities.
While it is important to continuously judge how the kids cope with these, and possibly reduce their load, it is also important to “undo” some of these and other stresses in a fun exploratory environment. Yoga combines mindfulness, body awareness and emotional well being into a perfect tool for interactive learning for the child.
- With my own experience with raising two kids, I have found that yoga can help counter these pressures, just like their parents are getting benefit from yoga.
- When kids learn special techniques from yoga It helps them develop better body awareness, self-control, flexibility and coordination and makes navigating day to day life’s challenges easier.
- Physically, practicing yoga postures enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, concentration, body awareness bring their sense of calmness with relaxation, which helps their body to balance its hormones. For example girls often find that they have less cramping during their menstrual period.
- It can help kids to feel better physically and mentally, although some time its really hard to explain the link between your physical body and your emotion, but many kids experience it, they feel more connected with inner-self as well as the natural world that surrounds them.
- Yoga has also been shown to help in hyperactivity (ADHD) and attention-deficit (ADD) conditions. These children crave movement and sensory/motor stimulus. Yoga helps channel these impulses in a positive way.
- Focusing on self for a few minutes each day clears kids mind of all the things other people tell them. It lets kids focus on what’s going on inside them. So kids can think for themself, increase their ability to look within and develop trust in themselves. Basically it helps kids to accept and understand him/herself, feel more self confident and see things in more positive way, find the balance in their life.
- Teenage years are well known for hormonal swings leading into emotional ones. Yoga has demonstrated improving their ability to exercise restraint in areas that could otherwise be damaging to their well-being.
Its easy to introduce Yoga at an early age to kids. They learn and adopt much faster then grown ups. The awareness of their body and mind will help them grow into more balanced and compassionate human beings, while preparing themselves physically and mentally for the challenging life ahead.
Best thing about yoga, It’s fun! There is always something new to learn for example new asana/posture or new way to think about breathing or new way to see the life lesson.