Why Every Child Should Practice Yoga
Children who practice yoga have increased strength, awareness, can self-regulate emotions, and more.
Not only is yoga a fun and engaging activity for children, but it also provides a range of health benefits. In general, yoga offers benefits including but not limited to improved immunity, reduced stress, improved heart health, better sleep, and healthy eating promotion. Starting a practice in childhood will ensure a lifetime of benefits.
Yoga For Fun
To start with, yoga is fun for anyone of any age. Several yoga teachers are highly trained to teach children. These skilled instructors take the time to create engaging and interactive classes for little yoga practitioners.
Many children’s yoga classes are centered around a theme that is popular for those in a young age category. You may find children’s classes with themes like Space Jam, Bluey, or other popular movies and shows. Additionally, there are classes to fit seasons and holidays like Christmas, Autumn, and more.
Having a class with a theme that strikes a chord with a child ensures that a child has fun. These classes will feature poses to fit and accompany the story the instructor creates. Each time a child steps onto their yoga mat, they will be reminded of the fun they had in the class before and will want to keep showing up for a fun class.
Yoga For Calming Strategy
Young children are learning how to manage emotions and stay in control of their behavior. Yoga is a great tool to help children work through intense emotions like stress, anger, joy, excitement, and more. Additionally, this ancient practice is proven to help children who may have ADHD, as it improves focus and concentration.
Yoga also introduces children to mindfulness. Mindful children can care for themselves better and excel in life. In overwhelming situations, mindfulness and connection to breath can also be excellent tools a child can use to calm themselves down on their own.
Just like adults have bad days, children also have bad days. When a child who regularly practices yoga experiences a tough day at school, or just in general, they have tools that they can utilize to decompress and self-regulate. Self-regulation, if not for any other reason, is one of the main reasons children should practice, as most adults lack the basic skills to do so.
Yoga For Awareness
Children who practice have an increased awareness of their bodies and mind. Establishing a strong sense of bodily and spacial awareness at a young age can only benefit a child. Beyond that, awareness can give a child the confidence to advocate for themselves and even for others.
Awareness of feelings and emotions can foster a beautiful relationship with self and others as a child reaches out to trusted people for support. Being aware also leads a child to make better decisions in all aspects by using critical thinking skills, listening skills, and more. Additionally, self-aware individuals have greater empathy for others.
Yoga For Strength
Yoga is widely known to improve strength, flexibility, and balance for all who practice, including children. Establishing yoga as a practice in childhood means a child will have a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, stronger bones, stronger lungs, and more. These benefits will stay with children throughout their entire life.
Children who regularly exercise are less likely to fall into a depressive state and experience less anxiety. This may seem extreme, but the modern-day world is brutal, and many children face suicidal thoughts and depression. Yoga can be a tool for children to face the world with confidence and strength. The practice also has no competition, fostering a great sense of community.
Yoga Beyond
These are just some of the benefits of children practicing yoga. Practicing together as a family can create unforgettable memories and establish unbreakable bonds. Encourage your child to practice yoga by leading by example and practicing yourself.
Aside from practicing on a mat, you can do yoga in bed upon waking up, in a chair, or anywhere that feels good. Lastly, yoga creates an awareness of the world, other cultures, and history, as it was developed in India over 5,000 years ago.
