Top 5 Benefits of Yoga for Kids
When I first started taking yoga classes, I noticed an immediate impact on my mental state. I thought often about how I wished I had the tools I was learning as a child. What a gift it is to have gone through yoga teacher training and to be able to pass on the wisdom of the age old practice of yoga to my children and the children in my community. There are certainly many more benefits to yoga than I have listed below but here are some of my top 5.
Self- Control - Kids learn self control by learning to listen to their body and slow their mind. Using breath practices allows for the body to slow down the central nervous system, taking children out of fight or flight mode and into a more relaxed state.
Quiet mind- We all have a soundtrack in our head all day every day; our own inner voice talking to us. Yoga helps kids to learn to quiet their “monkey mind” through meditation and breath practices.
Physical Strength- Yoga helps kids work with their physical strength. By moving the body into different poses, kids can explore the strength of working with their own body. As yoga can be done anywhere it gives kids the opportunity to realize that they can exercise and increase their physical strength whenever they’d like. For kids who are athletes, yoga is a great compliment to whatever sport they play. They can learn certain stretches and poses, to help them strengthen the muscles necessary for their sport.
Focus and Concentration- Through breath work, meditation, and holding poses children learn to focus and concentrate more deeply. Using tools, like the Hoberman sphere, children can experience using their breath practice to aid in concentration.
Provides tools to reduce anxiety- As kids learn how to control their thoughts and slow down their breath, they can take these tools with them into their daily life. For example, when they are feeling anxious at school, they learn to bring their thumbs to each finger and remind themselves to breathe in and out. They learn through meditation to focus on the words, “Peace Begins with Me” or “I am calming down”.