Introducing Kids Yoga - A Gateway to Enhancing Your Child’s Mental & Physical Well-Being!

Yoga is an ancient practice of assessing and integrating all aspects of nature in the pursuit of inner harmony. It is a way to connect mind, body and spirit. While yoga has become a popular fitness routine of our lives as adults. Have we thought of sharing the innate benefits of yoga with our kids? Just like adulting, being a child, in this fast-paced world is hard, and comes with its own set of stress, and struggles.

In today’s digital age, children often deal with many distractions, temptations, overstimulation, and excessive competition. We usually do not think of these as stressful influences on our kids, but they are! And that is when yoga comes in as a powerful tool that can positively impact children.

In the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of schools that offer kids yoga classes, not only as an after-school activity but also as a part of the school’s curriculum.

So let’s uncover a whole new world of yoga for kids, and explore its benefits, yoga steps for kids, and much more!

Top Benefits of Yoga for Kids

Regular practice of kids yoga can improve the overall physical and mental health of your child. And these are some of the many benefits of yoga for kids -

• Enhances physical flexibility -
  Kids yoga promotes physical strength and enhances flexibility because children learn to use all their muscles in new ways. Whether the yoga steps for kids are done in standing, sitting, or lying down position, each step can challenge their various muscle groups, while helping your child be aware of their body, and its functions.
• Improves focus and concentration -
  Kids these days are surrounded by a lot of distractions, that can hamper their concentration span. However, yoga teaches kids to be present in the moment and to concentrate on their breathing. Thus, practising kids yoga can encourage children to clear their minds, and focus on the effort.
• Reduces stress and anxiety -
  Kids in today’s competitive, and digital age, go through a lot of stress and peer pressure. It is important for them to regulate their complex feelings in order to stay focused, and stress-free. And kids yoga comes as a powerful tool to soothe your child’s mind through various breathing techniques that can help calm their anxious nerves.
• Improves fine and gross motor skills -
  Yoga is a great way to help in the development of your child’s fine, and gross motor skills, by enhancing hand-eye coordination, building hand strength, and flexibility.
• Boosts self-esteem -
  Kids yoga can do wonders for their self-esteem, as they perfect a post or improve their balance, and flexibility, they can experience a sense of empowerment.

How Long Should Kids Yoga Session be?

Depending on their age children are likely to handle a kids yoga session that lasts for 15-20 minutes. However, any longer than 20 minutes, they may tend to lose focus. As kids get older, they can focus better, and move for longer periods of time.

Schooling starts at home, and what better way to help your kids practice mindfulness, than by setting up a family yoga routine? After all, a family that does yoga together stays healthy together. So, here is our suggestion on how you can set up an attainable yoga routine for yourself, and your kids at home -

• Start off with a small yoga challenge -
  Kickstart the family yoga for kids routine by creating a schedule that is reasonable to follow. Start by practising yoga once or twice, and week, as this will enable your child to complete the challenge without feeling overwhelmed.
• Create a reward system -
  Who does not love positive rewards? So create a yoga calendar, and have your little one put up a sticker each time they practice. And by the end of the week give them some reward to acknowledge their efforts.
• Add some fun element -
  Yoga does not have to be in all silence. So when you set up your kids yoga routine, do not be afraid to add fun elements, such as turning each pose into a different animal, and making funny sounds.

Key Takeaways

We hope that the innate benefits of yoga for kids have helped you realise the positive impact this ancient practice can have on your child. While you do your bit at home, by setting up a family yoga routine, we at Podar Education Network, offer kids yoga classes in our schools to help them lead a better lifestyle.