How do the children do yoga?
For the children the most important elements are the games, movement and tales. I am using these three elements to create the kids yoga course for an exciting adventure. The base of the yoga lesson are the tales, songs or rhymes and what we are playing through and in the meantime we are doing the yoga asanas. Many of yoga poses imitate or represent the spirit of animals, such as dog, lion, or cat etc. They also imitate parts of environment, such as mountains or trees etc. These words are seamlessly woven into stories and the children are encouraged to recreate the relevant poses whenever they hear the target words. Yoga is not a religion or a sport. It comes from India, it’s a type of movement since more than thousands of years, which has survived and improved with the time.
How does a kid yoga lesson look like?
– warm up
– yoga asanas
– big movements: they are improving the motor development, to develop the nervous system, to build better postures, it helps to keep their bones healthy and strong and their muscle supple and flexible, which can reduce their chance of injury
– pair and group poses
– sequences (eg. Sun Salutation with rhyme),
– practice breathing
– games to improve the emotional intelligence, self-confidence and self-discipline
– games to improve concentration
– to prepare the meditations
– relaxation
What are the benefits for the kids?
When children practice yoga it can help them get in touch with nature and the normal rhythms of life. It helps kids to relieve stress and anxiety, to relax, sleep better. Yoga can improve emotional regulation and overall mood. It can provide great tools to help them manage their emotions. During relaxation children learn to be in the present moment and gain a peaceful state of mind. Doing different variety of yoga poses helps children learn about their bodies. Kids yoga grows children’s body awareness and mindfulness. Yoga is non-competitive, so children can enjoy the physical and mental exercises without worrying about succeeding or failing. Like language learning, yoga requires students to focus on their own learning and not to compare themselves to anyone else. It’s perfect to improve the social cooperation. It can encourage them to become gentle and kind adults, who will hopefully create a more peaceful world in the future.
