Yoga for kids can be fun and relaxing. Understand what a typical yoga class for kids entails and how to pick the right class for your child.
Is your child about to start practicing yoga at school? Does he or she seem interested in taking a yoga class? If so, you may have questions about the possible benefits of yoga for kids and what a typical program entails. Before your child does his or her first pose, get the facts on yoga for kids.
How can yoga benefit children?
Research on the benefits of yoga for kids is limited. Anecdotal reports suggest that yoga can calm children, reduce obesity, enhance concentration and help children manage certain health conditions, such as headaches and irritable bowel syndrome. Studies suggest that yoga may also benefit children who have various mental and physical disabilities. Yoga may even help children who have eating disorders lessen their preoccupation with food. More studies, however, are needed to confirm the positive health effects of yoga for kids.
At the least, yoga can be a gentle method for your child to get more physical activity and enhance his or her well-being.
What happens during a typical yoga class for kids?
Yoga classes for children rarely focus on the importance of perfecting poses. Instead, they often emphasize yoga basics, such as the cultivation of compassion — rather than competition — and the connection between breathing and different poses. A typical yoga class for kids may involve:
· Warm-up. Your child will remove his or her shoes and may lie down or sit cross-legged on the floor or on a chair. A special object — such as a yoga mat or pillow, clothing, or stuffed animal used only for yoga — may be used to signal that this is a time for relaxation. The instructor may encourage your child to quiet his or her mind, perhaps by closing his or her eyes and imagining a problem disappearing.
· Breathing. Your child will be encouraged to focus on breathing in and out slowly and deeply through the nose. In one technique, your child might imagine filling up his or her stomach with air like a balloon and then slowly releasing the air.
· Postures. Gentle movements, including stretching, will help your child prepare to do postures that involve standing, sitting, twisting, balancing and bending. Some instructors provide pictures of plants, animals or objects to imitate. During each pose, your child may be reminded to breathe through his or her nose, to avoid forcing a position, and to stop if he or she experiences pain.
· Relaxation. After completing a series of poses, your child may lie down on the floor on his or her back and close his or her eyes. The instructor may repeat a sound or phrase to encourage your child to concentrate on his or her breathing. Your child may also be encouraged to visualize experiences, such as lying on a cloud or floating through the sky.
· Reawakening. As the class ends, your child will begin stretching or wiggling his or her body and slowly rise from the floor.
