Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in Heart of Ohio Magazine.
The practice of yoga has been around for hundreds of years, and recently has been growing in popularity because of all of the wonderful benefits.
Not only can adults practice yoga, but it is great for children as well.
Yoga teaches children to breathe effectively and increase the amount of oxygen moving to the brain, thereby improving concentration and learning. It encourages deep relaxation, which helps calming and self-regulating techniques.
Yoga encourages body awareness by using slow and fluid movements, bringing awareness to the muscles we use when practicing different postures. When a child feels a muscle working while stretching and holding postures, it reinforces body awareness.
As the child practices a posture, they increase muscle strength, range of motion, and flexibility. Getting into the different poses helps develop motor planning and proprioceptive awareness. It is a fun and non-competitive way of getting physical activity.
Yoga can also ready the body and mind for learning. A study at The Accelerated School in Los Angeles showed that integrating yoga with education increases the students’ academic abilities. These students took the Stanford Achievement Test and their scores increased by 93% between 1997 and 2001.
Yoga not only teaches children techniques to sharpen their focus, but also creates optimal motivation for learning.
Next time you are playing with your little one, try the tree pose. Have her stand straight and tall with her feet together and hands on her hips. Have her lift her right foot and rest it just above her ankle, and then turn her knee out to the side.
For more of a challenge, have her raise her arms out to the side or overhead to make “tree branches.” Pretend it is a breezy day and have her sway back and forth and trying to keep her balance.
There are a variety of books and videos available on yoga for kids. Try some of the poses and you and your child will have fun along with enjoying all of the benefits of yoga.
Richland Source and Heart of Ohio Magazine have agreed to a collaborative relationship to republish selected material from each entity.
