Benefits of Yoga for Kids

Yoga is a way of living, a process of self-development that teaches an individual right from wrong, ways to find peace and self-acceptance. The practice helps an individual reach the highest level of their potential. It is recommended children are exposed to physical activity and exercise at a young age so they can train the body to stray away from emotional and physical problems when they are young. Children should be guided to follow an exercise routine that not only benefits their body, but also their mind and soul. It is essential for kids to devote time for important activities such as, meals, sleep time, play time and study time. Especially now, when technology has taken the world by storm and has also taken over the minds of young children, they should be encouraged to spare some much-needed quality time for outdoor recreational activities. This routine will help prevent kids from growing up to be aggressive teenagers and adults as it will help then channel their energies through physical activities. Exercise also helps build better focus and concentration.

Yoga helps condition the mind so while growing up, children are aware enough to understand right from wrong, recognize what they should and shouldn’t be doing. The practice helps every child organize their thoughts so they can focus on the important aspects of life, such as, studies, optimal health, bonding with the peer group and family and recreational activities. Yoga aims to rid the mind of negative thoughts and emotions.

How Yoga Helps Children Fare Better at School

Yoga builds a certain faith, calming the mind to help children devote all their attention to the current task at hand. The relaxed attitude brought about by yoga helps them focus and concentrate better. Yoga also help students keep a clear mind, thus enabling them to strengthen memory. It helps them prioritize their tasks. During a stressful time like examinations and tests, children will notice that regular practice of yoga helps them condition the mind to maintain a certain level of calmness so they can approach the examination with more confidence and less anxiety. Conditioning the mind through yoga helps children become more receptive to the knowledge being passed on to them at school. It helps children participate in positive and constructive interactions. Conditioning the mind inculcates in them the habit of approaching every situation in life with a positive attitude.

Yoga and relaxation

In a world like the one we live in today, the unending demands, financial pressures and stresses to keep up with the society and peer groups are way too much for us, even as adults, to deal with. Don’t get me started on the huge pile of pressures children may find themselves under. Unfortunate stressors like these keep us from reaching our true potential, prevents us from learning new skills and exploring new avenues of life. With every new step comes a new level of anxiety. But, why should this be so? Don’t we, as human beings, deserve to explore our capabilities to the best of our ability? Sure, we do, and if we do, our children do, too!

Yoga helps rid the child of any awkwardness, embarrassment, or stress that may prevent them from exploring their abilities. Relaxation forms the basis of a well-balanced personality. When we deprive ourselves and our kids of essential relaxation time, we are setting them up for future failure and disaster, comprising of possible stress and anxiety, social awkwardness and anger. These might seem like negligible issues till they begin to have a severe impact on the internal organs of the body and also, the mind. As a result , the mind fails to think clearly and the body refuses to cope. Relaxation doesn’t mean lying down on your bed or your couch, Netflixing, or staying inactive. The art of relaxation clears up psychological pathways. Relaxation helps improve focus and concentration which in turn improve understanding. In today’s day and age, maintaining a balanced state of mind for a child is far more important than any test or theoretical learning. A tensed and disturbed child cannot accept or receive any form of knowledge being imparted to them. The first step towards the success of such a child is to bring them to approach this studies and life in a more relaxed manner.

A few more benefits of Yoga for kids are as follows:

• Non-competitive

Yoga teaches children that all the bodies are different – that they are all unique and one-of-a-kind. It teaches them to be comfortable in their own skin. They are taught that there is no right or wrong way to practise yoga and that yoga is a spiritual practice meant for one and all.

• Self acceptance

Yoga teaches acceptance and tolerance of others by encouraging children to accept and bond with one-another. This spiritual practice guides children on how to accept themselves, the way they are. It provides them with an opportunity to learn and share, to interact and accept themselves and everyone around them. With society bent on making children feel inadequate through various aspects of life, yoga teaches them to confidently accept who they are, and provides them with an incredibly valuable lesson to ward-off self-doubt as and when it arises.

• Healthy Habits

Yoga taken up during childhood years helps kids remain physically and emotionally healthy. Children are enlightened on the difference between healthy and unhealthy habits, and are taught self-control, straying away form emotional eating, and the ability to calm the mind in order to refocus their energies on what’s really important. Yoga helps kids understand right from wrong and good from bad, so they can refrain from developing any form of bad habits, even if surrounded by them.

• Focus

These days, with innovation touching the skies, and technology doing the rounds, kids have a number of reasons for distractions and procrastination. As a result, their studies and social life is seen taking the brunt. Kids fail to focus on anything for more than a limited period of time. Including the practice of yoga in their daily routine can help kids regain their lost focus. It helps them channel their energy on the present, study harder and socialize. Kids learn to focus on their breath and learn how to deal with any situation with the help of the right breathing techniques and correct alignment postures. They are guided to focus on their bodies and the strength it is capable of displaying.

• Self-awareness

While switching poses, children begin to focus on shifting body weight from one side to another. They learn how to mold their body to sink into various different stretches and poses, thus realising fully what their bodies are capable of. This awareness of mind, body and spirit makes them more aware of themselves and they gain the confidence to deal with any given situation, thus helping them develop into more confident, kind and responsible adults.

• Encourage Positive Mental Health

When a child learns to love and accept themselves and others for who they are, they begin to see the good in others. They also learn to center their thoughts, becoming positive and optimistic about their abilities, capabilities and grow up to be more confident as a person.
Unlike adults, kids are more receptive to change. They are quick to accept new routines and are quick learners, too. Introducing your child to yoga will help them fall into the routine faster, thus allowing the practice to work its magic on their developing minds and little bodies in the early stages.

Yoga for kids offers many possibilities to exchange wisdom, share thoughts and lay a foundation for a practice that will continue to deepen. Children have an innate intelligence that we, as yoga teachers, deeply respect. If you would like to give us a chance to train your little one so they can grow up to be a better version of themselves, we would be honored. You can get in touch with us at Wellintra, and trust that we will stop at nothing to guide your little munchkin to become a successful, calmer, more loving and smarter version of themselves 🙂