Yoga for Children Creates a Balanced, Happy Kid
Yoga Offers Any Child a Fun, Safe, Non-Judgmental Fitness Option
Oct 5, 2009
It is alarming but 1 in every 3 children in the United States of America is overweight or obese. That is a tragic statistic that can and must be changed. It is true that for heavy kids, they tend to shy away from rigorous forms of physical activity and are not comfortable in team sport and playground games. An excellent alternative to introduce these children to a healthy lifestyle is yoga for children. Yoga offers immediate impact from the very first class and is one of the only forms of fitness that strengthens the mind and the body.
Yoga is a Gentle, Non Judgmental Experience for Children
Yoga studios are very popular today and is a commonplace form of everyday fitness and exercise for adults all across North America. Many are now offering "mom and me" or "mommy and baby" classes, which really focus on the new mother's health and getting back in shape following a pregnancy. In most cases, the baby is not involved in the yoga class.
However, there are progressive yoga studios that are offering Saturday and evening classes for children. One of the beauties of these classes, is that the yoga instructors make the class fun, while teaching yoga poses, proper breathing, self-confidence as well as important mental health fitness such as inner peace, balance and self acceptance. These are all exceptional teachings that any child can carry with them for a lifetime. For an overweight child who seeks an open and friendly atmosphere, there is no better place than yoga for children.
One company, Storytime Yoga, is making leaps and bounds in how they introduce children to the wonderful world of Yoga -a gift that can serve each kiddie student well now and for the rest of their lives. This is a great starting point for yoga teachers or concerned parents that want to bring a children's yoga program to their community.
Getting Kids Started with Yoga
Oftentimes with children, anything unknown or foreign can be scary and this may be the case with yoga. Call a local yoga studio and find out first if they have specific classes for children. If so, make a point of going to the studio as a visitor only, to watch all or part of a kids yoga class. Once it is seen that everyone in the class are doing weird and interesting poses (that will cause a few giggles), wearing comfortable loose fitting clothing and are having fun learning the art of yoga, it may be hard to keep a child away.
Here are a few more tips for getting a child to love yoga:
- Always allow the child to ease into a new activity, even yoga, at their own pace. If they feel safe and comfortable, they will be more inclined to stay long term.
- Let the child shop for their own yoga mat - there are so many great colors and patterns available, it will give the child ownership of the process.
- Use the time leading up to class and after class to work on proper eating habits and relaxation techniques to eventually lead the obese child to a life of health and happiness.
- Enjoy the experience without judgement, pressure or stress - that goes for the child and the parents.
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