Kids Yoga – One Down Dog – Yoga for Your Little Ohm-ie

Starting an early yoga practice with your kid benefits them holistically and gives them the tools they need, within themselves, to thrive in a busy world. Grown-ups have all sorts of priorities and concerns on their plate, and kids do too! Kids live in a world where technology is at their fingertips, knowledge and information are accessible, and all sorts of messages are easily exposed to them. This overstimulation can be very distracting and can make it difficult for them to focus on a single task at hand, let alone all the things that are expected of them on the academic and social levels. With just a few moments of yoga and consistent practice, your little ones will develop healthy bodies, fuller breaths, brains geared up for learning, and the values that contribute to a happy life with their buddies!

Body

Kids yoga integrates their whole, entire body...from the crown of their head all the way down to their tippy toes!

1. In asana, the physical practice of yoga, the use of simple yoga poses with kids helps with their balance, coordination, core strength, and flexibility.
2. Kids develop better body awareness when they learn postures or play yoga games by identifying what body parts to stretch, bend, twist, lower, or lift.
3. When practicing poses on both sides of their body, the right and the left side, yoga contributes to their overall motor development.
4. By practicing how to sit and stand “tall” in yoga, kids can develop good posture.
5. Yoga relaxes the body and prepares it for a good night’s sleep.
6. In kids meditation, sitting in quiet for a few moments enables them to pay mindful attention to the workings of their other senses.
7. When they feel good moving in their body, they can do more with their body! More sports, more dancing, more fun outdoor activities! A healthy body image and body appreciation can stem from a healthy yoga practice with your little one!

Breath

Practicing some breathwork or pranayama with your kids sets the tone for the class and helps them settle into the present, into the NOW.

1. Depending on your kids’ moods, the right kind of breath will either calm and relax, or energize them!
2. Simple breathing exercises prepare them for meditation.
3. Taking a few moments to pay attention to their breath is a great way to stimulate their concentration, especially when they are doing challenging poses like balances or holding postures for a longer amount of time.
4. A healthy breath means better circulation and more oxygen for the body!

Brain

Kids are constantly learning new things, and yoga helps with learning!

1. Through mindful movements and focus, yoga can de-clutter your kids’ very busy brains, therefore increasing their attention span and improving comprehension.
2. Yoga helps them retain information and improves their memory by learning postures through songs, yoga stories and yoga activities.
3. By developing their motor skills on both sides of the body, yoga utilizes both sides of your kids’ brains as well!
4. Kids yoga is all about using the imagination to create movement and shapes with the body. By practicing yoga, kids will widen the scope of their creativity and might even come up with creative ideas of their own!

Buddies

Yoga is also about relationships and how we connect with others. The values learned while practicing yoga teaches our little Ohm-ies beautiful things about themselves, other living beings, and how to live in this world together.

1. Yoga games in class instill a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among your little one and his fellow students.
2. The process of learning and practicing a yoga pose helps kids become more compassionate and helpful towards other kids who are also trying their best. There is never any competition in yoga...just a safe space where kids can practice, do their best, laugh it off, and try again!
3. Being in a room with other kids of all sorts of personalities can improve their social and communication skills.
4. Kids are allowed to feel what they feel, and mindful practice helps them acknowledge their emotions and puts them in a healthy place to deal with certain things in their own peaceful way.
5. Yoga helps kids to embrace their uniqueness and unique skills, therefore instilling a sense of respect in our kids; respect for themselves, respect for other people, and respect for their surroundings.

Yoga fills you up with life, light, peace, and joy...and all of that spreads quickly as you share your yoga gifts with your little ones! Kids yoga benefits the grown-ups, too! Take some moments to simply have fun, be silly, color outside of the lines, play make-believe, be spontaneous, and let your inner kid shine!  Wouldn’t the world be an even more beautiful place if we all learned how to play nice? :)