Our children live in a hurry-up world of busy parents, school pressures, incessant lessons, video games, malls, and competitive sports. We usually don’t think of these influences as stressful for our kids, but often they are. The bustling pace of our children’s lives can have a profound effect on their innate joy - and usually not for the better.
Yoga can help counter these pressures, when children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and inner fulfilment, they can navigate life’s challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that’s non-competitive. Fostering cooperation and compassion - instead of opposition - is a great gift to give our children.
Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them.
Children need to discover the world on their own .Yoga is a recreation which can improve behaviour and focus, increase strength, flexibility and balance, and also promote self-regulation in children with special needs through posture, breathing, and mindfulness. There are many postures that can be selected specifically for children on the slow development or autism spectrum, with ADHD, Dyslexic, sensory processing and emotional/behavioural disorders, and other exceptionalities.
“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.” B.K.S. Iyengar.
With thanks to Tender Hearts.