5 Reasons Kids Should Be Doing Yoga

As intimate and personal as it is to attend a yoga class with your favorite teacher, free from all distractions and responsibilities, one of the best things you can do for your child is to share the yogi life with them. Think children can’t handle a structured yoga class? Think again! Kids yoga is growing, with more schools offering classes as an extracurricular activity than ever before. Here are 5 reasons to sign your child up for some bendy-time.

Coping with Conflict

Many times, conflict that occurs at school and at home with siblings and parents is traumatic for our young people. As an adult it can be difficult to empathize with a child that is crying over spilled milk, and that’s where yoga comes in. Children’s yoga teachers incorporate techniques to help children cool off after an upsetting episode, giving kids breathing strategies to help them resolve internal stress.

Loving your Body

According to the Non-profit organization Common Sense Media, approximately half of girls and a third of boys ages 6-8 said their ideal body weight is lower than their current weight. One strategy that children’s yoga teachers incorporate into classes is emphasis on loving and nurturing the body. Positive self-talk about our bodies encourages us to be okay with how we look today, while striving for health.

Increasing Movement

The media continues to plague our kids with a sedentary lifestyle and skewed perception of body image. If you can’t get your child to be involved with a sport or after-school activity for exercise, consider yoga. This movement practice is a non-competitive way to get their bodies some light exercise.

Harnessing Mental Focus

Yoga allows a person time to focus on one thing for a long period of time- breath. By practicing mental focus in yoga, kids will naturally be more attentive to tasks at school.

Refining Coordination

Many children desire to compete athletically for their school or organization. Here, weight loss camps help them to participate in every kind of sport. By practicing balance and agility in yoga class, the amateur stage of athletics will be shorter, giving them more confidence in their sport.