Teaching Yoga to Kids
Yoga for kids is specially designed to teach them the benefits from an early age.
How tough is teaching Yoga to kids? Yoga, an ancient science and philosophy of healthy living is gaining popularity with the masses across the globe. Today’ it is widely preached and practiced at schools, if you visit a school, you would often find children performing these dynamic movements, postures, breathing exercises and meditation techniques with finesse and ease similar to a yoga practitioner. Schools across the world integrate this holistic program with their curriculum to encourage physical fitness, education and social and self-awareness. This article brings forth the question in discussion - teaching Yoga to kids.
Kids yoga, adapted for pre-school children, encourages them to develop body awareness, language, listening skills, cooperation and powers of observation, and inspires their imagination. Additionally, kids yoga teaches the children about their natural environment and surroundings in a playful manner.
Young school aged children learn the body balancing act and active yoga poses like breathing, meditations and relaxation with game playing, singing, storytelling and drawing. This age group readily follows teacher’s instructions as they are well-versed with the names of different body parts, their locations and function. As they further their learning; they develop a yoga vocabulary. They can be taught to practice the yoga postures through story telling on farm animals, using their imagination, fun games and activities, and they can assume the role of leader and teach their classmates. Such activities improve the practice of teaching yoga to kids and thus enhance their sense of balance, coordination and concentration far quickly than a routine play.