Today’s children are very busy. They have to attend school, classes, and extracurriculars. Every day, children are also exposed to many distractions, such as peer pressure, peer pressure, temptations, and so forth. These things can seem like they are not stressful to children, but most of the time, they are. Children’s lives can be chaotic and significantly impact their mental and physical well-being.
It is a relief that yoga can be practiced anywhere by children and includes breathing techniques and postures. But, a committed and deliberate yoga practice can benefit our children. It can improve their mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
What is yoga?
Alexandra De Collibus is the founder of Sweet Pea Yoga and teaches yoga to children, toddlers, and infants.
YOGA IS SO IMPORTANT FOR KIDS AS IT IS FOR US.
Yoga is a well-known practice today because it not only looks after the individual’s physical health but also fosters mental, emotional, and spiritual connection.
Although most people know about the benefits of yoga for adults, many don’t know the benefits for children. Yoga can help children relax, sleep better and relieve stress and anxiety. It also helps them regulate their emotions, improve their mood, and so forth.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR KIDS
1. Enhanced physical strength
Yoga helps children develop physical strength. They learn how to use their muscles in new and different ways regardless of their posture. It doesn’t matter if a child is standing, sitting, or lying down; it will challenge all their muscles, making them stronger.
2. Greater physical flexibility
Although children are naturally flexible from birth, as they age, their flexibility decreases with age. Yoga can help them retain their flexibility. Yoga teaches children how to move their bodies and muscles in new ways. This helps them become more flexible and agile and has more excellent dexterity.
3. Fine balance and coordination
Balance is a crucial element of yoga. Balancing poses promote mental and physical balance. Children’s mental clarity and stability improvements as they learn to balance better for various poses. Balance and coordination go hand in hand. Children benefit from better coordination and balance. This helps them with mental clarity, body balance, and gross motor coordination.
4. Increased immunity
The immune system is responsible for a child’s health and well-being. A child with a robust immune system will be less susceptible to illness and infections. Yoga improves immunity and strengthens the defense system early in a child’s life.
5. Get fitter overall
Yoga has many other physical benefits. It also helps improve overall fitness. A better fitness level can lead to an increase in strength, stamina, and endurance. This is possible by simply doing a few yoga poses. Research has shown that yoga can improve children’s muscle endurance, cardiovascular fitness, and BMI.
BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR YOUNG MINDS –
1. Memory and cognitive function improvements:
Children can improve their memory and cognitive function by practicing yoga. By practicing yoga, kids can practice their ability to concentrate on the task at hand. This helps them be more focused, which leads to better academic performance.
2. Concentration and attention span increase:
Children learn to focus on a specific activity when they practice poses. Children today are more impatient and restless than ever. Yoga will increase their focus and concentration.
3. Increased self-confidence and self-esteem
Yoga can increase confidence and reduce stress levels. To master any pose, yoga teaches children patience, perseverance, persistence, and hard work. It is a great way to boost self-confidence and self-esteem when a child achieves the pose they have worked so hard for.
4. Stress and anxiety are reduced
Yoga has been shown to reduce negative thoughts and feelings. It also helps children feel better about themselves. This will improve their mood. A happier mood means less stress and anxiety. The same endorphins which induce happy feelings can also reduce stress and anxiety. Yoga helps children relieve stress and tension. They can use their breathing to calm their bodies and minds. This allows them to fall asleep quicker and improves their quality of sleep.
5. Enhanced mind-body coordination
Children can learn a variety of poses through yoga. This will help them to understand their bodies and what they can do. This knowledge improves coordination and the mind-body connection. Yoga’s name means “yoke” (or “join”), which refers to the union of mind and body. Children learn to love and accept themselves, see the goodness in others, and become more resilient, positive, and optimistic. They are less likely to succumb to depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems.