Getting your kids introduced to yoga is always a good idea as they can learn the techniques that allow them to have better control of their mind and body from the very beginning. Children who do yoga from an early stage in their lives learn the value of loving and respecting their bodies. This also helps them to love and respect other people around them and become noble citizens as they grow up. However, explaining the value of yoga to kids may require you to take a different approach than what you would normally do when you are looking to instruct adults about the same. Hence it is important that you learn about the various ways in which you can make yoga interesting for the kids.
Is yoga good for kids?
Nowadays, kids, are also equally stressed as much as elders. The very competitive environment where they are constantly under pressure to perform well, it is very necessary they must be encouraged to start yoga as early as possible. The proven benefits of yoga give them the strength and vigor to deal with all the stress. Not only it helps in stress management but it also has many other benefits like overcoming anger issues, improving concentration and a positive approach towards learning new things. Yoga is a life-changing journey. So, what else will be the perfect timing to start it other than in the childhood itself?
How to encourage the kids to do yoga?
It’s not an easy task to generate an adoration for yoga in your kids. Yoga requires discipline and needs some rules to be followed during its practice. But kids already are burdened with to-do and not-to-do rulebook. That’s why it becomes more challenging to instill your kid with the yoga discipline. Kids Yoga needs to be taught with a playful approach, in a flexible manner without compromising on its very basic approach.
We ought to never force yoga on our children. Luckily, there are numerous enjoyable approaches to acquaint them with the training without compelling it. Here are some of the things that you need to remember when you are looking to teach yoga to kids.
Keep your yoga class flexible
When you are looking to work with kids, it is vitally important that you keep your classes flexible. Unlike adults, kids are not known to be really focused when they join the yoga class. So if you start working with a well thought out yoga plan, it might not work for the kids. Therefore you should have a flexible approach to your class and still have a basic notion of what you are looking to achieve. You should have a spontaneous approach and direct the yoga class by reading the moods of the kids. This is going to get the kids really interested in yoga. Planning the whole class the night before will not help you to appeal to the kids.
Show them how to do it
Kids have the tendency to copy their elders whatever they might do. Simply practice yoga before your children. They understand it better and are motivated to do it enthusiastically if you demonstrate it yourself. Take advantage of this fact to inculcate yoga in them. Make it a fun activity by doing it together with your kids.
You can start it with a more fun and playful approach, by inviting them to crawl underneath you or jump through you while you twisting and stretching your body with different yoga poses and asanas.
Encourage them with love and stimulation
A good way to boost the focus of all the kids during the class is to get them to do something that they can really enjoy. For instance, you may want to provide them with some art and craft materials or even do a dance with them that can really boost their spirits. This will help you to get the right kind of response from them. Once you have their full attention, you can guide them into performing different types of yoga poses.
Make sure they are having fun
Kids may not immediately get the idea as to why they should stick to a specific posture and alignment while they are performing a pose. However, this should not be a source of botheration for you. Just make sure that they are safe while doing yoga and they are having fun at all times. At this stage, you need to get them interested in the activity instead of emphasizing on complete accuracy. As they grow up, they can definitely learn more about the alignment and start performing the asanas the correct way.
Be open and receptive to kids
Kids usually have a unique intuition about the world and they often tend to be very honest and wise. Therefore you should always encourage them with positive words and create an environment of happiness in the yoga class so that they are encouraged to do their best while mastering yoga poses.
Use of yoga products and toys
It is a very unique way to encourage kids for yoga. There are many market products that can generate interest in your kids in yoga. Toys designed like a doll performing yoga introduces them to the world of yoga and different asanas. Yoga mats also generate curiosity for them. Another fun activity could be by showing them various postures in yoga asanas that resembles their favorite animals. Doing yoga with various props like ball and ropes keeps their interest intact.
Conclusion
Yoga is admired all over the world for its great benefits. As early as the kids are encouraged for yoga the sooner and easily they will adopt it and will be able to rip the benefits fully. The caution must be taken about which asanas are appropriate according to their age. It is very important that kids must perform yoga asanas under proper guidance and observation. Some advanced asanas demanding more strength to hold the pose must only be performed only after clearing the basic level and gaining the required core strength.