Savasana! The many benefits of Yoga for kids

For those that practise Yoga, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it provides you with deep mind-body connection as well as one of the greatest feeling of relaxation in the world. It’s calming for the mind and great for general health and fitness. If we benefit so much from Yoga now, imagine if we have started practising from a younger age. Kids of all ages will be able to benefit from Yoga classes that caters to their level and age group.

1. Provide positive health benefits
   Yoga provides many positive health and fitness benefits that kids can take advantage of from a young age. It is a particularly good recreational activity for kids for those that don’t enjoy intense and extreme sports. Yoga teaches breathing techniques that kids of any active levels can benefit from. Yoga’s breathing techniques can help to improve our body awareness and help to bring peacefulness and energy into our everyday lives. The different Yoga poses are also great for teaching kids how to listen and respond to their bodies - what poses makes their bodies feel good and comfortable.

2. Encourage positive body image
   Yoga instructors are the perfect ambassadors on how to live a healthy and positive lifestyles that consists of healthy diet and daily routines. This is something that they’ll be able to pass onto your kids. In an age of celebrities obsessed lifestyle, our kids will benefit greatly for having positive role models that they can related to.

3. Strengthens the Mind-Body connection
   Kids today have so much energy to burn that it’s often very hard to get them to have a quiet moment and calm their mind. Yoga’s natural calming effects teaches kids how to be still. This helps them to listen with attention and make better decisions with clear, uncluttered minds. Take time out from your busy schedule to have at least one Yoga session a week with your kids to start instilling some peacefulness in your family life. For more relaxed outdoor options, consider practising Yoga positions together in a park or by the beach.

4. A positive non-competitive kids activity
   Some kids simply do not enjoy competitive sports. This is particularly true for extremely shy kids that still lack in confidence and those that are not strong in their physical built. For these kids, paying in a competitive sport can be very overwhelming for both their mind and body. Yoga is a slow paced activity that kids of any physical level will be able to enjoy and appreciate. As most Yoga classes repeat the same set of Yoga poses week after week, kids will feel less overwhelmed in that they’ll be able to take their time to learn each pose properly and see their progression over time.

5. It’s fun and creative!
   Each Yoga pose has an origin and interesting meaning behind it. Sign your kids up to a Yoga class that specialises in teaching children. Yoga classes for young children often incorporate games and activities that helps to tell the story of each Yoga pose to make it more fun and enjoyable. As young kids advance in their Yoga class, they’ll be able to carry on the knowledge to continuously get enjoyment out of each class.

If you’re ready for your kids to start practising their Savasana, then start researching on local Yoga centres and fitness centres on our ActiveActivities directory that run speciliased Yoga classes for young children.