8 BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR CHILDREN

Millennials are subject to numerous stressors while growing up in this globalized world. They are surrounded by gadgets, social media, and confronted with pressures from society due to increased competition in multiple aspects of life. It is believed that children and young people need to listen inward to their bodies, feelings, and ideas. Yoga does contribute to healthy development and good mental health, helping to improve the attention, self-esteem, self-regulation, and empowerment.

Talking about yoga this day, it has become quite mainstream for adults but have we ever thought of sharing the same practice with children? It benefits them and nourishes them way more as compared to adults. Some of the benefits that they get by practicing yoga are:

1. Yoga teaches self-acceptance:

Self-acceptance is something that every individual need to learn. Kids practicing yoga and learning to accept and cherish themselves at this early age helps them ease their lives and become optimistic every day. Given the competitive nature of the world out there, yoga teaches them to love themselves. Taught young, this incredibly valued lessons arms kids with the tools to fight against the growing feelings of self-doubt that comes during their teen years and beyond.

2. Yoga encourages healthy habits:

Kids are easy to pick up on patterns in the early stage. Any exercise program which is initialized in childhood helps kids to remain mentally and physically active. However, yoga does not only keep them healthy but also promotes healthy eating habits and the ability to calm oneself down and focus on things around them.

3. Yoga is non-competitive:

In today’s generation, there is fast-paced competition among everyone, and we are always talking about being the best amongst all and achieving the most. Where yoga teaches kids that their bodies are different, and different bodies do different things, and all of them are okay. Everyone is just exploring their bodies and learning from them in their unique way. So, it is for every different body. This learning discourages the impetus of being competitive on all fronts.

4. Developing the art of tolerance through Yoga:

Yoga teaches acceptance and understanding of others. While starting with the new yoga practice, kids learn that all living beings are to be respected and cherished in the way they are. This helps to create more peaceful local communities and a peaceful world in the future.

5. Yoga teaches calming techniques:

Young kids deal with frustration mostly by crying or throwing tantrums. When they learn proper, healthy Yoga techniques and tools to focus their minds, they find a better way to vent out. They even apply those tools in their day to day lives and react accordingly in a very appropriate manner to any of the situations. Adults improve these things in them after practicing yoga, so if a child learns this, we cannot even wonder how mature and healthy life they will lead.

6. It helps increase focus:

We live in a world of distractions. It’s difficult for young minds to be able to focus on anything for an appropriate length of time. Yoga can be helpful here. It teaches kids to be present and to concentrate and focus on things that are crucial to them. They learn to focus on the pose by learning body alignment. Also, this helps them learn to focus on their bodies and how they function.

7. Teaches you about self-awareness:

While practicing yoga, kids get to know more about their bodies and their functionalities and their capabilities. They learn more about their minds and how they can affect their attitude and different approaches to life, and also the perspective of people around them. They learn that they can achieve things through their thinking process and the importance of choice of reaction to any of the situations that they come across. This awareness of the body, mind, and spirit together, helps them evolve themselves into a better individual and develop more confidence and become responsible for things.

8. Yoga helps you to stay mentally optimistic:

Yoga helps in teaching the kids how to accept themselves, love themselves, be aware of their mind and body, stay confident, active, and responsible. This also helps them to be optimistic about their lives and abilities, and they will be less likely to succumb to anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental health issues. Yoga teaches them that relaxation is not only allowed, but it is encouraged.

Children are natural yogis, and adults have to learn a lot from the way they receive yoga. If we can lead our kids to practice yoga, they won’t be just privileged enough to gain the benefits, but also, they will enjoy this process immensely. Manav Yoga believes in the immense powers of Yoga and highly encourage that kids commence their journey early in their childhood. With an experience of over a decade, Sumit Manav has a wide experience in teaching Yoga to adults and kids. We have custom made private yoga sessions which can be tailored as per the need for your kids. Get in touch with us to start your kid’s yoga journey.