Yes
Say
Find Serenity, Strength, and Self-Confidence
to Yoga for Kids
and Families
By Sara Barry
I
f you think yoga is about flexibility, challenging poses,
and a Zen attitude, you’ve got part of it. Yoga has
physical and emotional benefits for people of all ages,
including children.
“Getting kids involved in yoga and meditation is a life-
long win for them. Both yoga and meditation teach kids
the benefits of fitness, but they are also valuable coping
skills that kids can key into during life's challenges,” says
yoga teacher Kerin Monaco.
12 | V O L U S I A parent M A G A Z I N E
Monaco started practicing yoga herself in high
school to combat crippling anxiety that cropped up
around SATs and college applications. She went on
to teach yoga and recently began to share yoga with
her young family. When her daughter was 9 months
old, Monaco started to practice with her on the mat,
where they both loved the peaceful energy that
yoga brings.
That peaceful energy is one of the key reasons adults
practice yoga, and that calm is great for kids too.
That’s not the only benefit though. Yoga teacher
Katy Dagle says that for younger kids, yoga builds
coordination, balance, and self-regulation. For older
kids, yoga continues to help with coordination and
balance and also helps build flexibility, strength,
and self-confidence. The emotional benefits can be
especially helpful in the challenging tween and
teen years.
In addition to these physical and emotional benefits,
yoga can help develop values, such as honesty and
nonviolence. These values are an integral part of yoga
that is often overlooked, but they can be an added
benefit to families practicing together.