Yoga for Kids
By Kamila Schertel
Thousands of years ago, in India, people were practicing Yoga in jungles. They would watch other people, trees, animals, birds, snakes, fish, and insects very carefully, and they began to imitate with their bodies some of the things they saw in creation.
In this way, the ancient yogis designed the system of asanas to keep the body strong and flexible, to exercise the internal organs and glands, and to tone the nervous system. Asanas also improve circulation and relax the body and the mind. Asana (pronounced AH-sah-nah) is the Sanskrit word for the physical postures of yoga. Sanskrit is an ancient language of India. A lot of yoga terms come from Sanskrit.
When children imitate the movements and sounds of nature, they have a chance to get inside another being and imagine taking on its qualities. When they assume the pose of the lion (Simhasana) for example, they experience not only the power and behavior of the lion, but also their own sense of power. The physical movements introduce kids to yoga’s true meaning: union, expression, and honor for oneself and one’s part in the delicate web of life.
Yoga works on the whole body and is suitable for children of all ages and physical abilities. It promotes strength and flexibility, good coordination and posture. In our increasingly stressful and noisy lives, it teaches children how to relax, how to concentrate, how to be quiet and still. Above all, it is a gentle, noncompetitive form of exercise that all can enjoy.
There are four categories of poses to practice: seated, standing, lying down, and upside down. Within each category there are backward bends, twists, and forward bends. Each pose gives numerous benefits. There are so many different variations on poses to practice that you can never be bored in yoga!
Practicing yoga builds a strong foundation for children to grow from in order to become self-assured, clear-thinking, responsible people in the world. The poses strengthen and stretch the body, build coordination and skill, stimulate nerves and glands, and tone internal organs. This practice teaches flexibility of the mind and the body. Staying flexible mentally by opening the mind fosters positive thinking and motivation to learn new things. The balance poses enhance concentration skills, which require focus and clarity of the mind. These mental skills enable children to learn more easily both in school and outside of school. Yoga poses develop the strength, flexibility, and coordination skills that help to prevent injury during sports or other physical activities.
Most of the time you are doing yoga you will be breathing through your nose. By making the breath strong and being aware of it coming in and out, you relax and become fearless. In math it looks like this:
Strong breath + attention on your breath = No Fear!
Have you ever had a brain freeze? Your mind goes blank because you are feeling under pressure – during a performance, trying to come up with the right answer in class, or any other time. Sometimes it helps to just stop and take a deep breath to clear your mind.
Here’s how it works: breathing brings oxygen into your body. Your brain controls the chemicals that cause stress and relaxation. When you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body.