Yoga for children is a form of yoga that is designed specifically for children. It includes poses to increase strength, flexibility, and coordination. Classes are intended to be fun and may include age-appropriate games, animal sounds and creative names for poses.
Yoga for children is also used in classrooms and educational settings. There are many benefits of a regular yoga practice for students, but there are also benefits for the classroom teachers as well. Karen Fabian of MindBodyGreen.com pointed out that "In a school setting, yoga can also benefit teachers by: Giving them an alternate way to handle challenges in the classroom, Giving them a healthy activity to integrate with lesson plans, Give them a way to blend exercise into their classes" (par. 6).
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Age groups
The program is designed for children of all ages. Yoga for small children incorporates fun yoga poses, games and songs. For older children the program becomes more active and new poses and games are introduced and breathing techniques are taught. This helps the children integrate the new skills of self-regulation and calmness into their lives.
Cat Cow Yoga Video
Health Benefits
The benefits for children are similar to those for adults. Emotional benefits include greater optimism and a less reactive nature. Mental benefits include increased focus, concentration and improvements in the quality of sleep, have been reported.
Academic performance has been noted to improve along with confidence in physical abilities. Yoga is used for the treatment of children with special needs. Yoga is used to aid conventional medical treatment.
Research suggests that yoga practice can protect boys from increases in negative behavior.
Physical benefits include increased flexibility, improved coordination and balance, and increased core and body strength. Mental benefits include stronger mind-body connection, increased self-esteem, better focus and concentration, and increased ability to relax and cope with stressful situations. Social/emotional benefits include more awareness of self and those around you and increased problem-solving and conflict-resolution strategies.
Critiques of Yoga in the Classroom
Although yoga has many health benefits some criticize the use of yoga in the classroom. The main criticism is that yoga has religious associations that concern parents. Visi Tilak (2013) of Parents.com shares the following common concerns addressed: "Although many adults like the benefits of yoga, some parents feel that the practice might have a religious association and, like prayer, shouldn't be allowed in a public space. They argue that yoga is an offshoot of Hinduism and that it disseminates religious and meditation principles with its use of "om" and "namaste" chanting. Some also believe that the asanas, or postures, such as the sun salutation, are a form of Hindu religious worship" (par. 1).
Since the benefits of using yoga in the classroom are great, many teachers avoid using the traditional Sanskrit pose names to avoid the religious association. Instead, they use generic terms that describe what your body is doing (such as cat, cow, tree, table, bridge, etc.)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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