Yoga calms the body, emotion and mind. This helps children!
Theresa, CSMC, IACT (USA)
14 January 2007
Thinking of sending your children for yoga classes? Here are some of the advantages that they will experience:-
1)Their mental focus improves – This is especially important for hyperactive kids who can’t sit for even 10minutes at a stretch! School teachers would be much relieved if they could teach in a class where the kids are sitting down attentively.
2)When there is much discord in the family environment, children are able to pick up the angry or conflicting vibrations and can suffer physical symptoms such as stomach pains or headaches. Deep yoga relaxation helps relieve ‘tension’ pains. Also, learning to just ‘be’ increases their ‘happy index.’
3)Reduce stress – With all the media bombardment and societal pressure on children, their stress level can be rather high. They can’t usually explain that they are stressed but may actually ‘act out’ and be reprimanded for having ‘an attitude problem’ instead!
4)Phobia and anxiety – the yoga breathing techniques can be very therapeutic for the nervous system. It should not be relied upon as an instant cure, but much is known about how conscious breathing learnt in yoga classes slows down the heart rate and blood pressure, and is soothing to the body, emotion, and mind, thus helpful to alleviating phobic and anxious symptoms.
5)Children are not spared tragic moments such as the loss of loved ones or natural calamities. Yoga helps strengthen the mind and builds inner resilience, and thus can be a strong foundation which supports a child’s mental and emotional wellbeing during moments of grief.
