Yoga for Children

 

  Yoga for Children

Importance

Yoga is essential for everyone's life since it helps to balance the body-mind connection. Yoga is also important for children, because it has been found to boost their physical health. It is a type of exercise that allows for the development of physical and mental discipline via daily practice. Yoga for kids is becoming increasingly popular as a way to relax the mind and promote safety and well-being. Despite little but growing studies demonstrating the benefits of yoga for children and adolescents, dedicated yoga services are being developed for children and adolescents in classrooms. This growing understanding of yoga's potential advantages for children.

 

Techniques of Yoga 

The technique should be fun, lively, imaginative, and appealing to the child's ingenuity. You might achieve this by using songs and weaving through various stories the many lovely Yoga poses of animals and artefacts based on nature. Appropriate music and a few simple props are often helpful. Playing to Meditation (e.g., tree root cutting, animal visions, or experiencing ears) Slithering cobra snakes down a dog pipe, sculptures, abstract body shapes, outings to a farm or aquarium, alphabet yoga, or buddy yoga are examples of activities. Yoga typically goes well with activities or dances. 

Fun ways to practice diaphragmatic breathing include blowing a bubble full of air and then emptying it, or seeing the chest rise and fall like ocean waves. Cleaning breath, which completely empties the lungs and lengthens the exhale, is beneficial to asthmatic youngsters in general. Premeditative tactics that help strengthen concentration and concentration can be extended to youngsters as young as four years old by alternating movement. It is great to explore the object with all senses first with children &then see it from behind the closed eyes.

 Yoga on Children Minds

 Yoga practice that is effective has a big impact on kids. Yoga shapes young minds and bodies from an early age, providing opportunities to develop and support children in becoming healthy, imaginative, and confident persons with a strong sense of who they are in relation to the universe. It promotes self-esteem, attention, and body understanding, as well as the ability to easily manoeuvre through life's problems. In terms of mental health, yoga improves equilibrium, stimulates brain growth, and focuses attention on the brain.

Children are continuously overstimulated, overwhelmed with tension and the urge to succeed in a world awash in information. Yoga is a fantastic life resource that teaches individuals how to release tension and get their bodies back in shape using somatic methods. With early research indicating that young adults are the most nervous age group in the United States, learning simple and entertaining stress-reduction tactics when you're young is a terrific approach to avoid future breakdowns and anxiety or depressive illnesses. Yoga increases energy, confidence, and stamina, allowing a healthy body to absorb nutrients more effectively, relax more easily, and withstand stress. Yoga practice can assist children control their behavior and improve their mental health and attention. Some benefits are

1.     It can be a useful relaxing approach for children. Focus, concentration, and relaxation can all be improved with a simple exercise of examining their breathing pattern.

2.     It can assist them in developing a good body image and giving them control over their flexibility and agility.

3.Asanas such as Suryanamaskar help individuals to balance their bodies, which serves as a contemplative stance for them.

4. Maintaining focus in order to maintain a specific posture is especially beneficial for children as they begin to develop self-control.

5.The various Pranayamas prescribe channelled breathing patterns that increase immunity and energise the body. This shields kids from upper respiratory infections, which have become a common problem among today's children.

6.     Some asanas greatly improve core strength, hence resolving postural issues.

7.     Some yoga postures are specifically developed to fulfil the therapeutic requirements of children with autism spectrum disorders.

 

Physiological Importance of Yoga for Children

1.  It promotes circulation, which is necessary for the body's optimal functioning.
2.  It nourishes and activates the endocrine gland, which controls growth and development.
3.   It aids in the establishment of a simple and regular menstrual cycle.
4.    It improves both physical and mental performance.
5.   It improves body endurance by strengthening the neurological system. 
6.     It aids in the development of self-control and self-discipline in the youngster, making him or her less prone to outbursts of irrational conduct.
7.  It controls aggressive behaviour by regulating the adrenal glands.
8.  It corrects brooding behaviour in girls by regulating pineal and pituitary  processes. It prevents sluggishness.
9. It boosts self-esteem. 
10.  It helps to develop ethical and moral character.

 Some important yogaasana for kids

1.     Adho Mukhasvanasana – The Dog Pose

This position resembles that of a dog stretching. In an inverted 'U' position, the weight is balanced on the legs and the hand. The child is advised to tuck his toes inside, elevate his hips as high as possible, and push his chest far inside in this position. The head that is dangling inwards is stretched. This asana is especially beneficial for youngsters in terms of boosting blood circulation to the extremities. It's also a good stretching practise for strengthening flexibility so you can undertake more difficult yogic poses. Regular practise also improves the capacity to balance the centre of the body.

 

2.     Vrikshasana – The Tree Pose

 

 As the name implies, this yoga position resembles a tree. The youngster is made to stand on one leg and then fold the knee of the other leg over the thigh of the leg that is being used to balance the body's weight. In the 'namaskar' pose, the arms are stretched out and the hands are folded. For a few minutes, the child supports his weight on one leg, then switches to the other leg. This asana can only be perfected with practise and may take a few tries. Concentration is usually recommended because only focusing can assist in balancing the weight of the body on one leg. This is an activity that kids are sure to appreciate and have a good time with.

3.     Virabhadrasana I – Warrior Pose I

Yogasana's warrior position improves body balance and core strength in children. It is especially beneficial to children in developing a positive view of their own physique and so enhancing their self- confidence. It helps to relieve discomfort in the chest, ankles, knees, and arms. The child is first made to stand with his legs wide apart and his arms extended out at shoulder length in this position. The right knee is then gradually bent in the forward direction by rotating the right foot to face outwards. The left knee must be straight, and the position must be maintained for roughly a minute with normal breathing.

4.     Tadasana – The Mountain Pose

 

This is a basic yoga pose that can serve as an excellent foundation for more advanced asanas. The infant is first made to stand in an erect stance with both legs close to each other in this posture. To partake in the namaskar gesture, the hands are lifted above the head. The asana is a true test of a child's stamina and balancing skills. This asana helps children maintain a good posture. Children frequently bend over in class and during study periods, putting a lot of strain on their spine. Incorrect posture in youngsters leads to pain and other discomforts later in life. This yogasana is quite beneficial in resolving postural difficulties.

5.     Uttanasana – The Rag Doll Pose

This asana is part of the suryanamaskar exercise and so serves as a nice warm-up for children before moving on to the more difficult version. The child raises his hand over his head and then bends over as straight as possible to touch his feet in this asana. It's important not to bend your knees while doing this. If the youngster is unable to fully touch the feet, he or she is urged to catch the reachable area of the leg. Stretching the hamstrings is a great benefit of this exercise. The hamstring is a vital leg muscle that must be flexible in order to maintain agility. The muscles extend significantly as a result of practising this asana, making it less prone to injury.

6.     Baddha Konasana – The Butterfly Pose

 

 Because it imitates the motion of a butterfly, the name of this asana can be particularly fascinating for children. The youngster is made to sit on a flat surface with legs stretched in front to practise this asana. The knees are then turned inward and parallel to the floor, causing the soles of the feet to meet. The soles are then tightly grasped in the hands, and the knees are flapped up and down like butterfly wings. This asana is great for flexing and strengthening the inner thigh muscles. In the long run, it forms the thigh muscles and promotes a very erect posture.

 

7.     Pranayama – Breathing Exercises

 Pranayama is an important part of yogasana and has numerous health advantages. These exercises, which modify the breathing pattern, have relaxing benefits on the body and promote self-awareness levels, as the name implies. Breathing patterns alter over life, and the appropriate kind of energizing breathing practices are sometimes forgotten. Children who practice these breathing techniques are better equipped to confront the world with more calmness, clarity, and attention. Pranayama includes a variety of breathing methods, some of which can be taught to children and practiced on a regular basis. By lowering the bovine's allergic reactions, this also keeps upper respiratory diseases at bay.

 Conclusion

 Yoga exercises for children must be taught in a creative and enjoyable manner to the children. Unlike adults, children learn better when they are taught via imaginative pretend play. By asking kids to stretch their hands to reach for the stars and then catching them to smear it on their thighs, a simple posture of bending over and touching their legs may be taught in a pleasant way. This not only helps kids learn it quickly, but it also motivates them to practice it every day until it becomes second nature to them. Another intriguing aspect of teaching yoga poses to children is that they prefer to do so in a group setting. As a team, it may be a fantastic method to inspire kids to play and learn. Stretching and bending can warm them up for a week of hard work as a weekend fun activity with their friends or other yoga- practicing adults in the family. Because people are becoming more aware of the benefits of yoga, family yoga programmer are becoming more popular. The younger generation, who will shape the world's future, must be sheltered from all of technology's negative implications. The only way to avoid this problem is to go back to the roots, and there is no better approach than yoga.

Author

Dr. Rajveer sason