Go With the Flow: Yoga and Kids
by Rachel Bucci, Mid Valley Moms (Gannett News)
It’s estimated that nearly 16 million adults practice yoga in the United States, enjoying well-documented benefits such as improved energy levels, better stress management, and higher levels of self-esteem. Eager to share these positive outcomes, many parents who practice yoga (and even those who don’t) are encouraging their children to explore this ancient Eastern form as a way to enhance emotional well-being and physical health.
Dr. Chris Koutures, a pediatrician in Anaheim Hills, Calif. and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness, says he’s definitely seen a growing interest in yoga among the families he serves. “A lot of kids see their parents or older siblings doing yoga and they want to give it a try. I think it’s a great way to get kids active and create positive body awareness,” he says. “For young athletes it can help develop flexibility, balance and body sense; for kids who don’t exercise it’s a non-threatening, low impact way to build those skills. It’s a really great fit for a comprehensive fitness program.”
In addition to physical benefits, studies show that kids who practice yoga reap a variety of emotional benefits – from an improved ability to manage emotions and self-calm, to lower rates of depression and eating disorders. Kids who do yoga even make better food choices. And let’s face it – these are all pressing concerns as our kids lives become more and more harried.
While yoga has its roots in Eastern philosophy dating back thousands of years, today in the West, yoga is primarily practiced as a series of poses (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) that work to improve physical and emotional well-being, and create a greater mind-body connection. For Jane Anne Tager, an Asheville, North Carolina-based yoga teacher and mother of three, yoga’s documented therapeutic effects on health issues such as asthma and ADHD, are what drew her to teaching yoga 10 years ago.
“My youngest child, Sophia, developed asthma when she was three. After she was hospitalized I did some research and learned how yoga and learning different breath patterns can help with asthma. I went to New York and trained with Marcia Wenig [creator of YogaKids] and came back to teach,” she says.
What Tager saw back in the studio was that the same breath awareness that helped her daughter manage bouts of asthma helped other kids with all sorts of things: anxiety about tests, difficulty sleeping, managing anger and fearful situations, reflecting on their day or simply learning to let go when something was bothering them. She says, “One mother told me her son used to be scared of the dentist, but used his yoga breath and was able to cope.”
Yoga practice for children is quite different than yoga for adults. When Eastern yogis developed asanas, or poses, thousands of years ago, they lived close to nature and drew inspiration from the natural world (think: downward dog, cow, cobra, fish or tree pose). Today, kids enthusiastically imitate the movements and sounds of nature, using their imaginations to take on the qualities of animals, trees, flowers, and warriors. Structured programs like YogaKids usually combine these poses and breathing exercises with storytelling, games, music, language, and other arts.
Tager says that younger children really respond to this creative, “whole child” approach to yoga. “In my classes we act out stories through poses – either ones they know or ones we make up. I call this storybook yoga,” she says. “We also do what I call an ‘I Can Do It Circle’ – I teach a pose in a circle and then each child gets an opportunity to be the teacher and teach a pose to the other children.”
For older kids and teens Tager provides more of a challenge. “They love balance and strength-building posses, inverting with headstands, handstands and shoulder stands – and these are all great for increasing body awareness and building confidence.”
As far as determining when a child is ready to take a yoga class, Tager says it really depends on the child. “Some four year olds aren’t ready, while there may be a three year old who has been practicing with a parent at home. As far as participation goes, I don’t mind if a child comes and watches, participating now and again. As long as they aren’t disrupting, they are welcome in the room and can jump in when they are ready.”
Tager enthusiastically encourages parents to participate along with their children, either in a regular kid’s class or in a family yoga class. “I love it when parents participate; it’s great for trust building and partnering – helping each other out. Kids get very excited when they can do something their parent can’t do…there is lots of laughter and fun,” she says.
While some yoga poses can be physically challenging, at its core yoga is non-competitive. This is something that can benefit kids who are used to participating in competitive sports as well as those who may have shied away from sports for this very reason. Tager says “Working with a group of kids together develops a lot of intimacy and camaraderie. I had a boy in one class who was autistic – he couldn’t touch his toes to begin with, but gained a little bit of flexibility every week. When he finally touched his toes, the whole class cheered. They had all been supporting him along the way. He was so proud and excited. Doing yoga together really builds self esteem and opens kids up to the possibilities.”
Tager sees one of yoga’s most empowering benefits as giving children permission to simply slow down and reflect. “I see that kids are big on multi-tasking. They’re on the phone, IM’ing a friend and doing homework all at once. Unfortunately, there are many kids who have difficulty or who are uncomfortable just doing one thing in the present moment. At the end of class we practice chavasana (corpse pose) and they just lay down and do nothing for 5 or 10 minutes…something they often don’t have permission to do. For me as a yoga teacher, I’m hoping I can teach kids that it’s ok to do one thing and find peace doing it.”
by Rachel Bucci, Mid Valley Moms (Gannett News)
It’s estimated that nearly 16 million adults practice yoga in the United States, enjoying well-documented benefits such as improved energy levels, better stress management, and higher levels of self-esteem. Eager to share these positive outcomes, many parents who practice yoga (and even those who don’t) are encouraging their children to explore this ancient Eastern form as a way to enhance emotional well-being and physical health.
Dr. Chris Koutures, a pediatrician in Anaheim Hills, Calif. and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness, says he’s definitely seen a growing interest in yoga among the families he serves. “A lot of kids see their parents or older siblings doing yoga and they want to give it a try. I think it’s a great way to get kids active and create positive body awareness,” he says. “For young athletes it can help develop flexibility, balance and body sense; for kids who don’t exercise it’s a non-threatening, low impact way to build those skills. It’s a really great fit for a comprehensive fitness program.”
In addition to physical benefits, studies show that kids who practice yoga reap a variety of emotional benefits – from an improved ability to manage emotions and self-calm, to lower rates of depression and eating disorders. Kids who do yoga even make better food choices. And let’s face it – these are all pressing concerns as our kids lives become more and more harried.
While yoga has its roots in Eastern philosophy dating back thousands of years, today in the West, yoga is primarily practiced as a series of poses (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) that work to improve physical and emotional well-being, and create a greater mind-body connection. For Jane Anne Tager, an Asheville, North Carolina-based yoga teacher and mother of three, yoga’s documented therapeutic effects on health issues such as asthma and ADHD, are what drew her to teaching yoga 10 years ago.
“My youngest child, Sophia, developed asthma when she was three. After she was hospitalized I did some research and learned how yoga and learning different breath patterns can help with asthma. I went to New York and trained with Marcia Wenig [creator of YogaKids] and came back to teach,” she says.
What Tager saw back in the studio was that the same breath awareness that helped her daughter manage bouts of asthma helped other kids with all sorts of things: anxiety about tests, difficulty sleeping, managing anger and fearful situations, reflecting on their day or simply learning to let go when something was bothering them. She says, “One mother told me her son used to be scared of the dentist, but used his yoga breath and was able to cope.”
Yoga practice for children is quite different than yoga for adults. When Eastern yogis developed asanas, or poses, thousands of years ago, they lived close to nature and drew inspiration from the natural world (think: downward dog, cow, cobra, fish or tree pose). Today, kids enthusiastically imitate the movements and sounds of nature, using their imaginations to take on the qualities of animals, trees, flowers, and warriors. Structured programs like YogaKids usually combine these poses and breathing exercises with storytelling, games, music, language, and other arts.
Tager says that younger children really respond to this creative, “whole child” approach to yoga. “In my classes we act out stories through poses – either ones they know or ones we make up. I call this storybook yoga,” she says. “We also do what I call an ‘I Can Do It Circle’ – I teach a pose in a circle and then each child gets an opportunity to be the teacher and teach a pose to the other children.”
For older kids and teens Tager provides more of a challenge. “They love balance and strength-building posses, inverting with headstands, handstands and shoulder stands – and these are all great for increasing body awareness and building confidence.”
As far as determining when a child is ready to take a yoga class, Tager says it really depends on the child. “Some four year olds aren’t ready, while there may be a three year old who has been practicing with a parent at home. As far as participation goes, I don’t mind if a child comes and watches, participating now and again. As long as they aren’t disrupting, they are welcome in the room and can jump in when they are ready.”
Tager enthusiastically encourages parents to participate along with their children, either in a regular kid’s class or in a family yoga class. “I love it when parents participate; it’s great for trust building and partnering – helping each other out. Kids get very excited when they can do something their parent can’t do…there is lots of laughter and fun,” she says.
While some yoga poses can be physically challenging, at its core yoga is non-competitive. This is something that can benefit kids who are used to participating in competitive sports as well as those who may have shied away from sports for this very reason. Tager says “Working with a group of kids together develops a lot of intimacy and camaraderie. I had a boy in one class who was autistic – he couldn’t touch his toes to begin with, but gained a little bit of flexibility every week. When he finally touched his toes, the whole class cheered. They had all been supporting him along the way. He was so proud and excited. Doing yoga together really builds self esteem and opens kids up to the possibilities.”
Tager sees one of yoga’s most empowering benefits as giving children permission to simply slow down and reflect. “I see that kids are big on multi-tasking. They’re on the phone, IM’ing a friend and doing homework all at once. Unfortunately, there are many kids who have difficulty or who are uncomfortable just doing one thing in the present moment. At the end of class we practice chavasana (corpse pose) and they just lay down and do nothing for 5 or 10 minutes…something they often don’t have permission to do. For me as a yoga teacher, I’m hoping I can teach kids that it’s ok to do one thing and find peace doing it.”