Yoga for children has become an effective and fun tool that gives children the ability to calm down, focus, work as a team and follow instructions. It is important to keep in mind that yoga is the integration of the mind, body and spirit. For this reason, sharing a yoga practice with the little ones at home is a blessed experience. Yoga teaches them through games and dynamics that we all have. We are teachers who trust in ourselves and make wise decisions.
Yoga offers us some relevant methodologies such as mantras, asanas and meditation that will allow the child without seeking perfection, to develop their concentration, their sense of rhythm and listen to their voice. Music and practice are essential elements in the development of expression; a means to focus attention, stimulate sensitivity, imagination and creativity.
In the practice of yoga, you can use activities focused on fine-tuning sensory perception, which includes the following:
- Games With Smell: Identify different fragrances with closed eyes.
- Games With Taste: Recognize flavours, textures.
- Games With the Touch: Experiencing sensations.
- Games With the Ear: Recognitions of voices and sounds.
- Games With the View: Perceive details in focus and blur.
Children need to explore their environment; in that way, they can prosper harmoniously and appreciate everything around them as well as distinguish the good from the bad. This knowledge is paramount in the practice of yoga fostering balance and human values between the outer world and the inner world.
For children to remain still for a long time with their eyes closed, sitting in one place for a long time and following directions are great challenges. It responds to a normal process of your nervous system since its tendency is constant movement and curiosity. In Yoga classes, it is conveniently possible to establish trust, discipline, respect, flexibility and the integration of all the participants. The teaching of yoga can be transcendental in the growth of children since they are at the moment of learning to feel the world and open themselves to it.
Some Strategies For The Development Of Yoga Practice With Children:
- Ignore negative attitudes and reinforce positive ones.
- Congratulate the children for the things they do.
- Take advantage of class opportunities to talk about the principles of yoga or human values.
- Encourage sharing with classmates.
- Take advantage of space and form strategies to interact.
- Share positive messages with children.
- Stimulate creativity and participation.
- If a child does not want to do an activity, do not force it and try to assign another activity or change strategy.
Yoga is supplemental for children’s education. It helps them prevent additions and hyperactivity, strengthens their attributes and stimulates awareness in their thoughts, words and actions.
“Yoga is transformative, it not only changes our way of seeing things,
but it also transforms the person we see.”
– B.K.S Iyengar