A Calmer Child; Sign Me Up!

Well, strike a pose.  Not one of Madonna's in her early 90s hit "Strike a Pose," but a yoga pose.  That's what we did during a mini-yoga session this afternoon.  It seems like I may be on to something, because G started imitating the asanas and appeared to enjoy herself. 

At times (well most of the time) my personality doesn't allow for things to just be, so I decided to do some research and found a few intriguing things about kids and yoga.  For starters, the practice helps to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and calm a restless mind.  As adults, we can relate to the 101 to-dos we sometimes have bouncing in our minds.  Kids are naturally more active and affected by a host of external factors to include educational and social pressures.  Yoga helps them find a healthy balance amidst the hurriedness of life while improving on areas of concentration, self-confidence, and awareness. 

Here are a few examples of poses/asanas we worked on as well as some of the benefits you can expect. 

The Downward Dog helps decrease anxiety, strengthen the entire back, and increase full-body circulation among other positive benefits.



Downward Facing Dog








 

                                                          

The Wide Leg Forward Bend helps to strengthen the feet and leg muscles.  It also assists in calming the nervous system.

Modified Wide Leg Forward Bend








 









The Fish pose has many benefits.  It stretches the upper body (opens the lungs and bronchial tubes) --- a plus for Asthmatics -- and it invigorates the thyroid gland --- a plus for those needing to shed a few pounds.  

There are a lot of tips and recommendations for yoga beginners that can be easily found on the Internet.  However, I came across this topic on the LiveStrong site and thought it was a good beginning point for most.  The link to the article follows.  Kids Benefit from Yoga.