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Why Kids Love Yoga
By Dr. Margaret Savastano
When my 6-year-old niece came to visit me last week, she enthusiastically
demonstrated the yoga poses she had just learned in school. It made
me realize how popular yoga has become in our culture. More kids than
ever are trying yoga, the ancient practice of uniting mind and body
through postures and breathing exercises. Yoga is taught in many schools
and it is not uncommon to find yoga studios offering classes to kids
and families.
It's no wonder that more and more kids are doing yoga and actually loving
it. They have fun with the postures with such names as the Lion, Camel,
Downward Facing Dog, Fish, Tree, Eagle and many more. They feel themselves
become stronger and more flexible. They learn to use the breath to help
calm their mind and body and they do not have the pressure of competition
found when doing sports. They can be themselves, comfortably.
Marsha Wenig, creator of the YogaKids video, says, "Yoga has gotten
more mainstream, so parents are more comfortable encouraging it. The
number of kids doing yoga has taken a leap and keeps expanding."
Wenig has recently trained hundreds of instructors to teach yoga to
children. She makes it simple, easy to understand and fun to do.
So what is it that attracts kids to yoga? Well, for one thing, they
see actors, sports figures and music stars practicing yoga and reaping
the many benefits. They may also see yoga on popular television shows
and in commercials.
Many parents who practice yoga want to share it with their children.
I know of several couples who have introduced their children to yoga
at ages 2 and 3. These children are very well adjusted and, without
intellectualizing, realize the benefits of yoga. They know that when
faced with a difficult situation, perhaps involving anger or fear, they
can use their breath to help calm themselves. They know that doing the
postures makes their body feel better. It's that simple, yet that powerful.
Yoga also provides a great opportunity for parent and child to connect.
"When you practice yoga with your child, you can't help but deepen
the bond that exists between the two of you," says Leela Lipscombe,
co-owner of the Body Mind Spirit yoga center in Charlottesville, Va.
There are many resources worth checking out if you are interested in
yoga for your children or for the whole family. Many yoga studios offer
family classes or will provide them upon request. There are centers
around the country offering family yoga retreats. These include: Kripalu
Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Mass., (800-741-7353, www.kripalu.org);
Ananda Seclusion Retreat in Nevada City, CA (530-292-3004, www.ananda.org);
Sivananda Ashram in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York (914-436-6492,
www.sivananda.org) and the Omega Institute (800-944-101, www.eomega.org).
The YogaKids video is a great place to start a yoga practice for preschool
and elementary school age children.
Also,
the following books may also be helpful:
Yoga for Children by Mary Stewart and Kathy Phillips
I Can't Believe It's Yoga for Kids! by Lisa Trivell.
I can think of no gift better than peace of mind for a parent to give
a child. Introducing your child to yoga has the potential to bear this
gift.
Namaste,
Dr. Margaret Savastano
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