Children's flexibility seems to make them ideal yogis. If you seek to instruct children through a safe yoga workout, you have certification options available at various price ranges. As with any exercise program, caution must be used when training children. Their growing and changing bodies respond to yoga in a different way than an adult's body.
Experience
If you have a desire to teach yoga to children, previous yoga experience is required. Most certifications ask that you have a minimum of one year's time practicing yoga. This helps to ensure that your form will be correct when demonstrating the poses to children. Also, when the flow of the workout comes naturally, you will give more of your attention to your participants.
Time Frame
The time you dedicate to your yoga certification will vary depending on with which company you choose to train. If you have one day, YogaFit offers an 8-hour certification program to teach you how to modify yoga for children. If you have a weekend, Child Light Yoga's certification program takes place over 2 1/2 days. The course usually begins on a Friday evening and ends on a Sunday afternoon. You will learn how to develop a yoga class for children, receive a sample lesson plan, manual and music CD, learn how to market your classes.
If you are not in a rush to begin instructing, YogaKids requires a 4-day foundation training before you can enter their certification program. You will begin the certifying process by completing a home study course. YogaKids allows 4 to 6 months for you to complete the home study. After that, you will attend a 7-day workshop series designed to train you to teach yoga to children.
Affordability
The cost varies along with the time frame. For your one day, YogaFit workshop, expect to pay $309. The weekend, Child Light Yoga program will cost you $385. The cost of YogaKids certification is $2,650 and the company offers payment options.
Post-Certification
YogaKids has such an extensive requirement prior to and including your certification that once you complete the workshop you earn your certification. After your Child Light Yoga certification weekend, you are required to complete a take home examination and to instruct three children's yoga classes in your community. YogaFit does not have any post workshop requirements.
Considerations
The American Yoga Association does not recommend yoga for children under the age of 16. They believe that a child's nervous and glandular system's growth may be affected by the yoga poses. From a different perspective, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine reports that yoga has a positive effect on a child's sense of well-being. Children practicing yoga showed less negative behavior and handled stress better than those who did not participate in yoga. Use proper safety techniques when instructing yoga to children and receive their medical clearance before allowing them to participate in a yoga workout
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