History of Yoga for Kids

Yoga is a way for kids to exercise, learn about discipline and other values, build body awareness and have fun. While yoga is an ancient tradition, yoga for kids did not really become popular until the 1990s. After the publication of several kids' yoga books, kids' yoga classes grew. By the time the Yoga Alliance set a standard for kids' yoga teacher training, it had become commonplace in schools and yoga studios.

Origin

Since its ancient origins, yoga instruction began as early as age 8, but rarely for younger children. Yoga is an ancient tradition from India that helps individuals expand their level of consciousness until, ultimately, they reach a point of union with the divine source of all life. Yoga details an eightfold practice for achieving this union, starting with the first four steps, which comprise physical, or hatha, yoga. These first four steps, including postures, breathing exercises and teachings on how to conduct oneself, comprise most children's yoga classes.

Children's Yoga in the West

When yoga came to the Western world in the early 1900s, it was presented as a practice for adults. As this ancient system grew in popularity, more people began to realize its benefits and wanted to pass them on to their children. At first, children's yoga in the West was highly diverse and without a unifying theory as it was developed independently and spontaneously by parents and teachers who practiced yoga themselves.

Fly Like a Butterfly

In 1999, Shakta Kaur Khalsa published the book "Fly Like a Butterfly," which outlines how to teach a children's yoga class. It is written in simple, plain language and gives illustrated imaginative instructions for poses performed by children. The book quickly became popular and was followed by other titles such as "Yoga Kids" by Marsha Wenig in 2003, and "The Kids Yoga Deck" in 2006. The titles and other similar ones provided a reference for children's yoga instructors and helped standardize children's yoga classes.

Yoga Alliance Standards

In 2010, Yoga Alliance, the main standard-setting organization for yoga in the West, officially outlined guidelines for certified children's yoga teacher training. The standards define specialized training for instructors who want to teach yoga to children ages 2 to 15. It includes special requirements for training in anatomy and physiology, philosophy, teaching methodology and the relationship between the yoga teacher and the child's parent. With the new requirements, high-quality children's yoga instruction is better defined and more readily available.