The yoga explosion has trickled down to kids. Many parents whose lives have been improved by yoga want their kids to have the same benefits. Plus, a calmer, more centered child offers many advantages to parents. While more studios and recreation centers now offer kids' yoga classes, online classes for kids are a convenient development.
Benefits
Games and sports in school are likely to be competitive. Exposing children to yoga introduces them to a non-competitive exercise. Whether they're athletic or not, kids of all fitness levels and abilities can improve their strength, balance and ability to calm themselves. Yoga can help kids with learning or other disabilities.
Yoga Poses
Many videos are available online for adults and children. Kids have a shorter attention span, so doing yoga along with a video for five or 10 minutes might be plenty. You can make it a family activity by doing poses along with your kids. Classes catering to children often include storytelling, yoga games and more animated poses, such as hopping tree and hissing cobra.
Yoga Ethics and Lifestyle
In addition to the poses, children can learn about ethics and virtues from yoga. Susan Kramer's website includes not just instructions for poses, but lists of virtues and essays about how children can develop them in their lives. Her list of ways to be happy features such ideas as graciousness, clear thinking, empathy and duty.
Products for Kids
Along with the proliferation of yoga classes for kids comes the yoga products. Carolyn Clarke, who owns San Diego's YogaKids and Youthful Yoga, has started an online company called Red Yoga Mat. She sells specially picked kid-friendly yoga products. Children can get extra small mats, CDs of yoga music made to appeal to them, and yoga class DVDs.
Getting Started
If you are a seasoned yogi and parent, you might want to initially pick some online videos and do the poses alongside your child. Make sure that there's space to move and that your child is wearing comfortable yoga clothes. Also be sure that your computer is out of harm's way in case your kid gets too exuberant with the yoga or falls out of a pose. Be encouraging and have fun.
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