Developing Kids with Yoga and Health Benefits of Yoga for Kids

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj or "connect." 

Now, you must be thinking - what exactly are we connecting? 

The body, the mind, and the breath—via yoga poses, stretches, meditation, present moment awareness, mindful movement, and mindful breathing techniques. 

It's more like a total body wellness tool. Yoga practices can be designed to target specific issues, from anxiety to sleep problems, poor posture. It can also help in digestion troubles to building strength, flexibility, coordination, and core balance.

So, are the benefits of yoga the same for kids and adults?

Teaching yoga to kids was designed so that parents and children can explore yoga together, and kids might find a better sense of self-awareness at a young age. - [Learn more about teaching 'Kids’ Yoga by Age']

Through yoga, kids play and explore how amazing the body is and what it can do, boosting confidence, self-image, and self-awareness.

Children who practice yoga enjoy the same benefits as adults. Yoga is a tool for kids that supports children's physical, sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social development. 

How? - I'll explain shortly. First, take a look at some crucial health benefits of yoga for kids. 

Ten Health Benefits of Yoga for Kids

Take a look at some health benefits of yoga for kids: 

1. Improves posture
2. Improves blood circulation
3. Improved mental well-being
4. Increased mind-body awareness 
5. Improved focus and concentration 
6. Increases flexibility, strength, and muscle tone 
7. Improves sleeping patterns, especially in teens
8. Reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression 
9. Increases mobility, stability, coordination, and balance 
10. Increased confidence, self-esteem, and self-acceptance 

How Developing Kids Body Changes with Yoga? 

Following are the detailed highlights you will notice in your kids' health once they start practicing yoga daily. 

1. Physical Development 

 Yoga supports rapid growth and body changes and achieves appropriate physical developmental milestones in children by improving and supporting several areas: 

• Tall Posture 
• Improved sleep
• Bilateral integration
• Boost in confidence 
• Core tone, stability, and strength 
• Fine and gross motor skills, balance, coordination, flexibility, and mobility 

2. Sensory Development

Sensory development supports the ability to see, smell, touch, taste, move, and balance. The brain's ability to appropriately interpret input from the sensory systems is called sensory processing.

Yoga stimulates the senses and provides input to promote the following: 

• Body awareness 
• Spatial awareness 
• Speech development and oral processing (lip closure and tongue positioning in specific breathing techniques) 
• A balance of sensory input to organize and relax the nervous system and modulate arousal levels in children who have delayed, immature, or clinically diagnosed sensory processing disorders

3. Cognitive Development

The vital skills listed below are utilized in yoga and support children's cognitive development: 

• Enhances mental function 
• Activates motor planning 
• Enhances bilateral movement
• Develops mind-body connection 
• Builds ability to follow directions 
• Builds ability to focus, learn, and concentrate 
• Enhances body awareness and spatial orientation 
• Develops language processing and communication skills 
• Enhances present-moment awareness and mindfulness skills 

4. Emotional and Social Development

Learning how to manage and express emotions—both big and small—is an important skill to help children navigate life's ups and downs. 

It is equally essential for them to learn to connect with others in a supportive and rewarding way. 

Here's what yoga can do to help support your child's emotional and social development:

• Develops a self-regulation skill set, or the ability to regulate moods, emotions, reactions, and responses.
• It gives your child the ability to shift from reflexive to reflective behavioral patterns.
• Provides your child with the ability to self-soothe by learning breathing, meditation, and relaxation skills; reduces feelings of stress and anxiety.
• Teaches kids how to practice compassion and mindfulness with self and others.
• Develops communication and leadership skills Support appropriate social interaction.
• Encourages teamwork, cooperation, and the ability to participate in a group setting.

The Key Takeaway

Now we've seen that yoga is an essential tool that supports learning and development in children, but how do we get children interested in yoga?

So, for this, always remember - "Teaching yoga to kids is very different from teaching yoga to adults." Therefore, be more creative while planning a yoga session for kids. - [Learn more about 'Hocus Pocus, I Can Focus : Yoga for Kids']

Thus, yoga must be presented in a fun and engaging way so that children want to play yoga. 

Kids' yoga can often be loud and silly, barely resembling an adult yoga class. And that's the point! 

Kids are not miniature adults, so why should a kids' yoga class be a mini version of an adult yoga class? 

Creating a yoga theme and renaming classic yoga postures from one class to the next captures your child’s imagination, allowing her to experience yoga as a fun journey while flexing and expanding her mind and imagination as much as her body.

However, remember that presence and connection are the heart of yoga, so let go of the deep educational concepts of teaching your child - jump right in, have fun, share fantasy stories, create memories, and enjoy yoga adventures with the child.

All the best & have a happy yoga practice!