Benefits Of Yoga For Kids

Yoga for kids promises them sound mental as well as physical health. Children can practice this science of well being even as a way of playing and entertaining themselves. Children would gain greater control over their muscles and thereby improve their structure by practicing yoga. It has also been proved that regular practice of yoga postures eventually lead to psychological improvement in intelligence and memory quotient, blood pressure, respiratory rate, excess body weight and decreasing pulse rate.

Yoga for different health problems faced by children is also very successful. Practice of yoga has seen to decrease blood sugar and serum cholesterol and increase serum protein levels on the biochemical examination of blood. Endocrine glands also show improvement in their activities.

Yoga Practice for Children

Yoga for kids includes simple and easy postures which are known as asanas, deep breathing exercises called pranayama and meditation. Muscular coordination is greatly improved by the correct practice of asanas. Lung capacity and tissue oxygenation is made better by the practice of pranayama, and a peaceful mind can be achieved by regular meditation. Thus, good mental and physical health can be attained by yoga.

A child's mind is fresh and hence can be molded in a manner that he grows up physically and spiritually healthy, and thus, becomes a responsible individual. The wild abundance of energy they possess can be transformed into useful and beneficial reserves. The life force in the body is the air that we breathe in. This air or life energy is the food of the mind. When there is sufficient life energy, the mind becomes stronger and sharper. The main objective of yoga is to bring harmony between the body, breath, and the mind of an individual. Thus breathing correctly attains utmost importance. This allows more life force to maintain a healthy body and a strong mind. Improper breathing means less life force and hence poor health and an unsteady mind. Pranayama helps children to breathe completely and correctly. Pranayama can be followed by meditation to calm the mind. Children can be made to sit quietly for this.

Yoga for elders and for kids is all based on the same principles of breathing and meditation. Regular practice of yoga has been seen to relieve symptoms of mucous colitis, bronchial asthma, nocturnal enuresis, anxiety neurosis, migraine, and spinal disorders among children. Yoga facials are also finding popularity.

Age For Commencement Of Yoga In Kids

Children can begin practice of yoga ideally at the age of seven. At this age, they would be able to follow classic postures of yoga. Children younger in age might also be able to perform these moves, but their limited strength might hinder the dynamic movements and static poses. Another factor is their attention span. Children below seven might not be able to sustain yoga for 20 to 30 minutes. Thus, a little bit of fun and abandon should be involved while practicing yoga with children. The whole purpose of yoga practice should not be defeated by imposing unnecessary discipline. Yoga for kids if performed the right way would bring manifold benefits to their physical as well as mental well being.