Many people assume yoga classes are only available for adults to enjoy as a way of reducing stress, improving their flexibility and balance, and keeping healthy. However while yoga is great physically and mentally, for both men and women, over the years, there has been a huge increase in the number of schools and nurseries teaching yoga for kids.
Is Yoga Good for Kids?
More people are beginning to see how yoga benefits children, hence why many schools are offering kids yoga classes as after-school activities, and even incorporating it into the curriculum in some cases. In recent years, parents, mental health professionals, doctors, neurologists and teachers have recognised the benefits of yoga for kids.
Given these profound physical and mental benefits, it’s no wonder why more schools have encouraged children to get involved with regular yoga classes. Here at YogaTonic UK, we are a family-run business and recognise the importance of achieving mindfulness throughout your body and mind, and the same can be obtained for children of almost any age too.
Below we have outlined some of the main reasons why you should consider enrolling children into immersive, rewarding and fun yoga classes.
Benefits of Yoga for Children
- Improved concentration and focus
Yoga has been known to improve children’s concentration. By enhancing self-awareness and confidence, guided meditations and mindfulness exercises can help enhance a child’s attention and focus in the room, as well as once they leave the yoga class.
- They are happier
Yoga classes for children are, primarily, fun and enjoyable. Kids really embrace new things to try and skills to learn. Yoga, given that it’s non-competitive, is a great solution to incorporate other exciting exercises and activities for kids to enjoy.
- Teaches them helpful breathing techniques
Guided deep breathing techniques focus on bringing more oxygen to the body, through the bloodstream. Breathing, of course, is one of the most important foundations of our wellbeing. Teaching kids how to breathe properly will help them achieve a greater level of control of their wellbeing, emotions and achieve a greater sense of relaxation.
- Reduced anxiety and stress (balances the brain)
Yoga and mindfulness encourage kids to develop healthy responses to the busy and chaotic world we all live in. Encouraging children to refocus their energy and concentration on specific things helps them approach the world in a calmer way. Mindfulness exercises have been known to help decrease stress and hostility in children, as well as adults.
- Increases body awareness
Regular yoga classes, either at home or in-person, can help kids develop their body awareness. By extension, yoga encourages kids to use their bodies in low-impact ways, thus improving their coordination and flexibility.
- Interpersonal skills
Practising yoga regularly, in groups of similarly-aged children or even in parent-child yoga sessions, improves group dynamics, increases social awareness and builds that sense of trust. The more that kids take part, the greater the experience will be for them; they can bond very well with other children.
- Improves their posture and balance
Many yoga poses for kids involve more than just stretching. Many kids’ yoga poses focus on strengthening their bodies, increasing their flexibility, and stimulating their immune systems, circulation and brain. Performing the yoga poses slowly and with guidance, acts as a mental exercise in meditation and concentration.
Yoga in Schools
Many schools are adopting a renewed focus on mental health and wellbeing for kids. Schools across the Thames Valley and surrounding areas, offer regular wellness days, where students of all ages can take part in fun, child-friendly yoga classes.
Children are very much in touch with their bodies, and even with their sense of playfulness and curiosity about the world, yoga can provide a great focus for their energy. Being a non-competitive activity, there is no sense of outshining others in a yoga session, and yoga instructors can incorporate so much in their yoga classes to keep things exciting for kids.
With the classes and packages available with YogaTonic UK, kids can enjoy so many fun sessions by themselves, as well as with their parents, friends and siblings.
Kids Yoga Classes and Videos
Given that we’re limited in face-to-face yoga classes these days, here at YogaTonic UK, we offer numerous online yoga classes. Our Yoga for Kids package is suitable for children aged between 7 and 12.
Our package details are below:
- 30 kids yoga videos
- Positive mindset skills
- Numerous themes included
The above package is priced at £19.99.
Alternatively, we offer a monthly subscription of £10 per month, which contains over 350 yoga videos. Or the alternative is £25 per month, which includes live-streamed yoga and HIIT videos, as well as specialised yoga packages for adults.
Get in touch with us directly should you have any questions.