There’s little dispute over the benefits of yoga, from stress management to physical strengthening, but does it translate for kids? Jenn Savedge, author of green parenting books and MNN blogger, recently did a post entitled, “Is yoga right for your kids?” The post got me thinking about how amazing it would be if school districts not only brought physical education back into every school, but if they made yoga a regular part of the curriculum.
Imagine how much more equipped you’d be to deal with life’s every day crises, if you had learned how to be balanced physically and emotionally at an early age. Just like the basic math skills you learned in first grade laid the foundation for problem solving as an adult, so too could yoga lay the foundation for a peaceful tomorrow for an entire generation.
As a teacher, the fundamentals of the poses are the same for children and adults. The beauty with children, though, is that they’re already open to receive what we have to teach. Kids are inherently more flexible physically & mentally. There are tons of schools, books, and DVDs geared toward children and families.
Here are a just few kid-centric yoga programs and resources get kids started with yoga at home or in a studio. If you don’t see a studio in your area here, not to worry, there are likely plenty of local studios near you.
Kids Yoga Studios
Books & DVDs
Websites & Resources
Getting your kids involved in yoga today will set the stage for a balanced adult tomorrow, and it might just help you fall in love with your practice all over again.
Namaste.
– Your Charmed Yogi
Photo credit: Going Om
A Charmed Yogi 
Hi Lisa, I live in Canada and some of our schools actually have yoga as an elective course. It seems to have great benefits for the kids and I think it is a much better option (at least it would have been for me) than shop class 🙂
That’s amazing. Canada is so forward thinking, I’m jealous 🙂
Reblogged this on Los Angeles Yoga Beat and commented:
Thought I’d pass this along to continue to reinforce my work with urban youth and trenching them yoga. I’ll write soon about some of my struggles teaching yoga to the youth of Los Angeles soon, so be sure to check back for a follow up. In the mean time, here’s a littler teaser I’m reblogging from one of my favorite yogi’s…
I’ve been teaching dance to children for years and have been very excited to hear how many are familiar with Yoga now. I love this! I’m starting my 200-hour certification program next month and teaching Yoga to children is something I can definitely get on board with. Like you said, why not teach it as a basic necessary skill in the schools?
That’s awesome, Britt. How exciting that you’ll be a part of shaping the children of tomorrow. Congrats!
: )
Yoga in day care centres, preschools and schools is becoming more and more popular in Sydney. I think it’s so important, particularly with children now having so many screens and electronic devices competing for their attention, giving them the skills to help them focus and deal with stress is more important than ever.
The Yoga 4 Classrooms program (http://www.yoga4classrooms.com) is a ChildLight Yoga affiliate focused on exactly that, integrating yoga right into the class day. “It is our mission to transform educational environments through yoga-based wellness training and support. We empower students and educators to create positive, peaceful, productive classrooms that support exceptional learning and a lifetime of health and wellness.”
There are several components to the program, including professional development for educators, a residency, materials including the popular card deck, and more. They also train yoga teachers and others to bring the program to their own community and schools through their Trainer Intensives. The website is very informative: http://www.yoga4classrooms.com
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