Kiddipedia
Did you know? It is estimated that 1 in 7 primary school-age children has a mental health difficulty, like anxiety, depression and behaviour problems, but only 1 in 4 gets the help they need. Certain risk factors present before 6 months of age can predict increasing levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the first 5 years of a child’s life. (Source: Kids Matter website)
“A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behaviour, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.” (Source: health.harvard.edu)
If you are an avid yoga participant you will already know the benefits of Yoga for both physical and mental health. The sense of calm and feeling of strength after a yoga class is undeniable.
What I love about Yoga is you can do it in your own home and don’t need to attend classes. This makes it perfect for Mums to do, even if you only have 5 minutes here and there for the odd pose.
Have you thought about the benefits of yoga for kids too? Here’s 5 reasons your children should do Yoga too…
- It’s exercise. The more we can encourage our kids to be active the better. Introducing them to a full range of activities is great for letting them find what they love.
- Helps children learn to manage their emotions. Both yoga and meditation teach children breathing techniques at a basic level which is a great tool for children to use when they feel themselves getting worked up.
- Flexibility. The poses are great for flexibility for little ones and big ones.
- Focus. It teaches children to focus on the poses, to hold the poses and to breathe. This focus can carry through to other general settings.
- Calms their little minds. Yoga, along with meditation, is great for children to practice to help calm their little minds. I found it unbelievably helpful for my son who tends to be a ‘thinker.’
Above all, I truly believe introducing children to Yoga and Mindfulness at a young age gives them the tools to use throughout life, helping them grow into happy and healthy grown-ups!
Try it out on Little Rockers Radio daily at 2 pm (AEST) daily (www.littlerockersradio.com.au). It’s not like your normal yoga, it’s noisy, animated and fun… but all the benefits of breathing, stretching, movement and mindfulness are still there.
You might also like to read:
‘The Future Belongs To Those who Give The Next Generation Reason For Hope’.
