Kids Yoga…. BTW did I mention we don’t sit STILL ?!
I often hear the same response as I travel around the world and share with people what I do.
‘I’m a kids yoga teacher’ to which I hear
‘Oh, what a lovely thing to do.. my child just wouldn’t sit still for long enough so it’s wouldn’t work for him/her ! ‘
My reply often shocks them
‘Im glad they don’t sit still, they are children !! They need to move and be having lots of fun whilst we learn’. This is kids yoga and certainly what most kids yoga teachers are all about, I know that our 15 minutes of happy, healthy kids program is all about having fun !
Now lets make sure we are all on the same page here… you see having fun doesn’t mean that we aren’t getting all the benefits of yoga, we often are fooled into thinking that fun or being silly somehow doesn’t give us life skills that help us grow into healthy, balanced and successful individual.
Kids yoga is a key part of children’s well-being and development, it contributes to the main aspects of government guidelines in early learning curriculum. So this isn’t child’s play..well yes it is, but you understand how that thought came around, tricking us into believing child’s play is easy.
Although we are getting the same benefits as grown up yoga, Kids yoga is nothing like grown-up yoga in the way it is presented because we can’t teach children in the way we teach adults.
That I’m quite glad of as children are so open, ready to learn they will try anything and have fun whilst doing it. They don’t care what they look like or if their friend can get further down into a pose, they are too busy having fun to notice that!
We do want children to feel relaxed but to get to this stage it’s important that we release any excess energy, move the body so that we use the muscles which allow us to stay strong and healthy.
We also move the body to help the inner organs, the parts of us which we can’t see, release toxins that we have collected throughout the day. We move to help this happen, not sitting still. After we feel great and this is where the calmness or peace comes from.
Kids don’t need to do lengthy classes and get the poses perfect, just 15 minutes a day is great .. if the child wants more, then great!
The poses are fun as we integrate them into games that children can ‘play’. We see in some countries that the education system is so successful due to allowing children to play more. We certainly do learn more when we are having fun together!
Kids yoga is high energy , fast paced and a laugh a minute, as you get to know the children there could be sessions that are slower, but this comes with time. As children get older they will slow down, teenagers need more sleep so naturally the class will slow down as we grow up, however, it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun !
Happiness (Fun/Joy) is the KEY to getting better academic results, longer life span, happier marriages, fewer disagreements and so on
It’s so simple to bring yoga and mindfulness to your children, you DONT have to be a yoga teacher. There are many great resources out there as well as our own 15 minutes to happy healthy kids e-learning or you can take a workshop with our Ambassadors in over 24 countries.
I love that kid’s yoga is growing and more people are joining in, it’s wonderful for all children no matter how full of energy they are, what their challenges are, physically or mentally, yoga is for everyone no matter how energetic you are !
Have fun !
To get your 15 Minutes to Happy Healthy Kids FREE Module 1 from our e learning please feel free to check the vibe out before you buy
Or to Purchase in Full
www.minimeyoga.com/programs/elearning
FREE Game
Musical Mats
Place the yoga mats or papers/newspapers around the floor, one per child.
Explain to the children that you will play the music, everyone is to dance around the room, when the music stops then everyone is to find a mat and do the fun yoga pose their friend just chose.
Each time the music starts remove a mat until eventually all the children have to try and get on one mat and work as a team – this is so much fun – lots of giggles.
Remember to encourage the children to work together each time the paper is taken away. Make sure they know working together they stand a better chance of all being on the mat at the same time.
A pose to help you get started
