How Parents Can Teach Kids Yoga
by ShareLove.Fund’s Social Enterprise Endeavor (“SEE”)
A question many parents who practice yoga ask themselves (and yoga teachers) is how they can introduce their children to this life-changing and life-shaping practice. It’s a pertinent question. As a person, you can see all the benefits that yoga bestows upon you. As a parent, naturally, you want to share those advantages and benefits with your children.
One very important factor to remember here is that yoga for kids isn’t just making animal noises when doing the cat/cow pose (although that is a lot of fun too). It is about making a safe place for them, one that they can return to time and again. In sharing this practice you are giving them a skill set that is going to last them through a lot of stages in life and help them in their decision-making and character building.
So, the original question – how to get the little ones interested in yoga. Let’s take a look at what helps.
Sharing Your Practice
A simple way would be to introduce your children to a yoga class. But there can be many reasons why that is not feasible. Your schedule might not work out; you may not meet the right teacher and so on. No problem. Go ahead and make yoga a part of your life at home. Practice yoga and encourage the children to participate. They don’t need to participate by doing the exercises so much as by just being around you while you practice. Let them hear you breathe. Teach them a pose or two. Just be with them in the same space.
Making a Simple Start
The one thing you cannot do is start with something complicated. Most children will lose interest very quickly. So start with something simple. A great idea to start off with is chanting mantras. Not only do they soothe the mind, but also help in developing concentration. Alternatively, you could tell them stories adapted from tradition. Teach them some simple exercises and help them relate the exercises to their own lived experiences. A slow, simple and steady start can help boost their interest in yoga greatly.
Making It Fun
Teaching yoga simply as an exercise can turn it into something monotonous and dreary fairly fast. To ensure that children reap the benefits of yoga, spontaneity and a certain degree of entertainment have to be injected into the activity. Remember, yoga is competing with television, video games and smart phones for their attention and focus. Therefore, it is pretty clear that yoga needs to be seen as a fun activity too. Look into creating age-appropriate exercise routines and combinations of poses for the little ones so that their attention does not wander.
As your children grow and become more inquisitive, ensure that you’re not forcing them. Instead guide and inspire them. Your own practice is the perfect way to provide this guidance and inspiration. Seeing how it transforms you can make a pretty huge and lasting impression on young minds.