How to Teach Yoga to Kids
How to teach children yoga? by ShareLove.Fund’s Rainbow Women Social Enterprise endeavor and sponsored by your generous donations.
Teaching yoga to children can be an unanticipated challenge for most of us. For one thing, it’s quite certain that unlike adults, who want to be there, children haven’t come to the class of their own free will. They may be there because their parents enrolled them for any variety of reasons ranging from yoga helping with academic performance to providing exercise. They might even be there just to hang out after school, if they have nothing else to do.
Despite the tendency of many adults to treat them so, children aren’t mini-adults. They won’t respond to the same teaching methods that adults do. So what can you do to ensure that they take away the valuable lessons that yoga provides? Here are some tips that can work in your favor.
Flexible Lesson Plans – Unlike adults learning yoga, children aren’t going to be focused and quiet when they enter the classroom. They will also have trouble following a set routine. The class may not always go in the direction you planned and that is absolutely okay. Instead of planning everything down to the last detail, have a basic idea of how you want to proceed. Keep your mind open to adapting to any changes required.
Slow Down the Tempo – Little minds find it more difficult to remain focused. Slow down what you are doing from a regular tempo. Try looking at activities such as art, a yoga song or some simple game to bring everyone’s focus together. Build up to the class with some warm ups such as sun salutations and then move to the main part of the class. Finally, end the class with some basic breathing exercises or mindfulness.
Children Aren’t Adults – As mentioned earlier, they may not even want to be there. Even if they do, they may come in feeling upset, tired or hungry and being children, they won’t hesitate to let you know it. Under such circumstances, holding the class together can at the very least be tricky. This is where your emotional qualities shine. Be patient with them and show them compassion. Look for positive aspects to highlight to them. Be ready with other activities to fit their needs. They could observe or simply color mandalas.
Be Playful – Don’t restrict yoga to just the asanas. You’re working with children for whom variety is the spice of life. This really opens up your options since you can bring in art, storytelling, dance, music, dress-up, puppetry and much more. Don’t be afraid to have fun with yoga and don’t take yourself too seriously. Structure is important, but you want to be able to take advantage of opportunities to have fun and answer questions.
It can feel a little intimidating to teach yoga to children, but if you allow yourself to be flexible and keep their unique needs in mind, you will find that the experience helps you grow as a teacher and as a person. There’ll be plenty to learn both for the children and for you along the way.