The benefits of yoga

The benefits of yoga

I am among those who believe that every adult and child should reap the benefits of a regular yoga practice. A few yoga sessions suffice for one to quickly feel the beneficial effects of yoga. I have said it before and I will say it again: teaching yoga to children is good for you too. By participating in a yoga session organized for children, you will inevitably focus on the present moment and enjoy taking a few minutes to calm your body and mind. There are dozens of benefits associated with yoga. Among other things, yoga can:

• help reduce anxiety
• stimulate the body’s endocrine system
• increase one’s ability to adapt to change
• increase one’s ability to concentrate
• foster emotional stability
• stretch muscles and increase flexibility
• improve self-esteem
• increase one’s energy level
• improve one’s ability to manage emotions
• contribute to improving one’s physical and emotional well-being

If you have led a yoga session, you have most likely already noticed one or more of the above-mentioned benefits within your group. Yoga sessions must be adapted for very young children. They can be presented as a game, involve simple visualization activities, or simply integrate very simple poses that are repeated to help children master them. There are no strict rules that state how long a yoga session should last. In my opinion, it is best to consider the ages of the children in your group, start with very short sessions and gradually increase the duration. To begin, you may choose to present a very brief yoga session immediately before or after naptime. Regular sessions, even if they only last a few minutes, will make it possible for children to enjoy the benefits listed above. It is however very important that you not have any expectations. Children will take what they need away from the experience and grow over time. Expectations go against the very essence of yoga. In yoga, it’s very important that you pay attention to the present moment, your energy, and the energy of other participants.

Enjoy!

Maude Dubé, Specialized educator