Do The Kids Need to Do Yoga?

In recent times, yoga has gradually came mainstream, and a lot of people are really adopting the unique lifestyle as a way of helping them lead a healthy and fit life. When considering how well yoga has been able to find such a soft spot in the heart of many practitioners, it can be said that it is due to the enormous health benefits that this amazing lifestyle brings.

Interestingly, yoga has been shown to improve concentration, enhance stability and flexibility among other health benefits that its packs. Despite all of these, one lingering question that keeps many parents and guardians worried or skeptical about yoga is whether or not kids need to practice yoga.

Well, in case you have also found yourself in this boat of dilemma about yoga and your kids, the simple answer is “yes, yoga is good for your kids”. Yes, when we say that yoga is good for your kids, we are saying this with a good understanding of some good reasons why kids should be given the chance to practice yoga. Just before you cut in, here are some reasons why kids need to do yoga.

Reasons why kids should practice yoga
Children development is a very complex process that requires a lot of care, teaching, and training. So, in order to see your kids grow, you should encourage them to embrace yoga because of the following reasons;

1. Yoga enhances concentration and focus
Practicing different poses in yoga is something that requires a great deal of effort to concentrate and focus. With this, it then follows that kids who are exposed to yoga at a very tender age will have a higher chance of concentrating and paying attention to instructions while in school or as they grow up.

2. Yoga enhances confidence and self-esteem in kids
Growing up for kids can be a very difficult moment, especially where they need to have the self-will and confidence to say Yes/No to peer pressure and stand by their words.
With yoga training, this ability to be self-disciplined, as well as self-reliant, can be instilled in them. With yoga, kids can learn simple life-sustaining traits such as being patient, persevering, and even living independently without the complete dependence of their parents.

3. Yoga enhances physical flexibility in kids
Introducing young ones to the various exercises, skills, and most importantly yoga poses, a lot of muscles are engaged to carry out such poses very well.
By so doing, it is then expected that when kids are allowed to practice yoga at such a tender age, their ability to maneuver their body through various flexibility training will be greatly enhanced.

4. Yoga builds a strong body-mind connection in kids
Through a series of poses and exercises that are aimed at maintaining a sound and healthy physical body as well as a calm mental faculty, kids exposed to yoga can grow with a strong sense of emotional control and balance.
Also, exposing your kids to yoga at a tender age is also a good way to instill brevity in them even when faced with various life challenges and pressure.

5. Yoga builds empathy in kids
Living in a world where people care-less about what happens to the person next to them, is not the best way to go in terms of our relationship with others. But with the loving-kindness and compassionate meditation component of yoga, kids can learn to be compassionate and also exercise a high sense of value for people around them.

Common yoga poses for kids
Having seen why your kids should also engage in the practice of yoga, here are some simple yoga poses you can introduce them to at an early age;
1. Tree pose

2. Downward facing dog

3. Bridge pose

4. Flying bird breath

5. Plank pose


Wrap Up
Just as it is beneficial to adults, yoga is also very important to young ones. For this, the reason they should be encouraged to make this unique lifestyle a part of their upbringing.