key benefits of teaching yoga to children
It improves alignment of body and mind Yoga helps children develop a strong awareness of their physical bodies, which can help them stay calm and focused. It also teaches them the importance of breathing correctly to manage their emotions. In addition to this, it’s a great introduction to mindfulness and helps them learn how to focus their attention on the present moment. Yoga is often centred around stories too, which can really engage kids and help them understand the mindful message of the class they are attending.
Children’s Yoga Teacher Training to move in new and challenging ways, which builds their strength, flexibility and dexterity. It also teaches them how to find power in their own physicality, which is very empowering. When they master a pose, even something simple like being able to touch their toes, it gives them a sense of achievement and self-confidence.
Stress and anxiety is a big part of children’s lives today, both at home and in school. A study by Frontiers in Psychiatry found that when children practiced yoga, their levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) decreased, which resulted in lower anxiety and mood levels and improved classroom behaviour.
What are the key benefits of teaching yoga to children?
The practice of yoga teaches children relaxation strategies which they can use when feeling stressed or anxious, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and visualization. These are techniques they can take away and use in other areas of their lives too, not just whilst doing yoga!
Yoga can help to develop a healthy brain by encouraging the growth of neural pathways, which is vital for cognitive development. It also promotes executive functioning skills in children, which are the cognitive processes that help them plan and organise their actions.
There is a growing body of research that shows the positive effects yoga can have on children in terms of their academic results. When children are less stressed and relaxed they tend to be more attentive in class, which creates a better learning environment for everyone.
There are a few schools that offer yoga teacher training in the UK, including Flow and Grow, Cosmic Kids and Yoga Alliance. Flow and Grow offers both a pre-recorded video version of the course, as well as an in-person option. The training covers over 115 poses, as well as child psychology and developmental theory. It also provides you with a complete template for creating your own classes to teach.
