Practicing yoga has so many physical and phycological benefits. But what better way to enjoy your practice then to do it with the people you love most. Yoga can help children strengthen their growing bodies, reduce stress and anxiety, improve flexibility, prevent injury, improves focus and school performance, develop self-regulation and discipline, and encourages creativity. Research has also shown that children from ages 5 to 18 have decreased anxiety, improved confidence and self-esteem, and it boosted concertation and memory,
Some physical benefits that yoga provides to everyone includes increased blood circulation and metabolism, increased muscle strength and flexibility, improves posture and cardiovascular health, and it helps lower blood sugar.
Yoga and mindfulness has shown to improve physical and mental health for everyone who participates in the practice. It is so beneficial to teach your children at a young age how to reduce impulsivity and to help teach them discipline. What better way to do this than pull out your yoga mats and connect with each other. Yoga has been shown to reduce challenging behaviors in the classroom by providing a healthy outlet for children to express themselves. Everyone wants to be heard, sometimes children are rejected from this because we as parents forget that even in their naivety and youth they have so much to teach us.
Kids can start practicing Yoga as soon 4 years old, or as they start to understand instructions. Daily exercise of about 30-60 minutes has been shown to help maintain hormone levels and act as a stress relief. balancing and maintaining the hormone levels in adolescent children has been proven to delay the onset of puberty.
Some different way you can start practicing yoga with family is to act out books, pretend to be animals, watch kid yoga videos together, put them in a yoga class, help them create their own yoga space, teach them to bring awareness to their breath, be out doors and meditate together. or just simply get out your yoga mat and lead by example. When you start practicing yoga with family you will be amazed with how much closer you will be with your children and strengthen the bond between you both. Make it funny, silly, and playful. Listen when they need to release or express, laugh when you fall out of your poses, and hug it all out when its time to put the mats away.