Yoga for children: all the benefits of this practice and some asanas to practice at home
Yoga for children is an increasingly popular practice due to the many benefits it offers to the little ones. Practicing yoga means first of all taking care of your body and mind: this ancient discipline gives an incredible psycho-physical balance and is really good for everyone.
Yoga for children is a "precious activity for your child: by enrolling him in a course, you will realize how useful it can be to help him prevent or treat both psychological and physical problems.
The practice of yoga for children, in fact, is a panacea for the little ones against anxiety, anger, concentration problems, sleep disorders and much more, especially if you start practicing at an early age. Let's find out together, then, at how old it is good to start, what are the benefits of yoga for children and some asanas to practice together in some small home lesson ... Meanwhile, if you have not yet become a mother but you will soon be, remember that yoga is also very useful in pregnancy:
Is the practice of yoga suitable for all children? How old are you?
Yes, yoga is a practice suitable for every child: its benefits are universal and are particularly effective on those children who have problems with aggression, anxiety or an attention disorder, precisely because they learn to become more aware of their body. and one's own mind.
How old is it good to start? There is no exact rule, but the yoga teacher generally advises that children should not be enrolled in a class or trial lesson (always useful!) Before the age of three. Before the age of three, in fact, children risk not having enough autonomy from every point of view.
The important thing is that yoga for children is like a game, and here the merit is of the "teacher, who must" be able to teach asanas of millenary tradition making them within the reach of the little ones and, above all, creating an involvement.
All the benefits of yoga for children
The benefits of yoga for children, as we have said, are really many: first of all, it allows you to know your body, helping the child to develop both greater awareness and self-control and to speed up the lateralization process itself.
The practice of yoga helps a lot in the development of physical balance and concentration. Performing asanas correctly requires great cognitive ability and attention, which is why yoga is particularly suitable for children who have an attention disorder.
Practicing this discipline also helps you breathe better and promote relaxation, while developing elasticity and strength, like any other sport. Children who suffer from anxiety or sleep problems are sure to benefit greatly.
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What is a typical class like in a yoga class for children?
A yoga class for children can be structured in a different way according to how old the participants are on average and to the address that the teacher prefers. In general, as we said, there is never a lack of the dimension of play, which allows the child to feel love for this discipline.
We therefore try to alternate more playful moments - without too strict rules and competitions, but always focusing everything on "listening to the other" and to one's own body - to the actual practice of asanas, perhaps focusing on those with an animal name in order to activate images and fantasies close to the world of the child (the position of the dog, the cat, the frog ...). We then work on breathing and relaxation, and then teach the practice of meditation.
Some asanas to practice yoga with your children
If you practice yoga yourself and, before enrolling your child in a class, you want to try to bring him closer to this discipline, here are a couple of positions that you can try to teach him!
Have him lie on a mat with his stomach facing down and his arms at his sides. Then have him bend his legs upward, for you to grasp them with your hands, or at least try to do so. Ask him to stay in this position for a few moments, then return to the starting position and repeat everything 2-3 more times. Here is the position of the turtle!
You can also try to have them hold the position of the cat: have them put on all fours and then, with each inhale, look towards each other and gently arch their back. On the exhale, make him look towards his navel, letting his neck drop down.
