Yoga for children is a tool that hides a world of benefits and opportunities!
In fact, more and more research is showing how this ancient discipline can be adapted to foster physical development, emotional e cognitive of toddlers.
In this article, you will discover every detail about Yoga for Children through Educational Yoga: we will explore what it is, its many benefits and goals, and guide you on how and when to integrate this innovative practice into the lives of young children.
Index
Yoga for children: finding serenity through educational yoga
L’education is a fundamental pillar for the sustainable future of humanity, which is constantly evolving e innovation. In this context, Educational Yoga, as a tool for yoga for babies, emerges as a revolutionary pedagogical method that blends the ancient holistic wisdoms of yoga with the latest discoveries in pedagogy, psychology, and biomedicine.
Adapting yoga for children in a fun e engaging, Educational Yoga addresses theunique essence of every child and adolescent.
This practice helps them to explore the various aspects of their identity, bringing them into contact with the dimensions of the self, of the become, of the balance and of the dynamics, of the stability and of the psycho-physical mobility. The result is a renewed well-being consequent to the increased awareness of one’s self.
The benefits of yoga for children
When we talk about yoga and babies we are referring to an educational approach that goes far beyond the simple physical practice. Here are some of the benefits that yoga for children can offer to the youngest:
- rediscovering oneself: In a world full of constant stimulation and change, yoga helps children regain a sense of inner balance.
- inclusion and sociality: children’s yoga is not only an effective tool in enabling children to learn about themselves, but will also help them in relating to others;
- developing life skills: yoga for children is a tool that promotes the development of life skills such as time management, problem solving and effective communication;
- Enhance cognitive and emotional skills: encourages children to explore and develop their potential, both cognitively and emotionally;
- finding the “calm sea”: Educational Yoga, adapting yoga for toddlers through mindful movement and relaxation techniques, offers children a “corner of the calm sea” where they can reflect and listen to themselves quietly.
These benefits show how the integration of yoga at school and into children’s lives can have a profound and lasting impact, contributing to their overall well-being.
The goals of yoga for children
As explained at length above, the goal of yoga for children, as proposed by Educational Yoga, is to integrate e address traditional pedagogical paths – not only educational – so as to foster a more balanced growth of children and young people, focusing on respecting the aspects cognitive, physicists e spiritual, which aims to improve the relationships with oneself and with the others.
The areas of intervention we have chosen correspond to cross-cutting objectives of great value, fundamental to creating positive learning conditions.
At the cognitive level
Yoga Education’s children’s yoga meetings are opportunities to stop, breathe and regain calm e serenity necessary to learn and grasp the importance of the school as an educational environmento, where they learn to use tools that will allow them to read e reprocess in a critically e free information (“if I am focused, I understand more,” “I can do better in the game, too”).
In addition, the children are guided to inner listening and to recognition of certain emotions and their main manifestations.
The following will be offered during the courses simple relaxation techniques and of management of fear, of anger, of sadness, to be used in school and extracurricular settings.
At the relational level
Through exercises e techniques, pupils experience acceptance of each other in their individuality.
“The other as different from me”, but indispensable, significant, to realize a common project.
At the physical level
Through play in Educational Yoga, students improve balance, coordination, flexibility, agility and endurance. They also bring benefits to the systems musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, system endocrine, immune, nervous central e peripheral.
Through yoga, moreover, babies and children develop theproprioceptive attention: the ability to exchange of information between muscles, tendons e system nervous system central.
They improve the perception of self in the outside world, allowing the body to move best even with eyes closed.
Yoga and children: at what age is it advisable to start?
According to several studies, children can start practicing Educational Yoga as early as the first year of life. No contraindications have been found, quite the opposite! Bringing yoga and children together can offer a long series of advantages!
The practice of yoga will help the child/children to manage emotional tension, expose his or her thoughts with more confidence, develop the potential of the mind (e.g. by improving short- and long-term memory), completing the work he has decided to undertake, etc. In essence, it will make his life better, more harmonious e conscious.
While the classical yogic method (the Hatha Yoga) may not be the most suitable approach for toddlers, given their natural inclination to play and varying attention levels, the Educational Yoga stands out as a tailor-made solution.
It is a branch of yoga specifically for children, since it uses their language and is presented in a dynamic e playful.
“Educational Yoga does not bring the child to yoga, but yoga to the child.”
Yoga for kindergarten children (0 to 3 years old)
In the delicate phase of thekindergarten, which runs from 0 to 3 years old, it is very important to to respect the gradualness of children’s development, avoiding placing them in situations they are not yet able to manage. This is particularly true when speaking of yoga and children.
The child from the first two years of life Interacts with the world through play. This aspect, therefore, is fundamental because it allows them to express and develop social skills, relational, affective e cognitive.
In this context, the Educational Yoga stands out as a particularly effective method, since it it uses play as a formative tool essential for the harmonious growth of the child.
Yoga for preschool children (3 to 5 years old)
From 3 to 5 years old children need to express themselves through movement, release muscle tension, overcome childhood fears (such as the dark, the wolf, the road, the storm), share e communicate.
During the meetings, the instructor will give space for their natural creativity, to thinking, autonomy, to self-esteem and will help them to believe in their abilities.
Educational Yoga addresses these needs through discharge games, dynamic/static breathing, visualizations, games contact, leaving ample room for the imagination andimagination.
Yoga for elementary school children (ages 6 to 11)
At this age, the child achieves sufficient personal autonomy, knows how to control his instincts, has awareness of himself and others, but above all he begins to experience the pleasure of learning and of learning about new content and new realities.
Unfortunately, sometimes teaching in school is too centered only on the cognitive aspect (grades and evaluation on knowing how to do), placing the focus on theerror as “failure of the child” e placing little value on the emotional-relational aspect.
Through the Educational Yoga approach, children of this age can learn to release accumulations of tension, express their emotions, avoid prejudices (“not labeling”), develop life skills, prevent physical laziness e mental and much more.
And from age 12 onwards? Yoga for boys and girls!
It is important to emphasize that yoga is a discipline that can be useful not only for babies: yoga for teens, preteens and adolescents is extremely useful.
I needs in peer relationships (e.g., affection, trust and consideration), as part of the Educational Yoga course are developed in the moments of sharing, in particular after visualization and during massage.
The need for discharge, especially at level emotional, develops particularly during dynamic practices , in pairs or in group.
There is no denying the need for independence, of being able to make personal choices, express their own original thoughts e feel free even to make mistakes. This finds ample space in the relational climate of openness that the Educational Yoga instructor creates within the group of boys and girls. Through the visualization the adolescent can discover who he is e where he wants to go.
The instructor comes forward with an empathetic, of listening e authentic, so as to present itself to the adolescent as a point of reference and of stability.
How is a children's yoga class conducted?
Our projects of Educational Yoga for Children and Youth are articulated according to a flexible e personalized, so as to adapt to the different learning and development needs of young people.
The various phases of the program will be conducted individually, in pairs or in groups, with the aim of enhancing self-control, sensitivity, and confidence in oneself and others, as well as strengthening interpersonal relationships and the spirit of group cooperation.
Bottom line.
As you have been able to discover, the meeting between yoga and children can open doors for them to a future of harmony, well-being e greater awareness! Now you know what the benefits and the goals of yoga for children, especially in the innovative method proposed by Educational Yoga.
One thing is certain, from preschool age through adolescence, yoga offers valuable tools for the growth of the youngest children.
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Are you interested in implementing an Educational Yoga project in your school or in your area?
Please do not hesitate to contact us to receive further information and discover how we can contribute to the well-being and development of your children and young people.
Send an email to the National Projects Coordinator [email protected]
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Get to know the authors!
A certified instructor of Oki do Yoga, with a master’s degree in “Yoga Studies” from the University of Venice, she is an adjunct lecturer of the advanced training course “Educational Yoga at School” at the University of Padua.
Co-Founder and President of Ssd “Educational Yoga.”
Holding a Ph.D. in Pedagogical, Educational and Training Sciences from the University of Padua. The doctoral thesis focused on the training of trainers in Educational Yoga.
Docent of the advanced training course “Yoga Educativo a scuola.” the Advanced Training Course at UniPd was conceived by the founders of Yoga Educativo, together with Director Prof. Luca Agostinetto.
Co-founder and vice president of Ssd “Educational Yoga.”
