Focus on prevention
As for everything, prevention is better than cure. And this statement is even more powerful when you think of our children and their future. The prevention we do today will prevent having to cure the issues of tomorrow.
Yoga has been shown to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and even low self-esteem in adults, and so the same can be achieved with children. What’s more, practicing yoga will provide some time away from all the technologies absorbing them and from social media, too often the very root of the mental health issues our kids suffer from today!
Kids yoga is fun, engaging, playful, and relaxing.
Through non-competitive games, incorporating postures, introducing mindfulness and meditation, children can really experience the benefits of yoga.
- Promoting a healthy body
By stretching and strengthening, improving coordination and brain function. It is a great complementary activity alongside any sports! - Creating a positive body awareness and increasing self-confidence
Mastering a new pose or being able to hold balance longer fosters confidence and a great sense of achievement. - Improving balance, coordination and focus
Practicing and holding poses increases focus, hand-eye coordination and can challenge the brain - Reducing stress and anxiety
Through breathing techniques and mindful movement, children can let go of other thoughts and simply focus on the present. - Balancing the body “fight, flight or freeze” response
When children feel negative emotions or are scared, the amygdala part of the brain is triggered, and their body responds by diverting blood from the digestive organs to the skeletal muscles. This results in disrupted digestion, increased heart rate, and shallower breathing. Controlled and deep breathing stimulates the other parts of the brain helping to counteract this activity and restore calm and balance in the body. - Expanding creativity
During class, the children are engaged and encouraged to actively participate and lead. No plan is set in stone. - Encouraging cooperation and compassion
Yoga is non-competitive and emphasis is put on a community feel. - Learning techniques and providing tools to manage emotions
To help them through stressful times at school, nurture a sense of inner peace, enhance self-confidence and facilitate relationships with others.
So is yoga the answer?
Kids and teens yoga is clearly gaining momentum, and has started to be introduced in schools around the country as its benefits are getting praised and recognised.
Can it be the prevention method for the next generation’s mental health issues? Until we have real insight and studies to show that yoga has made an impact, we will not know for sure. Does it make a difference? Absolutely!
Yoga is a practice which reconciles mind and body, provides some relief to stress, anxieties and helps regulate hormones and thus body functions. At a time when children and teenagers are overstimulated and under constant pressure, is yoga the answer? It’s definitely one of them.
