Yoga For Children
The purpose of this article is to realise the importance of yoga as a supreme and potential tool for our children during their growing age. As it is well known to all of us that children of today are the future of the nation tomorrow. The way we bring them , nurture them determines the future behavior and life skills. Children are just like buds in the garden which need a lot of care and attention. They should be handled carefully.
In today’s world when there are enormous sources of income, information,high speed internet, more and more updated gadgets, the expectations and demands from children are also more. That is why we are facing lots of performance issues in young children these days. It is quite obvious to have some stress for a good performance which is a part of normal physiology but chronic ,consistent stress over a period of time results in health problems like high blood pressure, anxiety , insomnia, hormonal imbalances,load on vital organs and many behavioural changes . It is seen very commonly that elders transmit their tensions on children. The stress could be work related, family issues , child”s performance issues or it could be related to anything. It is the most dangerous situation for children when they start hiding the stress, taking it internally which brings drastic negative changes in their personality and development.
When we start teaching yoga to children at early stages, it acts as a tool to improve their mental and physical health. They become strong to face challenges in life. There are many studies which show numerous benefits of yoga in young children . Its not only muscular stability and flexibility,yoga improves the concentration and focus in children leading to better academic performance. One very important thing is, it is not only academic performance which helps to lead a happy and satisfied life. Yoga helps to develop resilience, patience, a healthy sound mind, better discipline and self regulation which help to become a good human being.
The combination of asanas, pranayama and mudras in yoga give a positive effect on both physical and mental health. If I share my experience in yoga classes conducted for grade1 to grade 3, there were remarkable changes seen in their behaviour and discipline.Yoga is a science . It is our culture and tradition so such a valuable system must be introduced to all children which will bring a sense of self awareness and self regulation among children. These teachings, moral values must start from the early stages of life so as to make the roots stronger forever.