Yoga Goes Smaller - Yoga For Kids

Yoga for kids is an excellent way for a child to exercise and has many other benefits for a child's health. Not every type of yoga can be used as yoga for children though. It must be taken into consideration that children's' bodies are still growing and cannot cope with the strenuous exercises of intense yoga sessions as it can affect both their bodies and minds.

There are, however, a number of programs created especially for children who utilize the more gentle poses and breathing exercises from a number of different types of yoga. Yoga classes for children can be a very rewarding activity as it can help self-conscious children become more aware of the things they can do.

How Can Yoga Benefit A Child?

Yoga for kids can benefit children in a large number of ways, by improving physical and general health, mental health and to helping to treat specific illnesses and conditions. The most common benefits of yoga for children are related to maintaining a healthy body and fighting illnesses. Children's yoga may not be suitable for your child if it suffers from physical illnesses or physical defects.

General Health

There are obvious benefits to be gained for a child through the physical exercise involved in yoga but the effects can be even greater. Easy yoga for children has shown to build stamina in those who practise it, aid stability and also improve general balance. It strengthens the child's muscles, elongates the spine and promotes good posture.Yoga has also shown to improve children's digestion and aid the elimination of toxins and aid circulation.

In Fighting Ailments and Disabilities such as:

Down syndrome

Down syndrome is a disability with an incidence of one in every 700 births. Children with Down syndrome are shorter than average. Other common characteristics of Down syndrome include an epicanthic fold of skin extending from the eyelid over the inner canthus of the eye, crossed eyes and low muscle tone (hypotonia). Motor development is slow; and instead of walking by 12 to 14 months as most children do, children with Down syndrome usually learn to walk between 15 to 36 months. Language and cognitive development are also significantly delayed.

Yoga poses (asanas) can help children affected by Down syndrome. They help to stretch, tone and strengthen the entire body. Asanas also benefit the internal organs and help to balance and revitalize the endocrine glands.As children with Down syndrome get older, they tend to put on weight whereas children with Down syndrome who practice yoga stay slim and flexible.

In conjunction with yogic breathing exercises, which have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, yoga therapy for children facilitates the development of body awareness, concentration and memory which are vital skills for any child with a developmental disability and are key to helping children with Down syndrome.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder caused by injury to the motor areas in the brain, affecting muscle tone and the ability to control movement and posture. In most cases, the onset occurs during pregnancy or at childbirth. In other cases, infections such as meningitis or traumatic brain injury may result in cerebral palsy.

Yoga for kids can help children suffering from Cerebral Palsy. The practice of yoga poses followed by deep relaxation can help to reduce the high muscle tone that is characteristic of most children with cerebral palsy. Holding a yoga pose gives the muscles and tendons a relaxing stretch, releasing overall stress and tightness throughout the muscle structure and around the joints.

The yoga poses for kids are not only relaxing the body, they also providing enough resistance so as to exercise low muscle tone areas of the body. In this way, asanas actually improve both high and low muscle tone problems in children with cerebral palsy. One of the most important aspects of asana practice for children with cerebral palsy is its ability to stretch and realign the spine.

The poses flex and twist the spine in all different directions. This series of stretches and counter-stretches is scientifically designed and helps to create more space between the vertebrae while reducing pressure on the disks and nerves that radiate out around the spine. Because of this, the child is able to develop a greater range of movement and coordination, as well as greater independence.

Continue to: Best Yoga Therapy for Children