Yoga For Life

Aidan is having trouble with his baseball swing. Max is addicted to his new video game. Madison’s ADHD symptoms are interfering with her friendships.

As parents, we naturally want to help our kids overcome whatever challenges they might face. The problem is that we don’t always know which tools are available to help us help them. One eons-old practice, yoga, is fast becoming an effective way to help kids cope with everyday situations. From the over-scheduled teen to the child with a medical condition, yoga for kids can help you nurture a physically active and more relaxed child.

Relaxation for Rugrats

Kickball in the field. An impromptu lemonade stand. It seems like the lazy days of childhood have been replaced by team sports, SAT courses, and resume-building volunteer activities.

Yoga’s emphasis on relaxation can help even the most stressed child or teen lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that increases blood pressure and heart rate. While yoga’s relaxation techniques offer important health benefits, they may also give your child an edge in our competitive world. He or she will be able to use what they’ve learned to relax before the next big test or college interview. The result? A more confident, more poised child who is ready to impress.

Conquer the Coach Potato

The lure of glowing screens seems to tether many kids to the couch. A fun yoga class can give even the most unrepentant coach potato a reason to get moving. It’s okay if he or she is reluctant at first. Ask them to stick with it for a period of time, perhaps a month. Soon you might find your little spud actually enjoys downward-facing dog or warrior pose.

Yoga as Cross-training

If your child is already active in a sport, such as football or gymnastics, yoga for kids can help improve his or her performance. While learning to stretch and chant “ohm” might not seem to lend itself to traditional sports, professional football, hockey, and soccer teams have started incorporating yoga into training sessions. Expert trainers say yoga improves concentration, body awareness, and balance, which are critical skills for most sports.

Yoga for Kids with ADHD or Autism

Any parent with a child challenged by a condition like ADHD or autism knows the value of an effective complementary treatment. Regular yoga classes can be an important tool for kids challenged by developmental or attention disorders. The relaxation techniques taught in yoga can help him or her relieve or lessen symptoms like fidgeting or over-stimulation.

Children with challenges may require individual attention in class, so be sure to discuss his or her needs with the instructor.

What to Look for in a Kids’ Yoga Class

Find a school, video, or tutorial designed for kids. A well-structured class will develop your little one’s physical abilities. For example, the rocking horse pose can improve flexibility while flamingo pose will help develop balance.

The program should feature breathing techniques that teach your child how to calm his or her mind. Your child might learn duck pose and rabbit pose, two common breathing and relaxation methods. When you sense he or she is going into meltdown mode at home, you’ll be able to remind your child to use these techniques to create calm.

The class should also allow kids to be, well, kids. That means the pint-sized yoginis should be able to let their natural energy loose—perhaps through roaring like a lion, meowing like a cat, or hissing like a cobra.

From mitigating meltdowns to feline-like flexibility, consider taking advantage of the kid-friendly—and parent-friendly—benefits yoga can offer you.