De-stress Kids with Yoga | vancouver island health

De-stress Kids with Yoga | vancouver island health – Stress is a fact of life. Surprisingly, stress comes in the form of both good and bad. Stress is indeed a disease, causing problems for both the physical body and mental functions. There is however an important distinction: long-term stress (e.g. emotional, drug, and financial) can cause significant damage, but short-term bursts of focused stress (e.g. writing an exam or being in a job interview) can actually help you to function better and be healthier.

Today’s world is tough … not only for us but also for our children. The constant go-go environment refined by busy households, school pressures, video games, malls and competitive sports, are so stress-filled that it is bound to subject our children to the burdens of life at a young age. As parents, it’s easy for us to overlook these influences as stressful for our kids, but they often are.

Regardless of what type of pressures our children face – they need to be taught how to manage stress overall. Amongst many different ways to alleviate and control stress, one method in particular can make quite a difference … yoga, for kids.

Photo Credit; kidsyogaguide.com

Yoga is used by millions of adults to increase flexibility, strengthen muscles, center thoughts, and to handle stress. Yoga followers seek refuge in allowing the mind to reconnect with their soul to create harmony within, while also being relaxed and soothed. There have been many times when I’ve left a yoga class feeling so relaxed that a groovy “yes” response would have been rendered to just about any question. Children can benefit from yoga in the same manner, as it can be used to counter the pressures they experience. When children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and inner fulfillment, they are given the skill to navigate life’s challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age also encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that’s non-competitive. This non-competitive approach encourages co-operation and compassion—instead of opposition— which is a valuable message to send to our children.

Whether your child is feeling stress from a normal everyday stressor or from something out of the ordinary, yoga can be just the right prescription to help him or her survive stress reactions. Kids not only learn how to experience their physicality with yoga, but they also learn to appreciate the value in proper breathing. Remember times when you were under pressure and the one thing people told you to do …“breathe”. Why? Because breathing deeply and regularly creates a calmer feeling within the body and a clearer feeling in the mind. As a result, this gives you a much better ability to handle stress.

Yoga for children is a natural way to exercise, relax, focus, and strengthen the body/mind/spirit connection. Yoga programs for kids have been available now for almost a decade and are specifically tailored to children’s age groups, which makes it fun! For example younger children are asked to assume poses from nature such as a snake, tree, or a dog. There are also programs in place for those children with special needs, which are geared towards teaching self awareness, self control, and concentration.

This weekend, why not “chill-lax” in the comfort of your own home by hosting a family yoga session using Yoga Pretzels Cards! These colorful cards are full of fun activities for kids and grownups to do together, and focus on teaching the basics of yoga while practicing bending, twisting, breathing, and relaxing. Truly a wonderful family activity to engage on a Friday night!

I encourage all parents to look for kids’ yoga in your area and enroll your children De-stress Kids with Yoga | vancouver island health – you just may be introducing them to one of life’s best survival skills.

Sources: Geeta Bagga
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
Yoga for Kids Guidelines and Poses