It's been a while, I know. I'm really not sure what I have been busy with, but my latest project has been becoming certified to teach yoga for kids! I guess it was about 2 years ago when I first started doing yoga. Of course I began with a video in my living room and ended up hurting myself, yet I was determined to find the benefits of yoga and not run scared from something that so many people live by. I began taking classes and quickly understood the craze. Within 2 or 3 weeks my flexibility had improved, I felt taller and I felt looser and more at ease both physically and mentally and I had found a way to better manage my injury.
Did you know there are many variations to yoga? There is hatha, ashtanga, power, forest, Bikram, Kundilini...just to name a few. Each with it's own focus and sequencing, yoga is essentially a way to unite the mind, body and spirit through various poses, breathing and meditation.
I'm not quite sure where my idea to teach kids yoga ever came from, but when I first began to look into it, I had no idea what to expect. Little did I know that there are classes running all over the world specifically for kids yoga! My initial intention was to become certified so that I could incorporate it into my teaching practice, in Phys Ed and in schools. Now, I'm in the process of putting together some programs for the summer break!
You might be asking, "Well, can yoga really benefit my child?" The benefits of yoga are simple:
Increased Awareness
Increased Physical Fitness
Good Posture
Proper Breathing
Stress Relief
Building Confidence
Developing Concentration and Mindfullness
As a teacher and a person I see how stressed out kids get! They are on information overload or they are the opposite, bored out of their minds and looking to get attention by doing anything possible! Yoga allows them to explore themselves in a way that education does not. It gives them a tool to use when they get angry, upset or frustrated. It teaches kids to focus and really understand what it is they are capable of in the moment! Let's be real here, kids yoga is not like adult yoga. They play games and do sound effects. There is an animal for almost every pose! So not only are your kids having fun, but they're also learning a great deal about themselves, the world we live in and what they are truly capable of. Gee...isn't that something! :)