Holistic Health
Yoga & Kids
by Jodi B. Komitor
People in the modern world are stressed. And like it or not, children are also feeling the affects of our hurried way of life. Whether the source is home, peer pressures, school or media influences, children today carry burdens that are often hard to detect. Children in the West, like adults, can benefit from the wisdom of the East. The practice of yoga is a fun way for the newest generation to learn stress management and ways to stay healthy as well as a great opportunity to expand their awareness of experiences and cultures outside of their own.
Over the past ten years, yoga has become increasingly popular with young people in America and Europe. I recently asked a group of kids if they have ever done yoga before. At least eighty-five percent of them raised their hands. Whether they have done it with their teacher at school, by their parents’ side, or in a structured class at a yoga center, the youth of today are now reaping the powerful benefits of yoga. These include increased health, flexibility, muscle strength, focus and attention as well as stress management, body awareness, spiritual enlightenment, and an overall sense of well being.
Yoga derived its name from the word “yoke”, meaning to bring together. In the Eastern worldview, this means the joining together of the mind, body, and spirit. For modern-day children, I teach yoga to mean the connection between the body, the mind and the unique gift or light inside of each of us. We all have this gift and when we recognize it in ourselves and each other, we say Namaste. A typical kids’ yoga class is very different from an adult class. It is essential that it meet the children where they are. It must be playful, creative, spontaneous and energetic. It is often noisy and filled with music, story telling, props and play. This is not to say that the beautiful and authentic ideals of yoga are not instilled—they are and the lessons come out in the most interesting ways.
“Over the holidays, I found myself a bit stressed,” said a parent of one of my young students recently. “My son, Grayson, picked up on my intensity and gave me his feedback. It went something like this: ‘Mommy, you need to do yoga breathing. Sit down. Close your eyes now and take a deep breath. Ready?...Rub your hands together...Warm your hands. Warm your heart…Now [when I am stressed], I think of that moment with my five year old and I smile and breathe.”
In the West, the practice of yoga has been adapted to fit the needs of many different populations, including pregnant women, people with disabilities, even senior citizens. But can kids really do yoga? Of course they can. Children are natural yoginis. From the moment they are born, they are extremely “in their bodies” and are innately flexible, present, joyful and free. They pretend-play and move their bodies normally in ways that are more often than not traditional yoga poses. Ever see a toddler slithering on the ground like a snake? He is doing yoga!
A fun class that I love to teach is called “Trip to the Jungle.” With traditional yoga poses and creative movements, we journey to a far away place that the kids choose. We do seated side stretches that symbolize flying on an airplane to our destination and practice powerful exhalations through our noses to imitate airplane engines. In time, we slowly transition down to “Child’s Pose” for our landing. The kids rest quietly there for a bit and I teach them about this pose being a special place to come to when they are feeling angry or tired. We continue with a Kundalini Yoga movement called “Camel Ride” as we ride along on a bumpy jeep. Eventually, we transition to warm-ups and standing postures. The children call out the poses based on what they want to see on our trip. Lions, giraffes, elephants, trees, wild birds, and snakes are just some of what they have offered. As their guide, I modify their suggestions and appropriately sequence them for a well-balanced yoga class filled with traditional yoga poses, creative movement, educational learning points, sensory integration, breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation, and a whole lot of fun. I also weave in lessons on health, positivity, affirmations, non-competitiveness, discipline and environmental and spiritual awareness. During relaxation, I remind them that they are safe, brave, healthy and strong. They lay still and enjoy a foot massage and guided visualization along with soothing music.
Sharing the Eastern tradition of yoga with the youth of today is one way to create balance, confidence and health for them in the face of the pressures of our modern world. The practice nourishes and supports them in mind, body and spirit and paves the way for a life-long tradition of health and fitness. Wouldn’t it be great if adults could enjoy this variation on yoga as well!
Jodi B Komitor is considered a leading authority on kids’ yoga and has authored The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids. She is the founder & director of Next Generation Yoga, the first children’s yoga studio in the world. In January of 2007, Jodi relocated from New York City to Encinitas, California and expanded her kids yoga company to become bi-coastal. For more information on classes and special events by Jodi and her team, visit www.nextgenerationyoga.com or call 866.NGY.YOGA.