A Class of their Own We all know how important it is for children to take part in some form of physical exercise. That exercise needs to promote the healthy development of their growing bodies in preparation for adulthood - techniques used in yoga are an excellent way to improve a child's strength and flexibility. Children can start to practice yoga as young as two or three years old and it is something that they can continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives. Schoolchildren in Australia are already benefiting from a specialised curriculum, tailored around a 'neo-humanist philosophy' which involves yoga practice, meditation and vegetarian lunch boxes. The non-profit independent primary school is surrounded by rolling countryside, and its concept and learning methods have proved so popular that the school has a waiting list until 2013. Being taught to respect animals and sustain, rather than exploit, environmental resources forms part of the children's daily education at Vistara Primary School, Lismore. Alongside maths and science, students discuss the political consequences of Australia's anti-whaling campaign and the ethical quandary of the Canberra kangaroo cull in class. By studying such worldwide issues at an early age, children at the school learn to respect everything on the planet while finding inner peace and physical well-being through yoga practice. The result? Minimal bullying and maximum teamwork and understanding. An increase in childhood obesity means that any form of physical activity will be beneficial to children. Yoga has the added benefit of being non-competitive, and the postures are slow enough for anyone to participate including disabled children. Yoga postures help to stretch and tone the muscles, creating flexibility within the skeletal system while also developing and maintaining a healthy nervous and endocrine system. Some yoga poses involve standing like a statue; these postures encourage physical strength, flexibility and attention and concentration skills. More active postures build strong muscles and help improve performance in other sports. Self-awareness can help build confidence, while breathing exercises encourage children to feel relaxed, calm and even sleep better at night. Yoga also fosters a child's creativity and aids in the development of good attention and concentration skills. The learning of breathing and relaxation techniques also improves memory retention as well as simply giving the child the ability to learn to rest, relax and reduce levels of anxiety.
Yoga for children 4 to 11 years of age. Children within this age group are naturally creative. By using their imaginations, they develop and maintain creativity and self -expression. Children often enjoy working with themes, so yoga can provide an alternative medium to express a greater depth and understanding of different topics at school. Thus many aspects of a school curriculum can be expressed using yoga postures. Yoga does not necessarily need to be a designated lesson in school time - once teachers understand the benefits of yoga, many of the techniques can be incorporated into any lesson, providing a non-competitive alternative to other sports lessons as well as an additional form of expression for curriculum topics.
Yoga for over 11 years of age For kids approaching or enduring teenage years, yoga remains of significant importance. Postures for this age group can be taught in much the same way as an adult class but with a few games thrown in for fun. Yoga continues to provide the benefits of encouraging self-confidence, self-esteem as well as the physical benefits of improving muscle tone, strength and flexibility. Learning correct breathing and relaxation techniques can help to reduce anxiety and improve memory - a big bonus for exam time!
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