{"id":66406,"date":"2019-07-03T15:37:19","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T22:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=66406"},"modified":"2019-07-03T16:58:28","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T23:58:28","slug":"why-yoga-for-kids-is-on-the-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/fitness\/why-yoga-for-kids-is-on-the-rise","title":{"rendered":"Why Yoga for Kids Is on the Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a recent camping trip, my 4-year-old son accidentally spilled his bowl of cereal\u2014including the last of the precious blueberries\u2014into the dirt. His lower lip started to quiver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thinking fast, I stepped in front of him, hands pressed together at my chest. \u201cYou know what helps when I get upset? Volcano pose!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I lowered into a yoga squat then jumped high, pushing my arms overhead while making loud erupting noises. His whimper turned into a giggle, and he joined in to \u201cexplode” his own frustration a few times. Meltdown averted, thanks to a creative mind-body movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

More children are practicing mindfulness<\/b><\/h4>\n

Although I\u2019ve practiced and taught yoga and meditation for two decades, I\u2019ve only recently started to realize its benefits for kids. And I\u2019m not the only one: According to the <\/span>Harvard Health Blog<\/span><\/a> about 3 percent of all children in the United States are involved in mindfulness programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

From mat time for moms and babes to high school meditation programs, yoga and meditation for kids is more prevalent than ever before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough it\u2019s exciting to see mindfulness for kids becoming more widespread, the reasons behind the surge are heartbreaking,\u201d says Giselle Shardlow, founder of\u00a0<\/span>Kids Yoga Stories<\/span><\/a>. She points out that mindfulness is often used as a remedy for children who are stressed, not sleeping well or don\u2019t exercise enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dozens of research studies<\/span><\/a> have shown that mindfulness practices\u2014whether it\u2019s yoga, breathing techniques or meditation\u2014enhance children\u2019s mental and physical health, and also help them cope with stressful situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Yoga helps kids develop self-awareness<\/b><\/h4>\n

Fifteen years ago, when Shardlow set out to create yoga-based lesson plans for her students, she couldn\u2019t find any resources. Today, her company\u2019s instructive books and games that help kids learn yoga are distributed in more than 50 countries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTeaching children yoga helps them be active, calm and connected with others,\u201d says Shardlow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bidyut Bose, founder of the\u00a0Niroga Institute,<\/a>\u00a0says yoga can help train kids to recognize their emotions. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen the tentacles of toxic stress in our children and in the adults around them, which have serious effects on brain development and behavior,\u201d Bose says.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cSure, yoga can help kids feel calm and relaxed. But it\u2019s more powerful than that. The essence of it is generating self-awareness, which has a profound impact on everything we do.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it doesn\u2019t erase sorrow or anger, practices like yoga give [kids] a way to process feelings in a healthy way,\u201d explains <\/span>Ann Huber of\u00a0<\/span>YogaKids<\/span><\/a>, one of the first yoga-teacher certification programs designed specifically for instructing children.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schools are integrating yoga and meditation<\/b><\/h4>\n

Hundreds of schools across the country<\/span><\/a> are now offering yoga and meditation in classrooms or after-school programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Huber recalls that initially most of YogaKids\u2019s clients were yogis interested in broadening their teaching repertoire. Now, the program certifies more educators who want to integrate yoga into their classrooms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChildren learn better by engaging their whole bodies,\u201d says Jess Matthiae, founder of <\/span>Peaceful Heart<\/span><\/a>, a yoga-inspired preschool and family-centered studio in Montana. \u201cFor instance, yoga improves motor skills and coordination, and also helps develop self-confidence and self-expression.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

While research into how school kids may benefit from yoga and meditation is still in its infancy, the early results are promising. <\/span>A 2015 study<\/span><\/a>, for example, exposed younger children (average age of 6) to a biweekly school program consisting of 1\u20132 minutes of meditation followed by 6\u201310 yoga poses. Eighty-three percent of the kids said they felt happier, stronger and more relaxed after practicing yoga (side note: their favorite pose was upward-facing dog).<\/span><\/p>\n

A 2012 study<\/span><\/a> compared the anxiety levels of two groups of high schoolers: one participating in traditional physical education classes and the other participating in a yoga program. The PE participants showed worse anxiety at the end of the study, while the yoga participants maintained or improved their moods.<\/span><\/p>\n

And in San Francisco, beginning in 2007, <\/span>several secondary schools chose to lengthen their school day by 30 minutes to include time for meditation<\/span><\/a>. Over a four-year period, the schools saw better academic performance and a 79 percent decrease in suspensions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoga and meditation may also benefit<\/span> children with neurobehavioral disorders like ADHD or Asperger\u2019s<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> And a 2012 study<\/span><\/a> found that daily yoga practice improved classroom behavior among children with autism by improving their concentration and social skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYoga helps educate more than just our children\u2019s brains. It also includes emotional, spiritual and physical learning,\u201d Matthiae explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips for yoga and meditation at home<\/h4>\n

Experts like Huber, CEO of YogaKids, say that one of the best ways to introduce children to mindfulness is at home through their most trusted role models: their caregivers. But that doesn\u2019t mean you have to commit to hour-long meditation sessions or become a certified yoga instructor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTeaching grownup yoga to kids doesn\u2019t work,\u201d Huber says. And that\u2019s good news for busy families, since she and other professionals recommend keeping children\u2019s mindfulness practices simple, fun and short.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Shardlow, it\u2019s important that adults share yoga and meditation authentically because kids mimic their caregivers. \u201cIf we as adults can find our own magical yoga moments, our excitement and happiness will radiate to our children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She suggests three easy steps to help families get started with a yoga routine:<\/span><\/p>\n