The world has changed since I was a kid and it’s changing more and more every day. Our children live in a fast paced society with busy parents, school pressures, social media pressures, many different extracurricular activities & lessons, and whatever else we throw their way. We don’t realize how these added influences can be stressful for our kids. The bustling pace of our children’s lives can have a profound effect on their innate joy—and usually not for the better. How do we teach our children how to cope with the balance of life? Especially when we as parents or guardians are still struggling with that ourselves.

I found that yoga can help counter these pressures for myself as an adult. Why not begin teaching these amazing “tools” or practice to our children. When children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and inner fulfillment, they can navigate life’s challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that’s noncompetitive. It teaches cooperation and compassion—instead of opposition—is a great gift to give our children and ourselves. The benefits of yoga are enormous.
Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improve. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, and connect more deeply with the inner self. The physical movements introduce kids to yoga’s true meaning: union, expression, and honor for oneself and one’s part in the delicate web of life.
When yogis developed the asanas many thousands of years ago, they still lived close to the natural world and used animals and plants for inspiration—the sting of a scorpion, the grounded stature of a tree. When children imitate the movements and sounds of nature, they have a chance to get inside another being and imagine taking on its qualities. When they assume the pose of the lion (Simhasana) for example, they experience not only the power and behavior of the lion but also their own sense of power: when to be aggressive, when to retreat. They develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them which is something we’re losing in this digital age. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface. It’s a beautiful thing to see and experience and it’s also a lot of FUN!