Monday, August 13, 2012

Where yoga fits into the back to school routine

Why Yoga is an Essential Part of the Back to School Routine

Our children live in world of pressures from school, busy parents, competitive sports, various lessons, social gatherings and much more. We do not often think of these influences as being stressful for our kids, but often they are. The bustling pace of our children's live can have a huge effect on their innate joy, and not always for the better.

Yoga can help counter these pressures. When children learn techniques for relaxation, breathing, inner fulfillment, and self-health, they can often navigate life's challenges with more ease. Yoga encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual activity that is non competitive. Fostering cooperation and compassion, instead of opposition, is part of a yoga practice and one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children. 

There are many other benefits children can derive from yoga. Physically, it enhances flexibility, strength, and coordination. It increases their sense of concentration as well as their sense of calmness. Additionally, children's relaxation improves. Practicing yoga is exercise for children that connects them with their inner self and brings them into an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. 

Yogis that developed asanas thousands of years ago, lived close to the natural world and used animals and plants as inspirations the sting of the scorpion, the grace of a swan, the grounded stature of a tree. Children can relate to these poses and enjoy imitating them. It gives them a chance to get inside another being and take on its qualities. For example, the power and behavior of a lion. Not only are children aware of the power of the lion, they become aware of their own sense power, when to be aggressive, when to retreat. These physical movements introduce children to yoga's true meaning: union, expression, and honor for oneself and one's part in the web of life. 

Having your child participate in a yoga practice may help the school year become a little less stressful.

For more information on Dragonfly Yoga for Kids and Teens, please see our website at

dragonflyyogakids.com
 

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