Kids and Yoga

While very few kids do yoga to find their “inner peace,” they definitely enjoy the many benefits yoga offers.

 “The benefits children receive from yoga in many ways are the same as those that adults may experience,” says Annie Damsky, owner of Villager Yoga in Mountain Brook. “Building strength, balance and flexibility play a big role, while also introducing the tools needed to self-soothe and alleviate stress.”

Yogawoman expert Shana Meyerson, the founder of “mini yogis yoga for kids” in Los Angeles, says on http://www.yogawoman.tv that yoga encourages children to use all of their muscles in new ways. “This is great for non-athletic children who typically shy away from physical activity in fear of failure or being picked last,” she says on the site, “and it also helps athletic children to excel in other physical activities and sports.”

Children can start yoga as young as infancy, Damsky says, and some classes at her studio are designed for parent and child to create an interactive environment. Yoga also is non-competitive, “one of the few (if any) non-competitive activities that a child can participate in.”

Damsky and Meyerson offer these tips and facts about yoga and kids:

• Yoga is fun.
• Yoga promotes body awareness.
• Yoga promotes flexibility.
• Yoga is imaginative in nature.
• Yoga builds self-esteem, thinking, memory and listening skills.
• Yoga promotes a sense of control and the ability to manifest personal peace and calm (helping to shorten and even decrease tantrums).
• Yoga helps develop the mind-body connection.
• Yoga strengthens the nervous system, immune system and other organ functions.

Locally, Damsky says classes typically start at around $15 per class but are often less when purchasing several in advance. “Look for a (yoga) instructor that is 200-hour certified (at minimum) and has specialized training or years of experience if you are looking for a specific class style such as for kids, prenatal, etc.”

Carol Muse Evans is the publisher of Birmingham Parent.