Rahil, a class IX student of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and a son of a businessman, could not concentrate on his studies and had no confidence in himself. Mansi Bharadwaj, a seven-year-old student of Delhi Public School, Faridabad used to be very rude with her mother and could not concentrate on what she did. Then yoga happened to them. They recently attended a six-day-long Art of Living workshop called Art Excel (or all-round training in excellence) recently in Bangalore along with other children aged eight to 13.
Art Excel is a personality development course for children, which incorporates Sudarshan Kriya, the ancient knowledge of yoga and pranayam, along with games and processes. It helps children overcome shyness, become friendly, deal with anger and frustration in a positive way and improves memory and concentration, says Mala Sundareshan, member, Art Excel Board.
?I feel my concentration levels have gone up and I feel more confident now. And, after doing the Sudarshan Kriya, I feel like heaven. Now I am able to concentrate more on my studies,? says Rahil.
There are other courses too that focus on children. Yoga Life Foundation offers one such programme. It recently organised a camp for children in the capital. Specially designed to suit their needs, the asanas even had modified names to cater to the fun quotient of kids. Sample the modifications: Bhramari Pranayama was renamed ?humming bee breathe?; Kapalbhati Pranayama became ?rail engine?; Naukasana was identified as ?the boat pose?; Titaliasana as ?The butterfly?; Jhulana lurhakasana ? ?rolly polly?, and so on.
?Yoga meditations and deep relaxations are wonderful self-help therapies to improve their concentration. At Yoga Life we have a specialised yoga program for them,? says Sanjeev Kumar Bhanot, yoga therapist and Yoga Life founder. ?Laughter, joy and flexibility are gems of childhood and yoga helps maintain them. Kids learn in this workshop to be calm and energised at the same time. The workshop makes them learn how to meditate and how to breathe better. ?It also helps them learn new twists and turns for a better healthy body and mind,? says Bhanot.
Most therapists agree that children have a natural affinity for yoga as their bodies are flexible and they are naturally unafraid of taking on physical challenges. ?Today one finds more people practising yoga in California than in all of India,? says Bhanot, and adds: ?Currently, yoga is a $13 billion industry globally and I have been doing workshops quite often with foreign kids, especially the embassy children. I have conducted workshops at the German Embassy, which was a big success as lots of children participated.?
Meanwhile yoga practitioners say that yoga, which needs to be done dynamically (since static poses stunt muscle and bone development), can add inches to a growing child?s body. It postpones puberty so the child is allowed to match his mental development with his physical maturity.
Today, successive generations of children are reaching puberty earlier, completely unprepared for the tensions of adulthood. With yoga, the respiratory system performs at optimum capacity as does the immune system. These are two gifts (which money cannot buy!) that will prevent your child from falling ill, not just in their youth but also throughout life.
?My own experience in teaching yoga to kids has been that they take to it like ducks to water. They can do highly advanced asanas within a short time and believe me, they are even more receptive to the spiritual aspects of yoga, drawing out the ?Oms? with surprising strength and focus,? observes Bhanot.
Some asanas help in balancing the body and children need to be taught the scientific reasons behind the left-right brain co-ordination while giving them lessons. For a single Yoga Life class, a parent needs to pay up Rs 200 and the complete workshop works out to Rs 2,200. Several schools have introduced these yoga programmes too. As far as the fee charged in schools is concerned, Sumita Kalra Art Excel coordinator for Delhi and NCR says: ?The fee is only a guideline. The donation ranges from Rs 750 to Rs 1,000, depending on the city/town where the course is being organised. If the course is organised in a school, there is a discount.?
Discounted or otherwise, looks like yoga for your kids makes sense. Sample what 12-year-old Medha, who studies in Shri Ram School, Gurgaon says: ?This course has helped me make new friends and build my confidence.?
And her mother avers. So now it is time you did something for your child too.