By Dr. Shivaji Chobe
Kids these days are as busy as adults with their school, multiple tuition classes, extracurricular activities, and homework. They are equally stressed, but they can seldom express themselves like an adult. Hence, schools should be focused on providing a holistic education module for a child by incorporating anti-bullying campaigns, personality and character development, positive mental health sessions by their school counselor, and most importantly incorporating yoga into their extracurricular activities. Yoga is a form of ‘mind-body practice’ that people of all ages can follow. There are many health benefits of yoga for grown-ups that are equally pertinent to our kids, as yoga nurtures the mind, body, and soul, and lays the foundation for a long-lasting tradition of health and wellness.
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The benefits of yoga for children stretch far beyond flexibility.
- Yoga for personality development: Personality development happens during childhood, when children’s experience rapid physical, emotional and intellectual growth. Yoga helps to develop various personality traits that lead to a positive and happy life. For example, a person who practices regular Yoga feels more confident, identifies his strength, makes accurate decisions, communicates effectively, has clarity of thought, etc. Practicing Yoga also helps achieve traits and can positively impact your disposition, behavior, and overall mental health in myriad ways. Kids can develop exceptional levels of mental clarity and calmness by doing Yoga, kriya, Asana, Pranayama and meditation consistently. Not only that, it also helps in developing elevated tenacity and patience towards self and others. This leads to self-actualization and helps kids to attain their maximum potential.
- Improves flexibility, strength, and stamina: Yoga confines assorted poses/asanas which involve a gradual stretch of muscles that helps to improve the flexibility of various muscle groups of our body. Most Yoga postures are meant to bolster kids’ bodies from the inside out. Apart from improving muscle strength, and toning the body, Yoga can also help kids in weight management, and improving their body posture, exuberance, and metabolism. Good physical strength and stamina assist in having a healthy childhood.
- Improves Cognitive functioning: Practicing Yoga can help to enhance perception, attention, executive functions, visuospatial abilities, short- and long-term memory. Practicing yoga requires a complete sync of both the mind and the body. As Yoga enhances cognitive functioning leading to improved academic achievement, it ultimately helps children become skillful in various tasks.
- Strengthen emotional stability: Emotional Intelligence is essential for healthy mental growth. It is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. By practicing yoga regularly feelings and emotions can be regularized in a positive way. Human beings have two types of emotion: Positive (love, kindness) and negative (Anger, fear). Positive emotions are good for mental health, but negative emotions work as a mental block for the development of children. Yoga education plays a great role in the improvement of our emotional wellbeing. Yoga practice enhances emotional resilience. In early age cultivation of emotions in children will have lifelong impact.
- Connects spirituality and self: Yoga helps kids connect with spirituality and self. Regular Yoga practice can make them feel satisfied and enhances their sense of gratitude and well-being. Deep and longtime yoga practices in early age helps to open the spiritual door to know about actual reality and spiritual upliftment. It helps us explore fundamental questions like ‘Who am I’? ‘What is the ultimate purpose of life?’ ‘What is the ultimate reality?’ This exploration is not intelectual by yoga practice, but it is an experimental and experiential stage. Hence Overall Yoga practice in chlidrens helps holistic growth at all levels from physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Following some of the practices are helpful for overall development for children.
Asana: Yoga Poses like Suryanamaskara, Vriksasana, Ardhakatichakrasana, Paschimottanasana, Vakrasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, Dhanurasana.
Kiya: Kapalbhati, Trataka
Pranayama: Bhramari, Nadisudhi Pranayama, Ujjayi Pranayama
Chanting: Nadanusandhana, OM chanting
Relaxation and Meditation: Guided relaxation and breath-based meditations.
(The author is Research Scientist – Integrative Medicine at AAYU by RESET TECH. The article is for informational purposes only. Please consult Yoga experts and health professionals before starting any therapy, medication, exercise and/or remedy. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)
