Do you want your kid to enjoy as well as enhance his/her cognitive control? Yoga for kids helps in doing so. It improves their focus, balance & coordination. Most of us have taken up Yoga and Pranayama to be a part of our daily fitness regimes and swearing by the numerous benefits of this ancient science, extending this to our kids would be great for them. While it has always remained as a quintessential practice for the grown-ups, kiddos of this generation too are not far behind in lapping it up the for their overall development.

In many schools across India and in other countries, Yoga has found place as a part of the regular curriculum. Ever wondered how practicing Yoga and Pranayama help your child? Today’s yoga practitioners believe that it helps not just in building body stamina and calming their minds but also in guiding children with behavioural issues.

Yoga practitioner and teacher Prakash Narayan says that many asanas and breathing techniques help in regulating the behaviour of hyperactive children and kids with bipolar disorder. Yoga is also the best medicine for children in order to improve their concentration and build their immunity. Don’t look at it as a method to discipline your child, instead help them understand the science behind it and take up its benefits. Even after yoga being beneficial for kids, it is sad to see that many parents these days look at yoga classes as another means of engaging children during their free time.

However, what’s the right age to start yoga for children?
Chitra Ganesh, who regularly conducts yoga and meditation training camps for children suggests the right age for kids to start yoga is eight. “The body movements would be more flexible for younger children but major organ development happens only after they turn 8 years of age. It will also help them in understanding the importance of yoga in their daily life. I start teaching every asana with a story explaining its benefits. That would make them interested and curious,” concludes Chitra.

Yoga experts suggest that kids or anyone, learn the practice in the early hours of morning, owing to the good amount of oxygen levels during the day. They believe staying put in different poses or asanas for longer durations help in developing calm and composed state of mind. Asanas like Vrikshasan and breathing techniques like Brahmari, Anulom, Vilom strictly guided by the learned yogic practitioners are hugely recommended for children in their pre-teens.

Dos and Don’ts:

1. Always get trained by a learned Yoga teacher to understand more about the science.
2. Yoga is not just for killing summer boredom, make it a part of your daily fitness regime.
3. Guided breathing techniques are quite rewarding in improving concentration.
4. Asanas boost confidence, help in dealing with various challenges.
5. Morning is the best time to practice Yoga and 7 to 8 years is the best age to get initiated into Yoga and Pranayama.