Yoga for children Health
Little yogis
NHS Clinical Nurse Specialist Michelle Teasdale advocates yoga and meditation to cope with exam stress and bedtime battles
children from learning the singularly most important skill of how to just be, and how to play – whether alone or with others. “Children live in an increasingly stressful world and often have trouble sleeping or relaxing,” says Ingrid Slack, co-author of Teaching Meditation to Children and who is one of an increasing number of specialists promoting yoga and meditation for children. I turned to yoga and meditation for
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my five-year-old daughter when I was having difficulty getting her to go to bed at night. I tried everything: a musical frog, endless bedtime stories, even aromatherapy. Nothing seemed to work. Until, I discovered a CD of guided-imagery stories and yoga. We did the yoga first, using “Yoga Pretzels” cards, each with its own illustrated yoga pose, and then, while falling asleep, she listened to the meditation CD, which created with
images of her riding
dolphins, or transported
hildren today are bombarded with IT gadgets. Whether it’s Dad’s iPad, mobile phones or television, they all distract
her to fairy castles. Te results were impressive: she stayed in bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Tis worked even when we were on holiday and she was in a strange bed. “Regular yoga and meditation practice can not only produce physical relaxation, but also improve concentration, creative thinking, memory and help deal with stress,” says Slack. By practising at home,
“By learning relaxation
techniques, children are better able to deal with stressful situations”
you and your child are spending more quality time together and strengthening your relationship, she adds. Christiane Kerr, founder of Calm for Kids, a company that specialises in yoga for children, says: “By learning relaxation techniques that can be transferred into every day life, children are better able to deal with stressful situations such as interviews and exams. Tey can learn the ability to pause, breathe and respond to situations rather than impulsively reacting. Practising yoga can give children an awareness of their bodies, which other sporting activities don’t.”
Exercises to try at home
Mantra meditation This is good for younger children whose minds are “busy”. Pick a phrase that is meaningful to the child, for example: “I am happy.” You could even suggest a positive affirmation if there is something causing anxiety at the time: “I can pass my maths.” The mantra should be said out loud on the out-breath only.
Mindfulness Try eating a raisin slowly. Examine it in the palm of your hand before putting it into your mouth and noticing both the raisin and the way you eat it in a manner that you have never
done before. I have done this using fruit but chocolate always goes down well! Mindfulness aids concentration and memory.
Body awareness Ask your child to lie on the floor with their eyes shut and gently touch them on the backs of the hands or the face with different objects – a feather or a toothbrush. Ask them to identify the object and how it feels. Then ask them to think about different parts of the body (right shoulder, left knee).
The growing seed Five-to-8 year olds can pretend that they are a seed in the
earth growing into a tall plant. Ask them to stretch their arms up high, then wither down to the ground and curl up into a tight ball.
Concentrating on the breath Get your child to lie on the floor with a small teddy on their tummy to help them focus on the in-and-out breaths.
Child’s pose Kneel and fold forward where the upper body rests on the thighs and the forehead on the ground. It’s a good exercise for children to try and is a calming exercise before bedtime.
Practising with very young children
(5-8 year olds) who often have a short attention span requires a variety of different techniques, for a short amount of time (around 10 minutes).
A good time for practising with
your child is before bedtime. A yoga class for children has a very different pace and structure to that of yoga classes for adults and often
uses imagery and play. Kerr adds: “Most of the poses have animal or nature names that the children are familiar with and by weaving this into a story or game for the younger ones, the yoga session also becomes a great way to develop young imaginations. Introduce visualisation skills with stories based on themes that they are familiar with such as the beach, the park and space travel.” Derek Cassells, head teacher of Te
Maharishi School in Lancashire, says that his pupils are happier, engage in better relationships with their peers and are more alert due to practising yoga and meditation. In schools where yoga and meditation
are on the curriculum, Cassells adds that there are fewer problems with bullying. In the school’s 2009 Ofsted report, the word “outstanding” is mentioned 11 times. Whether that is due to the chilled- out children or the fact that it is a high-performing school is up for debate but Cassells is convinced of the benefits that yoga and meditation bring to his pupils.
Further information Yoga
Teaching Meditation to Children by David Fontana and Ingrid Slack (Cygnus Books)
www.yogabugs.com www.calmforkids.com Yoga Pretzels cards from
www.amazon.co.uk
Meditation
www.kidscdsandtapes.com www.calmforkids.com
www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk
Summer 2011 FirstEleven 53
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PHOTOS: ISTOCK
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