That Yoga is very beneficial for mind and body is a well known and accepted fact. More and more people turn to yoga to release stress and tension and to have a more healthy body and lifestyle. But yoga for children is much less common, even though children also face a lot of stress, anxiety and pressure. By practicing yoga, they learn how to control their thoughts, emotions and body. They also learn the importance of respect for themselves and the people around them. Yoga is a very good way to teach children some important values of life. And last but not least… Yoga is also a very fun and good workout for them!
Even though it might seem more difficult to teach yoga to kids and to keep them interested and motivated, kids yoga is actually very fascinating and rewarding! Children are very honest and straightforward, they will immediately tell you wether or not they like you. But don’t worry… as long as you truly like children and like to spend time with them, they will like you back. Below you can find some tips to structure a yoga class for kids and how to handle a group of children by yourself.
A big group of children is easier to handle then a small group
It might seem scary to handle a big group of children but actually kids are easier to entertain and handle when they are in a big group. One of the most important elements of a kids class – whether it is a yoga class or any other type of class – is ENERGY. Energy keeps children fascinated, interested and motivated to learn. When there is no energy, they easily feel bored and loose focus. The best way to give them the energy they need is to put them together with a bunch of other kids.
Children are copycats… turn this fact into an advantage
Children always imitate the person they look up to. Usually the older and louder kids with a strong character are the ones who are being imitated by the more shy and timid children. Make sure you have those children on your side, if they like your class and participate well, the others will also participate. A good way to motivate the children is by giving them a responsibility like guiding students during toilet brake, making sure everyone sits in their place,…
Having FUN is the most important goal of a kids yoga class
There is a big difference in how you handle a kids yoga class and an adult yoga class. With adults the focus is mainly on controlling the breath and the body and keeping the focus inwards. With children however, you want them to get to know yoga and to enjoy doing it. Whatever children do, they only like it when they have fun while doing it. Keep this in mind when you teach them yoga. Add some games related to yoga, make the warm up fun and exciting,…
Children might be the ones coming to the class, but don’t forget to involve the parents
When you teach yoga to children, make sure you also involve the parents. They want to know what their child is doing and if he or she is making progress. Therefore often parents want to stay in the class to observe, but this often disturbs the energy of the class. A good way to solve this problem and to make sure the parents know what their child is doing is by organizing a short show every month. This way, children can show the parents what they have learned the past weeks and the parents can see the progress of the child. You can also ask children to make a Yoga Notebook and give them some small and fun home work to do at home, like making a drawing of collage of a pose they have learned in class,… Parents then see the notebook and feel like their child is learning fun and new things.
Finish a class with a short moral story
A good way to finish a kids yoga class is to use 5 minutes to read them a short moral story. This has two benefits: you can teach them some values of life and the energy of the class becomes very calm and relaxed. After telling them a story they are ready to lie down for 5 minutes of final relaxation. When you finish a class in this manner, the energy of the children has become very calm and peaceful and they are ready to go home and hopefully carry this peaceful energy with them.
If you want to learn more about teaching yoga to adults, children, pregnant women, older people, etc. and you want to experience what the yogic life is all about, you might want to follow a Yoga teacher training course in India.
areudirty
blakekathryn
tangentwithtanner
kianamaiart
pixelskylines
prguitarman
stormborns