The health benefits of yoga for children are indisputable but unfortunately are seldom highlighted. It enhances a child’s motor skills, increases self-confidence, improves concentration whilst enabling self-expression and body awareness. Yoga for children also offers an effective way to manage hyperactivity and stress. Teaching children how to relax, unwind and calm down. Physically, yoga builds strength, flexibility and balance, empowering children to feel more confident, relaxed and happy.
What is Children’s Yoga?
Early years yoga differs slightly from adult yoga. To keep the children engaged, classes are usually shorter, more fun and interactive. The aim is to get children to stretch, move and discover their abilities, bodies and the world around them. Children’s senses are stimulated through movement, massage, touch, song, and stretching. Children’s yoga classes usually begin with and end with a brief relaxation exercise, followed by fun games involving yoga poses. This is where children learn about deep breathing and simple meditation all using fun stories, books, songs and games.
Baby Yoga Classes
For babies, yoga classes promote tummy time and active play in the form of swings and dips. This helps develop their balance, coordination and spatial awareness. Exposure to yoga and its gentle movements encourage more regular sleep intervals. It also helps develop and nourish babies’ motor development which can make the transition from crawling to walking is smoother. It’s also been suggested that yoga for babies’ aids digestion by relieving symptoms of colic (acute, frenzied crying that is connected to digestive problems) and helping prevent constipation.
Little Angels hold weekly children’s yoga classes for all age groups, an exciting element of our activity itinerary. All the stretches are achieved with the guidance of our instructor Stephanie and the gentle care of our staff. Stephanie has practised yoga for over 20 years, finding that it brings a focus and energy to life. In addition to being a mother of 2, Stephanie has been a primary school teacher for 15 years. During this time, she has noticed that the periods of quiet available to children are getting rarer and rarer. With this in mind, Stephanie qualified in 2018 through YogaBeez as a children’s yoga teacher and teaches in some of London’s leading early years settings. Stephanie is enthusiastic about bringing yoga practice to the whole family, enhancing connections and fostering a sense of fun.
Our yoga classes have proven to be a wonderful way to increase children’s coordination, self-awareness, confidence and self-esteem while they stretch and strengthen their bodies. By combining elements of touch, music, communication and joy, our weekly children’s yoga classes stimulate the children’s bodies and minds in a fun and engaging manner.