The Power of Yoga—for Kids

Yoga is becoming a powerful tool in our goal to raise calm, well-balanced, and socially aware children. Most people are already sold on the physiological benefits of yoga—improvements in posture, flexibility, strength, and endurance. But it’s yoga’s often overlooked cognitive/social/psychological benefits that read like a parent’s or schoolteacher’s dream. Kids who practice yoga on a regular basis show improvements in:

• memory
• concentration
• learning ability
• mood
• social skills
• self-acceptance

Today’s kids are bombarded by a neverending array of stimulus every day—from 500 channels on TV to text message overload. Add to this the controversial three hours of homework most kids receive each night, and it’s no wonder yoga classes for kids are finding their way into schools, gyms, and community centers across America. Adults, mostly yoga devotees themselves, are recognizing kids’ need for calm. Laura Whitesides, a kids yoga teacher in Redondo Beach, California schools describes it like this:  “Kids have so much energy, both naturally and from their outside world.  Yoga gives them the opportunity to take a break and focus that energy inward.”

How does a mere mortal bring a roomful of highly energetic kids to a state of calm? It takes creativity and patience, derived from a true desire to teach kids the skills to navigate through life. A kids’ yoga class is different than an adult’s yoga class. The yoga poses are often presented as part of a story.  Instructors also incorporate games, songs, and imaginative play into the classes. Whitesides begins her class by having the children sit in a circle in lotus position. Next they pass the “gratitude stone” and each get a turn to say what they are grateful for. What a beautiful lesson, but one that an instructor of an adult yoga class may not have the luxury of presenting. It would take too much time away from the physical fitness component of class.

In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, studies show that yoga is also an effective self-help therapy for kids with ADD/ADHD, autism, and general behavioral problems. Yoga’s deep breathing and relaxation techniques foster a higher level of self-awareness and impulse control. One of Whitesides’ students, a first grader named Jared, has been diagnosed with ADHD. He was admittedly a challenge at first, but over time small improvements in his ability to focus even began to spread to his academic classroom. His regular teacher noticed he was participating more in structured group activities and exhibiting less disruptive behavior. 

If yoga presents so many cognitive, social, psychological, and even therapeutic benefits, why isn’t it incorporated into all our schools? Well, we’re heading that way. But first, there are a few roadblocks. School administrators often don’t see beyond yoga’s fitness component. Requests for yoga classes usually get relegated to the already funding-strapped P.E. department. Yoga can also be a hard sell to some parents who believe yoga teachings go against their religion. 

But the future of kids’ yoga is exciting. Adults all over the world are overcoming obstacles to share their knowledge and passion for yoga with children. Parents are volunteering to teach yoga in their child’s classroom. I recently visited a school in small town Hudson, Massachusetts where the 5th grade teacher finds time to lead her students in yoga exercises prior to tests or at the end of a long day. Teachers who wish to incorporate yoga into their curriculum can turn to Yoga Kids Tools for School program for guidance and ideas. Yoga clubs and after-school classes are sprouting up around campuses, providing an alternative to yoga studios that can be too expensive for some households. Highly qualified instructors are bringing yoga to inner city schools through non-profit organizations like New York City’s Bent on Learning and the Cincinnati-based Project Yoga.

As she watches over the little yogis and yoginis in her class, instructor Laura Whitesides envisions a day when an entire generation reaps the benefits of yoga. “Imagine if our generation had the opportunity to experience the teachings of yoga as children.  What balanced, enlightened, and less stressed-out adults we would be!”