What is yoga?
Yoga is a “system of physical and mental exercises meant to synchronize body and mind for a healthy and more aware self”, according to Jodi B. Komitor and Eve Adamson, authors of The Idiots Guide to Yoga for Kids (2000).
Children can enjoy yoga play beginning in infancy and can continue to develop their yoga practice into adulthood.
The benefits of yoga play
Why should you incorporate yoga into your music and movement activities?
According to an article in Yoga Journal titled “Yoga for Kids” by Marsha Wenig, yoga practice offers a multitude of marvelous benefits for children:
“Yoga enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them.”
In short, yoga helps children develop a healthy relationship to his or her body and promotes well being.
While children don’t need special equipment to practice yoga, they do need an adult to introduce them to yoga play and philosophies. If you are a novice just starting out, introduce yourself to yoga for children through books and videos.
Getting Started
Books for adults expound upon the benefits of yoga play and also demonstrate age appropriate poses, meditations, breathing techniques, songs, games, and yoga philosophies.
Start with Yoga with Children by Mary Steward (Fireside, 1993). Suitable for children ages 3 and older, Stewart educates yoga novices and walks them through both active and resting yoga poses and yoga play.
For the highly creative, Storytime Yoga: Teaching Yoga to Children Through Story by Sydney Solis shows adults how to engage the imagination of children by combining simple, mythological stories with yoga. This book is appropriate for teaching children ages 3-11.
Books for kids will introduce them to the yoga lifestyle. One to try: Little Yoga: A Toddler's First Book of Yoga by Rebecca Whitford and Martina Selway (illustrator). It is a colorful board book perfect for helping toddlers discover nine safe, easy, and fun yoga poses.
For additional ideas for yoga practice with toddlers and preschool aged children, try videos such as Yoga Kids: For Ages 3-6 (2000) and Yoga Gaiam Kids: Yogakids Fun Collection (2005) for fun yoga style moves.
If learning is about exploration, why not add elements of yoga to your selection of in-home or family daycare or preschool activities? Yoga for children does not have to be complicated—just think of it as another enjoyable opportunity for children to learn, create, and express themselves through play.
For more information about music and movement for toddlers, see Preschool Music and Movement.
