Some of us already know the benefits of yoga. Having practiced ourselves for years we understand that it just makes sense to have children get engaged with yoga but how? and what are the benefits?

Focus - one of the huge benefits is teaching people how to focus. Using breath, teaching patience, holding postures, all subtle ways to teach anyone, regardless of their age how to focus. Once done correctly it can teach children how to use that focus on their exams, studies, learning in the class room

Behaviour - by rewarding well behaved children with more complicated postures, asking them to be your assistants and demonstrating to the rest of the class or even asking them to name their favourite posture can make them realise how easily they can be rewarded for the simplest acts of good behaviour

Patience - underestimated often by children and the impact and change it can have on their lives when they correctly master it. By correctly using yoga, postures and breathing you can teach children how to be patient. How to use that patience to benefit themselves

Those are just some of the benefits of yoga for kids but how do you deliver it? How do you keep a child’s attention span long enough to get them into poses, to breaths or even to explain to them what you are planning?

Simple. Stories. Tell them stories that they already know, some they don’t and incorporate yoga postures. Stretches, breathing exercises, all hidden within the story telling. Find ways to mask the moves so they don’t really acknowledge they are doing yoga, as far as they are concerned you are showing them moves that uses their imagination and incorporates it into part of the story.

Simple yet effective. That is how we change the next generation. Using what we already know in new ways.

Think on that and tell me what you do? Do you have a child who’s interested in yoga? Do you have an idea for how to deliver it? tell me! I love hearing more stories.

Ciao for now x