Looking for something different for your child? Why not join the kiddie yoga trend?
"When babies first start to lift their head up, that's their cobra pose. When they get on their hands and knees, that's their 'cat pose'. When they lift onto their feet, that's their 'downward dog' pose, so it makes so much sense for kids to continue practicing yoga into adulthood," says Shari Vilchez-Blatt, owner and founder of Karma Kids Yoga in New York City.
In search of something new
Vilchez-Blatt is a true believer in the benefits of yoga for children. She says yoga brings a child's body and mind something it needs: "Flexibility, strength, coordination, balance, confidence and self esteem, [yoga promotes] just a really good sense of well being."
Vilchez-Blatt says that children come to yoga for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of focus in school or a recent diagnosis of ADHD. She adds, "Their coach may have suggested they come take a yoga class because they're having trouble concentrating in the outfield or they get nervous when it's their turn to throw the free throw shot." Yoga can teach a child how to calm himself, and to recognize the need to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand.
Skills for life
Recognizing the benefits of yoga, some schools have begun implementing yoga in their after-school and physical education programs. Yoga summer camps have sprung up around the country. You can even have a yoga birthday party. It seems as though it's a trend that's here to stay.
Parents like Edie Rogers, whose daughter Ella attends yoga class at Karma Kids, see the benefits at home. "This child is so balanced and has so much coordination," she says. "She walked when she was ten months old. She is just so grounded in her body, which is important." Vilchez-Blatt says that yoga brings serenity and balance into the lives of super busy children, helping them to find what she calls their "center": "Most children are overscheduled," she says. "They find yoga to be a wonderful outlet on top of all the other activities there are to give them some piece of mind and some calmness."