When we think of yoga, we are often led to imagine a discipline tailored to the needs of adults: we often associate those who practice yoga with a person who tries to combat stress caused by a hectic life and heavy work rhythms; moreover, to the word “meditation” we connect a commitment and a concentration that we consider little within the reach of the little ones.
In fact, we must consider that even children can experience stressful situations, which are influenced by our hyper-accelerated daily rhythms, and which are subjected to a bombardment of stimuli: therefore they too can receive psychological and physical benefits, when the discipline becomes a game that accompanies them to discover their body, their movements, their perceptions.
We mainly work on the correct diaphragmatic breathing, which beneficially influences both the physical – with the improvement of the circulation and strengthening of the immune defenses – and the mind, which immediately becomes more relaxed: the positions are simple, static or dynamic, and play a lot on the meaning of the various asanas (proposed in a simplified way), which is associated with images of animals, natural elements, fairy-tale characters.
The lessons for children focus heavily on the storytelling that combines these asanas; they follow some established patterns, but teachers often catch the mood of the “class”, and improvise on the basis of an interaction that involves everyone.
A sweet discipline, which can be practiced naturally and according to everyone’s skills: a precious moment to learn to know oneself and to express hidden resources .
The advantages of yoga are evident in many fields: first of all, it develops brain potential precisely in that age in which the mind is more open and learning is faster. Thus, yoga has beneficial effects on attention, and can help childrenwho find it difficult at school to position themselves in a concentrated attitude. It can also be a moment of relaxation and relaxation after a day spent at school or after homework. Furthermore, playing a lot on creativity, yoga is suitable to be combined with musical and theatrical workshops, because stimulating introspection helps to bring out many latent energies.
On the physical plane, it is useful for posture precisely because it is practiced in an age in which it defines itself (and in which it can be put at risk by wrong habits due to the many hours sitting in school incorrectly); it also improves muscle coordination, endurance, agility and flexibility of the spine, and strengthens the immune system: it is therefore an excellent discipline to combine with sport.
On a more general level, all these benefits, mental and physical , achieve a very important result: they stimulate the child to get to know each other, to manage his emotions and to express himself creatively, thus obtaining great self-confidence.
The child can be approached yoga from the first months of life, together with the mother (who may have already practiced yoga during pregnancy …), who will make the child perform various movements. But it is more or less at the age when children go to kindergarten, from three to five years, that you can work with them on breathing or on the simplest exercises, not yet real asanas, associated with the names of the animals, proposed as a game. In school age children can then face the first asanas, until practicing the“Sun salutation” , or suryanamaskar
