WHY BIJA KIDS YOGA?
This evening, after finishing a lesson with a student of mine, I happily listened to her recite the many benefits of her yoga practice to her brother. She reminded him of the importance of stretching and strengthening his body to stay competitive in his athletic pursuits and told him about how much better she sleeps if she does a simple meditation before bedtime. She explained that yoga builds confidence and body awareness and talked about the plethora of benefits learning to breathe properly can have on the body. She even mentioned the power of mantra and how chanting can calm and center the mind. Did I mention that this particular student happens to be eight years old?
Time and again I am pleasantly surprised by how much yoga practice resonates with the kids that I teach. Not just the fun and silly games we play, or the dozens of asanas that they learn – but the deeper more subtle aspects that we discuss in class. They are truly effected by the power of the breathe and the serenity that they feel after a few minutes in savasana, or deep relaxation, at the end of class. It’s a continual reminder that children are like sponges and will absorb whatever we give them, so why not give them all the powerful tools that yoga has to offer?
When I tell people that I run a children’s yoga program they often have a funny reaction. I think that they get a mental image of 3 year olds sitting on mats and just can’t believe that it would work. Parents frequently comment “that’s great, but my kids would never sit still for it” or “what do you mean your classes are available for kids as soon as they’re crawling?” They’re right. The idea of teaching kids to become more peaceful and content just isn’t a regular part of our culture. The idea that an active seven year old boy can benefit from techniques that help him calm down isn’t something we usually even consider. As beautiful as the image of children being perfectly quiet and still might be, even the most gifted kids yoga teacher would be challenged to get a group of kids to sit through an hour of meditation techniques.
So instead of fighting against nature, we embrace it. For anyone who has spent time with kids knows that they are in many ways the embodiment of the yoga practice. Their ability to live fully in the moment, with wonder and joy and fearlessly dive into things is a great reminder of what brings us on to our mats each day as adults. We tap into these innate qualities in class and use children’s playfulness as the catalyst for all our activities. We read stories and sing our sun salutations, we do our poses as part of obstacle courses or guessing games. Ultimately though, we are practicing yoga. We are fully present and using the techniques of the practice to deal with the everyday stresses and challenges of life. In our Little Lotuses classes we give parents tools to take home to help make transitions and bedtime easier. With our older students (3+) we actively discuss how our yoga practice translates into everyday life. Whether the bully at school, too much homework or a little brother’s teasing is getting a student down, kids who practice Bija Kids Yoga are armed with things that can help them along the way so they can overcome challenges, make empowering choices and love what they’ve got. Because ultimately the practice isn’t just to help us with the hard parts of life, but to help us recognize all the beauty and joy that is in each and every moment.
Join us for Bija Kids Yoga classes at Mala Yoga to see how yoga can transform children’s lives!
The Bija Mission
To introduce children and their families to yoga.
To strengthen, stretch and calm growing bodies.
To nurture budding minds with knowledge and care.
To plant seeds of self confidence, peace and wellness.
To Shape Lives That Are Full of Health, Happiness and Joy.
Namaste,
Lauren Maples
Director, Bija Kids Yoga