There is a generation coming up - that of yoga children. Kids are learning yoga in playschools, through parents who practice, and with friends.
However, it is only natural to wonder if a young kid three years old can do yoga.
Kids can be introduced to yoga at any age, including when they are three years old. How yoga is introduced and taught to kids can vary depending upon their age. Yoga must be adapted to age, so kids find it engaging. However, it is never too early for kids to start yoga.
In this article, we make you more familiar with yoga for kids by talking about its benefits for toddlers, how you can do yoga with a toddler, and how you can explain yoga to a child.
Let us start by looking at the benefits of yoga for toddlers.
Benefits of yoga for toddlers and in early childhood
The benefits of yoga are as relevant and as enormous for toddlers as they are for adults.
Here are some ways in which yoga is beneficial for toddlers:
1. ESTABLISHES A STRONGER CONNECTION WITH YOUR TODDLER
Yoga with a toddler is a shared experience.
A certain degree of physical contact happens while doing yoga with a toddler, which helps create a deeper bonding.
It also helps toddlers engage with a parent or a caregiver more playfully and intimately.
2. CREATES AWARENESS OF THE BODY
A 3-year-old is still discovering their body.
Yoga helps toddlers gain an understanding and awareness of how they can work with their bodies.
It helps them get a better sense of possible movements, sensations, and abilities.
3. PROMOTES DEVELOPMENT OF MOTOR SKILLS
The repetition of postures and movement in yoga can help toddlers with brain development.
Also, working with both the left and the right side of the body along with crossing the body's midline helps stimulate the brain and improve cognition and sensorimotor integration.
The next obvious question is - how do you do yoga with a toddler?
Here are our constructive tips.
How to do yoga with a toddler
Yoga with a toddler is very different from how yoga is taught to adults.
It varies in the way a class is sequenced, structured, and taught.
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Here are some ways in which you can make yoga for toddlers engaging:
1. KEEP IT FUN
To make yoga more exciting and relatable to toddlers, add some games to the practice.
One such game is to ask kids to make sounds like the corresponding animals in yoga postures like cat-cow pose, cobra pose, or downward-facing dog.
As a parent, you can also make yoga playful for toddlers by doing it with them and helping them with their movement, like in a baby massage.
A long sequence of poses can be boring for kids. You can make it more engaging by inserting frequent breaks of songs and stories.
2. REPETITION IS IMPORTANT
Kids learn through repetition, and mastering a pose can give them a sense of achievement.
Repetition also gives kids a sense of safety as they feel they know what to expect.
3. INCLUDE AFFIRMATIONS
Yoga can help toddlers develop a strong and positive sense of self, which can be enabled by including affirmations with poses.
For example, while in mountain pose, kids can be encouraged to feel strong, grounded, and safe using affirmations like "I am strong" or "I am confident."
4. INTRODUCE MEDITATION
Meditation and mindfulness can be made accessible for toddlers, though it can be practiced in a very different way, sometimes even in the form of a smile.
Stories are a great way to help kids connect with feelings and valuable messages.
Kids can learn about kindness, gratitude, happiness, and sadness; there can be laughing games; bumblebee humming can bring focus to the breath.
5. PRACTICE PATIENCE
When teaching yoga to kids, it is essential to adapt the practice accordingly.
Kids can feel very different energetically from one moment to the next.
They can be in one of their moods of being grumpy, or they could be tired or hungry.
Not being too rigid and keeping patience and compassion at all times is key to ensuring that the innate curiosity and creativity of kids can manifest.
And now, if you are having trouble explaining yoga to a child, we make that simple for you.
