With yoga for children and mums and bubs yoga increasing in popularity, classes are now being offered at many of our Lifelong Learning Centres Australia wide. On International Yoga Day we wanted to share some of the benefits experienced by babies, toddlers and children.
Healthy Minds activities such as yoga, mindfulness and breathing exercises build emotional confidence, and allow children to be in the right frame of mind for other learning opportunities, as well as support their growing self-awareness.
Children at selected Lifelong Learning Centres learn calming breathing techniques and yoga poses to help relieve stress. At this present time we have over thirty centres offering yoga classes to children across the country to help counteract the pressures of everyday life.
“Children live in a world where they are crowded internally and externally by family, schooling, lessons, video games, and competitive sports,” says experienced early childhood educator and Centre Manager Carla Langley.
“Often their effect on growth and development are underestimated as they are accepted aspects of growing up. By providing children with the tools to calm their minds through yoga it’s been found they can navigate daily challenges with a little more ease.
Yoga can give children a foundational basis for relaxation and mindfulness, particularly when managing demands of daily life,” she said.
Yoga at an early age encourages children’s self-esteem and body awareness, developing cooperation and compassion in a quiet and reflective environment. Physically, yoga increases children’s flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. While emotionally, doing yoga will improve concentration and a sense of calmness and relaxation. When taking part in yoga, children can connect more deeply with their inner self, and develop stronger relationships with the natural world.
At Lifelong Learning Centres we understand that the practice of yoga and mindfulness can take shape across a range of levels. Whether it’s yoga instructors coming into the classroom to lead a workshop for children, or educator led mindfulness activities to calm children as they come inside from the playground we have activities to suit all levels, ages and stages of learning.
To find out if your local centre offers yoga as part of their Healthy Minds program call 1800 CHILDCARE.