The benefits of Yoga for children

Discover the benefits of practicing Yoga for children.

Children are wise beings and at the same time innocent. That innocence that characterizes them also makes them very intelligent . Contrary to what people think, children are great teachers who must be educated to develop their inner gifts. Yoga for children is an ideal option to preserve that fearless tenderness, protect that innocent wisdom and awaken their latent abilities.

Beyond history and geography, science and mathematics, children must keep their goodness and wisdom intact . In them beats unconditional love . Your heart harbors understanding and compassion. As they get older, it is true, they move away from their ability to connect with the present and their enthusiasm to develop their most inherent gift.

In this sense, Yoga for children is a good way to protect that space of joy and vitality, of empathy and kindness that characterizes them so much.

Why is Yoga beneficial for children?

Because the practice of Yoga will show them not only that with the simple fact of breathing, they are enough and worthy of existing, which will keep their self-esteem clean. His philosophy goes further. Yoga will certify the importance of love, respect, companionship and play . Yoga will offer you a guide to listen to your body, connect with the moment and develop your inner gift.

• Cultivate love and compassion : One of the principles of Yoga is ahimsa , the practice of non-violence . Children generally don't act mean. They can get angry, and instantly forgive each other. They are not spiteful and are open to everything. Feeding that mental flexibility as they grow is very important if we want to make them noble and kind beings. Through the philosophy of Yoga, these children receive the certainty that above all, the important thing is to be kind, loving and understanding . Familiarizing them with these principles from the beginning will sow, in their minds, the most beautiful seeds that one could wish for: that of unconditional love and forgiveness . It is well known that children are like sponges: everything they absorb in their childhood will determine, to a great extent, the course of their lives. Keeping them in contact with disciplines that respect the nobility of the soul, love for others, tolerance and fraternity, empathy and kindness will turn them into beings of great beauty and purity.

• Learning to listen to the body : another characteristic of Yoga is the importance given to the body. If you notice, kids do that too when they're little. When they feel that they are no longer hungry, they stop eating. When their heads hurt, they cry. When they need to relieve themselves, they do it. They are beings deeply connected with the needs of their body and they always work so that it is happy. However, as they get older, many receive beliefs that condemn that wonderful body: "you have to finish the whole plate, even if you are full, or you will not grow", "you have to hold back the urge to urinate to be an adult", " You shouldn't complain when you feel pain, that's only for the weak”… All these words break their security and make them think that the body is not of any importance and that it should be the servant of a demanding and ill-used mind. If, on the contrary, children are taught to breathe correctly, to move with ease and presence, to allow sensations such as discomfort and pain to appear, these children will never harm themselves . Quite the contrary: they will respect and care for each other.

• Understanding the functioning of the mental and emotional body : the practice of Yoga is also a way of educating children in the art of thinking and feeling. Offering them tools that help them sustain an increasingly fluctuating mind, an increasingly disordered emotional body, will guarantee them protection, understanding and self-confidence. Teaching them, from an early age, to dedicate moments of the day to identifying the emotions that appear, trying to understand their source, observing the thoughts that circulate, or simply paying attention to the present, will sharpen their mental intelligence . It will make them capable of managing adversity. In individuals prepared to deal with suffering. The practice of Yoga will transform them into people with great openness and inner strength. It will show them how to cultivate an inner space to turn to when everything goes wrong in the outside world. A haven of peace in the midst of mental chaos.

• Respect the voice dictated by intuition : another great benefit of this discipline is the importance and value given to intuition . That ability to feel that something is right or wrong, to know that one way is right and another wrong, is quite perceptible at first. However, as one grows older, and under pressure from the outside world, intuition becomes silent and reason prevails. That turns children into rebellious adolescents and later cynical and disillusioned adults. If one wants the good of humanity, he must educate in a noble way who will support him later. Allowing children to develop their gifts and qualities , their intuitive perception, listening to the moment and respect for their bodies , will make the new generations know, in advance, the direction their future will take. Intuition is not conceptual, intuition is natural. It does not understand beliefs, it is rather a feeling. Giving them the time and space to cultivate and nurture it will make them highly conscious beings.

There are many other benefits: the value of truth, the importance of not stealing, the uselessness of criticizing, respect for personal hygiene, the love of self-study, the power of commitment, the development of contentment, the freedom that it generates letting go, how absurd it is to accumulate... The practice of Yoga for children is a gift that is given to them . But it is important not to force them. Bring them closer little by little, as if it were a game. And if this is not the discipline with which they connect, there are many others. The secret is to see his eyes shine.

Bright eyes reflect a soul of overflowing gratitude.

Mae Knapnougel