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Yoga is not meant just for adults and for those with deformities. But it is a great way to guide tiny tots into a healthy regimen. As parents nowadays due to their busy schedule do not pay much attention to the physical fitness of five-year-olds, as it is widely believed that children who cross the toddler stage are physically active anyway. That may indeed be true in most cases; but it is not necessary that they will sustain that lead for a long time. Soon other pressures e.g. sedentary habits required for academic work and irregular and insufficient dietary intake are bound to catch up and result in development of various types of deformities.
In such cases it is absolutely necessary to guide them with some good healthy physical exercise in the form of yoga making it a habit. They can also indulge them in sports and playground activities. There is no better way to ensure this than to teach your child Yoga. Yoga moves beyond physical exercise and is a great way for calming and controlling the mind and the senses. This, as you would agree, is more relevant in the case of children who almost without exception are hyperactive and excitable by nature and need to be reined in. Yogasanas are unique postures that involve stretching and bending which help in relaxing tensed or contracted body muscles. These poses carried out in slow, rhythmic repetition are extremely beneficial for toning up the body and massaging the internal organs. They help in improving the overall immunity by restoring circulatory, respiratory and digestive vitality. It helps children to get centered and more in tune with their inner selves, even if they may not realize it as such.
Yoga is a very gentle form of exercise and there is not much fear of injury or of overdoing it. But it must be noted that the postures are highly precise, which need to be synchronized with proper breathing, and therefore need to be practiced methodically. It is best done under the supervision of a Yoga teacher. Yoga is best taught in school, but if it is not than you can teach him at home. It serves a great way to bond with your child, too.
Children can start yoga from age five. A 15 - 20 minute session is enough to get them started. This can be gradually increased to half an hour or more for older children. Starting from simple animal postures to meditating with the corpse pose, small children can enter the rich world of Yogasanas which will help them establish the body-mind-spirit connection. Without doubt, this will see them sail through every sphere of life smoothly.
One can include following asanas in your child’s daily fitness regimen and you'll pave way for his healthy future:
Tadasana or the tree pose:
- Stand erect with feet joined together.
- Raise arms above the head and lock your fingers such that the palm is facing upwards.
- Raise the heels and stretch upwards as much as you can so that you feel the tension in arms, neck and shoulders.
- Hold the position for as long as you can. By each passing day you can hold the position a little longer.
- This is a very good exercise for increasing height in growing children.
- It stretches the spine and is also good for toning the abdominal muscles.
Trikonasana or the Triangle pose:
- Stand erect with feet apart.
- Inhale and stretch hands and bring it to parallel to ground.
- With this as the base position, exhale and bend forward twisting to touch the right hand to the left foot. In this position, the left hand should be straight up and the head should be aligned to look up, too.
- Come back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- Initially, do it slowly for two to three times on either side.
- Once you get it then you can alternate between left and right without coming up to starting position and count 10 - 20 twists.
- This pose exercises the entire body - legs, arms, neck, shoulders, back, stomach - and tones it. It is very good to alleviate constipation as it improves digestion.
Padmasana or the Lotus pose:
- Sit down and stretch your legs in front of you.
- Bring one leg, with the aid of your hands, to rest on the opposite thigh such that the heel touches the groin.
- The sole of the feet should be facing upwards. Bring the other leg to rest similarly on the other side.
- A child should learn to hold this pose for 1-2 minutes.
- Hands should rest on the knees. Close your eyes and concentrate on the breathing.
- This calms and soothes the mind. It will help children become less excitable and increase their attention span.
Pavanamuktasana or the Wind releasing posture:
- Lie on your back with feet together.
- Inhale and raise both feet 45 degree above ground.
- Bend at the knees and bring them towards the chest.
- Hold legs in that position with both hands such that the fingers are interlocked.
- Inhale and slowly raise the head and shoulders towards the knees such that the chin is between them.
- Retain this position for a while.
- Exhale and come back to the sleeping position.
- This pose is very good to remove accumulated gases in the stomach and alleviate bloating and constipation.
- It massages the abdomen and tones up the back, waist and bottom.
Dhanurasana or the Bow pose:
- Lie flat on the stomach with arms on the side.
- Bend the knees and catch the feet with the corresponding hands.
- Raise the head, shoulders and chest off the ground and simultaneously the knees and thighs, such that only the abdomen is in contact with the ground.
- Hold this position for a while and then slowly release the hands and come down to the starting position.
- This pose is a good safeguard against gastro-intestinal problems and obesity.
- This asana tones up the spinal column, arms, legs and the whole body.
Remember:
Do Yogasanas on a light rug and ensure proper breathing during the asanas.
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