Although asanas for children can be extremely helpful, yoga is not yet regularly taught in schools, both for religious reasons, as well as parents’ valid fear of injuries. However, incorporating yoga exercises in a child’s routines, as long as it is guided by a professional teacher, does not contain any religious messages, and cannot bring harm to a child’s physical well-being.

Relaxation, Strength and Flexibility

The purpose of yoga for children is to instil in the child, at a young age, tools for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Asanas for adults are not suitable for children’s short attention-span, therefore Asanas for children focus on poses as a part of interactive games, breathing and relaxation exercises, and learning the basic principles of the yogi way. Meditation exercises are normally suitable only for kids over 10 years old.

The different levels of yoga for children are adjusted according to age and physical capabilities. At the young age of 2 years old, a child can already begin practicing yoga with the assistance of a parent. Starting at a young age, children who practice Yoga regularly are exposed to exercises especially constructed to help kids develop their strength, their flexibility and their ability for self-control. The Asanas for kids benefit and enable growth on a mental level, an emotional level and a physical level as well.

Preserving Youthfulness

Regular traditions of yoga for adults have proven to be extremely beneficial for various ailments and chronic diseases. For instance, the emphasis on abdominal muscle strength and lower-back flexibility renders yoga exercises ideal for people who suffer from chronic lower-back pain. In terms of preventive medicine and health maintenance, children who practice certain poses are in fact lowering their chances of suffering from spinal issues in the future.

As the old Hindi saying goes, you are as old as your spine is flexible, practicing yoga from a young age helps preserve youthfulness and health. However, yoga for children can also be of assistance in many additional aspects: studies show that children and adolescents who suffer from autism spectrum disorders show tremendous improvement with the help of yoga practices for children; in addition, yoga for kids can be helpful in strengthening concentration, relaxation and patience in ADD and ADHD patients; studies have even shown that yoga poses and methods can be of assistance in treating childhood obesity.

The possibility of incorporating the yogi lifestyle in a child’s life at such a young age bears wonderful potential for the child’s health and happiness in the future.

Read the full post Growing Up with Yoga for Children on YOME.

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The Yoga Journal podcast is a free, online yoga class by Kathryn Budig that provides intelligent, accessible, and effective yoga videos for students of all levels. In these yoga videos, Kathryn Budig provides students with knowledgeable instructions, playful sequences, and the detailed demonstrations of her student and model Rowena King. Each episode features different poses and themes in order to provide you with a wide-range of practices to keep your routine fun and challenging.

Read the full post Strengthen Your Core on YOME.

Many people struggle to lengthen their tight hamstrings, do only what works for your body today, take the modifications (like having a gentle bend in the knees) and with regular practice you’ll be moving deeper in no time.

Connect with Sarah:
Blog: http://sarahbethyoga.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahbethyoga
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahbethyoga

Background music:
Cerises by Lohstana David
L’Ombre Bleue by Lohstana David

Read the full post Yoga for Hamstring Flexibility on YOME.

Discovering Breathing

In many yoga traditions there is an emphasis on a different kind of breathing techniques; this is not considered counter intuitive to the body’s natural functions, but rather a return to the intuitive form of breathing we all use as infants. Unlike adults, infants breathe by using their diaphragm, thus inflating their abdomen area with every breath.

This form of breathing is considered loyal to the original principals of yoga, as it maintains an endless cycles of inhalation and exhalation, and saturates the lungs with oxygen. Breathing through the diaphragm, also known as “Deep Breathing”, is crucial for exercising yoga, but also extremely beneficial for many other aspects of life:

In Yoga

A proper breathing plays an inherent part; as many yoga practitioners feel, once a pose is fully reached there is a certain feeling of completion. However, this sense of completion cannot be attained without practicing diaphragm breathing. Whether learnt by a teacher or organically discovered, many people struggling with yoga Asanas will find this form of breathing to be of tremendous assistance.

In Meditation

Many view yoga practice as a mere gateway to attaining a full state of meditation. Since practicing the correct form of breathing for an entire yoga sequence renders the body in a state of full relaxation and calm, meditation follows very naturally. Practicing yoga and maintaining diaphragm breathing throughout the sequence enables a quicker, more comfortable approach to reaching a full state of meditation.

In Everyday Life

In the beginning, practicing deep breathing is not as easy as it may sound: most people suffer from dizziness and even mild cases of hyperventilation. Still, people who practice deep breathing discover that the body quickly adjusts to the new levels of oxygen inhaled, and makes the proper use of it. In other words, the feeling of calmness and assurance achieved by a yoga sequence can be applied to every aspect of one’s everyday life, simply by getting accustomed with the correct way of breathing.

Deep Breathing through Life

While rarely thought of in regards to yoga sequences, the process of breathing in itself is an integral part of a yoga practice. Diaphragm breathing is commonly considered as the correct yoga breathing, being that the results it bears are so empirically evident and noticeable. Deep breathing is recommended, not only for your daily yoga practice, but also in your everyday life.

Read the full post The Significance of Proper Breathing on YOME.

Connect with me:
Blog: http://www.sarahbethyoga.tumblr.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahbethmodel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahbethmodel

Background music is: Tes défauts – INSTRUMENTAL VERSION by Lostana David

Sarah Beth is a certified yoga instructor who currently lives and teaches locally in Denver. As a former chiropractic assistant Sarah Beth’s teachings are inspired by functional movement and flow. SB encourages a daily practice and has a “take what works for you, leave the rest behind” approach that allows students to explore their own connection to yoga.

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