Last year I wrote in one of my blogs about how important yoga is to me in my life. Because it personally benefits me so much, I decided to do a trial lesson for children's yoga with my daughter Laura. I accidentally came across Karin van der Bruggen. She has her own practice in Loon op Zand and teaches yoga to children.
Kids yoga:concentration, relaxation and strength in one class!
On a Wednesday morning Laura and I are warmly welcomed by Karin. She has just started yoga classes for toddlers and preschoolers on Wednesday mornings. We start, just like in real yoga, with some breathing exercises. This is followed by some yoga exercises that really appeal to Laura's imagination, such as the cat, the dog and the cobra.
There is also dancing and singing. Karin tells it in such a way that Laura listens with interest. During the exercises, a lot is also asked of Laura's attention and concentration. A good exercise for such a busy girl as Laura. It is clearly noticeable that Karin adapts the lesson to the perception of children in the toddler age of 2 to 4 years old. During the lesson she uses attributes that have to do with a theme. Laura likes it very much and afterwards she asks when she can come again. A good sign!
Read also: 10x why yoga is so good for you
Table of contents
Today a lot is expected of children. Just look at what is expected of a child in a day. At school there is a lot of emphasis on the ability to concentrate. Moreover, during a day many stimuli come at a child that they have to process.
Through children's yoga, a child learns to let go of the hustle and bustle and to concentrate better. In addition, there is no pressure to perform as is the case with a sport, for example. Nowadays there is a wide range of all kinds of lessons and activities for toddlers and preschoolers.
So why should you choose toddler yoga? Karin tells about this:“What you mainly focus on in toddler and preschool yoga is relaxation of the body or specific parts of the body. In addition, a start is made here with body awareness and awareness of the senses and stimuli. It is a way to teach children to deal with their body and mind in a pleasant and correct way.”
Here are the benefits of children's yoga in a row:
There is a yoga class for every age. Nice actually, because that way you can progress from pregnancy yoga to parent-child yoga!
Baby yoga mainly focuses on the bonding between you and your child. In addition, it helps your child to release muscle tension and tension on the organs. But it can also be beneficial for his or her development of coordination.
Toddler yoga is tailored to the development of your child. The motor, cognitive, sensory and social-emotional development are discussed in a playful way.
The lessons in children's yoga include movement, relaxation and concentration exercises that appeal to the imagination and creativity of the children. The lessons are often linked to a theme.
During this lesson you will work with your child. You will do yoga exercises together and you will receive tips on how to practice yoga at home with your child.
Yoga is personally so good for me because it not only benefits me physically, but also mentally. It relaxes me and calms me down. I was wondering if this would work for kids too. Because Laura and I did the children's yoga class in the morning, we still have a day ahead of us afterwards. And I don't know if it's a coincidence, but Laura seems very relaxed and relaxed that day. In addition, she also wants to do yoga a few times at home. It has therefore made an impression on her and is certainly worth repeating for us. How about you? Do you think yoga can work positively for your child? Let me know!
Has your interest in children's yoga been awakened? For more information, take a look at the websites of yoga schools in your area to see whether toddler or children's yoga is also offered. In most cases they also offer parent-child lessons, if you would like to participate yourself. Laura and I took a toddler yoga class at Power from seven Sunbeams in the Loon op Zand.
What you can also do if you first want to know more about yoga is to take a look at a yoga guide, all forms of yoga are well described there.
