The Yoga Space

Time to Relax. Space to Breathe. Room to Grow.

 

YOGA FOR KIDS

COURSES AND WORKSHOPS REQUIRE ADVANCE BOOKINGS AS THEY FILL QUICKLY!

The next Yoga Kids Club commence:


Term 3:  21/7/09 -  10/9/09


Term 4:  6/10/09 - 10/12/09 ** no classes 20/10 thru 30/10


COST: $98 per child / Siblings $80. (8 week term)

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“Health and peace is the birthright of every child! It is our loving duty as parents and educators to provide the young with a knowledge of how to maintain and develop these two most precious gifts.

The quality of what we are to become is often guided by what we have been educated to be.

Yoga is an age-old science, dedicated to the health of the body and to peace, strength and clarity of mind. Good digestion, sound sleep, vitality and enthusiasm, proper functioning of the internal organs, flexibility and muscle tone, happiness and continuous ease are some of the benefits to be achieved through the regular practice of Yoga.

Hatha Yoga is a comprehensive system of gentle, non-stress postures, stretches, balancing positions, breathing, and relaxation practices.”

Kenneth K. Cohen

Twenty-first century kids have to contend with growing up in a crazy paced world with the stresses of busy parents and home life, coupled with raging hormones and in-your-face media and advertising. Schooling may be competitive, and it is no surprise that children become stressed, as adults do.

Drawing on the techniques of Yoga can empower children, as well as adults, with tools to handle stress, moods and anxieties and can provide time to cultivate self-awareness, confidence and calm amid the "moving sea of chaos" (which Yogis call samsara).

The Benefits of Yoga for Children:

Yoga controls and soothes emotions, removing anxiety through stretching and breathing, and enhances mental focus and physical performance. As well as improved self-esteem, the relaxation benefits help children to sleep and rest.

Learning to breathe with awareness may help to control their anger (releasing negativity and excess energy) and can give shy ones more confidence and self acceptance. Yoga keeps the bones healthy, strong and aligned, and the muscles around them more supple, avoiding future tensions and injuries.

Balancing poses enhance focus, equipoise, grace and concentration. They awaken creativity and fine tune the mind.
Poses named after animals and geometric angles encourage imagination and play, combined with strength, fitness and discipline. Weight is regulated and the "whole" child is treated - mind, body, emotions and spirit.

In addition, yoga allows for freedom from religious dogma. All philosophies and religious disciplines can be embraced and deepened. Yoga is all inclusive and expands the minds and heart to embrace differences between people. Yoga teaches us to stretch our hearts and minds and follow non-violence, ahimsa.

In Yoga Education for Children, Swami Satyananda enumerates the many direct benefits yoga can provide:


  1. •Balance, stability and poise.  These essential skills for sports exercises are cultivated through postures, which ensure the correct alignment of the body.

  2. •Co-ordination and rhythm. As the child moves from posture to posture, these are developed.

  3. •A healthy toned body. Practising yoga will help to achieve good posture, a straight spine, supple muscles, strong bones and healthy lungs, with relaxed free breathing.

  4. •Flexibility and strength.

  5. •Internal health

  6. •Confidence

  7. •Creativity and inspiration. These qualities are stimulated through visualisations, stories and guided journeys. The opportunity for self-expression leads to empowerment, which raises self-esteem.

  8. •Mental health, positivity and well-being, including an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, a reverence for life, and the cultivation of non-violence, by working with one’s own energy and emotions.

  9. •Increased mental activity.  This results from engaging both the mind and the body in endeavour.

  10. •Energy and zest for life. Energy has a direct link with the structure of the spine, which acts as an electricity channel to the brain.

  11. •Emotional and creative understanding. Exploring self-expression and practising with others will develop communication skill and respect for other’s ideas.

  12. •Calmness and emotional stability.


LIZ LARK.