Written By Yioulika Christophidou, CYT

Stress, rushing life, competitiveness, materialism make us more and more neurotic, increase our ego, worries, anger and fear in our lives. Many diseases are a result of our lifestyle, our emotions and psychology. Science has found many ways to solve people’s health issues, but as the time goes health problems are increasing instead of decreasing. This should make us wonder why, and as human beings it’s our responsibility to give an honestly answer. We realise that we shouldn’t see a problem on the surface and we can absolutely say that the real doctor of ourselves is our self. If we start getting know ourselves and being in contact with our body, our inner organs, our emotions and mind then we can face everything that is coming in our life. Yoga is an excellent tool for this. It makes people releasing from diseases, stress, sadness and untruth in the daily life.

Many people make the mistake of considering Disease as an entity—a real thing—an opponent of Health. This is incorrect. Health is the natural state of Man, and Disease is simply the absence of Health. If one can comply with the laws of Nature he cannot be sick. When some law is violated, abnormal conditions result, and certain symptoms manifest them-selves, and to which symptoms we give the name of some disease. Yoga makes the vital force or prana of the body to work freely and without hindrance, and its methods and exercises are largely devoted to that end. There is within every physical body, a certain vital force which is constantly doing the best it can for us, notwithstanding the reckless way in which we violate the cardinal principles of right living. Yoga teaches that the physical body is built up of cells, each cell containing within it a miniature “life” which controls its action.

These “lives” are really bits of intelligent mind of a certain degree of development, which enable the cells to do their work properly. These bits of intelligence are, of course, subordinate to the control of the central mind of man, and readily obey orders given from headquarters, consciously or unconsciously. The process of digestion, assimilation, etc., shows the intelligence of the cells, either separately or collectively, in groups. Cell-life in the body may be compared to a large colony, operated on a cooperative plan, each cell having its own work to do for the common good, each working for all, and all working for the common welfare.

That’s the way yoga teaches us to live. And that’s the way children must live. As adults we have the option to choose in which way we want to live. What about children, though? Children are influence a lot from the people around them, their parents or their school. If their environment is in a stressing rhythm they will be influence from that even if they don’t realise it. People are not letting children to learn their selves and grow up healthy. The emptiness of adult’s life influences the child’s life.

It’s a very common situation when parents don’t let their children to be what they really are but what they want to create, an image that actually satisfy them. So, one thing brings the other. If you don’t feel free to express your self as you are or you don’t make decision about you but others do it for you, you start loosing your real self and the body reacts to this with physiological or psychological problems. Unfortunately it’s not in our culture to have an understanding of our body, feelings and thoughts. Instead of this we live in our head, in our mind and this is how a child learns to live and then starts to loose the contact with his self.

There are also many physiological or psychological results from the modern way of living. In many countries children need to change their lifestyles immediately. If not, there will be serious health repercussions that will shake our health. Many children live in single parent households. This has become a painful fact of life for children to accept growing up without both of their parents. The family unit has changed and parents need practical solutions a lot more than criticism or a lecture. Many children are shifted from school to day care, while both parents are working extra hours to support the family. Many of today’s meals are composed of processed foods -whether they are store-bought, or bought for takeout, from a restaurant.

Children are bigger than ever, due to inactivity and a high fat / carbohydrate diet. Large numbers of big children will become even bigger adults, who are at risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, various forms of cancer, and much more. Peer pressure in school is much more than just drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. Children are harassed by their peers, over every issue, including the clothes they wear. Recent studies have proved that childhood stress is at an all time high. The modern life with stimulus overload in today’s media-rich world of TV, video games, computers make them inactive. Sitting at home in front of a screen is one of the worst things can happen, especially for a child. Even their eyes are not relaxing or being flexibly cause of the staring. The breathing usually has a wrong rhythm and the posture of the body is in a wrong position. It is very alarming how many children are suffering from psychosomatic disorders such as sleeping disturbances, eating disturbances, headaches, and very often wrong posture like drooping shoulders as well as stress related to pressure, competition and aggression in school.

It’s time to see what is really important to give them. It’s time to show them another path of an essential life. To help children cope, we must find a way of exercise that involves the whole body, the unity of body, soul and mind. Yoga is the way to come back to this unity, to come back to perfect balance. It makes the child alert, flexible (in mind and body), stronger healthier and more confident. Yoga helps a growing child develop physically, emotionally and psychologically. By practicing this wonderful science and art children can blossom into healthy and well-balanced men and women with strong bodies, clear minds and pure hearts.

Yoga for children is certainly one way to ensure that our children grow up healthy and happy, at a time in our history where kids are busier than ever and, subsequently, feeling more stress. It can help children deal with these pressures and learn techniques to help them to face life’s challenges more easily. With Yoga children have the opportunity to explore “within”, to take the time to check in with their bodies and minds. Yoga is a great way for all children to learn to enjoy movement, to increase body awareness and self esteem, and empower them to take responsibility for their overall health.

It can make them releasing and relaxing from the stress and the untruth of daily life. It offers them a chance to set their own goals, without a strict measurement of success. They can enjoy the companionship of other children, without a competitive mind-set that can cause aggression. Children do not have to worry about making the “next cut” in their Yoga class. There is no worry about reaching the next level. This can make them, be interested about their body and their self instead thinking of “winning” the others.

Moreover, Yoga can help them to feel more comfortable in their own skin. It’s about discovering the joy and design of their body. Stress can also affect the body causing the muscles to become tense and unable to relax. Children will be able to reduce the tension in their muscles. It will also promote a positive outlook because there is no negative in their minds and bodies. Once the child learns the breathing techniques and practices them, it has tools to use when it starts to feel stressed. These may help to deal with not only the stress, but also help to clear the mind and help prevent making irrational decisions. It can give their confidence a boost.

They face their fears. And yoga encourages their creativity to flow; their fears, anger, and sadness to release; their trust in the inner self to shine; their minds and hearts to be in synch. Yoga’s postures have therapeutic power. They can help children that are suffering from disorders with specific postures that relate to each disorder. For example, asthma is a disorder that unfortunately many children have these days.

Physically, the benefits of practicing yoga for children range from improving flexibility to enhancing strength and coordination. Children will naturally jump, roll on the ground, run, and spin around, in the course of playing with their friends. They can happily do poses in a playful way when their movements are natural to their proportion and energetic natures. As children gain strength and experience, they can become aware of their bodies’ needs and capabilities. Kids can focus on where their bodies are today and be amazed at what their bodies can do. Yoga is not about “going for the burn”.

Instead, it should challenge a child’s body without straining it or risking pulled muscles. Practicing and holding poses helps children develop muscle strength, stamina and concentration. Many yoga poses derive their inspiration from animals and plants. When children are given the opportunity to imitate the movements and sounds of nature, it is not only very enjoyable, but it also gives them the chance to experience, for example, the power of the lion, the grace of a swan, or the grounding of a tree. This introduces kids to the true essence of yoga: union, expression and honour for oneself and others.

Kids also, are provided with the opportunity to explore their innate abilities across many planes: linguistic, logical, visual, musical, kinaesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Their sense of calmness, relaxation and concentration are improved. They become much more aware of their diet, posture, breathing, activities, and daily exercise routine. It’s important to say that these benefits can also help children at home and in school.

The active yoga exercises are always followed by a deep relaxation. Relaxation is also very important. Children love to move and speak most of the time but it comes a time that the body, the mind, the energy has to calm down and relax. Most of the people never actually relax. They think that they are relaxing when they are sitting at night watching TV or even when they are going to sleep.

Children must experience that this is not a relaxation. With Yoga they can see and feel the relaxation in a different way. They can just free their mind from any thoughts and any memories of their day. They can focus on their breathing and this can help them in any time of the day when they feel the desire to relax and then they can continue their day in a healthy, consciously way. They can deal with a disappointment or any bad thing that maybe can happen and releasing that emotion from their body and their mind. If they can’t really relax every emotion stuck inside the body and then goes on, the one after another.

So the emotion goes deeper and deeper in the body and you just don’t know what the problem is, and so confusion begins. We don’t want to live in chaos inside us and we don’t want children to start living this way. A health problem maybe comes from this deep emotional tightness in the body, so it’s very important to realise how to deal with this. Realising is depends in our self. How much we really want to let go every day from the every day life and how much we keep the mind clear.

It is better and easier to do this as long as you are young because you didn’t create so many defends yet. The point is to be aware of what you are and what is really happening around you. And you can do this by letting go. Letting go the past, letting go your thoughts, letting go the tightness in your body, letting go the emotional tightness that express into your body. And the great thing is that you do this by yourself, so the way of your life does not depend to anyone, except you. Of course here responsibility takes place because there are no excuses anymore. The role of the Yoga teacher is of foremost importance if Yoga is to be successfully introduced to children.

The Yoga teacher must be able to arouse curiosity in the pupils and create in them a desire to learn. He or she must inspire and enthuse the children and should be cheerful in the class. A Yoga teacher must allow them to express who they are, not tell them what to be. The great challenge is to be able to hold their attention. Kids love to be in motion and they love to talk. They can do both of these in a yoga class and they will love playing like various animals, trees, flowers, cobras and warriors. The instructor should allow them to let go and roar in the lion pose, bark in the dog pose, meow in a cat stretch and hiss in a cobra. You can mix mindfulness with playfulness and yoga postures by weaving them into adventure stories that the kids help to create.

Kids and yoga seem like a natural match. It can be therapeutic for those who need it. Kids can develop healthy bodies at an early age and also healthy habits. They are capable of much more than we think they are, and if given the right environment, they will excel beyond our belief. This is something they can keep with them for the rest of their lives and live a life with truth and love and no confusion. It’s a treasure that you can have everywhere and always with you.

Resources:

1. Book: Hatha Yoga. By Yogi Ramacharaka
2. Article: Yoga for kids! By Michael Russel
3. Article: Yoga for children. By Karin Wettimuny
4. Article: Yoga for children? Yes! By Shakta Kaur Khalsa
5. www.yahooyoga.com

Yioulika Christophidou has 560 hours of Yoga teacher training.  She is a certified Yoga teacher for adults, and a certified Kid’s Yoga Teacher.  She has additional training in Yoga anatomy, modification, assisting, and detailed use of props.  Yioulika teaches Yoga classes in the Nicosia, Cyprus area.