By Robin Soderlund

Through the physical postures of yoga, one learns to control the body with the mind. When the mind is healthy and in control, the body releases “diseases,” and these diseases can be physical or mental. For years, adults have experienced the benefits that Yoga can bring them as they get older. Recently, studies have shown that children benefit as well from the yoga postures and breathing exercises, enhancing the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of their being.

As a Montessori teacher, I know that children learn through their environment, and through repetition and at their own level of ability, children can succeed at many tasks. This is the key reason why Yoga is essential for children’s health. A child can learn in a fun, social environment, yet still learn according to their ability and repetition. There is no competition in yoga. Children learn not to look down on other’s abilities as they learn compassion and respect through Yoga.

Yoga brings many benefits to children as they grow. These benefits are strength, flexibility and coordination, along with improved focus, increased self-awareness, and increased self-esteem. Children learn to breathe well, release stress, and relax completely. Through Yoga, a child’s motor skills are naturally strengthened. Just after a few weeks, one can see changes in physical strength, especially when teaching special needs children. These changes in turn make the children start feeling better about themselves, and may start taking better care of themselves. Their attitude toward life may also change.

We come into this world with what we are born with. That is why I would like to focus on the physical side of Yoga. At age ten, I found out I had scoliosis. I also had a seizure disorder. I am not sure to this day, if the scoliosis has anything to do with my seizures, although I do know scoliosis has an impact on neurological aspects of the brain. Both the scoliosis and seizure disorder are labeled as idiopathic.

A spine with scoliosis looks like an “S” or a “C,” and some of the bones in the spine can also be rotated slightly, making someone’s shoulders look uneven. One of my shoulders was always higher than the other one, so I was taken to a foot doctor. My left insole would wear down before the shoes actually wore out. Special moldings were made for my feet, so that insoles could be put in my left shoe. This way, my gait would appear straight.

My spine did not have much of a curve, and so I passed the testing in school, where you bend over and someone feels the curve of the spine. Because my curve was ‘borderline,’ I was never tested by a doctor. For years, my mother told me that I slouched, and she constantly told me that if I didn’t sit up I would get a brace. And so I sat up straight.

However, neither sitting up straight nor wearing the special insoles helped the scoliosis. Through my teenage years, I continued to have more seizures in public, and between those and my abnormal posture, my self-esteem started to decline. First, I worried about having seizures in school, and because I slouched, I was told that I was the “shy” one. I gradually took on that role and had no self-esteem whatsoever. Of course, this continued on into my life as an adult

At age 41, I began going to a Hatha Yoga Class twice a week. When I started Yoga, it hurt so badly. First, I was a little over weight, and my back and core were not that strong. Some days, my back was so tight and painful, but as I continued with yoga, the pain lessened.

I can honestly say, in the three years that I have done yoga, my back has improved immensely, but it has also been a painful process. My body is stronger, my core is stronger. I no longer feel the same way I did years ago about myself. I feel more certain of myself and more aware, and I have accepted myself for where I am in life. I feel more at peace, and I wish anyone with scoliosis could feel the same as me. It is quite liberating.

Yoga can have a huge influence on seizure disorders. I am an example of that as an adult. My seizures are often brought on by stress, and in the three years that I have done Yoga, I have not had a seizure. I still am on medication, but formerly I would have a seizure at least once a year, and sometimes more frequently. Yoga has helped me to control my stress levels, and I believe Yoga works not only for adults, but also for children.

If a child has seizures, Yoga can help reduce them. Seizures control the central nervous system. Doing deep diaphragmatic breathing helps restore normal respiration and can help to reduce the chances of going into a seizure. So if a child feels a seizure come on, they can try to prevent one with deep breathing. Practicing the asanas also helps balance the metabolism and the nervous system. Since many seizures are brought on by stress, meditation or relaxation techniques can help improve the blood flow to the brain and help to slow down stress hormones.

Even though there really is not a sure cure for scoliosis, I think that starting children young in Yoga can at least keep their spines flexible and help a child build a strong healthy back and body at the same time. It is very important to strengthen and lengthen the muscles that support the spine. Yoga focuses on keeping the spine straight and strong. Through the postures, children can gain a lot of strength and flexibility. The reason I feel Yoga could have a great impact on children is this: children at a very young age still have soft bones and their bones are growing. If they have a chance at acquiring scoliosis, Yoga can help them at least prevent it by having fun with their friends through the use of strong Yoga poses, pretending to be animals, making animals sounds, and through meditation and relaxation. The more a child can release stress and have fun working with the asanas, the more Yoga can help children who deal with seizures. Not that Yoga is a cure, but Yoga can certainly help prevent a seizure by calming the nervous system.

Along with the physical postures, a cool down or relaxation is always good for the spine, especially in corpse position. This allows for the mind and the spine to gently relax after working on the postures. Doing a step-by-step relaxation from head to toe helps release tension by letting go.

Yoga emphasizes breath awareness while doing the postures. Children with scoliosis may experience decreased breathing capacity, especially on the concave side. Yoga breathing is essential for these children, so that they can create more lung capacity and have more evenness on both sides. Concentrating on doing belly breathing or balloon breathing would be a great way to get more air into the lungs. Doing group activities where children are constantly moving would also encourage more lung capacity for these children.

Children at a very young age not only prevent disease through doing Yoga, but gain the lifestyle as well. Children gain interest in others and gain respect for people and the world around them. Children that engage in better health early on in life will live longer and healthier lives. These children then in turn become models of good health to their children and the world.

Robin Soderlund is a certified Yoga teacher for children. She teaches classes in Brainerd, Minnesota.