Soul Happy Kids Yoga

WHY KIDS YOGA?

Yoga is a fun way for children to develop a variety of important skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment. From a young age children begin to experience pressure to perform academically and socially. Yoga can be a great remedy for the tension associated with daily stressors as well as an important facilitator of healthy physical, emotional and cognitive development. During a kid's yoga class there is a complete absence of judgment and competition; doing a pose ‘perfectly’ or better than another is not the aim of yoga. This unconditional positive regard and encouragement creates a nourishing environment, allowing children to relax and have fun whilst developing strength, coordination, flexibility and balance, as well as increasing body awareness, concentration and self-esteem. 

So, what makes Soul Happy Kids Yoga classes different from other movement-based activities incorporating music and games? There are four key areas which set yoga apart:

1. There is no other form of exercise that offers such a wide range of movements. While practicing children’s yoga, we bend forward and back, we twist and side bend, strengthen and stretch, balance and even spend some time upside-down.

2. Yoga for children not only exercises our body, it exercises the mind and strengthens the breath.
   Before, after and while in poses children are encouraged to regulate and deepen their breath through focused attention. Having more oxygen in our body enhances our mood and our ability to focus, and increases our capacity to relax both our body and our mind. 

3. Children’s yoga has one important benefit which is generally not part of adult yoga; it involves interaction. In the class, children are not isolated to their own yoga mats; partner and group poses, cooperative games, self-expression and creativity are the norm in a children’s yoga class. Developing social skills is a critical component of self-development. Through yoga, children learn valuable verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and become increasingly aware of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all beings; an understanding that is essential for a healthy social life. Emotional and cognitive skills that we learn in the relaxing environment of a yoga class can serve us greatly when faced with stressful events throughout our lives. 

4. Children’s yoga fosters not only an awareness of ourselves and our friends, but creates a broader awareness of the world around us. A core value of yoga practice is respect and honor; for ourselves, for each other and for our environment. During a kid's yoga class, younger children are often guided on a magical journey around the world, learning about other countries and cultures. Additionally, with younger & older children & teens, we discuss bigger social emotional themes such as working together, self-love, mental health, etc. Building connection with ourselves and bettering understanding the world around us. Kids understand and enjoy learning about and caring for the earth and its inhabitants, both human and animal.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF KIDS YOGA?

• Improves strength and flexibility

• Increases self-confidence and builds a positive self-image

• Increases emotional resilience

• Nourishes creativity

• Helps to balance body and mind

• Teaches self-acceptance and self-love

• Increases sensory awareness and general body awareness

• Builds coordination and balance

• Expands self-awareness, and awareness of others

• Develops self-discipline and self-control

• Builds concentration

• Helps us to stand more erect and feel taller by supporting a long and flexible spine

• Fortifies all bodily systems; the skeletal, nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, hormonal and muscular systems and improves our understanding of anatomy

• Increases awareness of breathing and deepens the breath

• Is non-competitive

• Expands awareness of nature, animals and the environment

• Helps children build inner strength

• Encourages cooperation and teamwork

• Teaches how to relax and reduce stress

• Encourages compassion, generosity, and respect

• Teaches how to find inner peace

• Kids Yoga is fun! Yoga is much more than yoga poses; it is a way to discover our bodies and more broadly, our inner world. As human-beings, we experience the universe through our minds and our hearts, so being able to consciously relax, uplift and focus ourselves are vital abilities. It is never too early (or too late) to embark on this journey of self-discovery!

WHERE DO YOU TEACH & HOW DO I BOOK YOUR SERVICES?

Soul Happy Kids Yoga is a mobile studio; we teach on-location & we go where we're needed! We work hand in hand with schools to create supplemental programs for their students. We also offer special events, workshops, pop-up classes and private/group classes. You can view a full list of our current services on our Kids Yoga Offerings tab. 

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If you're interested in bringing Soul Happy Kids Yoga into your space, please contact us for a custom quote.