Our bodies were made to move. This statement is true for everyone but especially so for children. Fifty years ago, summers found most children outdoors playing: tag, hide-n-seek, Mother May I?, swimming, biking, playing baseball or kickball in a vacant field. Getting ‘exercise’ was easy—and it was a lot of fun too. Summers nowadays? If there are no organized sports or camps available, a lot of children while away the sunny days indoors—watching TV, playing video games or consumed with social media.

This sets the stage for continued inactivity. When you’re not comfortable and familiar with your body…how it works, what it can do…you’re naturally more fearful to try new things. Add to that the natural aversion to stand out in the tween/teen years and a life-long aversion to exercise can form. Staying physically active is key to avoiding many chronic illnesses as well as cancer; it literally can mean the difference between life or death.

Children NEED time to test their bodies—jumping, skipping, running, rolling—all these movements give them a sense of what their bodies are capable of and how to control their bodies. Unfortunately, the threat of lawsuits causes too many schools, day cares, and community centers to reign in what physical exercise options children have.

What can be done to counteract this?

In a word: Yoga. Yoga is an ideal form of exercise—especially for children who might not be comfortable in their own skin. Yoga is a discipline that affects the body, mind and spirit of the practitioner. Yoga can be helpful to children in many ways. High on my list are the physical, mental and emotional benefits.

Yoga can introduce children to muscles that might have gone ‘off-line.’ Seated, standing and supine asanas (postures/poses) will tone up muscles, balance muscle-pairs, and give children the opportunity to mentally control what their bodies do. This gives them a sense of empowerment and is confidence-building. As any professional athlete knows, performance often is determined by the state of mind. Yogi Berra’s famous quote: “Ninety percent of the game is half mental” illustrates the importance of believing in your ability.

Yoga can be thought of as Peanuts character Linus’ blanket…a comfort object. Yoga is non-judgmental and non-competitive. Each time you step onto your mat the slate is wiped clean. Yoga fosters self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is the first step to accepting others. It is my contention if yoga was included in as part of the school day curriculum bullying would be reduced.

Speaking of school, yoga can improve a child’s educational experience and performance. Focusing on the breath and its mind-body connection, yoga is a student’s personal tutor. Yoga gives the student the ability to ignore distractions and hones concentration making learning happen more easily. Yoga gives the student the ability to reduce stress and anxiety making test-taking or oral presentations not as daunting. Yoga can build the self-confidence needed to become lifelong learners and enjoy learning for the sake of learning.

Yoga is described as a journey and can be thought of as journey of self-discovery. What is maturing but learning more about yourself—your dreams, aspirations, goals? It’s been my experience the more inward travelled on that journey the more outward it manifests. You become more attuned to the interconnectedness of everyone and everything. You understand helping someone else actually helps you. Call it karma or the Golden Rule. Yoga fosters compassion and empathy. As a (retired) preschool teacher, raising our children to be healthy and fit; who embody compassion and empathy is giving them a sure path to success.

– Karen Whittier, RYT joined her passion for health and wellness through yoga with her commitment to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer creating Embrace Activism. Embrace Activism is the online source for yoga products with a CAUSE. Her blog shares tips, suggestions and articles on health and wellness both on and off the mat. Visit the website at www.EmbraceActivism.com

In addition to her role as Chief Activist for Embrace Activism, she is a registered yoga teacher. Her students have ranged in age from preschool to senior citizen, from beginner to advanced. She enjoys witnessing the transformation yoga brings to her students; empowering them to take more responsibility for their own health and wellness.

Photo Credits: Photos supplied by Karen Whittier.