Yoga has been proven to have many benefits for children. Yoga is movement, and movement play has an integral role in helping children to learn. In his book, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and invigorates the Soul, Stuart Brown, M.D. states, “Movement play lights up the brain and fosters learning, innovation, flexibility, adaptability, and resilience. These central aspects of human nature require movement to be fully realized.”

Along with the correlation to movement play and learning, yoga for children also has the following benefits:

Relaxes and Alleviates Stress.
Yes, children do have stress. In a world that is high-tech, fast-paced and filled with sometimes too many extracurricular activities, yoga can help children become more calm and relaxed, just like adults.

Builds Self-Confidence.
Both children and adults need to feel confident and have good self-esteem. Yoga can help with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment which, of course, can make someone feel good about themselves and more confident in other areas of their life.

Increases Physical Activity.
Studies indicate that an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are overweight. Childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic in this country. Children seem less likely to play outside, ride bikes, participate in sports because of society’s obsession with video games and all things electronic. Yoga helps to tone the body and increase flexibility. The more physical activity in a child’s life, the better off he/she is. We all know the benefits of regular exercise and how physical activity helps prevent many conditions that often be fatal if left untreated or unattended to.

Builds Strength Balance and Coordination.
When having a regular yoga practice, poses help to build muscle tone and core stability and enhances coordination and agility by improving neuromuscular communication. Yoga improves the integration of sensorimotor control from visual, proprioceptive and vestibular inputs

Ability to Focus
Because yoga helps to calm, it can also help focus. Studies have shown that yoga is beneficial to children who may struggle with ADD and ADHD. These children are prone to have difficulty focusing and concentrating in school.

Increases Body Awareness.
Studies have shown children who may fall on the autism spectrum or have other sensory and motor development issues can also benefit from yoga. Yoga teaches you to become more aware of your body – what you need to do to become more comfortable while trying a certain pose or to be aware of your body’s limits.