| Kids Yoga: You really have to be connected to a | | | | prepared for them to be your biggest challenge. It is all |
| children's day care center, private school, or public | | | | about keeping their attention span, therefore, split your |
| school, to have large numbers of kids joining your | | | | Yoga class into segments. Classes have to be fun, |
| Yoga classes. This may not be the case everywhere, | | | | and you should only address four components such |
| but it reflects the feedback I get from Yoga teachers | | | | as: posture, breathing, relaxation, and meditation. Keep it |
| worldwide. | | | | simple, and don't go off into a lecture that will put them |
| It is also true for our wellness center in North | | | | to sleep. Kids do not come to Hatha Yoga classes to |
| Providence, RI. Our Kids Yoga class started small but | | | | learn the finer points of Bhakti Yoga. |
| now has a regular following of 20 students per class. | | | | Always praise each child who participates, as this |
| To be honest, I brought Yoga into the children's martial | | | | does help their self-esteem. Many times, Kids Yoga |
| arts classes by integrating Vinyasa Yoga with their | | | | class is similar to a carnival, where every child wins a |
| regular warm-ups. | | | | prize. In this case, always point out the children who try. |
| The result was children who shed fat, became a bit | | | | This atmosphere will create children who follow the |
| more muscular, and demonstrated more strength and | | | | best examples; then, praise those children who try to |
| positive attitudes than ever before. The parents are | | | | copy. This is a win-win situation for every child in your |
| ecstatic about the results now, but wondered what I | | | | Yoga class. |
| was up to, when children in Jujitsu or Karate classes | | | | If you do not have patience, please do not consider |
| were engaged in Yoga training, as part of the | | | | teaching Yoga to children. Teaching a Kids Yoga class |
| curriculum. The benefits to children who learn Yoga | | | | is not for every Yoga instructor. You have to be |
| are endless. | | | | creative, an entertainer, and a guide to become a kids |
| This is a non-competitive atmosphere, where a kid can | | | | Yoga instructor. |
| just be a kid. Children, who regularly participate in Yoga | | | | After all, Kids Yoga classes contain aspects of Yoga |
| classes, do not have to put pressure on themselves, | | | | that many adults have lost track of - from a very silly |
| and can learn many life skills, such as enhanced | | | | Lion face, to an extremely serious meditation. When |
| self-appreciation. | | | | you are giving Yoga instruction to a class full of |
| If you are going to teach children, make sure you are | | | | children, your mind must be as flexible as your body. |