yoga benefits 3

While children are mostly kinesthetic learners, Yoga practice awakens children’s multiple intelligences, separately and in their unity.

Intelligence	Activity and Discussions
Linguistic/Language	Discussing, expressing feelings, story telling, using zoo-phonics
Logical/Mathematical	Understanding healthy food decisions, how an asana works and why one benefits
Musical/ Rhythmical	Soothing music, singing, and using rhythmical instruments, clapping, tapping
Spatial	Mandala drawing, Yoga asanas and pantomime practicing
Bodily/Kinesthetic	Experiencing one's body and senses (touch, taste, smell, vision, hearing) through Yoga practice
Interpersonal	Expressing and sharing feelings, thoughts, and ideas
Intrapersonal	Practicing a positive self-talk

Although young children are very flexible, they lack staying power. However, with daily practice, their staying power and mental control improve greatly. Engaging in a mindful, active "Yoga-play" helps them to increase self-awareness, self-expression, and self-confidence as well as creativity. Yoga asanas help to strengthen their body and physical coordination to become more flexible and physically fit. A focused mind in asanas enhances concentration, self-power, and self-discipline. Breathing techniques help to calm their emotions and bring clarity and neutrality to them. Daily Yoga practice builds self-esteem and the ability to center oneself. A summary of Yoga benefits for children's positive development based on children's cognitive and social development is summarized below.

Adaptation of Yoga-Based Program for Older Children

Although the above Yoga-based program outline is targeted for preschool children, its concept can be easily adapted also to older children. Continuity and consistency in Yoga practice brings life-long lasting benefits to children of all ages, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds. To assure continuity and consistency in fostering positive children development, the suggested modifications of the Yoga-based program for preschool children make implementation for older children possible.

Cognitive Development. At this age, in addition to the magical thinking, children can comprehend the benefits of each asana. They learn how to properly hold an asana, expand holding time in asana, and what muscles to use. With concentration, focus, and deep breathing each practice improves. Mandala designs, drawings and coloring, journal writing, and discussions, all these activities are encouraged for children’s self-expression and self-reflection. With learning and understanding healthy food choices and nutrient values, healthy eating habits can be established and deepened.

Social Development. At this stage, children’s focus on peers plays a major role. The partner and group Yoga activities make Yoga practice fun and joyful. At this developmental period, children not only can stay still but they even enjoy time in a deep relaxation or guided meditation while focusing inward for 3-5 minutes (or more). Visualization and affirmations in guided meditation or relaxation session tights the weekly topic to realization.

Cognitive Development. Children at this developmental stage can understand how to apply Yoga principles through daily practice to maintain good health. They learn how Yoga practice helps to address their personal and social concerns and assists them to finding solutions. They can learn how to use breathing techniques to enhance self-control, focus, and concentration. At this age they can learn more deeply about physical anatomy in relationship to Yoga. Using more complex mandala drawing, journal writing, and discussions is encouraged for self-expression and self-reflection.

Social Development. Pantomime, Yoga games, as well as leading a class as a teacher, promotes self-awareness, peer relationships, and non-competitive attitude. Children can be still in relaxation, meditation, or just enjoying quiet breathing time while focusing inward for (5-8) minutes.

To fully benefit, daily practice needs to be established. The Yoga-based model program is designed to ensure a whole child development and to establish a basic values system by applying the basic universal principles of the mind, body, and spirit unity.

BODY MIND SPIRIT	PRACTICE AREAS	PRACTICE ACTIVITIES
Mind	Self-Discipline (Tapa)	Exercises in doing what has to be done with pleasure while keeping good thoughts and positive attitude. Children develop and apply anger managing skills and ability to communicate disagreements.
	Action (Karma)	Encouragement in positive actions. Children learn that every action, positive or negative, has its effect. “Do unto others as you want others do unto you.”
	Self-Study (Swadhyaya)	Promoting the awareness of the Self. The Self-awareness of “Who I am” fosters the belief and trust in what one feels is real and right. Children learn to stick by their beliefs and not to be swayed by peers and other adverse sources until their beliefs, values, and standards change. Feeling confident in the knowledge that one’s beliefs, values, and standards are as good and as valuable as other person’s beliefs, values, and standards.
	Sharing (Daan)	Fostering sharing material things one possesses without expecting anything in return. Children learn to become less selfish and more generous.
	Sharing (Satsang)	Meeting with friends expressing agreements and disagreements, sharing ideas, and feeling each other’s energy through expressing and experiencing infinite number of different powers (shatkis), e.g., power of awareness (cit-shatki), power of action (kria-shatki), power of intention (iccha-shatki), power of knowledge (jnana-shatki), and power of bliss (ananda-shatki).
Body	Postures (Asanas)	Experiencing feeling good in mind and body. A variety of asanas with controlled breathing awakens the inner energy and vitalizes both the mind as well as the body. Intention, attention, focus, concentration, and awareness calm the mind and loosen the body making it supple and healthy.
	Breathing technique (Pranayama)	Allowing to unlock energy and vitality to increase physical and mental health. Children learn to breathe into the abdomen, which gives 400 times more energy than thoracic breath. Equalizing the inhaling and exhaling breathing creates a balanced feeling of activity and rest, receiving and offering, and promotes an even-minded and even-tempered sense of being.
	Proper Relaxation	Learning to release of tension through relaxation is vital to keep the body healthy. It allows the released energy to flow freely.
	Proper Diet	Learning simple and wholesome predominantly vegetarian, natural foods that are easily digested. That keeps the body vital and healthy and the mind calm and free from restless thoughts. Thus eliminating cravings that distract concentration.
Spirit	Positive Thinking	Believing in one Self. One believes what one hears repeated. Especially what one repeats to oneself. Children learn to use positive inner dialogue to modify and control one’s thoughts. The brain not distinguishing the difference between fantasy and reality fosters positive behaviors. Inner dialogue needs to be specific, clear, positive, and supportive.
	Intrinsic Interest & Motivation	Engaging in Yoga practice enhances and fosters young children in learning. Young children are inherently active learners. They have inherent tendency to question everything. They are eager to search for knowledge and understanding the world around them. It continually pushes them toward genetically determined talent and potential.
	Meditation	Learning to relax calms the mind and focuses the mental energy inward. It helps to relieve stress and replenishes energy. Daily practice enables children to think more clearly and positively, and be at peace with oneself.
	Focus & Concentration	Focusing on a certain spot in mediation, or doing asanas that demand focus and concentration, as well as mandala drawing and/or coloring are some of the means to practice and enhance concentration.

Anybody at any level can practice and benefit from these programs. The variety of levels in each exercise challenges every stage of physical development and prepares the body for the next stage. The programs enhance the development of concentration and focus along with physical and mental strength, flexibility, and balance.