How Can Yoga Benefit Your Child?

Caitlin and yoga
Yoga offers children many benefits.

As a pediatric occupational therapy assistant, I have witnessed firsthand the benefits movement has to offer children in their growth and development. Yoga for children and teens is one of the many ways children get to experience these benefits. The physical, mental and psycho-social aspects of yoga are numerous.

Overall relaxation and stress reduction are, perhaps, some of the more well-known mental health benefits of yoga. The physical benefits of yoga go beyond increased strength and flexibility. Yoga builds muscle tone, increases our sense of body awareness, encourages mid-line crossing motions (an important aspect of motor development) and improves balance and coordination. Yoga also helps to develop core strength which is essential for good posture and correct alignment during seated activities such as at the dinner table at home or at a desk at school.

Yoga practice also helps to increase concentration and attention span which in turn assists with retaining information and increases response time. Yoga helps to calm and clear the mind, bringing us into the present moment-something we could all benefit from in this fast-paced society!

Did you know that Yoga encourages social interaction and builds self-esteem? By learning self-control and self-calming techniques through yoga, kids are likely to grow confidence in interacting with other children and refine their social skills. Learning to work together in a yoga class and playing with partner poses can also increase confidence and teamwork within group settings.

Children learn through play. In fact, in the world of occupational therapy we focus on building skills through “occupation” and because play is the occupation of children, yoga offers a wonderful tool to develop a child’s occupation. Yoga encourages play and imagination. In a kids’ yoga class, they can explore being a variety of characters; an explorer travelling across a dessert, a blooming flower, a bird, a rocking horse-the list goes on!

Practicing yoga helps to instill a sense of well-being and encourages a healthy lifestyle for children. So get out the yoga mats and get cat cow-ing!

— Caitlin Hankins is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Connect the Dots. She enjoys yoga and a variety of other active endeavors including horseback riding and aerial arts.

Eugene Clinic:
84 Centennial Loop
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541) 255-2681
Fax: (541) 255-3537

Clinic Hours:
8:00 to 6:00 Monday – Thursday
8:00 to 5:00 Friday

Corvallis Clinic:
375 NW Harrison Blvd.
Corvallis, OR  97330
Phone: (541) 255-2681 (Eugene)
Fax: (541) 255-3537

Clinic Hours:
8:00 to 6:00 Monday - Thursday
8:00 to 5:00 Friday

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