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Kids Yoga is More Than Fun

Posted on: Friday, 22 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

KUALA LUMPUR: "Breathe in, breathe out," Parveen calls out to his younger charges. A yoga session is in progress, with mentor Parveen D Nair giving instructions to nine eager children.

Dressed comfortably in T-shirts and shorts or slacks, each child has a mat to mark his or her own space in a circle.

They are the first batch of children at a beginner's class at Yoga2Health (Y2H) in Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.

Aromatic oils were diffused in the studio to help create a calm and relaxed atmosphere for the students.

After the breathing exercises were over, the children wriggled their fingers and toes.

Next, they raised their arms above their heads and stretched as far as they could, as if they were reaching for the sky.

Then the children sat up, crossed their legs with their palms on their knees and inhaled and exhaled deeply. Still in a lotus position, they then rubbed their palms and cupped them over their eyes, taking their cue from Parveen. Soon, they started counting down from 10.

After warming up, the children were eager to demonstrate their yoga postures. And everyone was given a chance to do so.

Y2H started in late March this year offering yoga lessons for women. A month later, kids' yoga classes began, with classes for women and children held on weekends.

"When mums come for lessons, they can bring their children for yoga. It's like a family day out. Mums have one hour while their children have 45 minutes of yoga," said Parveen, who completed a teacher's training course in yoga last year at the Sivannanda Yoga Ashram in Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

Adult yoga classes are stricter while children's classes include games to make them more fun. For instance, children guess the answers to riddles and then show the asanas (postures) related to numbers, animals or objects. Some poses are done in pairs, such as the wheelbarrow, caterpillar and rollercoaster.

A common perception is that yoga is for older people, retirees or those who lead a stressful lifestyle. However, said Parveen, yoga should be learnt from a young age as children are more flexible compared to adults.

"These days, most children are couch potatoes while others are hyperactive or introverted.

"Yoga helps children to calm down. Yoga helps children with a lot of energy learn to channel it in a more positive way. It also helps them to concentrate and can improve social skills" Parveen said.

Some postures, such as the tree posture, can help a person develop better focus and balance. Breathing exercises can assist in easing tension from the neck, shoulders and back.

The young students also learn how to deal with emotions. According to Parveen, it is his responsibility to help children deal with their moods.

Young beginners undergo a special programme of eight basic lessons on postures, basic warm-up, breathing exercises, basic stretches and relaxation techniques.

At a recent yoga class, each child was asked what his or her favourite animal was. Parveen then asked the child to create poses named after the animals, for instance, fish, snake, ostrich and tiger.

"Yoga helps children cope better with everyday issues, such as stress, concentration, aggression, nervousness, obesity or self- esteem," said S.T. Rajen, managing partner of Y2H.

"It's a new, invigorating way for children to explore and appreciate themselves, and develop their creative and academic potential," he said.

"Our children's programme is innovative, blending traditional yoga with fun and stimulating styles. Through our courses, they can develop strong and healthy bodies and gain invaluable skills."

Sita Sekhar Naik, 10, and brother Anil, 7, love yoga. "I like yoga because it is great fun. My favourite poses are the candle and the tree poses. After every yoga lesson, I feel very calm and relaxed," said Sita.

Anil enjoys his yoga classes so much that he rarely misses them: "I love yoga because it is fun and I really don't like missing classes."

Source: China Daily; North American ed.

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