Fit Kids' Yoga 101: the benefits of yoga for children

June 11, 2:51 PMChicago Yoga ExaminerAlison Curtis

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The growing popularity of yoga has spread to a younger population.  Children and teens seem to experience more stress than ever before.  However, as stressors have grown, outlets through which kids could express and release emotions have remained stagnant.  If parents choose to repeat history-a very distant history, they may gain tools to channel their children's energy.  When our ancestors of 5000 years past practiced yoga, they did not set an age limit.  Children and elders moved through strengthening, stretching, and balancing postures to prepare their minds and bodies for meditation.  Aware of energy centers, the grounding benefits of conscious breathing, and the calming or energizing effects of sound, our ancient ancestors practiced yoga through all stages of life.

Why today's children need yoga

1. Academic Performance

• A study led by cardiologist Herbert Benson in 2000 found that students who experienced one year of a relaxation curriculum achieved a higher GPA along with higher marks in work habits and cooperation than students without exposure to the curriculum.  Teachers embedded relaxation exercises and self-care strategies into students' education.  The researchers found that students maintained the social and academic improvements for a minimum of two years.
• The Accelerated School (TAS) in Los Angeles proved that integrating yoga with education increases students' academic abilities; TAS students' Stanford Achievement Test scores increase by 93% between 1997 and 2001.  Additionally, Time named TAS the Elementary School of the Year in 2001.
• Yoga not only teaches children techniques to sharpen their focus by quieting the mind, but it also creates a subtle motivation to learn.

2. Self-Esteem and Behavior

•  The YogaEd® program, in a 2003 study at TAS, improved self-esteem and behavior.  The amount of children "earning" referrals throughout the year significantly decreased.
• Yoga fosters self-acceptance, which is increasingly significant as children approach the peer-pressured, teenage years.  As children transition through postures and try new poses, the relationship between their mind and body evolves, allowing them to trust their own instincts.

3. Physical Fitness

• Your kids reap the physical benefits that you also gain from yoga: improved posture, coordination, balance, strength, and flexibility through yoga.
• Namaste Charter School, founded in a high-crime, low-income neighborhood in Chicago, show a decrease in obesity in the students, who all practice yoga.
• The YogaEd® program also showed improvements physically, as students participating in the yoga classes exceeded physical fitness standards by over 23%, compared to peer in the district.

4. Emotional Balance, Reducing Fears

• In a 2003 study of 48 fifth grade students, Stueck and Gloeckner studied the effects of yoga on fifth grade students in 2003 and discovered that the fifth graders became more emotionally balanced and experienced less fear, aggression, and feelings of helplessness.  The study showed that students utilized the breathing techniques to their lives outside of school.
• The breathing techniques children learn through yoga increase and channel energy, when necessary, and decrease anxiety.
• Studies performed by Jensen and Kenny, researchers of yoga integration in schools, have found that yoga may be an excellent alternative or supplement for ADHD care. As medications wear off, yoga has been increasingly effective.

Think of all of the ways that yoga has enriched your life.  The emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual effects resonate within children, and may serve them well as they blossom into the fullest expression of themselves.  For more information, visit the sources used for this article; YogaKids, Yoga Calm for Children, & Namaste Charter School. 

If you would like to learn how to bring yoga into your child's life, read Fit Kids: teach your children yoga through games.  Also, learn about the November donation-based Kids' Yoga class: The Kids' Table supports local non-profit

Photos courtesy of Gaiam and YogaKids.