Would you like to give your children a gift that they will use for the rest of their lives?
Mindfulness, which we often hear these days, is the intelligence to live intensely in the present. It is precisely our ability that enables us to live fully in the space and time we are in. In fact, while mindfulness is a natural talent that we have had for a long time, this ability has gradually weakened with the different habits and behaviors we have acquired. While children are little masters of mindfulness at first, as they grow up, that is, as they learn to imagine the future and look to the past, they either lose or stop using the very valuable skill of “conscious awareness”. Of course, they can re-learn to develop it in their adulthood. But wouldn’t it be better to help them preserve and develop this perfect gift?
Our body is very sensitive and immediately reacts to tension, anxiety, fear, joy, positive or negative thoughts in our minds. These reactions tell us how we experience the present moment. We notice many of these signals, but we often don’t act on them. We suppress the feelings and thoughts that bother us or find ways to escape.
Here we combine the ancient tradition of yoga practice with mindfulness. Yoga is a directed inner focus on body and breath awareness. It is an exercise method that combines physical postures, controlled breathing, and meditation.
Mindfulness Based Kids Yoga is a child’s journey of self-discovery. In this journey, your child;
- Becomes aware of the sensations in his body and the rhythm of his breathing. Breath acts as a bridge in the mind-body connection.
- Becomes curious about what is going on in his body and approaches what is happening with a clear awareness. He learns to connect his emotional state with physical exercises in the most effective way.
- Does not judge his performance and poses, he experiences approaching from a compassionate place without struggling with himself.
- Learns to listen to his needs at that moment and to practice accordingly.
- Learns to leave his mind and notice his body. When he stops for a moment and directs his attention to his body, he begins to hear the signals his body gives. He can visualize his abstract feelings at what points in his body and how he feels.
The Benefits of Mindful Yoga for Kids:
- It balances the body-mind-spirit harmony. It has been observed that puberty passes more easily in children who start doing yoga regularly at an early age.
- It increases flexibility – balance – power coordination. Thanks to yoga poses, children’s proprioceptive senses (Body Awareness) develop.
- It makes children more calm and peaceful. It helps to guide and soothe tense, disorganized or distressed children.
- It helps them resist the seductive, distracting over-stimulations of modern life.
- They learn by having fun and playing in a safe environment where there is no competition.
- It allows to increase their awareness of the environment. It develops their capacity to recognize both the beauty and fragility of being in the world.
- It provides the development of the sense of interoception, which means “looking inside” in Latin. Many of us have become people who do not eat when they are hungry, do not go to the toilet when they need to go to the toilet, do not drink water when thirsty, do not move when they need to move, and do not sleep when they should. With Mindfulness Based Kids Yoga and Meditation exercises, children learn with inner awareness that they need to hear their bodies before they can meet their needs.