Yoga for Kids

by Enzina DeAngelis
© 2007

The word “yoga” means “union”.  Yoga is an ancient science that helps to unify the body, mind and spirit thus creating a well-adjusted, responsible human being.  Yoga is a wonderfully balancing activity for children in today’s world.  Children are exposed to unique challenges caused by the increasing complexities of today’s lifestyles.  Focussing children’s yoga classes on each chakra (or energy centre) in their bodies helps children to navigate through the joys and challenges of daily living and helps to integrate their body, mind and spirit into a unified whole.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or “disk”.  The seven major chakras are located along the spinal column.  Each chakra is linked to physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual development.  As such, the functioning of each chakra depends on and also influences physical and spiritual health.  Individual chakras may be balanced, under-active or overactive.  By practising yoga, children can shift energy imbalances (if present) thereby bringing their chakra energy system into harmony.  This in turn affects their lives in a positive way.

What follows is a journey through the chakras touching briefly on ways in which each chakra may influence children’s lives.  Children love nature, colour, rhymes and songs which add fun to yoga and help to integrate concepts.   The poems included for each chakra help children to tune into the qualities that each embodies.  Each chakra resonates with a colour, an element and main qualities.

Root Chakra (Red-Earth-Stability)

Family
Changes in family structures are happening at an increased rate in the modern world.  There are more single-parent families, divorces and blended families than there were in our parents’ or grandparents’ time.  Even if family changes result in positive future outcomes, yoga poses such as mountain pose can help children to feel strong and stable in their bodies during times of transition.  Yoga helps children to feel connected to the earth and helps them to balance their emotions.

I am Earth, I am Earth; Safe and sound, safe and sound
Standing strong, standing strong; On the ground, on the ground

Sacral Chakra (Orange-Water-Movement)

Sports
Yoga can provide balance for children who are involved in sports.  Sports provide wonderful outlets for physical energy and can raise self-confidence in a child.  Often in team sports as well as in individual sports there is an element of competition which adds to a child’s stress load.  Yoga is non-competitive and promotes unity and acceptance of self and others thus providing balance to sports activities.  Sports can strengthen young bodies’ muscular systems and depending on the sport, one side of the body may be favoured.  Practising yoga can help balance and tone the muscular system on each side of the body, since most poses are repeated on both sides of the body.  Yoga also maintains flexibility and aids physical performance in sports.

I am Water, I am water; Flowing and free, flowing and free
Moving quickly, moving quickly; To the sea, to the sea.

Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow-Fire-Transmutation)

Joy
Most children love to practice yoga.  It is fun and because many poses imitate nature & animals, yoga helps children get in touch with normal rhythms of life.  Regularly doing yoga poses helps children control and soothe emotions, letting them rest more easily and sleep soundly.  The joy of movement and accomplishment also increases self-acceptance and self-confidence.  Poses which strengthen the upper abdominals such as boat pose stimulate and help to balance the solar plexus chakra.

I am Fire, I am fire; Warm and bright, warm and bright
Spreading joy, spreading joy; With my light, with my light.

Heart Chakra (Green-Air-Love)

Well-being
The most important chakra in the human energy system is the heart chakra because it is intrinsically connected with unconditional love and compassion.  It is located in the centre of the chakra energy system and through it, the upper and lower chakras are unified.  By nurturing qualities of love, compassion and patience children can purify and balance emotions.

Yoga takes a holistic approach to maintaining children’s health & well-being that makes them feel good and aids their growing bodies.  Yoga poses that gently stretch and open the chest area can help to nourish and nurture the heart centre and awaken increased love, compassion and patience for self and others.  Gentle breathing exercises and increased awareness of breath can also help to release and soothe emotions. 

I am Air, I am air; Everywhere, everywhere
Spreading my wings, spreading my wings; With loving care, with loving care.

Throat Chakra (Blue-Ether-Sound)

Technology
Today’s children are involved in more sedentary activities than ever before including watching TV, listening to music and playing computer games.  Physical activity such as yoga helps to balance this trend.  Furthermore, the messages children receive from the media are not always life affirming.  Yoga helps children to discover the truth of who they are and encourages them to express that truth in the world.

Technology is also contributing to unprecedented levels of electromagnetic radiation (EMR).  Although yoga can increase metabolism and help to release toxins from the body, it is important to have additional protection for children against EMR* (see below).  Poses that stretch the neck area can help balance the throat chakra.  Chanting or singing positive words and songs also helps.

I am Space, I am space; I carry sound, I carry sound
Harmony flowing, harmony flowing; All around, all around.

Third Eye Chakra (Indigo-Light-Intuition)

School
Often schools will cut right-brain creative activities such as art, dance and physical education in favour of left-brain, logical activities such as reading, writing and math.  This leaves the left and right hemispheres of the brain somewhat unbalanced and paradoxically compromises comprehension in left-brain activities.  Studies have found that meditation, breathing techniques and exercise relax and unify the mind resulting in deeper assimilation of knowledge in the brain and an accelerated power of learning.  Most poses in yoga are repeated on both sides of the body thus unifying both hemispheres and helping children to reach their highest potential.

I am Light, I am light; focussed and clear, focussed and clear
Intuitively seeing, intuitively seeing; Far and near, far and near.

Crown Chakra (Violet-Spirit-Wholeness)

The Whole Child
Nurturing the whole child through yoga gives the child the building blocks to be a sociable, self-confident, joyful and well-adjusted human being.  Learning is enhanced if children are taught the joy of movement through all the senses including games and songs.

Children become aware of and accepting of their own unique qualities as well as those of others.  They learn to get along in the world and feel a sense of connection with others and with life in general.  Short relaxation exercises with gentle breathing and imaginative visualization help children connect with their spirit.

I am Spirit, I am spirit; Flying high, flying high
Everything’s connected, everything’s connected; With the sky, with the sky.

Enzina DeAngelis is a Wellness Practitioner specializing in stress reduction for women and children through chair massage, reiki and yoga. She currently teaches yoga classes at The Rising Sun in the heart of Richmond Hill (www.therisingsun.ca)

Contact: 905-884-3362 or 416-731-0196.  Email: livingincolour@hotmail.com.

*For information on electromagnetic radiation and protection:
www.safewireless.org
www.mybiopro.com/theenergyzone