Sure, yoga sounds cool but how does it benefit the children? What can a one year old gain from practicing yoga? What are they doing in that yoga room?
Yoga has benefits for both mind and body. Here are just a few things that we can gain from our practice:
- Learning how to control, maneuver, and isolate our body parts
- Gaining awareness of our breath
- Practicing balance and building muscle strength
- Learning how our bodies fit within our own location and space (spatial awareness)
- Trying an enjoyable way to engage in physical activity
- Following directions
- Finding peace and strength within ourselves
Children enter the yoga room to find a beautiful space dedicated to their practice with yoga mats, a yoga chime and a warm, friendly greeting from their instructor. Our yoga instructor, Ms T.J, teaches yoga through animal poses, songs, and dances. We are grateful to have Ms. T.J guide us in our yoga practice!
"There's something special about being with these littlest yogis. Their whole world is about feeling good…having clean diapers and full tummies, playing with toys and activities that please them and receiving care from loving people. These wonderful "feel goods" come from their external world. Yoga gives them a safe place to explore finding that "feel good" from within…exploring movement, feeling the calming affects of a purposeful breath and connecting with their power of self-regulation. Our practice focuses on creating a positive, peaceful space for them to recognize the "feel good" of being who they are. They are amazing and they share such great energy. Although they come to the yoga room just once a week, I know this is a space that all the teachers hold in their classrooms as well." -Ms. T.J
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| A peaceful resting pose after practicing yoga |
