Yoga in Children

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj meaning “union.”

Yoga originated 4,000 or 5,000 years ago in India. Over time, yoga developed as a science, philosophy, and psychology.

The aims of yoga are the development of the following:

• A strong and flexible body free of pain.
• A balanced autonomic nervous system with all physiological systems, e.g., digestion, respiration, endocrine, functioning optimally.
• A calm, clear, and tranquil mind.

Apart from this yoga practices are also intended to facilitate self-transformation at every level of functioning, with the goal of improving the overall quality of life.

Yoga and the Young Generation:

The present-day metro children are facing challenges which were probably very uncommon 30-40 years back. Common in the list are childhood obesity, increased incidence of psychological problems, issues with concentration and attention, anxiety, depression, various psychosomatic disorders, asthma. To write this blog I did some research on this subject and came across lot of published scientific evidence which indicates that yoga may prevent and add on to early recovery of a good number of above mentioned ailments. There is a Cochrane review on benefits of yoga in asthma and an American publication by American academy of pediatrics on various benefits of yoga in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and prevention of some medical ailments.

• Studies have shown that that yoga increases working efficiency, and overall ability to concentrate and focus. Yoga fosters relaxation and breathing in a very active way, enabling children to channel their energy into goal-driven tasks.
• Yoga can also have an impact on stress management and obesity (also as a part of physical exercise).
• Research has shown that educational curricula incorporating stress- management programs improve academic performance, self-esteem, classroom behavior, concentration and emotional balance. Additional potential benefits for school-aged children include improved concentration and self-esteem.

Various individual controlled studies have shown that yoga appears to be a promising complementary therapy and stress- management tool for childrenand adolescents, with very low reports of adverse effects. Yoga as a therapeutic intervention has positive effects on psychological functioning, especially in children coping with emotional, mental and behavioral health problems.