Tools

Today’s children live in a hectic world full of school pressures, overscheduled afternoons, competitive sports, busy parents and constant media intrusion. This can leave them feeling stressed and off-balance. These pressures can lead to trouble sleeping, difficulties in school and negative behavior.

According to local experts, the practice of yoga can alleviate many of these stresses. Most parents are shocked to learn that, yes, children CAN practice yoga. It’s not all about stillness and mediation, although they play a key role. 

According to Katherine Friday, a certified yoga instructor and life coach with Friday Wellness, yoga is more about “tuning up the physical body, including muscles, internal organs, endocrine system, and circulatory system. It helps both children and adults improve posture and alignment, manage stress better, sleep better, and increase coordination and balance. Yoga helps unite all our aspects — thoughts, actions, breath — for overall wellbeing.”

Katherine teaches a weekly yoga series for children ages 5 and older at her studio, which is located behind Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock. “Yoga is perfect for young children, and the earlier they start, the better,” she explained. “It encourages them to make the most of themselves. It’s not a competition — not about going further, doing more. It’s about balance, and that’s refreshing for children these days.”

Rhonda Robinette is the owner of Little Rock Yogis, a new yoga studio for parents and children in Tanglewood Shopping Center. A trained orthodist who worked at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Rhonda has a passion for working with kids — and she loves yoga. 

“I started doing yoga with my own child, who is now 3 1/2,” she said. “I realized early the benefits of the practice on young minds and bodies, and I decided I wanted to pursue my dream of opening my own studio.”

At Little Rock Yogis, each class is typically 45 minutes. “I want them to be in their heads, be in their bodies, and we bring both together,” she said. “But I also like to let kids be kids. It’s not all about quiet and stillness.”

Rhonda tries to incorporate play, laughter and art into each class, especially for the younger students. For example, she uses pinwheels, straws and musical instruments to help children focus on their breathing. She ends each class with time for meditation.

 A Rewarding Practice

Over the years, both Katherine and Rhonda have seen the benefits that yoga has on children and their behavior. Benefits include:

  • Improved focus — “Yoga really helps kids with their ability to focus,” Rhonda said. “It teaches them to stay in their own heads instead of being distracted by crowds or other frustrations.” Katherine has noticed that some of her more “active” students do really well with guided mediation and relaxation — a practice that “gives them tools to self-soothe and calm if they get agitated or upset during the day.”
  • Increased flexibility and strength — According to both Rhonda and Katherine, the practice of yoga greatly increases flexibility and strength, which translates to improved performance in other sports. “Children naturally are drawn to the poses,” said Katherine. “And they can be fun, with names like Cat pose, Cow pose, Crow pose and Mountain pose.”
  • Awareness of breath — “If I could teach only one thing, it would be breathing,” said Katherine. “One of my favorite quotes from a famous yogi is ‘as the breath goes, so the mind goes, so the body goes.’ Children who practice yoga learn to control their breathing and use their full lung capacity. This is great for ridding the body of toxins.”
  • Better posture — The poses and stretching in yoga lead to better alignment and posture. Poor posture can cause mental and physical fatigue, even in children. 
  • Improved Self-confidence — Because yoga is non-competitive, children are encouraged to live up to their own potential. “I remind my students that they’re not in competition with each other,” said Rhonda. “Yoga is all about the individual — individual poses, individual breath, individual mind. Kids feel good about themselves when they focus on that.” 

With proper instruction, children of any age can learn tools for relaxation and focus through yoga. Such tools allow children to navigate their busy lives with a little more ease and a lot less stress.

For places to practice yoga, view this feature in the digital version of our January issue.