Yoga is an ancient Indian practice, which has been spread all over the world, and is even being revitalized in India itself. Yoga consists of certain postures (asanas), regulated breathing techniques (pranayamas), hand poses (mudras), and meditation. There is observed knowledge on which poses are appropriate for different bodily functions.
Yoga positive influence on them for emotional balance and stress alleviation. Yoga is also expected to help younger children and youth increase self-regulation and thus, facilitate their well-being, positive social interactions, and school performance. A growing body of evidence supports the belief that yoga benefits physical and mental health via down-regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system.
Children making exercises in different poses healthy sport vector cartoon characters. Yoga exercise boy and girl pose illustration
The ancient practice of yoga help children and young people cope with stress and thus contribute positively to mental health. In a nutshell, yoga is a powerful medium for developing the personality of children and making them capable of facing the present-day challenges and problems”. Yoga improves children’s physical and mental well-being similarly students improve flexibility, mood, and self-regulation skills in a life-long perspective.
As responsible citizens concerned with children and young people’s healthy development, no short-term solutions oftentimes involve pharmaceutical treatments for children with mental health problems, which could leave them to face the immediate and long-term negative effects of medication. Thus, we must seek Yoga as a solutions comprising empowerment to develop self-reflection, self-protection, self-regulation, and holistic self-development.
Potential Benefits of Practicing Yoga for Children and Adolescents
The beauty of yoga is that its benefits are available to students of every school-age group. Yoga can help to cultivate internal locus of control, improve sleep, and generally encourage healthy and balanced living.
Now a day’s children are more addicted to negative social media, mobile and electronic gadgets as Yoga improves self awareness, cultural influences and focus this regulate better academic performance.
Yoga has been found to have physiological benefits for children indicate that yoga improves academic performance and emotional balance. The mental benefits of yoga relate to calming the heart rate, which signals the brain to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Similarly, yoga can guide relaxation because it reduces sympathetic activity. The sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is often engaged when children, similar to adults, are exposed to sensory overload. However, when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it increases our ability to focus and learn.
Yoga is also said to reduce anxiety in young people as well as in seniors. Thus, yoga may assist healthy development and life-long learning.
Yoga is often promoted as a universal good discipline, with philosophy and practice to achieve balance and human development. We believe that yoga teaching needs to be serious and multi-disciplinary yet based on children’s needs and everyday lives with creative approach.
Contributed by Mr. Mallikarjun, Yoga Master