It is no secret that yoga is extremely beneficial for our health and wellness. From giving you strength, balance, and flexibility, to allowing you to relax better, there are a plethora of benefits of doing yoga. However, we rarely think about yoga ourselves until we are adults. Something that is so beneficial should be introduced early on, don’t you think?
If you’re managing a daycare center, you have a great opportunity to instill this habit early on. Providing the younger kids with the time and resources to learn yoga may be something that would be beneficial for them for the rest of their lives.
Here are a few reasons you should introduce a yoga program to the daycare center.
· Improves Their Attention Span
Here’s a basic fact about most kids under the age of 5: they have very short attention spans. And though this attention span increases as they grow older, it is still necessary to help them focus more effectively. According to the paper by the National Association of School Psychologists, yoga is great for this purpose.
Another study focused on children who had trouble with attention spans but hadn’t been diagnosed with ADHD. Both studies had similar outcomes, as the kids seemed to have an improved attention span afterward.
· Fun and Relaxing Activity
We live in a stressful world, and it doesn’t discriminate based on age. Whether it is as small as a feud over a toy or having an unhealthy or toxic environment at home, there are a lot of things that can cause children to stress out. In such situations, anything that helps them relax should be a good thing.
The relaxation techniques and breathing exercises can enable the children to learn stress management techniques. They will learn how to reduce stress in a healthy manner, which may end up being a life skill they’ll use for the rest of their lives.
· Improves Balance and Flexibility
Contrary to popular belief, yoga isn’t just beneficial for mental health. In fact, depending on the program design, it can provide some very tangible physical benefits as well. According to a study, students in fourth and fifth grade were enrolled in a 12-week yoga program after school to observe the mental and physical health benefits.
Though the kids themselves didn’t seem to notice any difference in their well-being, their balance had significantly improved after the program as compared to the kids who did not participate. Additionally, the kids also scored better on motor abilities, which show an improvement in their flexibility.
· Flowing and Connecting
Stringing a couple of yoga poses together allows children to get a taste of what it means to move with ease. It helps them learn how all our movements are a coordinated effort between muscles, nerves, joints, and bones.
As they get older, they will have a better understanding of how their body functions and will be able to perform more complex yoga poses. Additionally, this also helps increase their sense of feeling integrated.
· Improved Mental Well-being
Ultimately, the most important benefit of yoga is improved mental well-being. In addition to being a great self-care practice, yoga can lead to better mood and improved energy levels. Combine these with all the benefits mentioned earlier and you can see how it can lead to better mental well-being.
By nature, yoga is meditative. Whether a child is moving through a series of yoga poses, holding a balancing posture, or just sitting in meditation, they will have a soothing and calming experience. As a result, they’ll have improved mental well-being in the long run.
Conclusion
As you can see, starting yoga at an early age can provide a number of benefits to kids. Therefore, you must consider introducing a yoga program at your daycare center to help the kids in their early development stages.
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