If you’ve ever watched a child play on the grass – from handstands to lying peacefully under a tree – you’ve probably noticed their carefree movements look a lot like a really fun yoga class.

I know both Chloe and Natasha are fascinated by my own morning practice. In fact, that quiet hour in the morning with my girls has turned into one of our most cherished quality-time rituals. Not only do we get to do something nurturing for our bodies, I have learned so much about the importance of yoga for children’s minds, as well. From stress-relief to self-esteem improvement (even academic performance benefits!)  yoga for kids seems like a natural choice for any family routine.

Check out our latest summer How-To Video featuring our favorite yoga poses for children – perfect for those afternoons at the park or bedtime cool-down. And look out for our newest addition to our Citibabes’ fall schedule  – Namastar Yoga – a galactic twist on traditional yoga for children with one very cool laser star machine!

- Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

It’s not tough to understand the benefits of yoga. Before yoga? Stressed. After yoga? De-stressed. So, if the magical healing benefits and body awareness building powers of yoga work so well on grown-ups, couldn’t yoga work on the kiddies, too? Turns out, it does. A lot.

Studies have shown yoga improves:

• GPA and work habits: Students that practiced yoga for one year made social and academic gains that lasted for a minimum of two years (Benson: 2000)
• Fitness: Students enrolled in the Yoga Ed program at The Accelerated School in Los Angeles exceeded physical fitness standards by 23% (Slovacek, Tucker, Patnoja: 2003)
• Self-esteem: Children learn to trust their own instincts as they move through poses, developing greater confidence and body awareness
• ADHD: A Journal of Attention Disorders article from 2004 reported that boys managing ADHD with medication showed improved attention and behavior when they practiced yoga regularly
• Connection to nature: Many asanas take their inspiration from nature mimicking living things like cat and tree pose

Convinced? Before you start indoctrinating your little yogi, be realistic. The younger the child, the more interdisciplinary the approach to yoga should be. Children under six years old may only be able to concentrate on a 15-minute session of straight-up asanas, but if you mix up the poses with story time, art or dramatic play, the experience can be both longer and more enriching.

For instance, try utilizing animal-inspired poses to create a narrative kids can later draw pictures of, or read a favorite book – like The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Where the Wild Things Are – and invent poses based on what kids hear and see.

The best way to introduce children, however, may be inviting them to join you in your own practice – for as long as they’re interested. Asking them to sit with you at the end of a morning session is a wonderful chance to breathe and bond before the busy day begins.

By Erika Thormahlen, teacher & creative consultant, Citibabes