Teaching Yoga to children can be a challenging but an extremely rewarding experience. Yoga classes for children are often filled with a lot of laughter, plenty of fun and a little bit of frustration sprinkled here and there. If you plan on teaching Yoga to young students, there are a few things that you should be ready for.
When I began teaching yoga in the early 1970’s, the term, “yoga props,” was practically unheard of. When we sat on the floor to practice seated forward bends, people who could not touch their toes simply held onto their lower legs. Then someone had the bright idea to wrap a sock, towel, belt or an old neck tie around the foot to hang onto while stretching forward. While not as versatile as the modern prop known as a yoga strap, these early around-the-house props actually worked quite well!
There are some contraindications to doing Downward Dog. If you have a wrist, shoulder elbow or neck injury it is better to modify it or skip the pose if you don’t know how to modify. During a head cold, sinus or ear infection, eye problem or after recent dental work it’s advisable to avoid the full pose because it puts your head upside down and increases swelling and inflammation and may decrease healing time.
Kids Yoga allows a child to deal with daily stress. Each time a child enters a Yoga class for kids, he or she can close the door on negative feelings that stress overload brings. Children who attend Yoga classes have one common thread: Their parents care about their well being.