SRISTI KRAMA YOGA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS

SRISTI KRAMA YOGA - YOGA FOR YOUNG CHILDREN 

 Being a mother of 2 children, one challenge i often faced was to make my children enjoy their exercise. from the age of 2 my son Sriram would accompany me to my classes and as a natural behaviour would imitate me. His interest intrigued me and I was even more surprised when he picked some chants from my classes. 

As he was growing up, I started teaching him some asanas playfully with names. By the age of 5 he could identify many postures with their names and do them with ease.

In this article we will discuss the importance of yoga for children. We will also discuss how a regular yoga practice can help a child develop better body and mind awareness and breathing habits. 

Many adults practice yoga to achieve their physical goals, like improve flexibility, strengthen and tone the muscles, release stress and improve health. Today yoga is popular among the kids for the very same reasons. 

YOGASANAS AND CHILDREN

There are 4 approaches in yoga practice- 

1. Sristi krama for children 

2. Siksana krama for young healthy adults 

3. Raksana Krama for middle aged people

4. Adhyatmika Krama for the elderly.

Here we will discuss about the Sristi Krama. Sristi means growth. The main focus in this category is 

1. The growth of the physical body. (Flexibility and strength)

2. Focus and cognition.

3. To develop self confidence

4. To build immunity. 

Movement is essential for the growing bodies, as that is the only activity that can connect both the right and left hemispheres of the brain and helps it to develop to it's full potential. A regular practice can help them get on touch with nature and natural rhythms of life. 

I started teaching yoga to my children as early as 2 years old, this made me confident to teach younger children when I started Sristi Krama Yoga classes at ANANDHI's ASHTANGA YOGA.

Yoga is a wonderful tool to promote the physical, emotional and social development of children. At ANANDHI's ASHTANGA YOGA - SRISHTI KRAMA YOGA, we  focus on addressing these fundamental needs of children with a substantial innovation to an already established entity. We begin our program with fundamentals of yoga like asanas, pranayam, simple chants and centering activities...

Addressing the main focus of the Sristi Krama -

1. FLEXIBILITY AND STRENGTH - Children are naturally flexible and agile which help them maintain their young body and curious minds. The series of asanas designed for the children will help them fine tune coordination, increase range of motion over all and at a deeper level the movements in the asanas massage the internal organs, balancing the different system within the body. 

2. FOCUS AND COGNITION

The minds of young children is very curious and has less attention span. By doing certain postures their focus increases, and the cognitive skills also develop. 

3. TO DEVELOP SELF CONFIDENCE

 Practicing the asanas regularly straightens and strengthens the spine, sending a fresh flow of blood and nutrients to the muscles. Yoga helps the child to  concentrate on opening a deep connection with his/her inner self, increasing self-awareness, which can be catalyst to the discovery of their untapped potential. We use positive language, affirmations and visualisation technics to increase a child's self esteem. With regular asana practice, the child will feel more healthy and toned and his/her confidence and self image improve.

4.TO BUILD IMMUNITY.

 Yogasanas with proper breathing can improve the immune system and decrease inflammation. The flow of energy is channeled with asanas and pranayam. Some pranayam can improve better sleeping patterns. Letting a child practice the relaxed tummy breath before going to bed can help them relax completely. 

CONCENTRATION TECHNIQUES.

 Focusing the mind is a very essential part of a yoga practice. With the active and agile mind, a child finds it difficult to focus or sir still for a longer time. Concentration and visualisation exercises can help them sit still, and avoid distraction so that they can enjoy the present moment. With the concentration exercises like TRATAKA, they become more alertand receptive, making it easier for the child to pay attention in class and increase the learning ability. 

When working with Younger children between 5-9 years, we can show some fun yoga poses to strengthen their developing muscles and bone structures. Due to their lesser concentration span, we have to keep them moving to avoid distraction. A vinyasa practice where asanas are woven to form a sequence can help the children to anticipate the next pose and stay more connected with the practice. 

Some poses which can help the children are SAMASTITI, 

TADASANA

PARSVABHANGI

VIRABADRASANA

TRIKONASANA

UTKATASANA

UTTANASANA

DWIPADAPITAM

SALABASANA

BUJANGASANA

SAVASANA etc...

Asanas should be practiced under a teacher or a parent to avoid accidents, as the teacher or the parent will make sure that the child is breathing steadily during each pose and does not try to hold the breath. 

Hoping to see more children practicing yoga in the future, will come with a new topic soon. Thank you! 

Anandhi Venkateshan

Yoga therapist

9885669119.