More Kids Turning into Yoga Practitioners - East Idaho News

More Kids Turning into Yoga Practitioners

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abc gsb yoga kb 121231 wg?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1357127609088ABC News(NEW YORK) — Yoga is said to be the fastest-growing sport in America, with 20 million people practicing.  But the latest trend among yogis is that an increasing number of practitioners are pint-sized.

Kids — from newborns to teenagers — are learning the terms downward-facing dog, sun salutation and more in kids-only yoga studios and even in their classrooms . It’s also one of the only non-competitive sports available.

“More practitioners and more parents are becoming aware of the benefits of yoga and seeing their kids can benefit too,” said Liz Eustace, CEO of Alignyo, an online yoga community with a newsletter devoted to all things yoga.  “The things that benefit an adult will also benefit a child.  Stress reduction, mind-body connection, physical strength — these are things that benefit kids as well as adults.”

At a recent kids yoga class for 6- to 9-year-olds at YogiBeans, a kids-only studio on New York City’s Upper East Side, both parents and children were anxious to talk about the good yoga has brought to their lives.

“It clears your mind off something that’s really bothering you,” said one little girl.

So how does a kids yoga teacher keep the kids attention on the “oommm” for an entire class?  While there are similarities between kids and adult yoga, a kids class is far more relaxed.

“[Kids and adult classes are] very different, but the foundation is always the same.  There’s still the mind-body connection that is the foundation of all yoga,” said Eustace.  “But what’s great is there’s a ton of creativity with kids yoga, like meowing like a cat, barking in downward dog or hissing like a cobra.  There’s an incredible amount of creativity and playfulness within the foundation of yoga.  And it’s these kids moving in such a creative and conscious way that makes it such a fun practice for children to get involved with.”

Lauren Chaitoff, co-owner and instructor at YogiBeans, agreed.  

“It’s going to be little bit sillier, more playful.  Kids are stressed these days, there are social pressures and pressure in school,” she said.

Experts say parents should do their research before signing their kids up for a yoga program.  A good place to start is the Yoga Alliance website, where parents can search for a instructor that’s been trained in children’s yoga.  The voluntary standards put forth by Yoga Alliance require 96 hours of training to become registered.

If there are no children’s yoga programs in your area, your kids can still benefit from the practice.

“There’s great resources online and through books and through DVDs,” said Eustace.  “Whether you’re in a small community or a larger community you can still integrate a lot of the practices and teachings of kids yoga.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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