As a meditator and yoga practitioner for most of my adult life, I practiced both right up until the end of each of my pregnancies. By the time I reached my eighth month, I looked like a tomato ready to burst and had to modify most of my yoga poses. Meditation was only comfortable while lying down. But when it came time for med-free labor, I was very happy to have had months of practice at keeping my mind and body relaxed.
Now that I have two kids, it’s much harder to take the time to practice yoga or meditation on a daily basis. Often, the only way to get in some “me” time is by practicing with them. I get out my yoga matt, put on a DVD, and get the downward dogs and triangle poses flowing. My kids usually join in, at least for a while (though they just as frequently try to crawl under me). Likewise, at night when my kids are trying to sleep but don’t quite want me to leave the room yet, I’ll sit at the bottom of their beds and meditate. This has brought about a series of questions: What are you doing? Why? My daughter has had me teach her the basics.
We all know adults who take yoga, meditate, use herbal remedies, visit an acupuncturist, or rely on other alternative therapies. But at what age is it appropriate to introduce these practices to kids? Is there an age that’s too young? Parents need to decide on a child-by-child and practice-by-practice basis, of course, but there are many people—including some in medical settings—relying on these therapies for their children.
ABC, Easy As Downward Dog
In many parts of the world, children learn yoga as toddlers, just as our kids learn their ABCs. In the United States, you can now find yoga classes for babies and moms or for slightly older kids in most sizable communities.
Eve Adamson, coauthor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids, believes that kids can’t start yoga too young. “As soon as kids are old enough to follow even simple instructions, they can participate in yoga classes for young children, or do yoga at home with a parent or older sibling. For children at this age, yoga is like play (one could argue it should also be so for adults!). Many yoga poses are designed to imitate animals and plants in the natural world. Kids usually think it’s fun to do dog pose, cat pose, tree pose, mountain pose—they know what those things are and this kind of play makes perfect sense to them.”
Adamson also says, “Children also love to make up their own poses, which is great! When I wrote the book, in fact, my son Angus was just three years old and invented what he called ‘Owl Pose.’ Being a proud mother, I put the pose in the book, of course.”
As for benefits, kids can expect to learn a lot about their bodies through yoga. They’ll become more focused, learning to quiet their minds in order to balance or go deeper in specific poses. Neither of my kids can do tree pose (which may sound like a cinch until you try it) when they’re laughing. But if they manage to quiet down and stare at one spot, they suddenly grow very still and tall. It’s an amazing transformation!
Another benefit includes seeing the strengths and weaknesses of others’ bodies in a non-competitive setting. Everyone has a yoga pose at which he or she shines, and everyone has a dreaded pose. It doesn’t matter your height, weight, or flexibility.
Just Breathe
Traditionally, the athletic movements we associate with yoga are only one part of the practice. The ancient yogic tradition also includes breathing and meditation. So, it’s not surprising that Adamson also recommends meditation for kids. “Any child willing to try meditation is certainly old enough for it.”
