1. YOGA FOR HEALTHYOGA FOR HEALTH
IN CHILDRENIN CHILDREN
Yogacharya
Dr. ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANIDr. ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI
MBBS, ADY, DSM, DPC, PGDFH, PGDY,FIAY
CHAIRMAN
International Centre for Yoga Education & Research,
Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, South India
2. ““Children are the wealth ofChildren are the wealth of
tomorrow- take care oftomorrow- take care of
them if you wish to have athem if you wish to have a
strong India”strong India”
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
3. INTRODUCTION
• Children are a unique segment of population
• Have very specific health needs
• More than 40% deaths are seen below 5 years
• Age of both physical and mental growth
• Stressful periods (puberty and adolescence)
• Stress of academic pressures
• Need outlet for creativity & abundant energy
• If youthful energy isn’t canalized properly
-socially deviant behaviors such as truancy
and juvenile delinquency
4. BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR
CHILDREN
• Prevention is better than cure
• Improved immunity
• Asanas, Kriyas, Basic Mudras & Pranayama
stabilize & balance the energies
• Develops and strengthens all systems and
develops flexibility of the body
• Yoga provides the balance, which is lacking
in most other sporting activity
• Various disorders such as Childhood
Asthma and Diabetes may be controlled
5. • Better coordination, concentration, mental
calmness and attention span in ATHD, MR
and other mental disabilities
• Reduced duration, frequency and severity
of epileptic attack
• Reduce anxiety and aggressive behaviour
• Asanas tone up abdominal area and helps
relieve/control functional abdominal pain,
juvenile DM, hepatic and renal disorders
• Loma Viloma :
– flexibility, balance, control, strength and
endurance are developed
– helps improve and regain lost power and
function in children suffering handicaps
6. • Pranayama:
– improves academic performance of slow
learners
– internal cleansing
– improves lung function, heart function,
speed of reaction and cognition
– develops an integrated personality
– synchronized use of the breath with
movement can bring about revolutionary
effects on performance & improved state
of mind, emotions and all round health
7. • Children are prone to glandular imbalance
• Homeostatic influence on the psycho-
neuro-immuno-endocrine system and thus
both the hypo as well as the hyper
functioning of the system is controlled
and equilibrium is attained
• Proper and proportional growth and
development through Yoga
• Positive anabolic growth in children
-genetic potential attained
8. • Inculcation of Yogic values
– prevent problems that children face as they
grow into young adults
– social life is improved- children also influence
elders
– mental solace and ethical strength
– never become asocial or anti social beings and
will have a positive self image of themselves
– substance abuse, juvenile delinquency and
other social disorders that plague modern
youth can be prevented as well as controlled
• Yogic concepts - Only a ‘quiet mind’ and
‘controlled body’ can produce real ‘skill in
action’
9. • Yogic relaxation
– counterfoil to the extreme stress of
competitive pressures
– fosters mental, emotional and physical health
– Concepts of ‘Spanda-Nishpanda or ‘exertion-
relaxation-exertion-relaxation’ in an alternating
rhythm
• Yoga provides a more conscious and
aware outlook of the whole phenomenon
of human life on earth
• Makes the child a more valuable member
of the human social unit
10. TEACHING YOGA TO CHILDREN
• Never forget that Yoga is fun
• Stimulate interest in ‘Concepts of Yoga’
• Emphasis should be on movement initially
• Emphasize breath - movement correlation
• Adequate relaxation at end of class
• Follow the ‘carrot’ approach
• Jovial advise on diet and pitfalls of modern vices
• Periodic discussions with parents
• Yoga family - emotional and psychical bonding
• A happy home makes a happy child
11. • Karma Yoga activities encouraged at home
• Importance and power of prayer - emotional
and mental strength
• Antenatal period of the mother is an important
contributor to the child’s health.
• Strive to bring the young ‘mothers-to-be’ into
the Yoga fold as a healthy baby is spawned
from a healthy mother
• Young girls must be stimulated to take up
Yoga as it may help to prevent many genetic
and congenital disorders in their offspring as
well as help them have a safe delivery
12. YOGA SPORT : A TOOL TO
REACH CHILDREN
• Yoga Sport– a ‘fact’ in today’s Yoga world
• Outlet for the competitive spirit, drive and energy
• Learn to accept the ‘highs’ with the ‘lows’
• Enthusiastic participation more important
• Intense practice -develop amazing skills
• Meeting point –positive peer pressure
• Shaken out of the complacency
• Competitive edge sharpens & focuses the body
awareness, greater accuracy and perfection
13. IMPORTANT YOGA PRACTICES
FOR CHILDREN
• Play Yoga- Yoga frolics
• Asanas : animal and bird poses
• Pranayamas: sounds and breath
• Kriyas: Children enjoy adventure
• Mudras: pre-puberty- no topsy turvy
• Relaxation: very important
• Yoga theory: wholistic development
14. CONCLUSION
• Yoga practices and values need to be
introduced early to children and youth
• Health and happiness can be attained
• Yogic qualities are to be imbibed with joy, and
not learnt with fear or compulsion
• Parents and teachers must reiterate the
importance of Yoga by example
• Our duty is to make them aware & conscious
of these wonderful concepts of daily living
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18. ALL THAT IS NEEDED
IS A SMALL SPARK
TO ILLUMINATE
THEIR LIVES WITH
YOGA FOREVER