When we lived in Copenhagen, my eldest daughter took weekly ballet lessons. She really liked to dress up in her pink tutu and her small ballet shoes (and I have to admit, I loved to see her all dressed up) and go dancing with the other girls. When we arrived in New York, the best ballet classes for her age were already full, so I decided to find her another activity that she might enjoy going to on a weekly basis. I love doing yoga, and since my gym offers great baby, toddler and family yoga classes, I decided to try and bring both girls to kids yoga. It has been four months since they started and they have been hooked on it since the first lesson.
Even though Eleanor feels really challenged when a new position gets a bit too tricky or a a stretch doesn’t feel comfortable, I can see how great it makes her feel about herself and it teaches her to focus and relax.
As for my 2-year-old and her toddler yoga classes, it’s not as challenging.We pretend to be animals while doing a variety of classic yoga poses and the children are allowed to play around and join in should they want to. Alma has her favorite poses that she will always do and she loves to do her version of the classic lotus pose, sit very still, close her eyes and say some loud ohm-sounds.
Besides from yoga being a fun activity, it also has a lot of benefits for kids:
It helps balance and coordination.
It develops focus and concentration.
It enhances physical flexibility.
It boosts confidence and self-esteem.
It strengths the connection between body and mind.
Kids yoga is becoming very popular in the US at the moment. Studies have shown a connection between kids yoga and improvements in asthma, stress, irritable bowel syndrome, ADHD and autism. None of the things mentioned above are the reason why my children are taking yoga classes, but I like that a fun activity can be more than just fun. As long as they both continue to love it, we will definitely keep going. Even though we might add a ballet class to their list of activities come fall.
If you want to do some kids yoga with you child at home, then check out the app My First Yoga. Eleanor loves to use it.
Mamaste (as my 2-year-old says)
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Mens vi boede i København, gik min ældste datter til ballet sammen med to små veninder. Hun elskede at tage den fine tutu og de små balletsko på (og jeg må indrømme, at jeg også syntes det var ret sødt) og danse rundt sammen med alle de andre pastelfarvede piger.
Men da vi ankom til New York i slutningen af oktober, var alle de gode balletklasser optaget, og jeg besluttede mig derfor for, at finde hende en anden fysisk fritidsinteresse. Jeg holder selv meget af at dyrke yoga, og da min yogaskole udbyder gode baby- toddler- og børneklasser besluttede jeg mig for, at lade begge piger prøve det. Det er nu fire måneder siden, og de er begge absolut hooked.
Selvom Eleanor til tider føler sig meget udfordret når en ny position driller eller et stræk ikke føles rart, kan jeg se hvor godt det får hende til at føle, når hun selv kan se, hvor meget hun hele tiden forbedre sig og hvor meget det lærer hende at fokusere, slappe af, og blive ved med at forsøge selvom noget ikke lykkedes i første forsøg.
Min yngste på to er ligeledes meget glad for sine toddler-klasser. Her handler det om at lege det ind. Hver position formes ud fra et dyr, og børnene får lov at være med så meget eller lidt som de selv vil. Alma har helt sikkert sine favorit positioner som hun altid udfører, og så elsker hun at lave sine egen udgave a lotus stillingen, sidde helt stille og sige meget høje OHHHHHHMM lyde.
Udover at yoga er sjovt, har det nogle positive fordele for børnene, hvilket især ses tydeligt hos Eleanor.
Yoga hjælper med at udvikle en god balance og koordinationsevne.
Yoga udvikler barnets evne til fokus og koncentration.
Yoga forbedrer kroppens flexibilitet.
Yoga booster barnets selvtillid og selvværd.
Yoga forbedrer forbindelsen mellem kroppen og hjernen.
Jeg elsker at noget som kan være sjovt, også kan være så lærerigt og udviklende.
Hvis du vil prøve at dyrke lidt yoga med dit barn derhjemme, så tjek app’en My First Yoga. Eleanor elsker at bruge den til sine egne små yogasessions hjemme på stuegulvet, og den bliver helt sikkert et hit, når vi om lidt rejser til Danmark på en meget lang sommerferie.
Mamaste (som min 2-årige siger)