Yoga BLOG

Children's yoga in kindergarten Consistently high noise levels, stressed teachers, and children who struggle to relax in the hectic environment: This is what everyday life looks like in many daycare centers with large groups. This makes it all the more important to offer children periods of relaxation. A great way to gain strength through play, but also to reduce aggression and stress, is children's yoga . Why children's yoga has a beneficial effect on kindergarten children Kindergarten children and teachers benefit equally from yoga classes, as the adults also gain energy and find a path to greater serenity during the sessions. For this reason, children's yoga is now a recognized method used in early childhood and primary school education, along with progressive muscle relaxation and autogenic training. Its diverse effects have been scientifically researched and confirmed, so that children's yoga is finding its way into more and more kindergartens and primary schools. When children are introduced to yoga at preschool and primary school age, they develop their body awareness through play. They improve their coordination, motor skills, flexibility, and posture, become more aware of themselves, and activate their body's own strengths. Yoga releases tension, and children practice relaxed concentration for longer periods. How to integrate yoga into the daily routine in kindergarten The teaching formats vary depending on the type of children's yoga being introduced in the kindergarten. Classical Hatha Yoga should be introduced by trained children's yoga teachers. In many larger cities, yoga schools specializing in children's yoga work closely with kindergartens and elementary schools. Alternatively, parents with appropriate training can also volunteer to teach. This can happen, for example, during a project week promoting physical activity, during which the kindergarten teachers also receive training. This allows them to continue the yoga play sessions with selected children's yoga elements after the project ends. Motivated teachers also have the option of training as children's yoga instructors, enabling them to teach kindergarten children independently. What time frame is ideal for children’s yoga in daycare centers In daycare centers, a duration of around 45 minutes has proven ideal for yoga classes, yoga play sessions, and yoga fantasy sessions for 3-6 year-olds. Preschool and elementary school children can also concentrate on the yoga program for a full hour. A good time of day is late morning, after plenty of play and activity, but before lunch. To "wind down" and prepare for the yoga class, it usually begins with relaxation and breathing exercises. These child-friendly asanas should only last a few minutes in total and can be framed by a short, imaginative yet calming nature story. The following asanas can build on this story, for example, with the sun, whose morning greeting tickles the cat and wakes the dog or the lion. When the sun is high in the sky, it crosses a bridge and finally sets behind a large tree. At sunset, exactly 45 minutes of relaxation have flown by, and it's slowly time to prepare for lunch. If the yoga class takes place in the afternoon, you should allow your lunch to sink in first, because yoga and a full stomach do not mix. How to make yoga for kindergarten children even more varied It doesn't always have to be a traditional yoga class, as individual elements can be easily combined with movement games and dances without a fixed schedule. Even the popular circle of chairs works well if yoga mats or cushions are placed on the floor instead of chairs, and the children assume a comfortable yoga position . Educators who want to offer children's yoga as part of their physical activity program should hold a parents' evening on the topic and get the parents on board. Then the children and parents can practice the exercises together at home on weekends and during school holidays. ©iStock.com/_jure