Yoga and Children by Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

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

18. ALL THAT IS NEEDED
IS A SMALL SPARK
TO ILLUMINATE
THEIR LIVES WITH
YOGA FOREVER

19. THANK
YOU
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