WHY KIDS GO TO YOGA CLASS - Pleasing All of the ‘Junior Yogis’ All of the Time!
By Veronica Greene (Printed in OM Yoga & Lifestyle Magazine NOV 2015)
Veronica Greene is the founder of Little Greene Yoga®. She is a Senior Yoga Instructor with Yoga Alliance Professional (with more than) and offers YAP-certified teacher Training packages for Children’s Yoga: FOUNDATION YEARS Kids (3-8yrs), ALIGNMENT BASED Kids (8-12yrs), TEEN—Mind & Body (12-18yrs), and Postnatal Yoga. She has also developed 3 training modules for her BALANCED CLASSROOMS training course to teach school teachers how to use her techniques throughout the school day. She also develops tailored training packages for specific school requirements for both mainstream education & additional support needs. Veronica is often invited as a guest speaker at education conventions.
TEEN PRACTICING YOGA
Yoga for KIDS - What DO they get out of it and why DO they RETURN?
A candid interview with kids (8-12yrs) about what keeps them coming back to class; their likes and dislikes.
At the end of the day if the kids are not happy they will let their parents know soon enough and it'll be difficult to persuade them to attend even if it is "good for them".
As Abraham Lincoln said “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time!
More simply put, by the British – “You can’t be everybody’s Darling!”
Or can you?
Anyone who teaches yoga knows that some classes just doesn’t go to plan no matter how prepared you thought you were. You might go home and beat yourself up but usually, one bad class doesn’t define you! Your students return knowing it was an off night and more importantly they know the benefits of yoga as that’s what brought them there in the first place.
But what motivates children?
In my experience, as a mother, if your child decides they don’t like something they are so vocal that you eventually agree to them discontinuing, the activity in question, even though you know it’s good for them.
Perhaps I’m a pushover mum!
So what keeps them coming back even after the off days?
I sat down, after class, to ask my younger students some questions to find out exactly why they returned, some for over 10 years!
Honestly, I was just a little nervous as children can be so direct………which of I’m honest is what I love! So straight from the mouths of babes!
KIDS MEDITATING
Why do you come to yoga?
“It’s fun and helps with my growing pains.”
“I like it.”
“I don’t know.”
Are there days you think, “I don’t want to go back?” If so, why do you feel that way and what makes you return?
“No! It’s fun and I like seeing my friends there.”
“Yes, when I get into trouble! I know it’s all forgotten and I possibly did something naughty.”
“Yes, especially when it’s one of the days where you work us really, hard. I know the following week will be fun and I don’t want to miss it.”
Would you miss it if you stopped?
“YES!” “YES!” “YES!”
KIDS YOGA - PARTNER WORK
How long do you think you will keep doing yoga?
“I’ll keep doing yoga all my life.”
“Forever! Just not when I’m a grandma.”
“A few years, maybe until I’m a grown-up.”
Do you know why yoga is good for you?
“Yes, I sit crouched, in a bad way and yoga corrects it.”
“It’s good because it stretches my muscles.”
“It helps with my breathing”
Is this one of the reasons you keep going?
“Yes!” “No!”
Would you like to teach yoga one day?
“No. I don’t want to be a teacher to kids as they can be noisy and hard to calm down.”
“Can I? Now?”
“I would but I do already have plans for what I want to be when I grow up. I would teach yoga if I couldn’t do that though!”
Is Yoga fun? WHY?
“Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!”
“I feel part of a club.”
“I love the games and some of them are really hard!”
“You get to know each other and share your news!”
I packed up my belongings, feeling quite pleased with myself – after all, I’ve clearly developed a method that works! Then I heard a little voice say, “You didn’t ask me why I came to yoga!”
“Go on then! Why do you come to Yoga?”
“Because my Mum makes me!”
I smiled! “Sometimes Mums just know best!” - After all, she is my youngest, her sister is now doing Teen Yoga and quite frankly I am very highly trained!
More importantly, I’m not that much of a pushover mum!
If you are passionate about positively impacting Kids through yoga instruction and are interested in our certified yoga teacher training courses, click the link below to view our syllabus or if a school teacher looking for techniques to change the learning potential & behaviour of your classroom then head to BALANCED CLASSROOMS