Holiday Fun with Family Yoga!
By Elonne Stockton, RYT
We
run like crazy around every day; we get the kids to school, we commute,
we put in a full day’s work. When we come home, we have bills to pay, a
house to clean, dinner to make. And our kids are pretty
busy too – they have school, extracurricular activities, tutoring. The
various lives that make up our family are busy and full, and we should
be proud of all that we accomplish. But during that busy
day, which extends to an exhausting week, we tend to overlook the most
important aspect of our existence: the family itself.
Luckily the holidays are
coming soon, and with them another opportunity to strengthen our families. Our
kids will be off from school; we have a vacation from work. Here is our
potential family time! How about playing and laughing together, talking and
sharing, singing and hugging, and doing a healthy and fun activity together in
a family yoga class?!
WHY FAMILY YOGA
The stresses that adults
and children face are growing and the divisive force of those stresses is
damaging our relationships and weakening the bond that we share with each
other. Rainbow Kids Yoga, which
trains Kids Yoga teachers, believes that family yoga is one of the best ways
for parents and children to share quality time together. And there is no better
time to start a family yoga practice than over the holiday season, when we have
a relief from our normal routine and can create new, positive habits and
patterns. We will find that starting a yoga practice has an immediate, positive
effect on our family life.
AIDING COMMUNICATION
There are countless
benefits to family yoga. Yoga fosters communication between parents and
children, as well as between partners. Children often find it difficult to talk
to their parents, even when they need them the most. Busy parents can find that
they become disconnected from one another as well. In family yoga classes, as we practice together
and assist each other in poses, we encourage discussion and dialogue. And that
conversation will build and strengthen lines of communication, which will last
well into our child’s teenage and adult years.
And there are so many ways
that we communicate with each other. We communicate through our facial
expressions, by watching each other’s breath, by observing the tension levels
in our bodies, just to name a few. As we learn to move and to breathe together,
we become compassionate and sensitive towards each other. The more we work
together in class, the more we can relate to each other in a loving way outside
the classroom, and to the people we meet in our daily lives.
BUILDING COMMUNITIES
Not
only is family yoga a great way to bond and to learn how to communicate with
each other, but it also helps us connect with other families in our community. In
a time when we often don’t even know our
neighbors, family yoga can be a great way to reach out to other families in our
town or city.
Mothers especially find themselves feeling isolated when they are
at home with their children. When a mom has moved to a new place, has started a
new job or has given up a job, she can easily feel disconnected. Family yoga
classes provide wonderful opportunities to meet other moms and other families. It
is said that it takes a village to raise a child, and family yoga can be a
wonderful place to start creating and expending this community.
POSITIVE TOUCH
There are countless studies that illustrate the benefits of
positive physical contact on children. Yet in our modern western society,
hugging and touching are usually discouraged in classes and other learning
environments. But touch is beneficial; it is necessary for the
healthy development of a child (and adults need to be hugged too!) and for creating a healthy family.
Throughout family yoga classes are partner poses, group poses,
acrobatic exercises, as well as countless games and activities that involve
loving touch and group creativity. This love and affection can
help children learn appropriate physical boundaries while boosting self-esteem
and positive body image. Children can then grow into confident and loving
adults who are capable of building strong relationships.
EVEN SMARTER KIDS
Of course our children are
already geniuses :) But yoga can help them improve their focus and concentration. In fact, a 2003 study by the University of
California found that children in a Los Angeles school who had frequent yoga
instruction saw significant increases in self esteem, as well as overall
fitness, academic performance, and even a decrease in disciplinary problems –
since students felt more relaxed and were more respectful of their peers.
Building a stronger and healthier family provides similar
benefits, and family yoga classes are the place to bring it all together.
REAWAKENING THE INNER CHILD
One of the most important
benefits of family yoga is that it teaches adults how to play, something most
of us have forgotten how to do. We often get too involved with our
disciplinarian roles, teaching our kids right and wrong, what to do and what
not to do. Family yoga can reawaken our childlike essence and remind us how we
once played, so that we know how to play with our kids in and out of class.
Of course kids need to
learn how to be responsible, but they don’t need to lose their playfulness and
curiosity. And don’t we, adults, need to learn how to be more light-hearted and
childlike to be able to enjoy our families and our life?
Family yoga, therefore, has
an overall positive affect on our family life, days – even years – after the
yoga class has ended.
WHERE TO START
How about a trip to outer space? Click here to download a full Family Yoga Class complete with color photos and explanations!
For information on where to
find family yoga classes and teachers in your area, check out the Find A Teacher pages on the Rainbow Kids
Yoga website.
Elonne
Stockton has been teaching yoga to
adults and children in the US an abroad since 2002. She currently lives and teaches in
Thailand.