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| Fitness |
 Yoga
for the Whole FamilyBy Venkat & Christine Machiraju Yoga has gained much popularity over the last five years due to its reputation for soothing away stress. When we think of stress, we think of adults sitting at a desk or people in power suits with briefcases. Very seldom does the image of a child pop into our heads when we think of the stressed out population. Children, however, absorb all that goes on around them and often have no outlet or often lack the words to describe how they feel. They are pressured by school, difficult home situations, and by their peers. Even little infants absorb the stress of the adults around them. Yoga, of course, is also known for its ability to render the body more flexible. It is also known to detoxify the entire body while improving organ functioning and boosting the immune system. People assume that all children are flexible; this is not true. We have become a society where there is very little physical activity. Children watch television or play video games, and are often driven to school. The many children who still take part in physical activities, such as dance class or sports, are often not taught to stretch their bodies correctly. In turn, the result of this can be more than just stiff muscles - it can result in injury. Studies have shown that yoga also aids in the ability to concentrate - this means that not only adults, but children who are involved in yoga will learn to focus and thus improve their performance in school. Yoga gives deep insight into the body-mind connection, and as many children are still very open and more in touch with these two realms, they are easily able to apply yoga to daily life. They are able to reap the benefits of it much easier than us adults who have become rather linear in our thinking. Children will intuitionally apply yoga breathing, stretching and relaxing techniques into their daily lives and will begin to relax and focus very quickly after taking yoga. Babies who are touched and who are surrounded by soothing chants or soft words become confident and learn to relax at an early age. Yoga gives babies and toddlers the tools they need to keep them relaxed throughout life. Imagine if you had been taught how to relax as an infant. Where do you think you would be with your stress level today! Parent and baby yoga, and yoga for toddlers, is one-on- one time with parent and child; time when there is nothing but the parent and child enjoying each others company - free, uninhibited play. The concept or basis behind yoga is love and union and children pick up on this immediately - they learn to love others, learn to love all species on the planet, and most importantly, they learn to love themselves. Yoga can start right from the fetal stage with prenatal yoga. Yoga during pregnancy helps mom relax, and as a result, makes for an easier labour, delivery and postnatal recovery. This means that baby will receive far less trauma during all of the stages of pregnancy and will also have an easier time coming into the world during labour. Very rarely do we think about labour as being difficult for a child, but when mom is pushing to bring baby into the world, baby is pushing from the inside trying to get out! When mom is able to relax and allow her uterus to contract without having her stress tighten up her entire body, baby has far less resistance being born. Fathers who take part in yoga open up to their inner selves and are more emotionally available to their families. Yoga is a beautiful, non-judgemental forum for the whole family to grow closer to each other because it brings each individual in the family closer to him or herself. Yoga is completely non-competitive and is based on improving oneself at a mind, spirit and body level. The life skills learned in yoga stay with a person for life because they are not merely physical, but resonate at the level of the soul. Yoga - a beautiful way to build a peaceful, united society-starting one person at a time. Venkat & Christine operate a self-studies centre: Journey to the Soul, Regina. They are Ayurvedic & Astrological consultants & teach yoga, baby massage, Ayurvedic vegetarian cooking. www.accesscomm.ca/users/journeytothesoul email: S4N 2C1journeytothesoul@accesscomm.ca |