Until recently, it was almost unheard of for kids to be introduced to yoga. Over the last several years however, yoga classes that incorporate the simplest of yoga gear for kids of all ages have been springing up in yoga centers, park districts and schools. Why should your kid do yoga? Here are three reasons why you should consider this age-old practice for your very modern kids.

Bonding with your kids - In more and more studios you see classes offered specifically for kids, including prenatal classes that evolve after birth to “Mommy and me” classes. Many yogis point to this as a way for increasing the bonds between parent and child, helping to balance a modern life that often includes the mother working out of the home at an early stage in the child’s development. Of course, any time you can spend one-on-one with your kids is always a plus.

Relief from stress, ADD and many of today’s demands – Today’s kids have more stress on their lives and fewer ways to relieve that stress. School has become just one more demand for many kids. Many of the yoga teachers today tell of new interpretations of yoga practice being explored for kids within the structure of their schools. “Yoga helps children develop strong, limber and healthy bodies as well as foster imagination, increase attention span and cultivate self-esteem, says Marsha Wenig, a long time yoga instructor and a pioneering developer of a child-centered yoga teaching called YogaKids. For many schools, yoga has become a useful tool to help with such diverse problems as ADD, helping teenagers by showing them non-destructive methods of control over their changing bodies, and relieving the daily stress that leads to so many behavior disorders in kids today. A growing acceptance of kid’s yoga has also been seen from parents who not only practice yoga themselves, but also see that their children could enjoy it and gain body awareness, coordination, and stress relief. For many, yoga helps their children develop strong, flexible and healthy bodies as well as foster imagination, increase attention span and cultivate self-esteem.

Building self-esteem and confidence - There are a number of programs created especially for children that showcase the more gentle poses, use simple yoga accessories such as straps and teach breathing exercises. In addition, there are some excellent specialty children’s videos available online and yoga based video games that are educational and introduce very young children to yoga poses in a fun way. One of the unexpected rewards to these classes, games and videos is their ability to help self-conscious children become more aware of the things they are capable of doing. Using yoga helps them to improve their physical, general and mental health. It gives them a self-confidence to go on and master other physical activities. Using a simple yoga accessory like a block can give the most awkward child confidence. For kids who are not good at (or don’t enjoy) conventional sports, yoga may provide a much-needed physical outlet in a noncompetitive environment.