If you have young children or have worked with young children you can appreciate their inquisitive minds, their curious questions, and their busy bodies. Children are fascinating and their energy can make us smile. However, there are those times that we need children to be still, to focus, and to listen in order to grow and learn. Everyone would agree that physical activity is important for children to release their energy. Did you know that it also contributes to brain growth and development? What if you heard that physical activity can actually be used to help calm children and allow them to slow their bodies down?
It is important to help teach children how to regulate their emotions and we need to ensure that they are being exposed to high quality experiences that will enable them to grow and develop. As they move through their early years they learn how to navigate through relationships, sustain attention, and adhere to rules. Depending on the nature of the child these tasks can be overwhelming or frustrating resulting in tantrums, increased energy, or even anxiety.
The National Research Council Institute of Medicine (2008) explains that any new experiences trigger brain growth and refine existing structures. Children begin to learn tasks and skills that build the foundation for everything else they will learn in life: basic counting, the alphabet, sharing, joint attention and communication. During this time, their brains are growing at a rapid pace. Physical activity can help take this one step further.
Finding the right physical activity that is consistent with developmental gross motor and cognitive skills is essential. In addition to seeking out dance lessons, gymnastics or team sports, parents are encouraged to locate yoga or martial arts classes for children. Both activities not only provide the opportunity to work on basic skills but takes it one step further to teach functional breathing, which can positively affect the nervous system to alleviate sensory overload. Balance, coordination, strength, and stability are all elements that are typical in these types of classes.
Throughout this book you will find instructions, visuals and sequences that are easy to use.
Author_Bio: Nichole F. Rich, Ph.D., E-RYT200, is the founder and owner of Breathing Room Yoga and Wellness. She holds a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been studying martial arts since 1997. Dr. Rich began working with special needs students in 1999 as a teacher in the public school setting, working with children of all ages. She is a former elementary school principal and integrated preschool teacher. She has trained teachers in public and private settings on integrating simple techniques to incorporate strategies for young children and traveled around the country in 2014 providing workshops for teachers on integrating yoga and movement in the classroom.
Keywords: yoga, children, child development, development, learning, physical activity, growth, brain, preschool, kindergarten, teacher, parent, caregiver, students, classroom
