Parenting

We often think of children as care free, with very few worries and forget that they go through stress just like any adult.

In today's society of peer pressure, consumerism and sibling rivalry children need time for their own space and to be able to find a safe place to release their worries and concerns.

As a yoga teacher and a single mum with two very strong minded girls I felt the necessity to begin teaching classes to children. As with most things the younger you begin the easier it becomes and as I spend a great deal of my time around children between the ages of four and fourteen I have begun to notice how seriously conditioned by society children can be. There is so much stimulation around that it is hard for them to enjoy the simpler aspects of life. So I began my mission too help children naturally access the tools from within so they could understand their true selves and true personalities.

It is important to start by developing a positive relationship with the children, giving them structure so that they are able to have a good relationship with themselves and those who share their lives. It is important for children to learn to be happy with who they really are, enjoy their own company and most of all love themselves.

My practice is kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. It is a very balanced positive practice which works on the process of uncoiling our energy so that we are able to know and understand our true potential.

A typical yoga practice in this teaching may consist of the following:

Tuning in
We tune in with a particular kundalini yoga chant ong namo guru dev namo-this means I greet the wise teacher within me and outside of me. We are all true teachers inside ourselves and being aware of this is of great importance.

Warm up-we warm up our bodies with gentle stretches.
We then begin a set of positions which are known as a kriya which means action. Kriyas come in a particular structured format not to be changed unless the timings are reduced for each position. Each kriya stimulates a certain area of the body to produce optimum health. Within class a different kriya is chosen every week to work a particular area of the body.

When we have completed our kriya we relax and meditate.
Children love the use of colour so I try to incorporate colour into a visual meditation which encourages each child to use their imagination. One of the many examples of this is for them to sit crossed legged, this is known as easy pose and focus their minds on the space between the eyes becoming aware of a blank white screen in front of the eyes. In time I ask them to begin to see a house appear on the white screen, see its chimneys and its doors and windows. Notice the colours and the activity around the house.

This practice is done without force and should flow naturally. The visualisation takes around 5minutes, enough time to keep the children's attention. Once the meditation is complete I encouraged the children to draw what appeared to them. This is a simple practice that can performed by any parent and their child and is particularly useful before sleep.

To end our practice we tune out with the sunshine song a positive prayer to the world and we chant sat nam three times. Sat nam means true identity which encourages us to be who we really are and proud of it.

Yoga for Children - page 2 - article by Indra Singh

Indra Singh
Indra Singh is an experienced yoga teacher, and mother.

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