If you are looking for a meaningful activity for your children that they may like doing, I think I have just what you need! When the generosity of children meets that of yoga, it becomes magical!
What a joy it is to teach yoga to children! It’s a real gift from heaven to be able to share moments so intense, so fresh, so innocent with these little humans and to convey the inner beauty that yoga offers to them!
They come to me every week for a little moment of happiness that we all share together. Sometimes, their parents would forget about it, but the children would remind them that it’s time to go to their workshop. So, let me tell you why they like yoga so much!
All these children that visit me do not know each other from school or the neighbourhood, they only met in the yoga class and have been doing so once a week since then. Those yoga classes are rather beautiful because there is no competition, no judgment, only kindness and embracing who they really are.
We practice yoga postures, we practice breathing exercises, we do small meditations and everything takes place in a joyous way and puts us all in a good mood.
Each session is different, even if the postures repeats themselves. This is what those sessions are about – allowing the children to go further and deeper into stretching and through doing so – creating the connection between their bodies and minds.
My mood and that of the children is never the same, and so, despite my planning for a different theme each week, no session really comes out as planned. In coaching we call it “dancing in the moment”, and that’s what I do in each workshop. I answer their needs, their emotions, and try to speak to their individuality according to the mood of the moment.
As snapshots …
There are those two sisters that would come to the workshop and sometimes would argue at the start, but in the end and through my understanding, going to them and meeting their needs, they start appreciating each other again. Sometimes, it is a question of taking the role of the educator and explaining to them why a given behaviour is not appropriate with kindness.
A girl suddenly told us all about her sadness during a meditation. This is the place where we go to meet our emotions, after all, but she did it so openly and with a touching fragility. We listened to her, we showed her love, and gave her some advice so that she could better manage her moments of pain.
And then there is this boy who, if we let him do it, would talk all the time. I gently make him realize the importance of sometimes focus and keep his words in his mind for his own good and that of others. He is just such a beautiful little human, so moving and so generous.
Another one of the little girls is incredibly beautiful and sweet. Her mother told me that she lacks self-confidence and is sometimes harassed at school. So I brought games, we do exercises and perform postures which help to increase self-confidence.
I believe that children love yoga so much because they can just be themselves there. They feel welcome in their individuality, they feel safe.
I hope that through sharing this, I can make you understand why I love teaching yoga to children. First of all, yoga is a real gift of life that allows children to get to know their real selves, to better understand and feel their body. I hope they all will grow in a more serene way and manage to apprehend their adult lives with confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, I also love teaching yoga to children because they are so innocent, so pure, so gentle and so fragile. At their side I become a child too, I let my innocence live again, I drop my adult barriers and dedicate myself to their games with as much pleasure as they themselves do.
If you are looking for an activity for your children that makes sense, why not give yoga a try? Not everybody will like it, but I can assure you that everyone who does will receive the nicest gift you can ever give to them.
I hope you understood me well in this regard – these courses are so beautiful and it is not thanks to me that they are, but thanks to the generosity of the children and that of yoga!
If this speaks to you, send your children over on Wednesday afternoon at 2 pm at the Shanti Club in Les Grottes and Fridays at 5 pm at the Sivananda center in Plainpalais.
With love.
