Kids yoga. What is it? At Appleseed, we play yoga through storytelling, and we inspire movement from seed to tree. It's about planting, cultivating, nourishing and growing, and it's what we do.
Why choose kids yoga for your child over other movement-based activities? The benefits of kids yoga are seemingly endless. In a world where it seems like we're spinning out of control, Appleseed Yoga cultivates a deep awareness and acceptance of the present moment, and inspires mindful, imaginative movement with our children.
You already know the classic benefits of yoga: stress relief, body awareness, greater mindfulness, fortification of all the bodily systems, and non-competitive activity, amoung others. Kids yoga can take those benefits and grow further. Here are a few additional benefits of kids yoga that you should be aware of.
1. Connection to the earth and people
In our classes, your kids imagine snowshoeing through the Arctic, standing tall like a redwood, and running like a cheetah. We nurture the feelings the changing seasons bring, eat like a kangaroo in the outback, and hold hands with our loved ones. We connect to the earth and nature, and also with our families and friends in class. But more than this, we recognize our dependence on nature and our commonality with all the people in our world - our collective family.
2. Educational yet imaginative play
Can you actually go to the North Pole? How many bones does a giraffe's neck have? How long can a dolphin hold its breath? We talk, learn, and share all about our wacky world in kids yoga. We seek to make sense of life and enrich our experience of it. Truth and yet a wild imagination play large roles in our classes...you may find us learning about the tundras with one knee up like a flamingo in Greenland!
3. Learn to relax
Relaxation is an art. At Appleseed Yoga we start it young! In a world where it feels like we are constantly moving at a feverish pace, learning to relax is more important than ever. Yoga is one of the only places where your children (and yourself) can purposefully cultivate this learned skill. Kids these days are under enormous pressures at school and home. Let's give them some practical skills to ease the tension.
4. Cultivate emotional health
Kids yoga addresses the whole child, including their emotional body. When we come to our mats, we take time for ourselves to work on acceptance and awareness of who we are and what's going on with us in the moment. At our kids yoga classes, you can know your child is accepted for just who he or she is. They are free to be themselves, bolstering their self-confidence and self-image, and building their emotional resilience.
Come join us for kids yoga (ages 4-8) every Wednesday from 4-4:45 at the Ralph Thornton Centre, we'd love to see you there!
For the love of our families,
Megan