Namita Jain maintains that yoga helps children to concentrate and gives their body flexibility; (below) in the yoga sessions devised by Usha Chengappa, animal pose asanas are a major draw for children; Pic by Rupinder Sharma

In the world of fitness, the thumb-rule is ‘the earlier the better.’ Parents who are fitness fiends are appearing to keep a stern eye on this mantra and packing off their children, mostly below the age of 10, to yoga teachers closest to their homes.

While adults are making a beeline for yoga as a smart way to de-stress and lose those love handles, they are waking up to the discipline’s effectiveness in focussing the energies of their tots.

“At such a young age, children tend to be a bundle of unbridled energy. This could manifest itself in hyperactivity, aggression and lack of focus. Yoga helps tap that energy,” says yoga expert Usha Chengappa.

Mumbai-based yoga practitioner, Namita Jain, adds that yoga helps children to concentrate, gives their body flexibility and strength. “Yoga also balances the functioning of the glandular system and gets children into the habit of breathing correctly,” says Jain.

The body, she adds, is at its flexible best in the pre-teen years. The limbs are supple and so are the bones. Hence, it’s easier for children to adjust themselves to a new regimen.

Chengappa insists that the development of body awareness (or sensitivity about various body parts) tops the priority list of yoga instructors. “Through various asanas, each body part is brought into play and young children respond to these body postures in their own way,” she says.

In Calcutta, Bablu Marik, a yoga teacher, recommends that children be introduced to yoga when they are as young as four years old. “Yoga at that stage is a group exercise and a great way for children to bond with each other,” he says.

However, he maintains that the student to teacher ratio per class should never exceed 10:1. Yoga classes for kids in the reputed clubs of Calcutta can cost anywhere between Rs 750 and Rs 1,500 per month depending on the number of classes.

While one can begin the routine really young, Jain emphasises that the frequency is negotiable. It could be seven days a week or even once weekly. For kids, the duration of the regimen is also relaxed and can be anything between 10 minutes and an hour. Jain’s sessions with children cost Rs 2,000 per month for thrice weekly classes.

She adds that yoga poses can be performed to either slow down or energise the system. A hyperactive child can be encouraged to do breathing exercises or relaxation poses. Alternatively, a child who prefers a sedentary way of life can be taught energetic poses to boost the metabolism.

Zubin Atre compliments animal pose asanas with sounds to spice up the yoga regimen for youngsters; Pic by Jagan Negi, (below) Bablu Marik recommends yoga for children as young as four years; Location courtesy: Endorphins Children’s Fitness Camp, CCFC, Pic by Anindya Shankar Ray

Marik, however, stresses on the need to pursue this routine at least three days a week with each session stretching anything between 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the fitness levels of the youngsters). The sequence in his classes includes breathing exercises that are followed by Surya Namaskar (six to 12 rounds), standing postures like trikonasana and asisanchalanasana, balancing asanas (brikshasana), seated (janushirasana), supine (pavanmuktasana) and prone or abdominal postures (bhujangasana). He rounds off his sessions with pranayam and yognidra (relaxation routine).

In Chengappa’s classes yoga becomes a personality development programme. If some children have problems negotiating complex asanas, the proficient ones are encouraged to help them along.

She adds that several ailments including asthma are sometimes psychosomatic in nature and come into being owing to suppression of emotions. Says Chengappa: “An active exchange of thoughts in the yoga classes may alter the mental make-up of kids who tend to bottle up their feelings.”

Yoga also aids proper functioning of the pancreas. Hence, even serious disorders such as juvenile diabetes, says Marik, can be brought under control through Yoga.

According to Zubin Atre, who’s looking at starting exclusive yoga modules for children during the upcoming summer holidays, there are more than a few challenges for yoga instructors as well. “Kids tend to have a very short attention span. So, we try to mimic the sounds with the animal pose asanas to spice up the regimen,” says Atre. Marik, on the other hand, combines music with yoga.

Chengappa too has added an inventive touch with animal pose asanas such as marjariasana (the cat pose), swanasana (the dog pose) and vygrasana (the tiger pose). “The fitness capsule becomes fun in this manner,” she says.

Yoga offers a host of perks for the young. So, give your kids a healthy headstart this holiday.