When you hear the word yoga, you might pause and raise your eyebrows. Its connections with Eastern mysticism have made it somewhat suspect in Christian communities, and sometimes for good reason. But I’d like to convince you that much of yoga is very good, and encourage you to claim these wholesome elements of it for your classically-Christian-schooled kids.
Yoga is a beautiful mixture of moving body, mind and spirit; these qualities relate directly with Veritas’ purpose to create serving (body), thinking (mind) and loving (spirit) students. As a fitness instructor, I’ve seen how much excitement kids can find in yoga: it’s a great way to exert physical energy and teaches children to relax.
As our children grow and mature it is important that they are comfortable and confident in their own bodies, and this happens best when they can move and experiment in a judgment free zone—an essential characteristic of a yoga classroom.
Yoga is an easy low-key way to build strength, increase flexibility and improve posture. Building strength comes as children gain more confidence and begin to advance their poses, making them more challenging, Progressing this way teaches children that slow small increments of work really do allow them to improve over the long term. Balancing and flexibility encourage concentration, and through the hard work of yoga children learn to focus not just physically but also mentally, with improved posture as a bonus.
Even if you aren’t personally acquainted with yoga, you probably know that a key element of it is meditation. Though traditional yoga would encourage the participant to mediate on an empty mind, as Christians, we know that our strength, our peace, and our life come from our one true Savior, and not through some distant “spiritualism”. As I think of ways to relax, a major way for me to be calm is to dwell on the Psalms. I also find the Fruits of the Spirit to be restorative. It is so calming to think through the people in my life who show kindness and demonstrate faithfulness and peace, or to reflect on the places that bring me joy. I like to blend these meditations of thankfulness with prayer that God would reveal to me ways to enact gentleness and self-control toward those around me. It will be a treasure for our children to consciously apply love, joy and peace to their quiet times of thoughtfulness.
Though it may not be an everyday activity, consider adding some yoga time to your summer! I would suggest checking out a few sources on You Tube; for younger kids using Cosmic Kids Yoga. Jamie, the narrator tells numerous imaginative stories as children follow along with each pose. Older students might like Fitness Blender’s yoga. When your kids get some of the names and positions figured out, they can make up their own classes and teach you!
