Yoga can help manage stress, anxiety in kids: Here’s a simple asana to help your child calm down

There’s no denying the fact that yoga can be an excellent tool to address mental health concerns especially during these unprecedented times. Research suggests that the ancient practice helps find balance, calms the mind, and relaxes the body.

For parents, life can be even more stressful as children have been being confined to homes with schools shutting down early to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

Instilling health habits in kids - such as daily yoga practice - will help them cope with stress, anxiety while also improving their overall health and well-being.

Perhaps, if you notice that your child is often anxious or stressed, it is the need of the hour to introduce your kid to yoga.

Yoga is surely one of the best ways to help kids strike a successful balance.

This is so due to the fact that it can help reduce stress and anxiety and calm them down.

Thus, they will be able to understand the importance of mindfulness and will be able to relax.

What is yoga and how does it help to deal with stress and anxiety?

Yoga consists of a series of exercises that are meant to enhance your overall well-being.

The exercises are helpful in synchronizing your mind and body.

The asanas in yoga include deep breathing, calming, and body awareness.

Daily practice of yoga will help your child feel less anxious and stay stress-free.

Yoga can be described as a safe and effective practice that can help soothe the minds of anxious children and, in turn, will also be able to soothe the body’s stress response, said Dr Kritika Bolia, Consultant - Physiotherapist, Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi, Pune.

“The feelings of stress, anxiety, depression can be quickly dealt with the help of yoga. It can help slow down the psychological arousals that occur in the child’s body and can slow the heart rate and even lower one’s blood pressure.

Not only this, but it can also help perk up your child’s mood,” Dr Bolia added.

When the child is stress or even nervous, yoga can be helpful in calming his or her thoughts.

If the child feels overwhelmed or even worried, then yoga can come to one’s rescue. It tends to promote relaxation - the asanas focus on a breathing technique that is inhaled and exhale and wards off negative thoughts to clear the mind and get rid of stress. It helps release endorphins that reduce stress and anxiety and relieves tension. Here’ a great yoga pose to help your child manage stress, anxiety.

Easy Pose with Forward Bend for stress relief

• How to do this asana:
• Sit down on the edge of a mat with legs in ‘pretzel-style’, or simply sit cross-legged.
• Inhale, and on the exhale bend forward.
• Rest your head on your forearms - you can even place your head on the mat.
• Hold the posture for up to five minutes with deep breaths.
• Now, inhale and exhale slowly, and then sit up.
• Change the cross of your leg and repeat the pose, holding it for the same amount of time.

Takeaway: See to it that you choose a good yoga teacher for your child who will be able to design a proper tailor-made program for his or her to bid adieu to stress and anxiety.