In yoga, child's pose isn't actually meant for children, but Cynthia Gordon wonders if the animal-themed positions are. Gordon, a local instructor, teaches youth yoga at community centers in Omaha. Her pupils — some just 2 years old — hiss during cobra, bark during downward dog and meow during cat's pose.
"That makes it fun for them," she said.
But youth yoga classes are more than fun. They also boost the kids' physical and mental health. Omaha community centers, independent studios and some gyms now offer yoga workshops or regular classes to their younger clientele.
Gordon said it's important to introduce kids to yoga early so they are familiar with it as adults. "We've got a generation of adults, many of whom aren't sure what yoga is," she explained. "They think we're going to tie them up in pretzel poses."
The poses, including the kid-friendly ones, improve strength, balance, posture and flexibility. Yoga's physical value benefits every age group, said Julie Hertzler. Hertzler enrolled two of her granddaughters in Gordon's class earlier this year.
"It helps kids learn about their bodies and what it feels like to use a muscle group," she said. Yoga is a lesson in self-control and discipline, too. In toddler yoga, kids ages 2 to 5 spend 25 minutes mimicking Gordon's movements. Those ages 6 and older receive 30 minutes of instruction. Gordon said those time frames suit their attention spans. "Kids aren't perfect, but I've never had to turn anyone away." Their concentration improves with each class, she said. "The ability to focus is huge, ask any parent."The lessons the children learn in class can be helpful at home, too. Mom and dad can incorporate breathing exercises and calming poses "if things get a little out of hand," Gordon said.
Jen Johnson, whose 6- and 10-year-old daughters take a kids class, said yoga helps them unwind. "We often forget about how the fast paced, hectic schedules of our daily lives affect our kids," she said. "They get stressed, too." In fact, she said the final five minutes of relaxation is the part the kids look forward to most.
Some schools incorporate yoga into their curriculum. Mary Lincoln, a counselor at Lewis and Clark Middle School, teaches a class to seventh- and eighth-graders each quarter. Though Lincoln isn't a certified instructor, she feels comfortable teaching the basic poses that she has picked up as a yoga student.
"We have a great time with it, and the kids really love it," she said. "I have so many kids say, 'Can you come back tomorrow?' Or 'I loved that. Can we have a club?'"
Lincoln said yoga is especially appealing to students who aren't interested in sports. It offers them the opportunity to be active through a less traditional outlet. "Some of them don't think of themselves as athletic," she said. "But they're really good at this."