More and more adults are realizing the therapeutic benefits of yoga, like increased flexibility and balance, increased muscle strength and tone, better cardiovascular and circulatory health, etc. And those are just some of the benefits. Did you also know that yoga can improve athletic performance and help prevent injuries in other sports? That's part of the reason our partners at Children's Hospital Colorado have put together a comprehensive guide to the benefits of yoga for kids.
What is yoga therapy?
Dating back more than 2,000 years, yoga is an ancient method of achieving mind, body and spiritual health. Today, yoga has proven to be an effective form of therapy in our modern world, which is why yoga therapy is an integral part of the Creative Arts Therapy Program at Children's Hospital Colorado.
A growing body of research supports yoga therapy as a means for decreasing anxiety, stress and depression, while increasing positive coping, self-induced feelings of relaxation and powers of concentration and attention.
How does yoga therapy help kids?
When used as a form of therapy to help treat kids, the combination of breath and movement through various yoga postures improves balance and strengthens the entire body. As a result, yoga assists kids' (and adults') systems to function more effectively and efficiently. Breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques also help lower blood pressure and improve mood and concentration, thus reprogramming the body’s habitual response to stress associated with illness or hospitalization.Yoga therapy for children embraces the same theories and philosophies as adult yoga, but with a greater element of fun and playfulness. Classic yoga postures as well as breathing, relaxation and meditation can be combined with storytelling, games, dance and song.
Kids and families share their experience with yoga therapy
After a multi-family yoga group session at Children's Colorado, a participant recalled the experience as "Very mindful…you really take a journey into yourself, which I don't get to do often. Really great therapy for me, it helps a lot." – Family member and yoga therapy participant at Children's Colorado
Yoga therapy could be an integral part of your child's visit to Children's Colorado.
For further information about the Ponzio Creative Arts Therapy Program, please call 720-777-4360.