Gum Ganapatayie Namaha

A mantra for new beginnings- Gum Ganapatatyie Namaha. The new session has taken off with a blast! With 14 brand new Alluem Kids this weekend, the studio was packed with new life and shining faces filled with anticipation for what yoga would bring to them. For many of the new students, it was their first yoga class in a studio setting. Most of them have been exposed to yoga whether their parents practice, they were introduced to it in school, or they've rocked a few poses on the Wii Fit. The kids were excited to be in an actual yoga studio in a class just for them. They are often proud of the fact that they have their own mats and their own space to stretch, breathe, relax, renew, and have fun!

So why yoga for kids?

The world continues to change and children are exposed to and have to deal with more issues then children have had to deal with in the past. To have peace with all that goes on around them and remained focused takes a lot of work. Through yoga, one can learn to get in better awareness of their bodies and their minds despite what is going on around them through asanas (movement), breath, and meditation. A children's class includes all of this, but is brought to them in a less serious, playful mode. We play games, we laugh, we have fun. Is that yoga? Yes. You will often hear laughter coming from the classroom. You will often hear the kids cheering on each other during a Yoga Game. You will often hear random statements or conversation taking place during the class, as kids freely express what is on their minds. All of this is okay. Kids will be kids and that is exactly how they should act. And there is no safer place to do so then in a yoga class where they will be loved and accepted for who they are.