Thursday, February 9, 2012

8 Limbs of Yoga for Kids - Week 3: Asana

Asana = Yoga Pose
Many people think this is the only part of yoga - stretching and moving your body into different poses. Nope! As we have already been learning, this is only 1/8 of our yoga practice!! Asana is just as important as any other limb of yoga because it challenges us to explore and control our bodies becoming more aware. It also challenges your focus and your concentration as we hold poses and balance. And what a lot of people don't realize is that it also tests how you react to things in life. Take Plank Pose for example...after a couple of breaths, Plank Pose can become challenging. We can do one of 3 things here...we can fall out and give up...OR we can challenge ourselves and breathe through it...OR we can be gentle and hold for as long as we can, then maybe lower our knees, take a break, and come right back into it. Asana can help you really explore your attitude in life. For example...Math Homework. I HATED Math Homework. I didn't get it all the formulas! I would get frustrated and cry! I came to see that I could handle Math the same way I handle Plank Pose. I could just give up and throw my Math book out the window! (Eek!) OR I could breathe through it...slowing down my mind, telling myself I CAN do it! OR I could go to my limit and then take a break...walk a way for a little bit, but always coming right back to it with a clear mind.
Pay attention to how you react in certain poses - then pay attention to how you react in certain situations. I bet you'll find a connection!
Asana also has many benefits for our bodies - not just stretching and strengthening. Asana can help a headache, a stomach, or help us fall asleep. See the sheet below...learn about some of the benefits of Asana and have fun with it!

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