All the reasons the family should do yoga

I have never tried yoga, have you? It does intrigue me though so when I chatted to the writer of this article and discovered it actually was so good for the whole family I was intrigued and thought I would share it with you guys.

I would be interested in trying it but you know me, a bit shy so I might try it at home before trying classes! Have any of you done yoga classes? There is an NHS guide to Yoga too so it must be good, that’s my thoughts anyway! Perhaps a good resolution?

Why consider yoga?

With increasing numbers of young people these days living more sedentary lifestyles than ever before, and the worrying figures which have been revealed in the media about the higher numbers of children developing Type II diabetes, it’s no wonder that more families are looking for ways to stay active together and to improve their children’s interest in getting exercise.

Yoga is perfect for whole families to practice together thanks to the many physical and mental benefits that it brings. With more young people suffering from stress, anxiety and depression, helping youngsters to find a way to release those feelings and develop a better sense of well-being couldn’t be more important, and yoga can help significantly with this.

1. Physical Benefits

Perhaps the most obvious, although far from the only, benefit of yoga is that it brings a host of physical benefits. People of any age who practise yoga improve their flexibility, gain muscle strength and develop greater balance and control over their bodies.

As yoga also helps in the maintenance of healthy blood sugars and body weight, your whole family can still be a healthy weight and at an excellent level of fitness helping to protect you all from illnesses and physical problems.

2. Mental Benefits

Not only is yoga beneficial to the body, but it is also beneficial to the mind. It can help to boost self-confidence, increase your sense of self-awareness, reduce stress and anxiety and help to put you in a better mental place.

Yoga also promotes positive vibes which help to stave off depression, an increasing problem among young people today.

3. Accessibility For All The Family

Yoga is an activity that is accessible to everyone, regardless of age or physical abilities. Yoga is non-competitive and, instead, is all about the personal journey in which the practitioner is only trying to improve for their own benefit rather than to impress others.

Even non-sporty children can feel more successful and confident when they practice yoga, and it’s possible to use postures that are suited to the age and ability of the whole family.

4. Promotes Mindfulness

While yoga improves self-awareness, it can also still the endless noise in the brain that stops us from focusing and fully relaxing.

Yoga keeps you in the moment thanks to the focused breathing techniques, and that can be helpful for every member of the family when faced with stressful occasions, whether that be in a school exam or facing a job interview.

5. Taking A Break From Technology

Today’s world is technologically advanced and fast-paced. Children are found more often than not with their faces glued to a device or a screen, and this isn’t good for their overall well-being.

Taking time to do yoga as a family helps you all to take time out from that electronic world, reducing our screen exposure and helping to improve concentration and imagination by simply taking some time away from all of those computers, smartphones and tablets that can lead to sensory overload, especially in young children.

Although yoga may be most often thought of as something that only adults practice, there are now increasing numbers of yogis who are starting to introduce the idea of children’s yoga into their classes.

With so many positive potential impacts on the lives of any practitioner, young or old, it’s no wonder that more people than ever before are choosing to practice yoga as a family to improve every family member’s physical and mental well-being and to spend more quality time together doing something that doesn’t involve looking at a screen.