We are no strangers to the famous quote “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body”. People across the globe are becoming self-aware about the importance of staying fit; exceptionally in this “fast-moving” world. Everyone has their own way of doing exercise, some of us hit the gym floor, some go for jogging in nature’s company while some of us do yoga.

Yoga is certainly about good mental and physical health which is a must for kids, right from their early phase. It percolates calmness, enhances concentration, and ignites resilience in kids. Don’t you think it is important for our children?

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The ideal and admissible way to exercise when you have an office, school, after-school activities, parties, meals and an endless list of chores is Yoga. Not only fitness but creating the bonding in your family by indulging your family in one activity in the heart of our ‘eat sleep and breathe’ life; matters too. Yoga is benign for all ages; it not only boosts your physical strength but also backs your mental and spiritual strength.

Here are some thoughts about why practising yoga can benefit your family:

1. Anywhere, anyhow, and anytime:

Yoga is easy to practice anywhere, requiring minimal instruments or rather no machine and it can be done any time. No jazzy outfits are needed; rather simple and comfortable clothes along with a yoga mat.

2. Be the role model:

It is a well-known fact that children learn from what they see and observe. Hence practice what you preach; being a parent it is very important to be the role model for your children. By engaging yourself in yoga, you will teach your children the importance of physical and mental health. Alongside, you also create the priority of the parent-child relationship.

3. An open-minded acceptance:

In the parent-child peppy, even the parents get the opportunity to learn alongside their child. In most situations, it is the duty of parents to correct their children. Teaching, working and learning alongside your children will leave an impact of open-minded acceptance on them. Finally, but importantly, open-minded culture is a necessity in today’s world.

4. Buoyant and sportive:

Children do not always want our judgment, involvement always. Adding laughter and fun in yoga can bring you closer to your children. It also gives an opportunity for children to interact with parents without any fear. Fearless interaction with parents helps in boosting the morale of children.

5. Shut the door to gadgets:

Today gadgets, screens, social media have become an integral part of our lives. The world is dominated by these gadgets and we hide behind these gadgets constantly; be it workspace, school or home. Hence it is very important to keep children at a distance from these which may turn into an addiction, damage eyes etc. By keeping aside time for family and spending time together we teach our children the value of ‘being together’.

6. Relax, slow down:

Like adults, in today’s competitive world, even our children are stressed out by the pressure of studies, exams, sports etc. Yoga gives them an opportunity to relax and slow down. They too get a chance to involve in fun-filled activities which are ‘non-competitive’. This helps them to put in tune their mental state and prepare for the stressful and competitive future.

7. Exploring something exciting together:

Today’s children are very smart with an excellent grabbing power. Just like adults, they too enjoy ‘exploration’ and try new things. If you are new to yoga, have not tried yoga before; this is the perfect opportunity to try it out yourself in the company of your family. Wouldn’t it be a fun-filled exploration? The best benefit is that family yoga will be more relaxing than joining a yoga class with no distress.

8. Enhance your concentration:

This has more effect on children than adults because concentration plays a vital role in the mental growth of a child. Yoga can help children in an immense way to improve their concentration and focus and avoid distractions. By practising some simple breathing techniques and stretches, they can get ‘mind breaks’ from the situations where extensive attention is needed, like preparing for competitive exams.

9. Connect with your inner self:

Be it an adult or an adolescent, it is very important that you spend some time with yourself too. If you don’t know who you are, what you expect from life then how will you look after your family? Hence the ‘me time’ also matters. While practising breathing techniques, we are in a way, spending time with our inner self too. Teaching this practice to your children will help them in becoming a good human.

10. Following a healthy diet:

These days, children are very much attracted to food items like pizzas, cakes, chocolates, burgers, fried snacks etc which, after a time, pose serious health risks. It is observed that people who practice yoga tend to have a healthier diet with ‘no’ junk food. Such people tend to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. This is also a very important lesson to teach children and even to practice yourself, i.e. eating healthy food.

It is not only important to lead a healthy life but also to stay fresh and active. Teaching and practising yoga as a family will not only help in keeping your family healthy but also in making your children strong – both physically and mentally.

(The writer is an expert at Momspresso)