Yoga Kids: Here's Why Yoga With the Kids Is Worth the Struggle by Carrie Watts

My eldest son was introduced to yoga in school when he was 7. His class did a YouTube video series, Cosmic Kids, to refocus after lunch. He loved it and it really worked; he was more settled on yoga days, all the way to bedtime. Normally, his autistic mind keeps him hopping all day. Like a light switch, he is either “on” or “off,” and getting to “off” is difficult. So this was a welcome change.

Seeing the benefits, I thought it might also help my younger son, who has always been sleep challenged. We’d all do anything for some sleep, right? Unfortunately, while my older son happily shared this calming activity, my younger son felt yoga wasn’t active enough! Rather than being a time of relaxation, he used our evening sessions to dive, attack and hang on me while I attempted various poses. It would’ve been easy to give up. But I persevered.

To my surprise, though, he wasn’t bothered about mastering tree pose, the simple routine of engaging in the activity together improved his bedtime. No fighting to go upstairs, brush teeth or put on pajamas. While his sleep itself didn’t improve, the process was easier, meaning I was more relaxed afterwards. That, alone, was worth the struggle.

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