What Kids Love About Yoga Philosophy
Jun 01, 2023
I was a little bit hesitant to teach kids about the philosophy of Yoga at first. It can be hard to keep a group of kids engaged through a simple series of yoga postures. How could I keep their attention when talking about non-violence or self-study? But I felt compelled knowing that there was probably at least one child in the class who would light up and would benefit for the rest of their lives for being shown the way onto this path. Like I was when I was young.
You see, I’ve been interested in the philosophy of Yoga since I was in high school. I studied Yoga in India where the full practice, including history and philosophy, is explored. Because of this, I’ve been sharing Yoga philosophy with children ever since I first started teaching back in 1999.
The most accessible resource for part of this philosophy is The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This text provides the basic structure of the system of self-realization (Yoga) in the form of 8-limbs.
The 8-limbs start with the daily habits we can all cultivate to clear our mind, reduce stress and come to know the Truth of ourselves and all of life.
The first limb, Yama, teaches children about moral and ethical principles. How we interact in the world. Ahimsa (non-violence) encourages us to show kindness and compassion towards all living beings, while Satya (truthfulness) empowers us to speak truth with integrity. Asteya (non-stealing) promotes gratitude and contentment, and Brahmacharya (moderation) helps us find balance in our actions and emotions. Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) fosters a sense of letting go, teaching us that true happiness lies in experiences rather than material possessions.
The second limb of Yoga is Niyama. These encourage us to cultivate positive habits and attitudes towards ourselves. Saucha (cleanliness) emphasizes physical hygiene and cleanliness of thoughts and actions. Santosha (contentment) encourages us to find joy in the present moment and appreciate what we have. Tapas (self-discipline) teaches perseverance and determination, while Svadhyaya (self-study) promotes self-reflection and the exploration of one's inner world. Ishvara pranidhana (surrender to a higher power) teaches us to trust in something greater than ourselves and find solace in faith that everything is connected and we each have a purpose.
Turns out when I shared these, most of the children were rapt. I think it’s because this system looks very deeply into the truth of the human experience. There is a spark of recognition in all of us when we hear about the 8-Limbs of Yoga. It just makes sense. Even to an 8-year-old. Kids would come up to me after class and confess to having to lie to a friend about their birthday party because they could only invite seven friends and they had eight. They would shoot their hands into the air to share all the things they are grateful for or tell me about their concept of a Higher Power. They were eager to explore these habits, attitudes and principles.
During our kids yoga teacher training, many of our soon-to-be-yoga-teachers approach me and share that our content is way deeper than they expected (I mean this is kids yoga, right?) and they are absolutely loving it. Adults want to go there too. And, they are delighted to be shown how to craft this topic for kids.
