I was interested to read this information about the benefits of practicing yoga with children. We are pleased to have the DVD, "Animal Yoga," as a calming end to every kids' group session. Kids' groups are offered during every training and discussion activity offered by Fiesta. Children had improved sensory-motor performance (improved visual and auditory reaction times, decrease in errors on motor tasks), improved spatial memory, and central nervous system processing. Yoga practices were also found to improve time "on task" (increased attention) for children with attention problems. Children with mental retardation who practiced yoga during a school year showed significant improvement in IQ and social skills (largely due to improvements in neuromuscular performance). Breathing techniques decreased autonomic nervous system sympathetic output and increased parasympathetic output, resulting in a calmer state. One study found adolescent girls who had been traumatized had a decreased anxiety state after practicing yoga regularly.
Physiological benefits:
Pulse rate decreases
Respiratory rate decreases
Cardiovascular efficiency increases
Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
Sleep improves
Psychological benefits:
Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
Social adjustment increases
Anxiety and depression decrease
Hostility decreases
Cognitive benefits:
Attention improves
Memory improves
Learning efficiency improves
Biochemical benefits:
Glucose decreases
Total cholesterol decreases
Oxygen level in the brain increases
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