As an educator or yogi, you’re passionate about empowering the next generation to live their best lives. One way to do this is by getting certified as a kids’ yoga teacher. Not only will you be sharing the many benefits of yoga with children, but you'll also be providing them with tools for lifelong well-being.
Here are 12 reasons why you should consider getting certified to teach yoga to children:
- Promote Physical Fitness
You'll be helping children establish healthy habits for life – something that’s becoming increasingly important. Close to 20 percent of children in this country are obese, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, obesity affects more than 100 million in the U.S., including nearly 42 percent of adults, accounting for approximately $147 billion in annual healthcare costs.
- Teach Mindfulness and Self-Regulation
In today's fast-paced world, it's more important than ever for children to learn to be present and regulate their emotions. Kid's yoga can help with this. A recent review published in Frontiers in Pediatrics found that yoga can help children develop emotional regulation skills, including the ability to manage their emotions in a healthy way.
- Support Cognitive Development
Getting certified as a kid's yoga teacher will help children develop critical cognitive skills that will serve them well in school and beyond. That includes improving attention span, working memory, and executive function, according to a review published by Sage Journal. Executive function is the mental process that allows you to plan, focus, remember instructions, and balance multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Fosters Sense of Calm
Yoga is an effective way to help children feel calm and centered. The psychology trends website Hey Sigmund says practicing mindfulness and yoga can help children reduce stress and anxiety, improving their overall well-being.
- Provide a Safe and Nurturing Environment
Kids' yoga classes should be safe and nurturing environments where children can explore and experiment with yoga postures and breathing techniques. By getting certified as a kid’s yoga teacher, you'll learn how to create this environment for children. You'll also learn how to modify yoga postures and sequences to meet their needs.
- Promote Self-Awareness and Self-Acceptance
Yoga encourages self-awareness and self-acceptance – exactly what today’s child needs. As a teacher, you can help children develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance, boosting their self-esteem and confidence.
- Kids Yoga Teacher Training for Trauma
Trauma yoga helps children feel safe and supported. Teachers will be shown how to create a safe and nurturing environment using gentle movements and breathing exercises while fostering a sense of safety, trust, and control.
- Encourage Creativity and Playfulness
Kids' yoga classes should be fun, creative, and playful. By getting certified, you'll learn to incorporate all that into your classes to keep your students engaged and interested in yoga.
- Support Social-Emotional Learning
Yoga can support social-emotional learning in children. The Frontiers in Pediatrics review shows yoga can help children develop empathy, compassion, and emotional regulation skills.
- Improve Sleep Quality
Does it seem like today’s children don’t get enough sleep? You can have something to say about it as a yoga teacher. According to the same Frontier review, yoga has been shown to improve sleep quality in children.
Children of all ages already have a lot on their plate – and many don’t have healthy coping skills. However, by getting certified to teach yoga to kids, you can positively impact the next generation.
