Observe a kids’ yoga class and you’ll see lions, cats and cows…oh my! Little bodies twisting themselves into pretzel-like formations with the ease and grace of an Olympic gymnast. What we, as adults, work months, even years at in our own yoga practice, kids make it look so easy.

But beyond the fun that kids have during a yoga class, the benefits that this 5,000 year old practice has on their young bodies is quite remarkable. Here are just a few of the many reasons why kids of all ages should be committing to a regular yoga practice.

Strength and Flexibility

Young bodies are flexible and strong. As we age, we begin to tighten if we don’t maintain our flexibility through exercise and yoga. Children are born with flexibility that yoga can help prolong. In addition, being flexible will help prevent injuries in other sports. Think yoga is easy? Try holding a plank for 10 full breaths, then we’ll talk. Yoga builds long, lean, supple muscles which will benefit any young athlete.

Improves Concentration

Who hasn’t said to their child at some point in their lives, “Can’t you just stop moving for five minutes?” Yoga is a wonderful tool to help children learn to sit quietly, without fidgeting and just be in their bodies. With the right direction from the teacher, even the most active child can learn to quiet down and take pause for some reflection. When a child is able to focus and concentrate, sitting in a classroom and listening to the teacher becomes that much easier.

Self Esteem

A regular yoga practice for a young child increases self esteem, which can be carried beyond the yoga studio. There is no better feeling for a child than mastering a pose they’ve been working on for a long time. When their crow finally takes flight, the look on their little faces is worth every bit of effort it took to get there. This sense of self esteem and pride will shine through in other areas of life, like school and athletics.

Self Acceptance

Yoga doesn’t judge. It’s not a competition. It is a personal journey. If you’re tall, short, coordinated or awkward, yoga is a wonderful practice for children to learn to accept themselves exactly as they are. Yoga is not just about the physical practice. It’s really about examining what is on the inside. A child who learns to love herself and to be comfortable in her own skin is a child who will then grow to be a teenager and an adult who shows compassion and kindness toward others. That is what the yoga is about.

You can find kids’ yoga classes popping up in almost every community around these days. If you live in Wilton, Hello Yoga (80 Old Ridgefield Rd.) offers a 6-week series of classes for kids and tweens beginning Sept. 9th for only $75. You can register your child for the classes at www.helloyogawilton.com.

Nicole Thornbrough is an instructor at Hello Yoga.