PARENTING
Om
32
july 2017yogajournal.com.auGive children the gifts of learning how to calm
their minds, practice deep relaxation, reduce
anxiety and nurture genuine happiness.
MAGIC
mindfulness
PHOTO: ILLYA_VINOGRADOV/ISTOCKPHOTO.COMTHE
OF
IMAGINE if someone had taught you at a young
age how to calm and quiet your mind when you
were feeling stressed, anxious or upset. Once
young people have the tools to quiet their mind,
they have control over their thoughts, feelings
and actions. The ability to remain calm and
centred, no matter what is happening in their
world, leads to positive, happy and confi dent
children. Who wouldn’t want that for their
families, schools and communities?
With one in four children suffering from
mental health issues and depression in
Australia, it is time to take positive action
and stop the cause. The yoga and mindfulness
movement is making positive inroads into
communities and schools and having powerful
results. After just one yoga session, children can
experience deep calm for the fi rst time, their
worries drift away, upset subsides, and happy
little faces smile again. One teenage boy
described the experience like “emptying
my rubbish bin of worries and stress”. A
10-year-old girl exclaimed, “Miss, this is the
most relaxed I’ve felt in my whole life.”
If you have ever had a child who is too
anxious to sleep, too afraid to go to school,
overwhelmed with emotions or withdrawn
from the world, here are some great ways to
help settle nerves, encourage feelings of calm
and re-ignite a spark of happiness inside.Mindful movement
The fastest way for children to transition from
an overactive mind or emotional turmoil into
calmness is through movement and breath.
For a simple, fast, fun and effective sequence
try a few rounds of a mini salute to the sun.
If you would like a video to follow, you can
fi nd one on my website, zenergyyoga.comBy Loraine Rushton