om yoga teacher training guide
mother is lying fully on her abdomen and
chest could be uncomfortable and lead to
mastitis; unsupported backbends can be too
energising and dry up the mum’s milk supply.
What about pelvic floor issues, painful
third degree tears; cesarean scar tissue,
carpal tunnel, separated tummy muscles
(diastasis recti). In fact the popularised
photo of the mum, in a variation of Boat
Pose, with her baby balanced on her shins,
is an absolute no-no for a mother with
separated tummy muscles – who knew?
Children’s yoga
The child grows and the parents, knowing
how great yoga is, send them to a yoga
class. These children are just mini people so
surely the same yoga can be taught in just a
more child friendly way?
No! This small person has a developing
body (the arches of the feet are developing;
bones are still fusing, hormone surges take
place especially in boys aged 4-6 years; the
lumbar curve of the spine does not fully
assume its adult shape until the age of 10).
Many yoga teachers will teach children
and teens the same postures as they would
an adult and in the same way. Although
inversions are beneficial for their developing
endocrine system one really does need to
tread carefully.
Children do not have enough body
awareness or upper body strength to
perform headstands (Sirasasana 1) safely
without injury to their cervical spine.
Shoulderstands held, as one would in
adult class, can be overstimulating to an
underdeveloped thyroid gland.
‘True’ pranayama, as taught on many
training courses, should not be practiced
with children or indeed teens for a variety
of reasons - the most important being that
their lungs are still growing until late teens
for girls and early 20s for boys. Bhastrika
and Kumbhaka pranayama are actually
considered dangerous for this age group.
That’s quite a lot of information and
responsibility! Legally there’s no requirement
for supplemental training but to best prepare
for the myriad of life stages and challenges
each presents, do consider embarking on
some of the specialist training courses that
are now available.Veronica Greene is founder of Little Greene
Yoga (littlegreeneyoga.com)