38
Chapter 3
YOGA FOR DIFFERENT STAGES OF
SPEECH-LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Teach what is inside you—not as it applies to you, to
yourself, but as it applies to the other.
T. KrishnamacharyaIntroduction to yoga for children
A survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics
revealed a statistically significant increase in the use of yoga from
2.3 percent in 2007 to 3.1 percent in 2012 in children ages 4 to
17 years in the United States (Black et al. 2015). Results of a
recent survey conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance (2016)
indicated that in the United States 36.7 million people reported
that they practice yoga, up from the 20.4 million in 2012. The
survey also indicated that 37 percent of these practitioners
have children under the age of 18 who also practice yoga. The
research suggests that yoga’s growing popularity is influenced in
part by the rise in the number of yoga studios and instructors
throughout the country allowing greater accessibility to a larger
number of children.
The introduction of yoga to children in their early years leads
them on a path of health and well-being. In addition to building
strength, balance, and flexibility, the practice of yoga for children