Included among last week’s The Parent Hood links, was one of my most exciting kids discoveries ever. Cosmic Kids Yoga videos, absolutely free on You Tube, are a massive hit with Georgie who insists on ‘doing yoga with the nice lady’ every evening before bedtime. After his bath and before we climb into his bed for a bedtime story, I take my laptop into his bedroom and we both follow Jamie’s (aka ‘the nice lady’) moves. There are a number of things I like about Cosmic Kids; the simplicity of the moves, the fact that the videos are free and most importantly, how Jamie captures kids’ attention with an adventurous storyline, feeding their imagination. The fact that she speaks with an English accent is a plus for me.
Even if you have never practiced yoga and wouldn’t have the first clue where to start, don’t worry. These videos work no matter who you are. I asked my sister to come over with her two older kids (ages 8 and 6) who had never done yoga to see how they liked it. They absolutely loved it and ended up watching two 20-minute videos in a row. Georgie and his other cousin (also four years old) ended up playing with toy cars after the first ten minutes, so if you feel your little one is too young, just try exposing him/her to it at a quieter moment when they can really concentrate and begin to appreciate.
Yoga, it turns out, is great fun for kids but did you know that it is massively beneficial too? Physically it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination and body awareness and it is also an excellent way to work on their concentration, self-esteem and breathing techniques which can help calm and relax. I truly hope yoga will continue to be a part of Georgie’s life. I’ll have Cosmic Kids and ‘the nice lady’ to thank for that!
You can read more about the benefits of yoga for kids here and here.
