Sometimes the best way to improve features on the outside of your body is to look at what’s happening on the inside.
With that philosophy in mind, Chris Weber leads both parent and child in a group yoga course through Springfield Township Parks and Recreation that not only improves health but self image as well.
‘We’re teaching kids from early on about positive body image and to listen to their bodies to relieve the stress of everyday,? Weber said.
Weber, who runs Lavender Lotus Yoga Studio in Clarkston, guides parent and child through traditional yoga moves and positions modified for smaller bodies.
‘Fire breathing? is a traditional yoga technique that Weber calls ‘bunny breathing? for child participants. In her class, which runs now through Aug. 25 in Davisburg, the relaxation portion of the workout is shorter than a traditional cool-down period to accommodate small children with shorter attention spans.
One of the benefits of yoga is a better understanding and appreciating of one’s body, according to Weber. With that attitude, Weber’s class teaches students, specifically young girls, to appreciate their bodies and who they are as individuals.
‘Yoga gives kids, early on, ways to understand their bodies,? Weber said. ‘It’s about self-acceptance.?
On the first day of Weber’s class, with soft music playing and the lights off inside the Springfield Township library, participants took turns demonstrating a pose, such as ‘warrior?, and then having classmates mimic it in return.
‘Anybody can do yoga,? Weber said.
Students learned how to successfully transition from one pose to the next and what each pose means to their workout.
‘It’s not about how far or deep we go with our poses, it’s how comfortable we are,? Weber told students.
Another benefit of the class is the ability for a child and parent to engage in an activity together. Weber found that often times a parent sits sideline to a child’s activity, such as a soccer game, but a yoga class allows the two to have fun together.
‘During summer break, this is something for stay-at-home moms,? Weber said. ‘This is a great way to incorporate a physical activity and to get kids and parents to do something together.?
At the end of a yoga session, students of all ages take away new ideas about themselves and a greater appreciation of what they already are.
‘Everybody’s the best at what they’re doing in yoga class,? Weber said. ‘That’s my theory.?
To find out more about parent and child yoga, call the Springfield Township Parks and Recreation office at (248) 634-0412.