Fighting Childhood Depression and Anxiety with Yoga

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Fighting Childhood Depression and Anxiety with
Yoga
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Introduction

• Unsurprisingly, emerging research findings have
  pointed to an escalation in the global prevalence
  of child mental health issues during the
  COVID-19. Around the world, children of all ages
  have experienced severe disruptions in their
  daily lives, from school closures, reduced peer
  interaction, elevated family stress and overall
  fear of what the future may hold.

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Introduction

• Depression and anxiety are cited as the most
  frequently mental health concerns, with 1 in 4
  children experiencing clinically elevated
  depression, and respectively 1 in 5 experiencing
  anxiety symptoms. With future quarantine mandates
  and lockdowns looming, now is the time to address
  these conditions and minimize the devastating
  long-term effects associated with them to help
  children live happier, healthier lives now and in
  the future. Childrens Yoga teacher training is
  getting popular.

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Table of Contents

• Consequences of depression and anxiety
• Benefits of childrens yoga
• Difference between childrens yoga and adults
  yoga
• Treatment options
• Conclusion

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Consequences of depression and anxiety

• Depression and anxiety are difficult to manage at
  any point in life. Even more so for children who
  lack the necessary knowledge to understand the
  experience fully, as well as the tools to form
  coping mechanisms. The consequences of untreated
  depression and anxiety can oscillate from mild to
  severe and become harsher and more damaging later
  in adulthood.

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Consequences of depression and anxiety

• Some of the most common long-term effects include
  difficulty in keeping and maintaining healthy
  relationships and higher risk of involvement in
  abusive relationships, overall decreased social
  functioning, fewer financial and educational
  achievements, increased risk of criminal activity
  and reckless behaviour, substance use and abuse,
  and recurrent depressive episodes, often
  accompanied by self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

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Benefits of childrens yoga

• One of the most versatile and affordable, yet
  less known ways to help children better manage
  and overcome mental health issues is yoga.
  Besides the physical benefits, childrens yoga is
  proven to make a sustainable difference in mental
  health and overall wellbeing. This multifaceted
  ancient practice has been shown to reduce
  symptoms associated with anxiety and depression
  though combinations of all four yogic elements -
  posture, breathing, meditation, and relaxation.

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Benefits of childrens yoga

• For example, yoga employs slower, deeper
  breathing which in returns physically calms the
  nervous system, alleviates feelings of anxiety
  and reduces the levels of stress hormones.
  Specific poses can encourage a type of calmness,
  helping children to disconnect momentarily from
  the noise of everyday life.

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Benefits of childrens yoga

• So what better time to start learning the
  specifics of childrens yoga than today? Future
  and current parents as well as already
  established yoga practitioners and teachers have
  the opportunity to learn a new approach to
  positively impacting the lives of children and
  there are no rules around who can embark on this
  mission. All it takes is dedication to bettering
  mental health at a key point in ones childhood.

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Difference between childrens yoga and adults yoga

• There are a number of fundamental ways in which
  childrens yoga differs from adults. The most
  essential factor to be learned is the approach.
  Adults are attracted to the practice of yoga due
  to its unique qualities of providing physical,
  mental and spiritual health, for kids, the story
  needs to be different in order to capture and
  hold their attention. Therefore, yoga takes the
  form of adventure and play. An exciting exercise
  that also happens to fight those symptoms of
  depression and anxiety.

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Difference between childrens yoga and adults yoga

• Aspects such as anatomy and shorter attention
  span need to play a vital role in how yoga poses
  and classes are navigated and structured. A
  nurturing yoga environment needs to be safe and
  welcome and equally engaging. Part of this
  relates to the language being used which on one
  hand, needs to reflect where the children are at
  in their development. For instance, cues and
  explanations must be clear, concise, and
  imaginative. While on the other, it becomes the
  communications vehicle that sets the tone for how
  children will perceive each yoga session.

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Treatment options

• Understanding these differences is key to keeping
  children safe and engaged on the mat, but given
  the multiple layers, its not always easy to
  achieve without the necessary knowledge.
  Specialists often recommend an accredited
  training to achieve optimal results from the
  practice.

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Treatment options

• Childrens yoga teacher trainings have been
  growing in popularity, making it an accessible
  and beneficial option, both from a business and
  personal perspective. With the flexibility of
  being carried out virtually, courses can be
  completed from the comfort of ones home, without
  compromising the learning process.

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Treatment options

• Moreover, training modules can be tailored to
  include guidance and support in specific areas,
  such as mental health issues. When carried out in
  groups, being able to connect with like-minded
  individuals becomes a valuable resource and an
  added benefit. Its not uncommon for parents to
  struggle with finding the best way to help their
  children, particularly during times of
  unprecedented change and uncertainty such as the
  ones everyone is living through.

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Treatment options

• Having access to a network of people who share
  similar experiences means not having to go
  through everything alone and possibly finding new
  solutions to helping their children overcome
  conditions like anxiety or depression.

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Conclusion

• Yoga training is also not for everyone and many
  parents chose to leave it to expert practitioners
  who, similar to doctors, can specialize in
  different styles of yoga. From the well-known
  Vigorous Vinyasas to power yoga, there is a
  variety of options to choose from, depending on
  goals.

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Conclusion

• As the practice of childrens yoga is
  intrinsically different than that of adults,
  practitioners need to possess the appropriate
  knowledge and skills to educate, empower and
  exercise kids. Even more so those struggling with
  mental health issues who can highly benefit from
  a safe opt-in environment that gives them the
  time and space to recover and build resilience.
• Visit - https//yogabellies.com/yoga-teacher-train
  ing-courses/