How Yoga helps children with Self Confidence, Self Expression and Imagination
I chose the best job in the whole wide world - teaching yoga!
Although it took me almost 40 years to find it it has become a beautiful avenue for me to be creative, curious and fully self expressed.
You see, as a child I was not particularly encouraged to express, to explore and to create. And as a result I unknowingly put a label on myself that “I was not creative” and realised that to be heard, seen and noticed that I had to be quiet, good and live my life from what was ‘right’ and what was ‘wrong.’ I became quite serious about life and became very result orientated which led to very black and white and serious thinking.
There was not really much room left for magic, imagination or curiosity.
So I continued to move through the next chapters of my life, being sensible and good, following the crowd, getting a ‘good’ sensible job, getting married, having 2 children, buying a house, decorating the house, going to the gym, having lunch with the girls, all those things that we think will make us happy. I self medicated with drugs and alcohol - they were the only thing that brought me a sense of joy, self expression and creativity.
After hitting a wall of depression, anxiety and deep questioning of what where my life was leading I was introduced to yoga.
I started to peel back the layers of this facade of ‘who I thought I was’ to ‘who I really was’, and you know to my absolute delight who I discovered? - A bright, expressive, creative, curious, aspirational, visionary, funny, playful, emotional and deeply compassionate woman.
And for all those years I had no idea she was even there .
And now I get to express her every single day through my life choices and most importantly through my teaching of yoga - to both kids and adults.
I absolutely believe that yoga will help to elevate and foster a child’s self expression, imagination and self confidence skills, as they are in a safe space to explore without judgment or a sense of right or wrong.
Children are highly creative with a natural tendency to fantasise, experiment and explore. Encouraging motorical, verbal and emotional expression through creative movement will stimulate self expression - forget ballet!!
If we can nurture this creativity and self expression from a young age this will stay with them forever!
Encourage your children to create, to express , to explore, to play, to be curious!
Don’t be so focused on the results, the achievements, the reward!
Life is a process.
It is so hard to teach this to our children in the culture of instant gratification but I believe that it’s one of the most important life lessons we can teach our children.